Obama Nominates FEMA Head

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: In The News

(AP)

President Obama has announced that he will nominate Craig Fugate, the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"From his experience as a first responder to his strong leadership as Florida's Emergency Manager, Craig has what it takes to help us improve our preparedness, response and recovery efforts and I can think of no one better to lead FEMA," the president said in a statement. "I'm confident that Craig is the right person for the job and will ensure that the failures of the past are never repeated."

That is largely a reference, of course, to the lessons of Hurricane Katrina and the performance of then-FEMA head Michael Brown, perhaps now best remembered as the man who received an ill-advised "heckuva job, Brownie" from President Bush.

Fugate will appear with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano tomorrow in New Orleans. He became the director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management in 2001 under then-governor Jeb Bush, a Republican, and kept the job under Bush's Republican successor, Charlie Crist.

The Associated Press reports that Fugate has garnered praise for his handling of hurricane response in Florida. His bio as provided by the White House is below.

Craig Fugate, Nominee for FEMA Administrator

As the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Mr. Fugate oversees an agency with 138 full time staff. The Division coordinates disaster response, recovery, preparedness and mitigation efforts with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments. In September 2003, the Florida Emergency Management Program became the first state emergency management program in the nation to receive full accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program.

From volunteer firefighter, Paramedic, to Lieutenant with Alachua County Fire Rescue, his 15 year career in local government included serving 10 years as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County, Florida.

In May of 1997, he was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Preparedness and Response with the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Over the next four years, the State of Florida faced numerous disasters while continuing to build a nationally recognized emergency management program.

In October of 2001, Mr. Fugate was appointed by Governor Bush as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. With the events of September 11, 2001, the Division was tasked with the role of managing the Federal Homeland Security funding and developing Florida's Domestic Security Strategy with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Florida's program is recognized as a model for other states.

In 2004, Florida was impacted by 4 major land falling hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne) setting a record in both numbers of storms as well as damages for the State of Florida.

In 2005, Florida was again impacted by 4 hurricanes with Hurricane Dennis and Wilma striking as major hurricanes (Category 3 or greater). 2005 also saw Florida's largest mutual aid response to another state due to impacts of Hurricane Katrina along the Mississippi Coast, over 7000 responders from state and local agencies provided assistance to the State of Mississippi and local communities, additional resources were sent to the State of Louisiana.

In December 2006, Governor Crist reappointed Fugate as Director, the role he continues today.

Director Fugate has served as the State Coordinating Officer in 23 Declared State Emergencies, 11 of which were Presidential Declared Disasters totaling over 4.5 billion in federal assistance.

Fugate is a native of Jacksonville, Florida.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

11 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 11 Comments


by msmabuse March 5, 2009 1:05 AM EST: This guy is obviously unqualified. I'll bet he never put on a single Arabian horse show.
Posted by omnibus66

Have you seen his wife?; Reply to this comment


by msmabuse March 5, 2009 1:04 AM EST: Dont worry Obama will spend his way out of this economy. While he sells out our country to the highest bidder.
Just like his secret letter to russia!!!; Reply to this comment


by daffy64 March 4, 2009 6:46 PM EST: how much back taxes does Fugate owe?

It sees to be the Norm for O-duma's friends..

--

Ya. Maybe they should get that incompetent "Brownie" guy back/; Reply to this comment


by hungry1968-15 March 4, 2009 6:15 PM EST: Kinda like lefties seek economic disaster to push people into accepting their socialist agenda.
Posted by endurorob at 2:10 PM : Mar 4, 2009

Sorry - we didn't seek the economic disaster.

You "conservatives" foisted it upon us -- like ALWAYS.; Reply to this comment


by hungry1968-15 March 4, 2009 6:13 PM EST: "From volunteer firefighter, Paramedic, to Lieutenant with Alachua County Fire Rescue, his 15 year career in local government included serving 10 years as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County, Florida.

In May of 1997, he was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Preparedness and Response with the Florida Division of Emergency Management."

Obama is appointing QUALIFIED people to these positions?

That's not how Washington is supposed to work, is it?

Was the director of the American Quarter Horse Assoc too busy for the job?; Reply to this comment


by endurorob March 4, 2009 5:10 PM EST: Republicans seek disasters (natual and created) to shock Americans into accepting the Conservative Agenda.
Posted by mattcat25 at 11:13 AM : Mar 4, 2009

Kinda like lefties seek economic disaster to push people into accepting their socialist agenda.; Reply to this comment


by omnibus66 March 4, 2009 4:58 PM EST: This guy is obviously unqualified. I'll bet he never put on a single Arabian horse show.; Reply to this comment


by ericv2644 March 4, 2009 3:59 PM EST: thank god somebody competent; Reply to this comment


by alien_view March 4, 2009 2:49 PM EST: Oh boy, here we go censorship of Talk Radio just like it was predicted. Sounds like Russia, shut down all media and radio that says anything different from what the Government wants them to say. Freedom of Speech is going fast. I think the Liberals want to start a friggen war between those who want to preserve the Constution of the Unites States and those who want to see it go away in the night. I just hope our wonderful military will stand with We the People and not the Liberal held Government when it hits the fan.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 March 4, 2009 2:13 PM EST: Florida as far as I have noticed had a good record of tending to their natural disasters during the Clinton and Bush years. Someone here could set me straight if that is not the case. But, from what I observed proper handling of disasters in Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama were chosen over the attention that should have taken place in Louisiana during the Katrina Hurricane.

The Republicans purposely disregarded the potential levy breach in New Orleans to allow for Federal Funds to be diverted to the Private Sector and, the opportunity to pilfer real estate for the purpose of redevelopment.

Republicans seek disasters (natual and created) to shock Americans into accepting the Conservative Agenda.; Reply to this comment