FEMA visit to Sweden and MSB
The 14th to the 16th of March MSB hosted a visit by Administrator Deanne Criswell, who leads the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA is an operative component within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with a mission that includes tasks before, during and after crises and weather related events.
Deanne Criswell, who is the first woman to hold the position of FEMA Administrator and lead the 20,000 strong agency, reports directly to the President in times of crisis. She has served over 20 years in the fire service, and previously held the title of commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Office.
Resilience building
During the visit, Administrator Deanne Criswell and DG MSB Charlott Petri Gornitzka met with Minister of Civil Defence, Carl-Oscar Bohlin, participated in a roundtable exercise about resilience building and transatlantic cooperation, and were briefed on the tasks of rescue services related to Total Defence at Johannes Firestation in Stockholm. Director Generals from the Nordics were invited, and together they visited the SAMÖ23 coordination exercise and discussed opportunities for increased US-Nordic cooperation.
Transatlantic cooperation
FEMA represents the US in NATO’s Resiliece Committee, and is an important strategic partner to MSB and Sweden. FEMA has valuable knowledge on training and exercise, risk- and crisis communication, climate adaptation, private public partnerships and other areas highly relevant for Sweden’s continued development of the Total Defence concept. MSB looks forward to deepening the transatlantic cooperation to strengthen societal resilience on both sides of the Atlantic.