In February of 2010, as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 
reorganization, the Logistics Management Directorate (LMD) was organizationally realigned 
under the newly created Office of Response and Recovery.  LMD is FEMA’s major program 
office responsible for policy, guidance, standards, execution and governance of logistics 
support, services and operations.  LMD’s mission is to provide an efficient, transparent and 
flexible logistics capability for the procurement and delivery of goods and services necessary 
for an effective and timely response to disasters. As an organization, LMD is organized 
around four core competencies:  Logistics Plans & Exercises to develop and provide cohesive 
and synchronized logistics plans and exercises to achieve both short and long term readiness 
requirements; Logistics Operations to manage and execute the coordination and 
communication, tracking and reporting for all hazards operations and serve as the central 
reporting element for the National Response Coordination Center on all logistics actions and 
operational activities; Distribution Management to manage the Agency’s warehouse facilities 
and transportation systems used to receive, store, maintain, issue, distribute and track 
supplies, services, materiel and equipment; and Property Management to provide industry 
standards (using American Society for Testing and Materials voluntary consensus standards) 
Quality Assurance, Customer Assistance and Technical reviews of property accountability, 
inventory services to Strategic Storage Sites, Distribution Centers and Temporary Housing 
Staging Areas, and oversight of disposal and donations of agency disaster funded supplies 
and equipment.

Since FEMA Logistics was elevated from a branch to directorate-level in April 2007, 
development of both internal and external National Response Framework (NRF) 
partnerships and enhancement of the national supply chain for domestic incident support has 
been the key transformation objective toward solidifying the Agency’s overall response 
capability. The vision of logistics is a robust capability that is flexible and adaptable to meet 
unpredictable demands of all-hazards support.  

Specifically, the directorate has fostered strong partnerships with the General Services 
Administration (GSA) as co-lead for Emergency Support Function 7 (Logistics Management 
and Resource Support), U. S. Northern Command, Defense Logistics Agency and the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers (USACE).  This unique interagency partnership evolved into LMD 
assuming the role as the National Logistics Coordinator (NLC) and single integrator for 
national supply chain planning and coordination in response to domestic emergencies and 
special events.  The NLC team has worked diligently to strengthen its business processes and 
leverage the best practices by enhancing relationships with both public and private sector 
partners through various supply chain initiatives for a coordinated logistics response 
operation.  




The following provides an executive overview of current operations of the major programs 
and initiatives of the Logistics Management transformation:

Lean Six Sigma Effort (LSS):   Over the past few years, the Logistics Management 
Transformation Initiative (LMTI) has been the overarching governance program to 
transform the Logistics Management Directorate into a more effective, responsive 
organization with improved readiness and response capability.  Through the LMTI, LMD has 
conducted a comprehensive analysis and assessment of current logistics core competencies, 
explored industry supply chain best practices and successfully performed a wide range of 
transformational efforts.  As a final transformational investment, LMTI focuses internally on 
the LMD workforce with an investment of LSS tools and projects.  The ultimate goal is to 
support and develop government employees to organically embrace continuous process 
improvement opportunities through LSS methodology long after the LMTI is completed.

Tiered supply chain resource support concept:  National supply chain resilience rests on 
the premise of a national public/private capability in support of domestic natural hazards and 
special events.  NLC sourcing is a simultaneous process that begins with initial tier resources, 
supplies and services organic to FEMA and resident in our network of six distribution centers 
located in the continental United States and the three distribution centers located outside the 
continental United States. The second supply chain tier is the capability resident with our 
national volunteer agencies active in disasters and the third tier is the combined capability of 
our interagency partners: GSA, DLA, USNORTHCOM and USACE.  The fourth tier is the 
commercial capability of the nation’s industrial base in the private sector.

This concept of operations is an all-hazards capability that worked exceptionally well in 
delivering millions of meals, millions of liters of water, thousands of cots, blankets and tarps, 
and thousands of rolls of plastic sheeting during the immediate period prior to landfall for 
both Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and the Midwest floods of 2008 and 2009.  Overall results 
were a much improved shipment throughput, resource In-transit visibility and accountability, 
along with the flexibility and adaptability needed to satisfy the significant requirements.  

Logistics Planning, Readiness, and Assistance Team (LPRAT):  Establishes and 
facilitates a coordinated, synchronized and collaborative logistics planning partnership 
between FEMA HQ LMD Plans, ORR Plans Division, Mass Care, other FEMA Directorates, 
Regional staffs, ESF-3, ESF-6, General Services Administration, American Red Cross (ARC), 
other Federal Agencies (OFAs), Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs)/Voluntary 
Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs), and Private Sector Partners.  Primary purpose 
is to provide technical assistance and support in logistics planning and provide the 
Regions reach back capability in support of logistics programs and initiatives.  Through 
enhanced integrated planning relationships between FEMA HQ and FEMA Regions, LPRAT 
fosters new agency initiatives, doctrine, planning directives, and logistical initiatives and 
concepts. LPRAT also promotes increased communication/ collaboration and integrated 
planning between Headquarters and FEMA Regions, ESF-6, ESF-7 GSA, ESF-3 USACE, ARC, 
OFAs, NGOs/VOADs, and Private Sector Partners. 


Disaster Support for Children, Elderly, and Special Needs Populations:  The Logistics 
Management Directorate is working to expand efforts to better assist state, local, and tribal 
partners in meeting the needs of Children, Infants, the Elderly, and others with functional 
needs.  This involves full collaboration in identifying, planning for, and providing initial 
response resources that include food products such as baby food and infant formula, 
children and elderly specialty commercial meals, Durable Medical Equipment, Consumable 
Medical Supplies, functional needs cots, etc. Automated planning support tools will improve 
understanding and visibility of demographics, shelter locations, and resource providers to 
support fully integrated preparedness planning and response operations.  

Demonstration Program/Logistics Capability Assessment Tool (LCAT): The LCAT 
resulted from the Congressional Conference Report 109-699, pg. 162 directing FEMA to 
develop and conduct a Demonstration Program with regional and local governments “to 
improve readiness, increase response capacity, and maximize the management and impact of 
homeland security resources.”   Drawing on input from several FEMA regions along with 
several States, FEMA developed a collaborative tool for use by States to evaluate current 
disaster logistics readiness, identify areas for targeted improvement, and develop a roadmap 
to mitigate weaknesses and enhance strengths. As of April 2011, FEMA had trained all 10 of 
its regions, conducted briefings for 42 States and territories, and facilitated 22 LCAT work 
shop sessions with States and territories. The next phase of the LCAT program is the 
development of a self-training/facilitation tool to provide States, territories and tribal entities 
a resident capability for continuous logistics readiness.

Grant Programs (Technical Assistance):  Beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, critical 
emergency supplies, such as shelf stable food products, water, and basic medical supplies was 
added as an allowable expense for States applying for assistance under the Homeland 
Security Grant Program (HSGP), State Homeland Security Program (SHSP). The States of 
Louisiana and Indiana were approved for funding for critical emergency supplies in FY2010 
under the SHSP. 
Prior to allocating grant funding, each State must have FEMA’s approval of a viable inventory 
management plan, an effective distribution strategy, sustainment costs for such an effort, and 
logistics expertise to avoid situations where funds are wasted because supplies are rendered 
ineffective due to lack of planning.  

The inventory management plan and distribution strategy, to include sustainment costs are 
evaluated and monitored by the Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) with the assistance of the 
FEMA Logistics Management Directorate (LMD). GPD will coordinate with LMD and the 
respective FEMA Region to evaluate each State application and provide program oversight 
and technical assistance as it relates to the purchase of critical emergency supplies under 
SHSP. GPD and LMD have established guidelines and requirements for the purchase of these 
supplies under the SHSP and will monitor development and status of the State's inventory 
management plan and distribution strategy.

Partnership with FEMA Private Sector Office: LMD has proactively strengthened its 
relationship with the private sector by: 
*	Supporting Bi-Weekly Vendor Days and Vendor “Speed Dating” sessions.


*	Solidifying private sector engagement outreach concept with all FEMA regions and 
territorial offices, including sharing existing “Best Practices” from across the country.
*	Engaging  with retail, wholesale and other similar private industry associations for 
information sharing, planning, and exercises that would produce mutually beneficial 
results in coordinating how, when, where, and by whom critical logistics resources will 
be provided during all hazards events. We continue to achieve this through:

o	Collecting and sharing “Best Practices.”
o	Continuing to implement the Logistics Capability Assessment Tool (LCAT) and 
emphasizing the need for states to include private sector participation in the 
self-assessment process at both state and local levels. 
o	Engagement with private sector partners in logistics preparedness planning, 
exercises, and ongoing operations.

*	Working with private sector partners to collect information on the locations and 
operating status of their retail locations and distribution centers and incorporate it 
into LMD’s situational awareness system (LogVIZ/SAVER2).  This information can help 
FEMA source relief commodities from local vendors, and provide decision makers with 
the information needed to scale back relief operations when local retailers are open 
for business after a disaster. 
*	As a result of these efforts, LMD was awarded the FY2009 DHS Competition and 
Acquisition Excellence Award for Innovation and Best Practices. The award was in 
recognition of the success of the Vendor Presentation Meeting (VPM) Program that 
established a formal forum for vendors to highlight their products, services, and 
capabilities.  VPM improved acquisition operations by promoting competition, 
increasing transparency and market knowledge.

Logistics Supply Chain Management System (LSCMS): LSCMS supports FEMA’s mission of 
responding to all-hazards expediently and efficiently by managing the agency’s end-to-end 
supply chain of critical disaster assets and commodities. Today, LSCMS manages the supply 
chain process including – initial request for assets and commodities, orders to FEMA and 
partners, transportation, inventory management at FEMA locations, shipment and receipt by 
the States. LSCMS also provides supply chain management, situational awareness and in-
transit visibility, performance management reporting and GIS mapping capabilities. The 
current system infrastructure encompasses secure integrated networks of multiple sub-
systems that provide end-to-end visibility into the entire Supply Chain. As we enhance and 
add new system modules, LSCMS will further improve FEMA’s capabilities by integrating all of 
the current separate sub-systems that make up LSCMS into a single efficient common 
operating platform providing cross-functional data access to information in a common data 
repository. One of the enhancements is improved transportation carrier selection via direct 
internet communications with commercial carriers enabling more rapid disaster response.  
Through these actions LSCMS supports the Logistics Management Directorate’s mission as 
the National Logistics Coordinator.  Data from LSCMS along with capabilities now residing in 
LogVIZ, will reside in the agency’s situational awareness viewer SAVER2.

Initial Response Resources (IRR): FEMA relies on LMD to maintain and deliver life saving 
commodities in support of the all hazards mission.  Central to this concept are the IRR that are 
ready to be deployed to relieve the suffering of disaster survivors.  These items consist of six 
basic items: 1) Water, 2) Meals, 3) Cots, 4) Tarps, 5) Blue Roofing Sheeting, and 6) Blankets.  
These items are intended to sustain lives and prevent further property damage during an 
emergency or disaster. IRR items are maintained in a state of high readiness with periodic 
inspections for shelf life expiration dates to identify the need for stock rotation.  Combined IRR 
stocks fluctuate with disaster activity but currently comprise 13.1 million items with a total 
value of $96 million. The IRR is accounted for using the Logistics Information Management 
System which is the agency personal property system of record and managed using the 
Logistics Supply Chain Management System.

LMD maintains a constant management control of the amount of pre-positioned IRR to 
ensure an adequate response capability across the United States and associated Territories.  
Primary Distribution Centers are located in Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Worth, Texas; Cumberland, 
Maryland; Frederick, Maryland; Moffett Field, California; Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Guam.  
During catastrophic events, IRR may be distributed to as many as 60 forward sites for 
distribution. During complex disaster scenarios, IRR flows through specifically designed 
FEMA Incident Support Bases (ISB) and Joint Field Office Staging Areas, to Resource Staging 
Areas or Points of Distribution (POD) operated by State and Local governments.
Recently added requirements for Whole Community response support will expand IRR to 
include Infant ,Toddler items and Durable Medical Equipment.


Temporary Housing Units (THU): LM is responsible for the receipt, storage and issue of 
temporary housing assets in support of the Agency emergency shelter mission. LM manages 
two national Temporary Housing Staging Sites (THSS) to support FEMA Recovery 
Directorate’s individual assistance housing mission.  In addition, LM has nearly completed the 
disposal of excess THUs including Katrina era units to more recent units returning from 
Hurricane Ike.  Most recently, LM was able to dispose of the overwhelming majority of its 
excess units through “large lot” sales involving the sale of entire THU storage sites.  Units 
deemed not fit for sale to the general public are disposed of through an abandon and destroy 
(A&D) process.  Under the A&D process, LM disposes of excess THUs that have no 
commercial value or, the cost of keeping it exceeds the estimated proceeds from its sale. In 
the case of THU, the A&D units are disassembled and disposed of by an authorized 
contractor.  In 2010 and 2011, LM disposal program has disposed of over 110,000 units 
utilizing the methods above.  Finally, in the near future, FEMA Logistics will assume complete 
control of THU life cycle (acquisition through disposal) program.  The management of the life 
cycle is currently divided between the FEMA Logistics and Recovery Directorates.

Mobile Communications Office Vehicles (MCOVs):  LM is responsible for storing, 
maintaining and deploying MCOVs and operators to support the Agency response and 
recovery missions. The MCOV provides a rapidly deployable, self contained mobile office and 
communications platform that enables FEMA to establish immediate command and 
communications capability then transition to disaster survivor intake centers in austere 

conditions.  To better manage FEMA tactical communications capabilities, both FEMA 
Logistics and FEMA Response Directorates are analyzing the feasibility of transferring 
management of MCOVs to Response’s Disaster Emergency Communications (DEC) Division.

Warehouse Upgrades: LMD is upgrading the entire warehouse infrastructure to strengthen 
our capability for immediate catastrophic response support.  
      
      DC Atlanta:  As a result of the BRAC notice of closure for the Fort Gillem facility, FEMA 
and GSA completed the build-out of a new DC Atlanta facility located near the Hartsfield-
Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia.  The site was officially opened on November 17, 2010. 
The facility is approximately 407,000 square feet of warehouse/office space situated on 31 
acres.  This facility will facilitate the shift to the National Logistics Coordinator model and 
increase commodity flow and velocity in the mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States.
      
      DC Caribbean: In August 2010, GSA signed a lease agreement on our behalf of FEMA 
for the new DC location in Puerto Rico that will replace the current ones in Maunabo, PR and 
Roosevelt Roads (BRAC).  LMD will relocate to San Juan Industrial Park on or about August 
15, 2011.  The facility has a total of 84,295 rentable/usable square feet, of which, 72,615 
square feet will be warehouse space on part of the ground floor, and 11,680 square feet will 
be office space built on two levels: 5,475 on the ground with the warehouse, and 6,205 on the 
mezzanine. Additionally, the DC will have approximately 68,564 square feet of outdoor space 
for loading, parking for 100 vehicles, and staging.

Key Readiness Contracts: Regular Contracts and Inter-agency Agreements (IAA) that 
provide an enhanced logistics readiness capability:
?	Contractor support (personnel/organic drivers/fleet management)
?	Vehicle maintenance contract (organic fleet) maintenance   
?	Supplies and services IAA/General Services Administration 
?	Transportation Services IAA/General Services Administration
?	National Motor Coach Evacuation Readiness and Operational Support Contract
?	National Ambulance Contract 
?	Supplies and services IAA/Defense Logistics Agency 
?	Logistics Management Transformation Initiative (LMTI) 
?	Responder Support Camp contract
 
Permanent Staffing: LMD has made significant progress in permanent staffing, increasing 
the number of full-time authorized employees to 190, (compared to the 28 PFT positions pre-
Hurricane Katrina).     

Interagency Logistics Course (ILC):  LMD is co-sponsoring an Interagency Logistics Course, 
in collaboration with the United States Army Logistics University (ALU), Ft Lee VA. This 
course has been approved by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).  The 
purpose of the course is to familiarize interagency students with logistics planning and 
operations considerations that are applicable to disaster relief and humanitarian assistance 
missions in an interagency environment.  The course provides a strategic and operational 
level overview of 

interagency disaster logistics; identifies and discusses parameters for national logistics 
coordination; and creates a forum for the exchange of best supply chain practices for 
interagency logistics functions.  A pilot course was conducted June 7 – 11, 2010 and the first 
official course Oct 25 – 29, 2010. Since then two additional courses were conducted and the 
remaining course this FY is scheduled for May 2 – 6, 2011. 

###


“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.”

           
           May 2011

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