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• IAEM-USA Submits Letter supporting nomination of Erik Hooks as FEMA Deputy Administrator (16 Nov 2021) IAEM-USA President Carolyn Harshman sent a letter of support for Erik Hooks as Deputy Secretary of FEMA to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to be included in the record of the Nov. 18, 2021, nominations hearing. Read the letter.
• IAEM-USA Submits Letter for House Science Committee Hearing Regarding National Weather Service (12 Oct. 2021) IAEM-USA President Judd Freed submitted a letter to the House Science Committee to be included in the record for the Oct. 14 hearing entitled, “The Future of Forecasting: Building a Weather-Ready Nation on All Fronts.”  Read the letter.
• State and Local Stakeholder Coalition in Opposition to Proposed Changes to Disaster Declaration Factor (05 Mar 2021)
• IAEM-USA Sends Letter to U.S. Senate Leaders of Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Regarding Support of Deanne Criswell as FEMA Administrator (04 Mar 2021) IAEM-USA strongly supports the nomination and confirmation of Deanne Criswell to be the next FEMA Administrator, as expressed in a letter sent Mar. 4 by IAEM-USA President Judson Freed, CEM, to Chair Gary Peters and Ranking Member Rob Portman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ms. Criswell has sterling credentials as an emergency management professional, with more than 25 years of leadership experience assisting and supporting local and state governments as they build robust emergency management programs to support risk threat and management. She also understands and respects the symbiotic relationship between state and local emergency managers and the role each plays in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. In her current position as Commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Department, Ms. Criswell is tasked with managing one of the most demanding and complex emergency management operations in the profession. She has thrived in that role and has proven she is capable and ready to step up and take charge at FEMA. Of great importance to IAEM-USA, Ms. Criswell recognizes the value of all emergency preparedness, response, and mitigation grants administered by FEMA in building capacity at the state and local levels. She recognizes that creating a culture of preparedness falls on state and local emergency managers and requires federal support if implementation of that goal is going to be successful. In short, Ms. Criswell understands and respects the role of FEMA as a partner with state and local stakeholders.
• DHS Announces Funding Opportunity for $1.87 Billion in Preparedness Grants (25 Feb 2021)
• IAEM-USA Signed on to a Coalition Letter Sent to Congress to Support Flexing Funding to State and Local Communities (16 Feb 2021) IAEM-USA supports a coalition of 300 diverse stakeholder organizations, by signing on to a joint coalition letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The letter offered our endorsement of the budget reconciliation language providing $350 billion in flexible aid for our states, cities, counties, tribes, and territories. The coalition encourages the House and Senate to swiftly pass this urgently needed aid. Many states and localities have seen their revenues plummet as a result of the pandemic, even as costs have risen sharply to fight the virus and to help millions of struggling people and businesses. State revenues are down some 7 percent compared to before the pandemic even as the need for state services has skyrocketed with one in three adults struggling to meet household expenses. Meanwhile, many cities and counties have been hit even harder. The average city with falling revenues has seen collections drop by 21 percent, even as costs have soared, and counties face similar conditions. Download the letter here.
• IAEM-USA Comments to FEMA on a Proposed Revision to the Proposed Revision to the Disaster Declaration Factor (05 Feb 2021)
• IAEM-USA Letter of Support of the Nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas for DHS Secretary (12 Jan 2021) IAEM-USA President Judson M. Freed, CEM, sent a letter of support to Senator Gary Peters, Incoming Chairman, and Senator Rob Portman, incoming ranking member, of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, on Jan. 12, 2021. The IAEM-USA Council strongly supports the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “Having served with distinction as the deputy secretary of DHS (2013-2016), and previously as the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (2009-2013), Alejandro Mayorkas is uniquely qualified to lead the Department of Homeland Security,” stated Freed. “While his skill set has not been focused specifically on emergency management, we have no doubt he understands the vital role that DHS, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), plays in supporting state and local emergency management professionals in keeping our communities safe in times of disaster.” 
• IAEM Recommendations to the Biden Transition Team (08 Dec 2020) The USA Council of the International Association of Emergency
  Managers (IAEM-USA) has submitted its recommendations to the Biden Transition Team, titled "IAEM Recommendations for Action During the First 100 Days of the Administration of President-Elect Biden." The report addresses three critical activities for FEMA and the nationwide emergency management enterprise: 
  
  • The President-Elect should announce his nominee for FEMA Administrator before the end of this year. This person must possess impeccable credentials and experience in comprehensive emergency management at the local and state levels. The President must announce that this person will be THE person responsible for coordinating the ongoing COVID-19 response AND all hazards Incident Coordination across the federal government.
  • Eliminate parallel response and recovery structures within the federal government, including the White House, that duplicate effort and confuse response and recovery at all levels of government in the nation. Upon assuming office in January, the President should formally designate FEMA as THE lead agency for all hazards Incident Coordination across the federal government enterprise to include Stafford Act and non-Stafford Act events.
  • Advise the FEMA Administrator to meet quarterly with the IAEM-USA President to maintain an open line of communication with the organization representing all facets of the emergency management profession at the local level, where disaster plans are executed.

• IAEM's report to President-Elect Biden's Transition Team also presents the association's recommendations in regard to ongoing COVID-19 response and recovery, including: clearly define roles of HHS, public health “emergency preparedness” agencies, FEMA, and state and local emergency management during this pandemic and all future public health emergencies; assure funding for state and local government response and recovery efforts; and reinstate the Administrator of FEMA as a designated member of the President’s cabinet as provided for in PL 109-295. Additional "first actions" also are addressed.Download the full report here.