FEMA's National Advisory Council To Hold Inaugural Meeting

October 9, 2007 -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Advisory Council (NAC) will hold its inaugural meeting over October 22-23, 2007, at the Crystal City Sheraton in Arlington, Virginia.

At the meeting, members will be introduced and sworn in, and the Chair and Vice Chair will be introduced. Members will also receive briefings on the status of the reorganized Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its programs, and will discuss the vision, priorities and structure for the NAC.

The mission of the NAC is to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of national preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters by:

• Incorporating input from tribal, state, and local governments, and the public and private sectors;
• Providing an avenue for feedback, suggestions and constructive criticisms from the diverse government, private sector and non-profit partners involved in any disaster activities; and
• Providing a venue for input during the development and revision of key plans and strategies in emergency management.

The meeting will be open to the public, with a public comment period scheduled to take place on October 23, 2007, between 3:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Written comments or requests to make oral presentations should be received by October 15, 2007. Instructions and additional information, including a draft agenda, may be found in the Federal Register Notice.