“Your first responder (in a natural disaster) is often your neighbor,” says Craig Fugate
01/18/2012
According to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, the government alone cannot effectively respond to the increasing number and size of natural disasters around the world. It takes a partnership of government and private businesses – and the team of collaborators on disaster planning and response should also include the public.
“We used to think of the public as a liability. We tended to think the public would be running around overwhelmed and in panic. But what we found is that they help each other out; they take care of themselves and their neighbors. We found that your first responder is often your neighbor. They are a resource, so you have to figure out how to bring them into the team.”
Fugate’s comments were made during his keynote January 17 to the opening session of the International Disaster Conference and Exposition (IDCE21012) at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. IDCE2012 has brought together emergency management, homeland security and disaster industry professionals from the public and private sectors around the world to share lessons learned and forward thinking regarding the policies, procedures and best practices shaping disaster preparation, response and recovery, loss mitigation, business continuity and more. Conference speakers, exhibitors and attendees will share the latest knowledge, technologies and techniques toward the common goal of minimizing the loss of life and property in future catastrophic events. Learn more about IDCE2012 at www.idce2012.com.
