Today, I attended the second in a series of “stakeholder forums” being held by the Obama Administration’s “Long-Term Disaster Recovery Working Group” to solicit input and ideas.
The White House Working Group — co-chaired by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and composed of the Secretaries and Administrators of more than 20 departments, agencies and offices — will recommend future improvements as well as help inform and develop a National Disaster Recovery Framework to provide operational guidance for recovery organizations.
LONG-TERM DISASTER RECOVERY WORKING GROUP “STAKEHOLDER FORUM” HELD IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN
Today’s all-day forum, held in downtown Manhattan, was comprised mostly of stakeholders from the emergency management community from throughout the area. There were a number of breakout sessions in which participants discussed a series of questions on long term disaster recovery. Between sessions, I recorded a brief interview with FEMA Assistant Administrator Beth Zimmerman about the outreach effort:
BETH ZIMMERMAN, FEMA ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR TALKS ABOUT THE LONG-TERM DISASTER RECOVERY WORKING GROUP.
Officials hope that those stakeholders, including the public, who cannot attend these forums will offer input directly on the website. Acting FEMA Region Two Administrator  Michael Moriarty gives a terrific pitch for citizen involvement in the video below:
MICHAEL MORIARTY, ACTING REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR, HIGHLIGHTS HOW THE PUBLIC CAN GET INVOLVED
If you are interested in contributing to the process online, go to disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/questionnaire/. To find out more information about the initiative or the three remaining forums click here.
4 responses so far ↓
1 William R. Cumming // Nov 11, 2009 at 4:19 pm
FEMA should have a statutory time frame for its recovery ops then have orchestrated a transition to other government programs, functions, and activities. And by the way FEMA long has had a problem with FCO’s going “native.” They often live so long in an area that independent judgement no longer rendered. Proof, many states have lists of FCO’s, actually request by name, and blacklist others. There is little operational oversight of FCO’s and their staff’s by Regions or Headquarters and as of today my belief is some disasters dating to late 1980’s are still open for further obligation of funds. Hey the ATM should shut off at some point.
2 William R. Cumming // Nov 13, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Just out of curiosity what were the questions?
3 admin // Nov 13, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Here is the link to the questions:
http://disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/stakeholdersquestions.cfm
-john
4 William R. Cumming // Nov 19, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Thanks and did submit my answers! Known but to DHS Long-term recovery group!
Of course my suggestions do reflect some judgement as to greatest need.
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