With the latest predictions indicating another active hurricane season in 2006, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is preparing with what it describes as “a renewed sense of commitment, improvement and urgency.” And at the 28th National Hurricane Conference held April 10-14 in Orlando, Fla., FEMA Acting Director R. David Paulison described the upcoming hurricane season as “a defining moment in emergency management.”

Above all, however, Paulison emphasized that effective emergency management requires a team approach, and that FEMA is not a first responder. "The first response belongs in the hands of those closest to the incident, those state and local officials who are putting together the evacuation plans and shelter locations and educating their residents on when to evacuate, where to go and what to do," he said.

"We can all agree that disaster response starts at the local level. When the local government is overwhelmed, they ask the state for support, and when the state is overwhelmed, you request support from FEMA and the federal government," said Paulison. "Effective emergency management requires a team approach. This partnership needs to include all levels of government and all disciplines of emergency management and response."

"Americans want to know if we are ready for future disasters, and they are anxious and looking to us for reassurance — and that is reassurance we can give them," Paulison said. "This hurricane season presents us with a tremendous opportunity; an opportunity to reaffirm the core principals of the emergency management community."

Paulison also outlined various preparations FEMA is taking, along with goals of strengthening the federal-state partnership to expedite response and hasten recovery.

On the national level, FEMA is taking several steps to retool for the upcoming hurricane season, including improving logistics tracking and commodity replenishment capacity, as well as improving coordination with other federal agencies, including the Department of Defense. The agency plans to employ new technologies to improve field visibility and communications interoperability. And the creation of several mobile registration intake centers and implementation of improved debris removal practices are two of the ways FEMA is further prioritizing customer service for the coming hurricane season.