To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. FROM FLORIDA TO FEMA In 1993, then-Gov. Lawton Chiles (D) hired Joe Myers, a former head of emergency management in North Carolina, and gave him the marching orders and money to transform Florida’s response capabilities into the best in the country. In 1997, when Myers’ second-in-command left to return to North Carolina, Myers hired Fugate. The job interview lasted five hours, Myers recalled, as Fugate talked at length about Andrew, the future of emergency management and the appropriate roles of local, state and federal government. “Mostly I just listened,” Myers recalled. “I remember asking him what he thought his weaknesses were. He said he didn’t suffer fools.” The next year, wildfires ripped through the tinder-dry state, and responders arrived from around the country to help out. As director of disaster preparedness, Fugate spent most of his time on the road, choosing to be as close to local responders as possible. Four years later, two things would change: Fugate would take over as head of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, and the role of emergency managers across the country would dramatically change. A month before he took over the reins in Florida, he and Myers were in Big Sky, Mont., for a national meeting of emergency managers when news came that the World Trade Center had been the target of an aerial terrorist attack. Fugate immediately jumped into a leaderEver since the change of administrations, there has been a debate in Washington, DC ship role,Myers recalled. The challenge? Getting whether FEMA should remain within DHS or be returned to its former status as an indeemergency managers from Virginia, New York pendent agency. and FEMA back to their respective headquarters after commercial air travel had been grounded. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), “He just pushed back the tables and turned a strong proponent of keeping FEMA in DHS, put the question directly to Fugate at his that meeting room into an EOC [emergency April 22 confirmation hearing: “Do you think that FEMA should stay in DHS?” operations center],” Myers said. “Yes I do,” Fugate stated emphatically. “The next confirmed director needs to be Life would never be the same. Florida,which focused on the next disaster and as far as I’m concerned, that debate is over.” at the time was home to the president’s younger In his written testimony, Fugate elaborated: “FEMA is an integral part of [DHS’] all brother, was transformed almost immediately. hazards response. I am committed to working with my DHS colleagues to seek an When anthrax was discovered at a supermarket approach that assures us that when our state and local partners turn to the federal govtabloid’s headquarters in Hollywood,Fla.,in late ernment for support, FEMA has an effective, strong, timely and coordinated prepared2001, Fugate mobilized for similar attacks that ness, response and recovery effort to address both natural or man-made disasters.” never came. —David Silverberg In those first frantic weeks, further improve- The end of the FEMA debate We Make Credentials Work CoreStreet PIVMAN Solution for TWIC Compliance TWIC WIC WI C F C FRA FRA CA C PIV The CoreStreet PIVMAN Solution provides rapid verification of TWIC cardholders for unescorted access and the audit logs required by USCG. CoreStreet PIVMAN is TSA ICE list approved, also supports CAC, PIV and FRAC cards, is reimbursable under various DHS grant programs and links to existing PACS systems such as Lenel OnGuard®. Available on a range of Windows-based handhelds and PCs. To learn more about CoreStreet’s TWIC Compliance solutions visit www.corestreet.com/TWIC 28 June 2009 | Homeland Security Today Magazine This month’s issue is now available online at…