He's no Brownie and he likes to kayak with his wife, even has a kayaking website. Swamp: President Obama intends to nominate the head of Florida's emergency management office to lead FEMA, a post that came under national scrutiny in 2005 over what many said was the inept response to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina.Fugate believes it's the state's responsibility to be secure in case of a disaster.
Obama's nominee will be Craig Fugate, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, according to the White House. Fugate was appointed to that position by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in 2001, and was reappointed by Gov. Charlie Crist in 2006. Both are Republicans.
Obama said in a statement: "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. I'm confident that Craig is the right person for the job and will ensure that the failures of the past are never repeated.''
AP: After Hurricane Katrina, Fugate said there was too much focus on blaming the federal government for the botched response. He said in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press that it was the state's responsibility to prepare for such disasters, and the state should only turn to the federal government for help when the disaster is larger than the state can handle on its own.
Fugate's department was held up as a national model after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He said then that the state had been preparing extensively for the threat of terrorism since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and had done exercises for several possibilities, including cruise missile attacks.
Bio:
DisastersRUs: A Floridian with over 28 years experience in emergency services, Craig has been involved in public service most of his adult life. Growing up in Alachua County, Craig was an active member of the Santa Fe High School Chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) earning the American Farmer Degree. Today he serves as the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.Here he is talking about a hurricane exercise in 2008:
In addition to emergency management, Craig and his wife Sheree are avid sea kayakers with a web site dedicated to paddling in North Florida at http://www.seakayakflorida.com/. As the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Mr. Fugate oversees an agency with 138 full time. The Florida Division of Emergency Management coordinates disaster response, recovery, preparedness and mitigation efforts with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments. In September 2003, the Florida Emergency Management Program became the first statewide emergency management program in the nation to receive full accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program.
From volunteer firefighter, Paramedic, and Lieutenant with Alachua County Fire Rescue, his career in emergency services included serving 10 years as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County, Florida.
In May of 1997, he was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Preparedness and Response with the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Over the next four years, the State of Florida faced numerous disasters while continuing to build a nationally recognized emergency management program. His role as the Chief of the State Emergency Response Team saw extensive action in 1998. Florida experienced the impacts of floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and Hurricane Georges resulting in over 200 days of activation for the State Emergency Response Team.
In October of 2001, Governor Bush appointed Mr. Fugate to serve as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. On December 18, 2006, Governor Elect Crist appointed Director Fugate to his administration, the role he continues today.
2004 saw the largest response to disasters in Florida history with one tropical storm and four hurricanes (Charlie, Frances, Ivan, and Jean) impacting the State.
2005 again was a record setting year for hurricanes, Florida was impacted by four hurricanes, three that made landfall, (Dennis, Katrina, and Wilma), and two tropical storms. Hurricane Katrina became the most costly natural disaster during its second landfall on the Louisiana and Mississippi Coast. Florida's State Emergency Response Team launched the State's largest mutual aid response under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact or EMAC in support of the impacted states. Hurricane Wilma made landfall on October 24 on Florida's SW Coast becoming the 3rd costliest storm in Florida's history.
