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 is TBD.

In the meantime, we encourage you to visit the online forum to comment on the ideas or submit your own ideas for future discussions!

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.

FACA Disclaimer

FEMA recognizes that the best solutions to the challenges we face are generated by the people and communities who are closest to these challenges.  The goal of these monthly conference calls is to listen to and discuss ideas generated by individual members of the community.  FEMA is not looking for and will not accept group or consensus recommendations from FEMA Conference Call participants.  Also, FEMA will not be making any decisions on Agency positions or policy during the call.  Instead, the Agency is seeking individual viewpoints from a broad and diverse spectrum of stakeholders.  Everyone’s input is valued and we thank you for participating in this call.  FEMA does not endorse any non-government entities, organizations, or services.