Policy & Research Forum
January 13, 2009
Featuring:
The Honorable R. David Paulison
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency
In his first address reflecting on his leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Administrator Paulison noted that FEMA is one of the few federal agencies that really touch every facet of Americans’ lives. He also noted the emergency management principles he and his FEMA colleagues use amount to “a promise to the public. It’s a promise that the federal government will not abandon you in a time of need and crisis.” Admitting that ev
ents over the past several years such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have stretched FEMA’s abilities, Paulison noted that “no federal agency has gone through a more sweeping transformation than FEMA.” The agency has grown from 1,500 employees in 2005 to over 3,700 today, with a goal of over 4,200 by the end of the year. Its budget has also substantially increased. While FEMA’s resources have increased, Paulison cautioned that the agency cannot respond to disasters alone and noted that he and his colleagues “must bring in partners” from the private and non-profit sector. Reflecting on his tenure, Paulison said the biggest issue his agency has yet to resolve is disaster housing, calling it a “vexing issue for me personally.” He advised his successor to concentrate on a comprehensive solution to disaster housing, and to ensure the Department of Housing and Urban Development is a full partner in that effort.
In his comments, Kaniewski praised FEMA for being “ready and up to the task” under Paulison’s leadership during a difficult period both in terms of natural disasters and organizational changes. During the question and answer session, Paulison stressed the need to “to build better local and state resilience,” calling federal, state and local entities, as well as individual families the four partners that together make up disaster response. He emphasized that Americans must “get back to the culture of preparedness,” because the government will not be able to immediately help everyone in a disaster.
Paulison also commented during the question and answer session on the relationship between FEMA and its partners in the field from various sectors. Noting that representatives from the non-profit and military sectors are now based in every FEMA regional office to provide better support and coordination, Paulison said FEMA “should do all that we can to help all the non-profits” financially to do their part in disaster mitigation and response.* Regarding situational awareness, Paulison conceded FEMA “really didn’t have it” during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He said FEMA now has incident management teams that can stream live video feeds to headquarters, regional offices as well as state governments “to see in real time what’s going on” in a disaster situation. Paulison also discussed FEMA’s improved relationship with the military following Hurricane Katrina. He noted that, “One of the big issues and lessons learned from Katrina was not having a very good relationship with the military. Not a bad one; we just didn’t have one.” Cautioning that disaster response must be a civilian-led task, Paulison noted enhanced cooperation between FEMA and U.S. Northern Command, the National Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as a drastic increase “in pre-scripted mission assignments in place, from 4 to over 230.”
Responding to a question on communications interoperability, Paulison explained that communication issues are less a problem with equipment, and more an issue with governance. Predicting FEMA has successfully traversed the interoperability “hump” following Hurricane Gustav in 2008, Paulison confidently indicated FEMA going forward has resolved “literally 90 percent” of interoperability issues.
Commenting on the ongoing debate of whether FEMA should continue to be part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or return to its previous independent status, Paulison signaled his “concern is taking it out in a knee-jerk reaction,” and requested the Obama administration to “take a look at the issue very carefully, very methodically.” Paulison argued that “FEMA has begun to prosper the last two years under DHS,” and thus he doesn’t “see any benefit to taking it out” of DHS. He also noted the excellent relationship he has had with other DHS entities. Citing work done prior to Hurricane Ike’s landfall in 2008, Paulison praised the ease with which he was able to obtain personnel assistance from the Transportation Security Administration. Paulison noted this example as one benefit of FEMA being part of DHS, saying, “We meet every Wednesday with the components of DHS. I just pick up the phone and ask for help,” if necessary from other DHS elements.
*The stationing of non-profit and military officials at FEMA regional offices is consistent with the recommendation HSPI made in its June, 2006 report, Regionalizing Homeland Security: Unifying National Preparedness and Response.
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Event Resources
As part of the January 13, 2008 HSPI Policy & Research Forum, “FEMA: Capabilities, Coordination and Capacity for the Future,” featuring The Honorable R. David Paulison, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Homeland Security Policy Institute prepared a resource page where you will find some useful links to recent reports, government agencies and other relevant information.
Reports & Commentary
Statement by Deputy Administrator Harvey E. Johnson, Jr, before the Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, FEMA (July 30, 2008).
In this testimony, Johnson discusses “FEMA’s recent release of a draft National Disaster Housing Strategy. The draft National Disaster Housing Strategy in likely one of the most significant documents prepared by FEMA and released under the umbrella of the National Response Framework. The Strategy describes how the Nation currently provides housing to those affected by disaster. And, more importantly, it charts a new direction of where our disaster housing efforts must focus if we, as a Nation, are to better understand and meet the emergent disaster housing needs of disaster victims and communities.”
Statement by Administrator R. David Paulison, before the Congressional Fire Services Institute Board, FEMA (October 2, 2008).
In this short statement, Paulison reviews FEMA’s progress and plans for the future.
The Next Catastrophe: Ready or Not?, by Christine Wormuth, The Washington Quarterly (January 2009).
The author reviews the gaps in homeland and national security efforts in the United States, highlights the unique challenges faced by national leadership, and makes recommendations to improve America’s readiness.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Unprecedented Challenges Exposed the Individuals and Households Program to Fraud and Abuse; Actions Needed to Reduce Such Problems in Future, by William O. Jenkins, Government Accountability Office (November 2008).
“In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused unprecedented damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Individuals and Households Program (IHP), provides direct assistance (temporary housing units) and financial assistance (grant funding for temporary housing and other disaster-related needs) to eligible individuals affected by disasters. Our objectives were to (1) compare the types and amounts of IHP assistance provided to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita victims to other recent hurricanes, (2) describe the challenges FEMA faced by the magnitude of the requests for assistance following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and (3) determine the vulnerability of the IHP program to fraud and abuse. GAO determined the extent to which the program was vulnerability to fraud and abuse, by conducting statistical sampling, data mining and undercover operations.”
FEMA Reorganization Legislation in the 109th Congress, by Keith Bea, Congressional Research Service (July 2006).
This report reviews the full range of issues for the 2006 Congressional debate on FEMA’s reorganization—many of which are relevant today. As this report demonstrates, the issue is “more complex than just one of organizational placement,” from mission to the role of the White House during an emergency.
Fixing FEMA, The New York Times (November 24, 2008)
The New York Times recommends what should come next for FEMA in this editorial.
Not Your Father’s FEMA: Battling Public Opinion in the Midst of a Storm, by Daniel Kaniewski, The Washington Times (September 10, 2008).
“FEMA is an easy target; its four- letter acronym is often used as shorthand to convey all of Katrina's failures. But FEMA is just one piece of the preparedness puzzle. The organization is relatively new by historical standards, having been created as an independent agency in 1979. Before that time, disaster-response activities were scattered amongst some 100 federal agencies. In 2003, FEMA was brought under the Department of Homeland Security. Regardless of the agency's placement in the federal bureaucracy, there are fundamental misunderstandings of FEMA's role and mission which drive false expectations by the public.”
Homeland Security Information & Intelligence Needs for 21st Century Threats, The Henry L. Stimson Center (September 2008).
“The Homeland Security Program, in collaboration with the Swedish Institute of International Affairs and the Stimson Center’s Global Health Security Program , explores how current information and intelligence systems support homeland security officials in the United States and the European Union. The Program examines these systems for three types of homeland security threats: infectious diseases, natural hazards, and terrorism... This problem set is not unique to the United States, and the study looks at the European Union and selected EU member states as an important point of comparison, and as a critical partner for information sharing and problem solving.”
News and Resource Links
Congressional Quarterly (registration required)
CQ’s Homeland Security Daily has a special section dedicated to covering FEMA issues.
Thompson, Oberstar Clash Over FEMA, by Mickey McCarter, Homeland Security Today (December 23, 2008).
The author outlines the current debate in Congress over the future of FEMA.
Experts Warn Against Upheaval With FEMA & DHS, by Amy Harder, Government Executive National Journal (November 19, 2008).
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency should not be taken out of the Department of Homeland Security, at least early on in Barack Obama's administration, according to a panel of security experts this morning at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The discussion was part of a two-day conference, concluding Thursday, on how the incoming Congress and new president should confront the country's myriad domestic security issues.”
FEMA Spends Nearly $3B to House Hurricane Victims, by Rick Jervis and Brad Heath, USA Today (August 26, 2008).
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency has paid nearly $3 billion in hotel bills and rental assistance for the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita — by far the costliest emergency housing effort in the nation's history, according to government statistics.
On the cusp of the storms' three-year anniversaries, more than 14,000 families remain in FEMA-funded apartments across the Gulf Coast and as far away as Alaska. The spending continues today because three years of labor and planning across the Gulf Coast has not replaced enough of the homes and apartments the storms destroyed.”
Authored by expert Jonah Czerwinski, “Homeland Security Watch is a blog that features breaking news, rigorous analysis, and informed commentary on the critical issues in homeland security today. It takes a cross-disciplinary approach to the subject of homeland security, spanning issues such as transportation security, preparedness and response, infrastructure protection, and border security. Its content is intended both for an expert-level policy audience as well as the broader general audience of people interested in homeland security. The blog is non-partisan and non-commercial.”
U.S. Government and Associations
Federal Emergency Management Agency
National Emergency Management Association
International Association of Emergency Managers
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The HSPI Policy & Research Forum series is designed to spotlight cutting-edge policy solutions and innovative strategies to some of the most pressing national and international concerns. The Forum features leading officials, practitioners and thinkers in a systematic way designed to better highlight their work and promote a dialogue on effective solutions to current issues.
