The purpose of the conference is to foster an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas surrounding a broad range of evacuation issues, particularly mass evacuations prompted by disasters. Special topics of discussion include:

• Addressing the challenges faced by special needs populations during disasters
• Improvements in evacuation planning and modeling
• National evacuation policy development

This conference will be relevant to both academics and professionals with an interest in the development and modeling of comprehensive evacuation plans. The conference will offer a venue for dialogue between the academy and practice, as well as between the private and public sector. Participants will contribute to an important step towards more efficient and effective evacuation planning.

Keynote Speakers

William Craig Fugate
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(Invited)

W. Craig Fugate began serving in the position of Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in May 2009.

Prior to coming to FEMA, Mr. Fugate served as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). In that role since 2001, he managed 138 full-time staff and a budget of $745 million. His agency coordinated disaster response, recovery, preparedness and mitigation efforts with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments.

Mr. Fugate began his emergency management career as a volunteer firefighter, Emergency Paramedic, and finally as a Lieutenant with the Alachua County Fire Rescue. Eventually, he moved from exclusive fire rescue operations to serving as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County in Gainesville, Florida. He spent a decade in that role until May 1997 when he was appointed Bureau Chief for Preparedness and Response for FDEM.

Within FDEM, Mr. Fugate's role as Chief of the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) kept him busy during 1998. That year, the SERT team was active for more than 200 days as a result of numerous floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and Hurricane Georges.

In September 2003, again under Mr. Fugate's stewardship, the Florida Emergency Management Program became the first statewide emergency management program in the nation to receive full accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP).

During his years at FDEM, Mr. Fugate served as the State Coordinating Officer in Florida for 11 Presidentially-declared disasters and the management of $4.5 billion in federal disaster assistance.

In 2004, Mr. Fugate managed the largest federal disaster response in Florida history as four major hurricanes impacted the state in quick succession (Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne). In 2005, Florida was again impacted by major disasters when three more hurricanes made landfall in the state (Dennis, Katrina and Wilma). The impact from Hurricane Katrina was felt more strongly in the Gulf Coast states to the west but under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact or EMAC, Florida launched the largest mutual aid response in its history in support of those states.

Mr. Fugate and his wife Sheree hail from Gainesville, Florida.
 

 

Richard Devylder
Special Advisor to the Secretary for the California Emergency Management Agency
(Scheduled to appear)

Currently, Richard is Special Advisor to the Secretary for the California Emergency Management Agency and lead to the Office for Access and Functional Needs.  Richard provides guidance in reviewing and reshaping emergency management systems policies and practices in communicating, evacuating and sheltering Californian’s with disabilities.  The previous three-years he has served as a point person for the California Department of Rehabilitation, to the Governor’s Offices of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, on the needs of people with disabilities.  Richard has also served on the Governor’s Emergency Operations Executive Council and Senior Staff Workgroup.   

As Deputy Director for the California Department of Rehabilitation from August 2003 thru January 2008, Richard was responsible for the oversight of four departmental sections.  The sections included Independent Living and Assistive Technology, Client Assistance Program, Disability Access and External Affairs.  From 2001-2003, Richard served as Chairman of the State Independent Living Council.

BA in Communication; California State University, Long Beach, 1992

Location