Acting Homeland Security Under Secretary/FEMA Head Named

Sea Technology, Oct 2005

Last month, President George W. Bush designated R. David Paulison, administrator of the U.S. Fire Administration, acting under secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response and head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Paulison is a 30-year veteran of fire and emergency services and served as director of the Preparedness Division of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate/FEMA from 2003 until 2004. He has also served as the administrator for the U.S. Fire Administration, a position he has held since December 2001. According to officials at FEMA, as head of the U.S. Fire Administration, Paulison supported state and local fire service programs and oversaw programs to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies in partnership with fire protection and emergency service communities.

Before joining FEMA, Paulison, who has 30 years of fire-rescue services experience, was chief of the Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue Department in Florida. In that position, he oversaw 1,900 personnel with a $200 million operating budget and a $70 million capital budget. He also oversaw the county's emergency management office. Paulison began his career as a rescue firefighter, eventually rising through the ranks to rescue lieutenant, battalion commander, district chief of operations, division chief, assistant chief and then deputy director for administration before his appointment as chief. His emergency management experience includes dealing with Hurricane Andrew and the crash of ValuJet flight 592.

A native of Miami, Florida, Paulison earned a B.A. from Florida Atlantic University and completed the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He received the LeRoy Collins Distinguished Alumni Award and was inducted into the Miami-Dade Community College Hall of Fame. Paulison was selected as fire chief of the year by Florida in 1993, and holds positions in several professional associations.

Paulison is a former certified paramedic, and as fire chief oversaw the Miami-Dade Urban Search and Rescue Task Force. He is also past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

"I am honored that President Bush and [U.S Department of Homeland Security] Secretary [Michael] Chertoff have entrusted me with this responsibility." commented Paulison. "It is a job I am proud to take on. I have committed my life and my career to serving the public. We are looking forward. There are people in the [U.S.] gulf coast still hurting in shelters and elsewhere, and we are going to take care of them."