William "Craig" Fugate
As the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Mr. Fugate oversees an agency with 132 full time staff and a proposed budget of 1.2 Billion dollars (FY 2005-06). The Division coordinates disaster response, recovery, preparedness and mitigation efforts with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments. In September 2003, the Florida Emergency Management Program became the first state emergency management program in the nation to receive full accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program.
From volunteer firefighter, Paramedic, to Lieutenant with Alachua County Fire Rescue, his 15 year career in local government included serving 10 years as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County , Florida .
In May of 1997, he was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Preparedness and Response with the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Over the next four years, the State of Florida faced numerous disasters while continuing to build a nationally recognized emergency management program. His role as the Chief of the State Emergency Response Team saw extensive action in 1998. Florida experienced the impacts of floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and Hurricane Georges resulting in over 200 days of activation for the State Emergency Response Team.
In October of 2001, Governor Bush appointed Mr. Fugate to serve as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the role he continues in the Governor's second term.
2004 saw the largest response to disasters in Florida history with one tropical storm and four hurricanes impacting the State. While this recovery continues, Director Fugate and the State Emergency Response Team stand ready to respond to Florida 's next disaster.
Professional Affiliations:
- National Emergency Management Association
- National Hurricane Conference - Planning Committee
In addition to emergency management, Craig and his wife Sheree are avid sea kayakers with a web site dedicated to paddling in North Florida at http://www.seakayakflorida.com/.
