FEMA Integration Team (FIT)
Utah is one of 19 states to have FEMA staff assigned to its emergency management agency. Utah was the first state in Region VIII to embed a team in our emergency management agency. The FEMA Integration Team (FIT) provides technical and training assistance on FEMA’s programs and continuous on-site support to the state.
Co-locating staff is a new initiative for FEMA. FEMA and its partners are working to increase capabilities and build resilience to fulfill their mission to help people before, during, and after disasters. The FIT Team also represents FEMA’s commitment to reducing the complexity of FEMA programs through direct staff engagement on emergency management with the state.
Better integrating FEMA operations with emergency management partners yields best practices and lessons-learned. It will also help build shared capabilities and capacity, resulting in more effective disaster response and recovery operations and a more prepared and resilient Nation.
To contact the FEMA Integration Team please work with your DEM Community Support Liaison.
The Utah Division of Emergency Management welcomes the following team members to our Taylorsville office.
Joel Palmer – Team Lead
Jennifer Laack – Exercise
Brandon Webb – Mitigation
Amal Centers Jr. – Recovery
Logan Sisam – Logistics
The success of FEMA’s mission depends on the quality of the relationships we foster and our ability to understand and support the needs of emergency management partners and the communities we serve. By working alongside our partners through FEMA Integration Teams, we can assist them in navigating our programs and policies to deliver quicker, more tailored assistance directly where it is needed. Increasing direct engagement strengthens our understanding of capabilities and gaps and bolsters the connections, cooperation, and communication necessary to improve the Nation’s overall readiness. Increased engagement and presence will also allow us to understand the needs and readiness of our partners while improving the coordination of the assistance we provide.
Objective 2.2 of the 2018-2022 FEMA Strategic Plan
The FEMA Integration Team presented an “I Wonder” webinar on April 1, 2021.