1. William Craig Fugate was born on May 14,1959 and is the former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
15 Facts About Craig Fugate
1. 2.
Craig Fugate attended high school at Santa Fe High School and trained as a volunteer firefighter, then attended fire college and paramedic school at Santa Fe College, began a job as an emergency paramedic and eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant with Alachua County Fire Rescue.
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The appointment from the opposing party was considered a favorable indication of the respect Craig Fugate's career had earned.
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Craig Fugate was criticized for the lack of ice, water, and other supplies distributed after Hurricane Wilma despite his warnings to those staying in the area to stock up on three days' worth of supplies.
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Craig Fugate was awarded the National Guard Association of Florida Hall of Fame in 2006.
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Craig Fugate's nomination received bi-partisan support in Congress although Louisiana senator Republican David Vitter threatened to hold up his nomination until his concerns over the handling of Hurricane Katrina by Brown were answered by FEMA.
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Craig Fugate was criticized in 2012 by Brown for his early response to Hurricane Sandy in which he positioned recovery resources prior to the storm's arrival.
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Craig Fugate is known for his "Waffle House Index", whereby he determines the level of attention a disaster area requires based on whether the Waffle House is open at the time emergency services arrive.
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The strategy is particularly helpful in the South where Craig Fugate is from, but becomes a challenge elsewhere where the Waffle House isn't as popular and local chains like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts do not share the same "get open" philosophy.
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Craig Fugate spearheaded efforts to incorporate digital media into federal emergency management.
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Craig Fugate led the effort to develop smart phone apps allowing users to report disasters with photos and use GPS to identify the location.
12.
In November 2020, Craig Fugate was named a volunteer member of the Joe Biden presidential transition Agency Review Team to support transition efforts related to the Department of Homeland Security.
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Craig Fugate married his wife Sheree in 2002 and they currently live in Gainesville, Florida.
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Craig Fugate is a member of the Alexandria Amateur Radio Club.
15.
Craig Fugate was a keynote speaker at the 2014 ARRL Convention in Hartford, Connecticut.