Craig Fugate

Beginning in 1987, he served for 10 years as an emergency manager for the county before moving up to the state level as Deputy Director for the Florida Emergency Management Division and then became Director in 2001 under Florida Republican governor Jeb Bush.[5] The appointment from the opposing party was considered a favorable indication of the respect Fugate's career had earned.[5] As director, he coordinated the state's response to Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Ivan, and Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 and Hurricane Dennis, Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Wilma in 2005.[6] He 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 3 days' worth of supplies.[7] He was awarded the National Guard Association of Florida Hall of Fame in 2006.[8]

Fugate was considered for the position as Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency by President Bush after sharp criticism and the resignation of Mike Brown. Later, due to Fugate's experience with Florida's extreme weather, he was appointed as the FEMA director in May 2009 by President Barack Obama.[5][6] His 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.[9]

In 2010, as Director of FEMA, he oversaw a record of eighty-one disaster declarations and superseded that record in 2011 with eighty-seven.[10] He was criticized in 2012 by Brown for his early response to Hurricane Sandy in which he positioned recovery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. In response, Fugate said that he "emphasized the importance of strong building codes and risk management before disasters strike."[8]

As director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management in 2004

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.[8] Fugate told the New York Times that, "Waffle House has a very simple operation philosophy: get open."[5] His theory is that if a Waffle House is open, keep driving. If it's damaged but serving a limited menu then the community needs help. If it's closed, then it means that the situation is really bad and needs the most attention.[8] The strategy is particularly helpful in the South where 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.[8][11]

As Administrator, Fugate instituted "thunderbolt exercises" into FEMA's preparations.[6] Without notice, Fugate will walk into the emergency operations center and declare a fake disaster and the scenario obstacles.[8]

Fugate spearheaded efforts to incorporate digital media into federal emergency management.[12] He 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, 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.[13]