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WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama today announced his intention to nominate Florida's disaster management chief, Craig Fugate, to head the much-criticized Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Jacksonville native's selection comes amid a heated debate in Washington over the future of the agency, which is now located within the Department of Homeland Security. Some are pushing for FEMA to be given a separate cabinet-level status of its own.
Fugate could not immediately be reached on Wednesday. It is typical for presidential nominees not to comment publicly until their Senate confirmation hearings.
As early as Thursday, Fugate is expected to join Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on a trip to New Orleans, ground-zero for what was widely regarded as an inept response by FEMA to damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The Obama administration hopes to stress in New Orleans that, in Fugate, FEMA is getting a seasoned professional.
In October of 2001, Mr. Fugate was appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. In December 2006, Governor Crist reappointed Fugate as Director, the role he continues today.
"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," said Obama, in a statement released from today (Wednesday)
Obama added: "I'm confident that Craig is the right person for the job and will ensure that the failures of the past are never repeated."
As director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Fugate now oversees an agency that coordinates disaster response, recovery and preparedness with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments.
In his career, Fugate has been a volunteer firefighter, paramedic, and a lieutenant with the Alachua County Fire Rescue. He also served 10 years as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County.
He became the Division of Emergency Management's chief of the bureau of preparedness and response in 1997, and in four years there built a nationally recognized emergency management program.
He was appointed by Bush as director of the division in shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, given the task of managing Homeland Security funding and developing Florida's own security strategy in conjunction with the Department of Law Enforcement.
Also during his tenure as head of the division, Florida in 2004 was hit by four major hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne).
The next year, Florida was hit by four more hurricanes, with hurricanes Dennis and Wilma both registering as major Category 3 or greater storms.
That same year, Florida also sent some 7,000 responders from the state and local agencies to Mississippi in the wake of Katrina, and added resources were sent to Louisiana.
In all, 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.
"Under his leadership (in Florida), lives were saved," said Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, in a statement released by his office. "Recovery efforts were speedy and successful. I'm proud of his public service and believe our nation will benefit from his skills, talent and commitment."
Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor, the top Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security subcommittee on management, investigations, and oversight, also applauded Obama's selection of Fugate.
"Director Fugate is keenly in tune with our state's needs on hurricane preparedness and response," said Bilirakis. " am eager to continue my work with Craig to ensure that our nation's disaster preparedness and response plans provide clear, consistent guidance to state and local officials before and after disasters."
Meanwhile, the White House hasn't said, for sure, what Obama intends to do with the disaster-relief agency that was absorbed into the huge 22-agency Department of Homeland Security after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
During his campaign for president last year, Obama repeatedly criticized FEMA's botched response to Hurricane Katrina and seemed to indicate he would reorganize FEMA into a free-standing agency.
"The director of FEMA will report to me," Obama declared in a campaign speech in New Orleans.
But in his report last week, the Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner argues that taking FEMA out of the department would cause "considerable upheaval, to both FEMA and the department."
Skinner's "white paper" also argues that FEMA benefits from shared resources with other department agencies such as intelligence gathering, communications and search and rescue capabilities.
Pressed about Skinner's report, White House aides have only said it "will be considered as the Administration continues to evaluate what is and is not working in our federal emergency response system."
In its announcement today (Wednesday) the White house included comments by Napolitano seemed to be emphasizing that Fugate and the Homeland Security secretary would have a close working relationship, regardless of where in government FEMA lands as an agency.
"Craig Fugate is no stranger to emergency management or to FEMA," Napolitano is quoted as saying. "He is one of the most respected emergency managers in the nation, and the work he's accomplished in Florida serves as a model for other states to follow."
"He will be a tremendous asset to FEMA and its employees, and I look forward to working with him," she said.
The Jacksonville native's selection comes amid a heated debate in Washington over the future of the agency, which is now located within the Department of Homeland Security. Some are pushing for FEMA to be given a separate cabinet-level status of its own.
Fugate could not immediately be reached on Wednesday. It is typical for presidential nominees not to comment publicly until their Senate confirmation hearings.
As early as Thursday, Fugate is expected to join Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on a trip to New Orleans, ground-zero for what was widely regarded as an inept response by FEMA to damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The Obama administration hopes to stress in New Orleans that, in Fugate, FEMA is getting a seasoned professional.
In October of 2001, Mr. Fugate was appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. In December 2006, Governor Crist reappointed Fugate as Director, the role he continues today.
"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," said Obama, in a statement released from today (Wednesday)
Obama added: "I'm confident that Craig is the right person for the job and will ensure that the failures of the past are never repeated."
As director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Fugate now oversees an agency that coordinates disaster response, recovery and preparedness with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments.
In his career, Fugate has been a volunteer firefighter, paramedic, and a lieutenant with the Alachua County Fire Rescue. He also served 10 years as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County.
He became the Division of Emergency Management's chief of the bureau of preparedness and response in 1997, and in four years there built a nationally recognized emergency management program.
He was appointed by Bush as director of the division in shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, given the task of managing Homeland Security funding and developing Florida's own security strategy in conjunction with the Department of Law Enforcement.
Also during his tenure as head of the division, Florida in 2004 was hit by four major hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne).
The next year, Florida was hit by four more hurricanes, with hurricanes Dennis and Wilma both registering as major Category 3 or greater storms.
That same year, Florida also sent some 7,000 responders from the state and local agencies to Mississippi in the wake of Katrina, and added resources were sent to Louisiana.
In all, 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.
"Under his leadership (in Florida), lives were saved," said Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, in a statement released by his office. "Recovery efforts were speedy and successful. I'm proud of his public service and believe our nation will benefit from his skills, talent and commitment."
Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor, the top Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security subcommittee on management, investigations, and oversight, also applauded Obama's selection of Fugate.
"Director Fugate is keenly in tune with our state's needs on hurricane preparedness and response," said Bilirakis. " am eager to continue my work with Craig to ensure that our nation's disaster preparedness and response plans provide clear, consistent guidance to state and local officials before and after disasters."
Meanwhile, the White House hasn't said, for sure, what Obama intends to do with the disaster-relief agency that was absorbed into the huge 22-agency Department of Homeland Security after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
During his campaign for president last year, Obama repeatedly criticized FEMA's botched response to Hurricane Katrina and seemed to indicate he would reorganize FEMA into a free-standing agency.
"The director of FEMA will report to me," Obama declared in a campaign speech in New Orleans.
But in his report last week, the Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner argues that taking FEMA out of the department would cause "considerable upheaval, to both FEMA and the department."
Skinner's "white paper" also argues that FEMA benefits from shared resources with other department agencies such as intelligence gathering, communications and search and rescue capabilities.
Pressed about Skinner's report, White House aides have only said it "will be considered as the Administration continues to evaluate what is and is not working in our federal emergency response system."
In its announcement today (Wednesday) the White house included comments by Napolitano seemed to be emphasizing that Fugate and the Homeland Security secretary would have a close working relationship, regardless of where in government FEMA lands as an agency.
"Craig Fugate is no stranger to emergency management or to FEMA," Napolitano is quoted as saying. "He is one of the most respected emergency managers in the nation, and the work he's accomplished in Florida serves as a model for other states to follow."
"He will be a tremendous asset to FEMA and its employees, and I look forward to working with him," she said.