August 7, 2009


MEMORANDUM FOR:	W. Craig Fugate
		Administrator

FROM:			Dr. G. Kemble Bennett
Chairman, National Advisory Council

SUBJECT:	Recommendations on promoting Public/Private Partnerships    

The purpose of this memorandum is to transmit the recommendations of the National Advisory Council (NAC) to the
Administrator regarding encouraging public/private partnerships in multiple ways.  
These recommendations were voted on and unanimously approved by the NAC on July 29, 2009 meeting in Grand Forks,
North Dakota.  

Recommendation:
* FEMA should develop the capacity to share the contacts and relationships that they are developing at the
national level with the Private Sector to be available to state and local emergency managers.
The information of those state and local emergency managers can also be made available to
those Private Sector contacts 

* The Subcommittee recommends that Public/Private Partnership be made a priority
by revising the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) grant guidance language as reflected below.
Changes recommended to the current language are highlighted in red font. 

"Including the private sector in preparedness planning activities.  States and urban areas should integrate private sector entities into their preparedness planning processes, leveraging public/private partnerships where they currently exist, and encourage the establishment of such partnerships where they do not so that the states and urban areas can augment and enhance community preparedness with the goal of promoting more resilient communities.  Every consideration should be given to encouraging, participating in, and supporting public-private partnerships where appropriate to more effectively engage with the private sector activities to improve the jurisdiction’s capacity to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from major incidents as well as enhance coordination with key sectors and critical infrastructures. In particular, states and urban areas should engage with public/private sector entities as provisions for the voluntary private sector preparedness, accreditation, and certification program called for in the 9/11 Act are finalized in order to ensure that all relevant parties have a comprehensive
understanding of preparedness capabilities residing in their region."



www.fema.gov/about/nac





       
       
                  National Advisory Council


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