FEMA Administrator Meets with Virginia Governor to Discuss Preparedness and Response to Disasters 

Release Date: August 25, 2009
Release Number: HQ-09-103

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate met today with Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to discuss how FEMA and Virginia may work together to better prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies. The meeting took place at FEMA headquarters in Washington, DC.

"Meeting Governor Kaine was a great opportunity to discuss how we can better support the Commonwealth of Virginia and its residents, and it was an important step in our ongoing effort to strengthen our national emergency response team," said Administrator Fugate. "We continue to work with federal agencies and members of the private sector, as well as volunteer organizations to build the best team possible as we support our Governors and the citizens they serve. As Governor Kaine and I discussed, the public also plays a key role in these efforts, and the more that Americans do now to prepare their families, including developing a family disaster plan, the more effective our response team will be. Emergencies can happen any time, any where, and as apart of the national capital region, it is critically important that the people of Virginia are prepared."

"Virginia faces the threat of hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and other natural disasters every year," said Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. "A strong partnership with FEMA is critical to our ability to respond to needs of our citizens during times of crisis. I have been impressed by FEMA's efforts to be supportive of state needs and I am pleased that Administrator Fugate has reiterated his commitment to that strong partnership. I join him in encouraging citizens to be prepared in their own home and workplace and I urge Virginians to go to the Ready Virginia website at www.readyvirginia.gov as a source for that information."

This meeting built upon efforts already underway to strengthen relationships with our nation's governors. These relationships are critical as FEMA, under Administrator Fugate's leadership, continues to build the national emergency response team which includes FEMA, as well as state, local, tribal, and federal partners, the private sector and faith based organizations.

Next week marks the beginning of National Preparedness Month. For more information on the Ready Campaign and National Preparedness Month, please visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov. Individuals can also call 1-800-BE-READY or 1-888-SE-LISTO for more emergency preparedness information.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 25-Aug-2009 16:07:45