Natural Hazard Observer Nov 2005

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R. David Paulison Replaces Michael Brown as Head of FEMA With the departure of Michael Brown from the Fed- eral Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) top spot, the president designated R. David Paulison, administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration, as acting undersecretary of homeland security for emergency preparedness and response and head of FEMA. Paulison, a 30 -year veteran of fire and emergency services served as director of the Preparedness Division of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate /FEMA from 2003 to 2004 and has served as the administrator for the U.S. Fire Admini- stration since December 2001. Before joining FEMA, Paulison was chief of the Miami -Dade Fire Rescue De- partment. His emergency management experience in- cludes Hurricane Andrew and the crash of ValuJet Flight 592. Read more about Paulison on the FEMA Web site at http://Www.fema.gov/abotit/bios/Paiilisoii.shtm. 2005 Hurricane Season Recovery Information From Tropical Storm Arlene, which emerged on June 8, just a week after the official start of hurricane season, to early October's Tropical Storm Tammy, the hurricane season of 2005 has been one of the busiest in memory (and it is not over yet). Hurricane Katrina became one of the most devastating storms in history, taking hundreds of lives across the Gulf Coast and forcing the largest reloca- tion in American history. There have already been 19 named storms this season, resulting in nine federal disas- ter declarations and, as part of the Katrina relocation ef- fort, emergency declarations have been issued for 42 states and the District of Columbia. To assist in the recovery efforts, the Federal Emer- gency Management Agency (FEMA) has dedicated a Web page to recovery information related to the hurricanes of 2005, Dennis, Katrina, and Rita, specifically, broken down by storm and then by the affected states. The Web page, located at http: / /www.fema.gov /press /2005 /hurri cane_season. shtm, also features links to general recovery and mitigation information. Another FEMA Web page, http: / /www. fema. gov /press /2005 /resources_katrina. shtm, provides links to information on how to get help in recov- ering from Hurricane Katrina. In related news, FEMA has developed an online indi- vidual assistance center (IAC) to allow those who have registered for disaster assistance to access information about their cases on the Internet. The release of the IAC follows on the heels of FEMA's launch of an online regis- tration application in fall 2004 that allows individuals to register from any computer or at kiosks set up at disaster recovery centers. The IAC is located at https://www.disas teraid.fema.gov /. FEMA and America's Second Harvest Partner to Feed Disaster Victims The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and America's Second Harvest have signed an official memorandum of understanding establishing a permanent relationship to bring much needed food and Natural Hazards Observer November 2005 16 supplies to victims of the nation's worst disasters. As the nation's Food Bank Network, America's Second Harvest works with more than 210 food banks around the country, serving all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The memorandum of understanding provides a framework for FEMA and America's Second Harvest to continue working together in carrying out disaster re- sponse and recovery operations. In addition to coordina- tion of distribution of supplies in a disaster, the agreement includes coordinated outreach campaigns to encourage mitigation of hazard risks and community involvement both before and after disasters occur. Find out more about America's Second Harvest, including the organization's involvement in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, at http://i4)ww.secondliarvest.org/. Update on Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness In July, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties submitted a report to the president documenting the progress made by the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Pre- paredness and Individuals with Disabilities in overcoming the complex challenges people with disabilities face in times of emergency. The report documents results achieved and makes eight recommendations that the council believes will better integrate people with disabilities into the nation's disaster and emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts: • Increase the rate of participation of people with disabili- ties in emergency planning • Increase the rate of participation of people with disabili- ties in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery drills and exercises • Direct homeland security funding to promote the full integration of people with disabilities in all aspects of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery • Urge federal building officials and managers to include the concerns of federal employees and visitors with dis- abilities in developing emergency plans and continuity of government plans • Ensure that during an emergency Telecommunications Relay Services personnel and Public Safety Answering Point personnel and captioners can travel to and from their designated facilities to provide continuity of ser- vices for persons with hearing and speech disabilities • Integrate the needs of individuals with disabilities into the National Response Plan and the National Incident Management System • Coordinate evidence -based federal research into the effectiveness of audio, visual, and /or tactile protocols and technologies related to emergency preparedness, alerting, warning, and response for individuals with disabilities • Ensure comprehensive medical approaches that address the health care and medical needs of individuals with disabilities across the lifespan of an emergency event The report is available at http: / /Www.dhs.gov /interweb/ assetlibrary/CRCL_IWDEP AnnualReport_2005.pdf.