FEMA Think Tank

Deputy Administrator Serino speaks at FEMA's Think Tank held in Colorado Springs on Tues., July 24. Serino was also in Colorado to visit burn areas in the aftermath of the Waldo Fire which was declared a major disaster on June 29, 2012.

Deputy Administrator Serino hosts FEMA Think Tank Conference in San Francisco, CA on Feb. 17, 2012 to discuss the importance of utilizing social media tools and employing alternate forms of communications during disasters.

More than 40 Joplin officials and community leaders gathered to share lessons learned from a devastating May 2011 tornado as part of a nationwide Think Tank teleconference on pre-disaster recovery planning hosted at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo. May 15, 2012.

Deputy Director Serino leads the FEMA Think Tank held in Bennington, Vt. on Aug. 17, 2012 on the role of faith-based and community organizations in advancing the whole community approach to emergency management.

What is the FEMA Think Tank?

FEMA recognizes that the best solutions to the challenges we face are generated by the people and the communities who are closest to these challenges. It is essential that these partners are invited to the table to actively participate in thought-provoking discussions.

That is why we are reaching out to state, local, and tribal governments, and to all members of the public, including the private sector, the disability community, and volunteer community, to seek their input on how to improve the emergency management system. FEMA wants to hear your ideas and suggestions, to both explore best practices and generate new ideas. The FEMA Think Tank will help facilitate these conversations and encourage further discussion.

The FEMA Think Tank has two main components:

Online Forum: Submit your own ideas, comment on others, and participate in conversations meant to generate creative solutions. The forum is open to anyone who wants to discuss a variety of emergency management issues, such as how as we prepare for, respond to, recover from, or mitigate against all types of disasters, as well as ideas on how we can continue to integrate the whole community.
Monthly Conference Call Discussions: Deputy Administrator Serino will conduct monthly conference calls to discuss some of the real-life solutions and ideas that are generated by this online forum. These calls will be open to the general public and captioning for participants who are deaf or hard of hearing will be provided. The Deputy Administrator will travel to a different location each month to personally meet with members of the emergency management community.

When is the next FEMA Think Tank Conference Call?

The next FEMA Think Tank Conference Call will take place on:

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 3:15 p.m. EDT—focus on where we have been and the solutions that have been implemented in our communities, as well as discussing the future of FEMA Think Tank and how you can get involved.

We are excited to hear what you have developed and will be highlighting 2-3 innovative emergency management projects and solutions (final or in-development) inspired from the Think Tank during our October Conference call! Yes, you and your team of innovators will have an opportunity to discuss your ideas on a national platform with Emergency Management leaders. Submit a short narrative to the online forum Looking Forward, Looking Back—FEMA Think Tank 2.0 by Tuesday, October 9th.

Time: 3:15pm - 5:00pm Eastern
Call-In Number: 1-800-957-9819
Pass Code: Think Tank
Captioning: http://fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=2015383&CustomerID=321
Twitter: #femathinktank

Get Involved

FEMA’S 2012 COMMUNITY RESILIENCE INNOVATION CHALLENGE

FEMA is pleased to announce, in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, FEMA’s 2012 Community Resilience Innovation Challenge. This program, managed through the Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation, aims to identify and support best practices to strengthen community resilience.

FEMA and its partners know that preparedness must continue in communities year-round. This new monetary opportunity is designed to continue to move community preparedness forward and assist local areas in building and revitalizing community-based partnerships to advance the nation’s resilience to disasters. Funding levels will range, with a maximum award of $35,000, and applications are open to most local, state, and tribal agencies and governments; business entities; associations; organizations and groups. Submissions will be accepted through October 26.

Additional information on the Challenge program criteria and application process can be found at www.ResilienceChallenge.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ideas will be discussed during the monthly conference call?
Each month, Deputy Administrator Serino will select three to four ideas on improving emergency management at the federal level to discuss during the conference call. The individuals that submitted these ideas will have the opportunity to brief the Deputy Administrator during the call. The call will then be opened for questions and further discussion.

Who can participate?
Anyone can participate in the FEMA Think Tank. If you have an idea or suggestion on how to improve the emergency management system, you can submit that idea to the online forum or comment, comment on another’s idea, and listen to the monthly calls with Deputy Administrator Serino.

How do I participate?
Visit FEMA's online collaboration platform to participate in an open dialogue and discussion and join the monthly conference calls.

How can I find information from previous FEMA Think Tank calls?
Visit FEMA's Think Thank conference call archives page to hear recorded audio or read the transcript of the previous FEMA Think Tank Calls.

We look forward to a productive conversation that will generate innovative solutions and move us forward as a team.

Last Updated:

10/10/2012 - 09:35