FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell urged collective action today at the 2022 National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, Florida.
She focused her remarks on risk, resilience, innovation and partnerships as she presented to the assembled emergency managers, meteorologists and government officials at the annual gathering.
Criswell also highlighted the need for all parts of the emergency management cycle to engage with each other to benefit the overall mission.
“How can we build strong partnerships during mitigation and preparedness that carry over into response and recovery?” Criswell said. “We need more people sitting at the table when preparedness and mitigation are being discussed… It will require us to expand our network, bring new partners to the table and work toward our common goal of building a safer, stronger and more resilient nation.
FEMA recently found that U.S. communities who chose to adopt modern building codes will avoid paying $132 billion in damages by the year 2040. However, 65% of our country’s counties, cities and towns still have not adopted modern building codes and will not receive this benefit.
To address this issue, Administrator Criswell introduced a new FEMA campaign designed to increase community building codes.
“It will strengthen nationwide capability for superior building performance,” she said. “It will support vulnerable communities, and it will drive public action to increase the adoption and enforcement of hazard-resistant building codes to reduce the negative impacts of climate change.”
Click here for a full transcript of the Administrator’s speech.
