R. David Paulison
Encyclopedia
Robert David Paulison is a former fire chief
who served as the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). Paulison was appointed by President
George W. Bush
on September 12, 2005 to replace the embattled Michael D. Brown
, who resigned amid controversy over his handling of disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
. Prior to his appointment, Paulison was perhaps best known nationally for his 2003 advisory
regarding household items (including duct tape and plastic sheeting) to have on hand in case of terrorist attack. At the 2009 National Hurricane Conference, he announced he would resign January 21, 2009.
from Florida Atlantic University
, and later completed a program at John F. Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard University
for government service executives. After beginning his career as a firefighter
, Paulison rose through the ranks, and became fire chief of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue in 1992. He was subsequently named fire chief of the year for Florida in 1993, and has thirty years of experience as a firefighter. In addition, he was also president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs
.
During his time as a firefighter, Paulison was responsible for the cleanup after Hurricane Andrew
in 1992 and after the crash of ValuJet Flight 592
over the Everglades
in 1996.
On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush announced that he would appoint Paulison (a Democrat) as the head of the United States Fire Administration
, now a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Directorate of Preparedness. The nomination was sent to the U.S. Senate on October 16, 2001. Paulison was confirmed unanimously on November 30, 2001.
It was not in this role, rather he had also been made Director of FEMA's Preparedness Division, that Paulison released an advisory
on February 10, 2003 recommending households keep several common items on hand in case of a biological, chemical or radiological terrorist attack. Among these: three days' worth of water and food, emergency supplies, and plastic sheeting and duct tape
to seal windows and doors. The latter led to a much-publicized rush on hardware stores. This overshadowed another of the advisory's statements (one that unknowingly predicted conditions in the Gulf Coast 19 months later): in an emergency, most people "are going to be on their own for possibly 48 to 72 hours."
Later in 2003, Bush appointed Paulison director of the newly created National Preparedness Division of the Emergency Preparedness & Response Directorate. This distinctly DHS Directorate, was later made a part of FEMA again (08/2007) almost two years after Paulison became FEMA's acting "chief", Department of Homeland Security.
In April 2006, Acting FEMA Director and U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison was nominated to become the first DHS Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management in charge of FEMA.Later, in May 2006, R. David Paulison was unanimously confirmed and sworn in as the first Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management.
In April, 2008, the The Miami Herald
had reported that Paulison was considering resigning, which were repudiated by the Under Secretary while testifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee
> Paulison noted that the newspaper had "misunderstood his statements", and that he was instead attempting to get the agency prepared for the incoming Obama Administration appointee.
On January 21, 2009, Paulison announced his resignation.
Sources at the Miami Herald note that rumors have been swirling that he was “tired” and “disillusioned” and would resign soon but that the White House was pressuring him to stay on. When asked by reporters if he would consider staying on at the request of the new president and he responded: “probably not.”
Paulison selected Nancy Ward, currently a FEMA regional director (for region IX, which serves AZ
, CA
, GUAM
, HI
, NV
, CNMI
, RMI
, FSM
and American Samoa
), to be interim director after his resignation takes effect.
Fire chief
Fire Chief is a top executive rank or commanding officer in a fire department, either elected or appointed...
who served as the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA). Paulison was appointed by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on September 12, 2005 to replace the embattled Michael D. Brown
Michael D. Brown
Michael DeWayne Brown was the first Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response , a division of the Department of Homeland Security . This position is generally referred to as the director or administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency . He was appointed in January 2003 by...
, who resigned amid controversy over his handling of disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. Prior to his appointment, Paulison was perhaps best known nationally for his 2003 advisory
Duct tape alert
The duct tape alert refers to the recommendations made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on February 10, 2003, that Americans should prepare for a biological, chemical, or radiological terrorist attack by assembling a "disaster supply kit", including duct tape and plastic , among...
regarding household items (including duct tape and plastic sheeting) to have on hand in case of terrorist attack. At the 2009 National Hurricane Conference, he announced he would resign January 21, 2009.
Biography
Paulison was born in 1947 in Miami, Florida. He attended North Miami Senior High School and earned his bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
, and later completed a program at John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
for government service executives. After beginning his career as a firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
, Paulison rose through the ranks, and became fire chief of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue in 1992. He was subsequently named fire chief of the year for Florida in 1993, and has thirty years of experience as a firefighter. In addition, he was also president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs
International Association of Fire Chiefs
The International Association of Fire Chiefs is a network of more than 12,000 chief fire and emergency officers. The Association was established in 1873. The Executive Director is Mark W. Light. The Deputy Executive Director is Mary Beth Michos...
.
During his time as a firefighter, Paulison was responsible for the cleanup after Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
in 1992 and after the crash of ValuJet Flight 592
ValuJet Flight 592
ValuJet Flight 592 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, and William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia...
over the Everglades
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
in 1996.
On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush announced that he would appoint Paulison (a Democrat) as the head of the United States Fire Administration
United States Fire Administration
The United States Fire Administration is a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency which in turn is managed by the Department of Homeland Security located in unincorporated Frederick County, Maryland, near Emmitsburg.-History:...
, now a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Directorate of Preparedness. The nomination was sent to the U.S. Senate on October 16, 2001. Paulison was confirmed unanimously on November 30, 2001.
It was not in this role, rather he had also been made Director of FEMA's Preparedness Division, that Paulison released an advisory
Duct tape alert
The duct tape alert refers to the recommendations made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on February 10, 2003, that Americans should prepare for a biological, chemical, or radiological terrorist attack by assembling a "disaster supply kit", including duct tape and plastic , among...
on February 10, 2003 recommending households keep several common items on hand in case of a biological, chemical or radiological terrorist attack. Among these: three days' worth of water and food, emergency supplies, and plastic sheeting and duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
to seal windows and doors. The latter led to a much-publicized rush on hardware stores. This overshadowed another of the advisory's statements (one that unknowingly predicted conditions in the Gulf Coast 19 months later): in an emergency, most people "are going to be on their own for possibly 48 to 72 hours."
Later in 2003, Bush appointed Paulison director of the newly created National Preparedness Division of the Emergency Preparedness & Response Directorate. This distinctly DHS Directorate, was later made a part of FEMA again (08/2007) almost two years after Paulison became FEMA's acting "chief", Department of Homeland Security.
In April 2006, Acting FEMA Director and U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison was nominated to become the first DHS Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management in charge of FEMA.Later, in May 2006, R. David Paulison was unanimously confirmed and sworn in as the first Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management.
In April, 2008, the The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
had reported that Paulison was considering resigning, which were repudiated by the Under Secretary while testifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee
United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security concerns, as well as the functioning of the government itself, including the National Archives, budget and...
> Paulison noted that the newspaper had "misunderstood his statements", and that he was instead attempting to get the agency prepared for the incoming Obama Administration appointee.
On January 21, 2009, Paulison announced his resignation.
Sources at the Miami Herald note that rumors have been swirling that he was “tired” and “disillusioned” and would resign soon but that the White House was pressuring him to stay on. When asked by reporters if he would consider staying on at the request of the new president and he responded: “probably not.”
Paulison selected Nancy Ward, currently a FEMA regional director (for region IX, which serves AZ
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, CA
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, GUAM
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, HI
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, NV
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, CNMI
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
, RMI
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, FSM
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
and American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
), to be interim director after his resignation takes effect.