WASHINGTON -- FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell traveled to Boise, Idaho this week, where she visited students at Boise State University, toured the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and met with members of the agency’s National Advisory Council.
On Tuesday, Criswell met with Boise State University’s Hazard and Climate Resiliency Institute students. The institute is a community of researchers, practitioners and students who are dedicated to improving society’s resilience to natural hazards and the impacts of a changing climate.
Later that day, Criswell, U.S. Fire Administration Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell and FEMA Region 10 leadership were briefed on this summer’s fire outlook by NIFC officials. The center is comprised of eight different agencies and organizations that support wildland firefighting.
“Wildfires are no longer seasonal events -- fueled by climate change, they are destroying lives and property year-round,” Criswell said. “Our communities have battled the nation’s most damaging wildfires in just the last few years, with wildfires accounting for 62% of the structures lost over the last 15 years. It is clear that we simply cannot shy away from the work required to mitigate future risk.”
Criswell met with members of the National Advisory Council on Wednesday at Boise State University’s Stueckle Sky Center. There she discussed climate resiliency, FEMA assistance eligibility changes and workforce recruitment and engagement.
The council, established as part of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, is comprised of up to 35 members from throughout the nation who represent emergency management, government agencies, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to advise the FEMA administrator on all aspects of emergency management.
“I truly appreciate this amazing group of experts who are able to come together and make recommendations to me and our agency,” Criswell said. “We use the NAC to address the most pressing issues at FEMA and the emergency management community.”
Each year, the NAC presents a series of recommendations to the agency and the administrator. FEMA released the agency’s official response to these recommendation last week.
For information on how to prepare you and your family for wildfires, visit Ready.gov/wildfires.