ICYMI: FEMA Administrator Criswell Speaks to National Emergency Management Association

Release Date Release Number
HQ-23-046
Release Date:
March 27, 2023

WASHINGTON -- FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell addressed emergency management colleagues today at the opening of the National Emergency Management Association’s Mid-Year Forum in Alexandria, Virginia.

Administrator Criswell focused her remarks on recovery efforts across the nation, especially focusing on her visit to Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on Sunday following an EF-4 tornado that caused massive destruction.

“I heard amazing acts of heroism from community members crawling from the rubble to quickly rush and help their neighbors,” she said. “And I talked with local first responders and health care professionals who quickly stood up a makeshift clinic in the armory to help those who were injured. All of you in this room are managing more events like this - events that as the initial incident is getting stabilized, are already planning for recovery.”

Administrator Criswell’s remarks addressed how recovery programs may need to evolve with the ever-changing landscape and more frequent disasters occurring throughout the nation.

“As the disasters become more frequent, as the needs become more complex and as the expectations continue to rise, the call to act will keep getting louder,” she said. “So, where do we go from here? Perhaps, we start by looking at the systems in place, identify what works and make the right investments to enable those systems to grow … And, it is this kind of thinking that can inspire a paradigm shift in how we recover from disasters, how we evaluate our programs across government and how we resource our agencies.”

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