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The International Association of Fire
Chief's (IAFC) called for all Fire Chiefs
support the nomination of Chief R. David
Paulison to be the Department of Homeland
Security's Under Secretary for Federal
Emergency Management.
The IAFC issued a call for action requesting
each IAFC member to immediately contact
his/her two Senators in support of Chief
R. David Paulison's nomination to be
the Department of Homeland Security's
Under Secretary for Federal Emergency
Management. A sample letter to send
to your Senators is below.
Background
On April 6, 2006, President Bush nominated
Chief R. David Paulison to be the Under
Secretary for Federal Emergency Management
at the Department of Homeland Security.
In this role, Chief Paulison would lead
the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA).
Chief Paulison was the president of
the IAFC from 1996 through 1997. He
was the chief of the Miami-Dade Fire
Rescue Department in Florida, and served
as the incident commander during Hurricane
Andrew in 1992 and the crash of ValuJet
Flight 592 in 1996.
In 2001, Chief Paulison became the
U.S. Fire Administrator and served as
the director of the Preparedness Division
of the Department of Homeland Security's
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Directorate of FEMA from 2003 to 2004.
He was appointed the acting FEMA Director
in September 2005.
Recent Congressional Action
Chief Paulison's nomination has been
referred to the U.S. Senate Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs. The committee will hold a hearing
on Chief Paulison's nomination this
spring and then the full Senate will
vote on his confirmation.
Main Points to Make to Members of Congress
It is important that IAFC members fax
letters to and call their senators in
support of Chief Paulison. He has over
30 years of fire/rescue experience and
is a highly qualified candidate to run
FEMA. In addition, he has firsthand
experience with the role that the federal
government should play in supporting
the fire service response to Stafford
Act-declared emergencies and major disasters.
Please strongly urge your Senator to
support Chief Paulison's nomination!!!!
Sample Letter to Your Senator
Dear Senator XXXX:
On behalf of the nearly 13,000 chief
fire and emergency officers of the International
Association of Fire Chiefs, I strongly
endorse the nomination of Chief R. David
Paulison to be Under Secretary for Federal
Emergency Management. We urge the Senate
to quickly confirm Chief Paulison to
this position.
There are few candidates in the United
States that have Chief Paulison's firsthand
experience in emergency management at
the federal and local level. Before
joining the federal government, Chief
Paulison had 30 years of fire/rescue
experience, which culminated as the
chief of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
Department in Florida. In this position,
Chief Paulison managed 1,900 personnel,
a $200 million operating budget and
a $70 million capital budget. He served
as the incident commander for Hurricane
Andrew in 1992 and the crash of ValuJet
Flight 592 in 1996. Chief Paulison also
served as president of the IAFC from
1996 through 1997. During his tenure
as fire chief and IAFC President, Chief
Paulison was highly respected as an
innovative and well-regarded leader.
As U.S. Fire Administrator and acting
Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), Chief Paulison has continued
to earn the respect of America's fire
service. As U.S. Fire Administrator,
Chief Paulison reinvigorated the U.S.
Fire Administration and restored the
National Fire Academy's position as
one of the premier first responder training
facilities in the country. Since taking
over as the acting FEMA Director in
September 2005, Chief Paulison successfully
has led the agency through one of its
most challenging times. He coordinated
the responses to Hurricanes Rita and
Wilma, picked up the response to Hurricane
Katrina after his predecessor departed,
and oversaw the efforts for 25 other
disaster declarations. In addition,
he has made it a priority to restore
FEMA's public image by aggressively
filling staff shortages with qualified
emergency managers.
Based on his federal and local government
experience, Chief Paulison is well-known
for being a leader that can operate
in crisis conditions and get positive
results. We urge you to expeditiously
schedule his confirmation hearings and
ensure that the Senate confirms him
to his new post of Under Secretary for
Federal Emergency Management.
Sincerely,
Your Signature and title
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