Copyright 2009 Sentinel Communications Co. Orlando Sentinel (Florida)

March 5, 2009 Thursday FINAL

SECTION: LOCAL NEWS; FLORIDA; Pg. B1

LENGTH: 591 words


HEADLINE: State's disaster chief tapped to head FEMA

BYLINE: Ken Kaye, (Fort Lauderdale) Sun Sentinel

When it comes to dealing with disaster, the White House is again turning to Florida.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Craig Fugate, the state's top emergency manager, as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

If confirmed by the Senate, Fugate, 49, would replace R. David Paulison, a former Miami-Dade County fire chief. Paulison, who announced his resignation last month, was credited with revamping FEMA after the agency's bungled response to Hurricane Katrina.

Obama praised Fugate's extensive experience as an emergency manager.

"I'm confident that Craig is the right person for the job and will ensure that the failures of the past are never repeated," Obama said.

The normally outspoken Fugate declined to comment.

If he joins the Obama administration, Fugate, a Democrat, would head an agency that responds to a wide range of disasters, from California earthquakes to spring floods in the Midwest.

The agency, which now falls under the Department of Homeland Security, also responds to acts of terrorism.

As director of Florida's emergency-management agency for the past eight years, Fugate largely dealt with tropical storms. Among his accomplishments: helping the state recover from the 2004 and 2005 storm seasons, when a total of seven hurricanes walloped the state.

Fugate also has experience responding to wildfires, floods and tornadoes, said Max Mayfield, former director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County.

"Craig has seen a lot of different disasters," Mayfield said. "He's really paid his dues."

Chuck Lanza, Broward County's emergency management director, agreed. He said that having a native Floridian at the helm of FEMA would be a nice perk for the state's emergency managers. "From a local level, it's important for us to be able to call the guy who makes the decisions," he said.

Fugate was criticized in 2005 for not distributing enough ice, water and other supplies immediately after Hurricane Wilma. Fugate had warned residents before the storm that they should have enough supplies for three days, but many did not and that overstressed the system.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is to formally introduce Fugate as the president's nominee today in New Orleans. The city is a sharp reminder of FEMA's troubled past -- and of the new director's future challenges.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, thousands of homeless residents begged for food, water and ice for days.

Then-FEMA director Michael Brown was harshly criticized for a slow and inadequate response. Critics also mocked him for his lack of credentials; he had never run an emergency agency and once worked for the International Arabian Horse Association.

In September 2005, President George Bush appointed Paulison to replace Brown, and the veteran firefighter worked to change FEMA's culture. He doubled the full-time staff, to about 3,400 workers and doubled its budget, to about $9 billion. He called it "the new FEMA."

On Wednesday, Paulison said the new director's challenges will be to house displaced disaster victims and streamline the long-term recovery process.

As Florida's emergency-management chief, one of Fugate's loudest messages has been: Residents need to take the initiative in the aftermath of a storm and help their neighbors.

"Under his leadership, lives were saved," U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said. "I'm proud of his public service and believe our nation will benefit from his skills, talent and commitment." CONTACT: Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

GRAPHIC: PHOTO: Craig Fugate.BOX: Craig Fugate*Age: 49*Current job: Florida's director of emergency management since 2001, appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush. Previously served as agency's assistant director.*Previous experience: More than 20 years as an emergency responder or manager.-- Served as a volunteer firefighter, a paramedic and a lieutenant with Alachua County Fire Rescue.-- Spent 10 years as Alachua County's emergency manager.

LOAD-DATE: March 5, 2009

Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy