Miami Fireman promoted to interim leadership of FEMA

R. David Paulison was appointed director of the Preparedness Division of the Emergency Preparedness & Response Directorate/FEMA, in the newly created Department of Homeland Security in 2003. This highly qualified and experienced native of Miami (see pic of Dubya's buddy Joe Allbaugh swearing him in as Fire Chief) has been appointed as Interim Director to replace Brown, who has resigned.

As director of the Preparedness Division, Mr. Paulison was responsible for administering a broad range of programs designed to reduce injuries / death due to disasters, strengthen states / communities and prevent / reduce damage to public and personal property.

As he told the House Science Committee Field Hearing "The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program: A View From Upstate New York" on June 21, 2004 …

Each year, fire injures and kills more Americans than the combined losses of all other natural disasters. Death rates by fire in the United States are among the highest in the industrialized world. Each year, fire kills more than 4,000 people and injures more than 22,000. Home safety means smoke alarms, education, and sprinklers. Annual property losses due to fire are estimated at nearly $10 billion. And, firefighters pay a high price. In 2003, 109 firefighters died while on duty.

Paulson has also responsible for enhancing state and local emergency preparedness, training federal, state, and local emergency managers, and conducting a nationwide program of exercises.

As head of the U.S. Fire Administration, Mr. Paulison also supports state and local fire service programs and oversees programs to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies in partnership with fire protection and emergency service communities. He was responsible for FEMA developing a training program to prepare regional Incident Management Teams (IMT) to provide support for major incidents prior to, or in lieu of, the arrival of a Federal IMT. Simultaneously, FEMA has been developing training for the Federal Incident Management Teams Program.

As of June 9, 2004, FEMA had made over 30,000 grants payments totalling more than $800 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program from FY 2001 to FY 2003.

Before joining FEMA, Mr. Paulison, who has 30 years of fire rescue services experience, was chief of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. In that position, he was responsible for 1,900 personnel with a $200 million operating budget and a $70 million capital budget. He also oversaw the county's emergency management office.

A man with all the right connections and evidently experienced – now we’ll see what happens to the mayor of NOLA and the Governor of La. who seem to have been the main stumbling blocks to planning, and a prompt response to the foreseeable and widely foreseen disaster that was simple waiting to happen.