Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Paulison has announced the membership of the National Advisory Council. The council advises the Administrator of FEMA on all aspects of preparedness and emergency management in an effort to ensure close coordination with its partners across the country.

"The men and women nominated to serve on the National Advisory Council are recognized experts across the range of emergency management disciplines," said Paulison. "Their extensive knowledge and diverse points of view will be a great asset as they advise us on how we can best respond to natural and manmade disasters together."

The development of the National Advisory Council was set into motion by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. Members are appointed by the FEMA administrator and represent a geographic and significant cross-section of officials from emergency management and law enforcement, and include homeland security directors, adjutants general, emergency response providers from state, local, and tribal governments, private sector, and nongovernmental organizations.

The council is being instituted to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of the federal preparedness, protection, response, recovery and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. Specifically, the council will focus attention in the development and revision of the national preparedness goal, the national preparedness system, the National Incident Management System, the National Response Plan, and other related plans and strategies.

The council intends to hold quarterly meetings each year. Pending final approval of disclosure forms that must by law be submitted by certain appointees, the first meeting is expected to be convened this fall.

Proposed members are in the categories of emergency management; emergency response; public health; emergency medical provider; health scientist; in-patient medical provider; standards setting; infrastructure protection; cyber-security; communications; disabilities; special needs; state, local and tribal governments and elected officials; and more. For more information, visit the FEMA Web site.