FEMA to create advisory council

As part of its post-Hurricane Katrina overhaul, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is setting up a new National Advisory Council to provide advice to it on all aspects of emergency preparedness and response.

Public and private sector leaders, executives, elected officials and subject matter experts in topics including emergency management, medical services, fire, law enforcement and public safety are invited to submit applications to join the council by March 9.

The new committee is being established under the FEMA reform legislation approved by Congress last year. The new law, intended to correct major shortcomings in how FEMA coped with the Katrina disaster, strengthens FEMA's role as an agency within the Homeland Security Department.

The council will advise FEMA on a wide variety of preparedness and response matters, including the national preparedness goal, the national preparedness system, the National Incident Management System and the National Response Plan, according to a notice posted in the Federal Register.

"The development of the National Advisory Council, along with the tireless efforts of the dedicated public servants at FEMA, will go hand-in-hand in setting the course to obtain our vision for a new FEMA," FEMA Director David Paulison said. "Together, we will lead our organization to become the Nation's Preeminent Emergency Management Agency."