DENTON, Texas (KNTU) FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino urged a group of University of North Texas students to provide some brainpower for emergency preparedness in remarks at the Denton campus on Thu., March 10.
Serino focused his message on what’s called the whole community approach to emergency management which means everyone, including students, takes part in the planning process.
“Students in higher education on college campuses can actually do a lot. The idea is to get involved beforehand, so they know what they can do, so they know how they can actually play a key role,” said Serino.
He pointed out that students come up with some of the most innovative solutions.
“Whether that be how we’re going to feed and take care of two million people after [a] catastrophic disaster, how we can bring a team of folks together, how we’re going to be able to provide security for large numbers of people. How we’re going to be able to, when we respond to an incident, feed that many people, and, a lot of times government, we look at things the same way. So I think having new, young ideas is how we’re going to do that,” said Serino.
Contrary to popular belief, FEMA does not take over command and control at the scene of a disaster, but provides support for local governments during emergencies.
FEMA Region 6 covers Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Click below to hear FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino talk with KNTU’s Will Stuart.