At the end of October, representatives from many of the voluntary agencies and non-profit organizations we work with came together for the first event of this kind in Washington, DC. The event was designed to build, solidify, and highlight many of the connections that make disaster response and recovery successful.
Beth Zimmerman kicked off the day with opening remarks. She is FEMA’s Associate Administrator for Response and Recovery and her comments highlighted the work of our voluntary, faith-based, and community partners, particularly in disasters that aren’t severe enough to require FEMA’s assistance: “Each and every person and organization… comes together to help these communities on a daily basis.”
Throughout the day, organizations shared stories about how they work together to help communities across the country, and sometimes even the world. Ideas were shared, business cards swapped, and partnerships that are forged under pressure during disasters had a chance to bloom on a “blue sky day.” (In emergency management terms, we call this “steady state.”)
