On March 4, Carrie Speranza, CEM, president of the United States Council of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM-USA), testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, in the hearing entitled “Future of FEMA: Perspectives form the Emergency Management Community.”
“To serve our communities effectively, disaster management must be federally supported, state-administered, and locally executed,” stated Speranza. “Together with private industry, this multi-sector approach is a necessary partnership, particularly when disasters overwhelm local and state resources.”
Agreeing that reform of federal disaster programs is overdue, Speranza’s testimony highlighted FEMA programs that must be sustained through the process. FEMA must maintain its role in driving change through its preparedness programs as they serve as the foundation for all local and state emergency management capabilities. Sustaining FEMA’s hazard mitigation programs is essential to drive long-term change by helping communities safeguard against future risk.
Speranza presented opportunities for change. First, reform must prioritize building a disaster-resistant America by incentivizing and rewarding “smart decision-making” and fiscal responsibility at the local and state levels. A second opportunity involves minimizing long-term recovery costs by adjusting the disaster declaration process and establishing a federal long-term recovery exit strategy.
“The International Association of Emergency Managers fully supports a comprehensive review and reform of FEMA,” affirmed Speranza. “Reform will ultimately help the people of America, and that is what emergency managers do. We help people before, during, and after disasters.”
