WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Officials from the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the transfer of specific preparedness administrative and operational authority roles from FEMA Headquarters to the FEMA Regional Administrators.  This transfer of responsibilities will significantly enhance FEMA's capability to develop a National preparedness system.

This transfer of authority impacts personnel associated with the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program; Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program; Community Preparedness; Assistance to Firefighters Grant program; Continuity of Operations; and Regional Investment Officers.

"To meet the responsibilities and follow the tenets of our vision for the New FEMA, we must integrate these programs with those already existing in FEMA and extend their implementation through robust Regions to improve stakeholder networks and coordination," said FEMA Administrator David Paulison.

The National Preparedness Divisions, led by new Federal Preparedness Coordinators at the regional level, will lead FEMA's efforts to coordinate the broad scope of preparedness missions for all-hazards.  Also, the plan is to form a new Grant Programs Division to be established within each Region to serve as the central location for business management for grants administered at the Regions, as well as the program management for certain national preparedness homeland security grant programs.

This realignment supports the on-going steps to developing a uniform Regional Office structure.  It will strengthen the Regions, assist our partners to comprehensively build preparedness levels and priorities, and allow for even better service to our customers and stakeholders.  The placement of additional preparedness resources closer to their end-state users empowers our federal, state, local, tribal and non-governmental partners to ready themselves for successful responses to all-hazards.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.