009: Day 1: KEYNOTE: Enhancing Survivor Assistance - Adapting to Unprecedented Climate Disasters with Chris Smith

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Episode Description:

“Our mission should be developing communities to better withstand the challenges of our climate, building better and smarter in the first place, not just building back better. Together, we can create a safer, more prepared locality, a more prepared state, a more prepared nation.” —Chris Smith

Disaster recovery should empower, not exhaust. By rethinking individual assistance to be survivor-centric, we can restore dignity and put communities on the path to true resilience in the face of catastrophe.

Chris Smith is an experienced emergency manager who previously served as the Director of the Individual Assistance program at IEM/FEMA. In this role, he worked to support disaster survivors and communities through the provision of critical financial assistance and recovery resources. Drawing on his expertise in individual assistance, Chris now serves as a disaster consultant, dedicated to improving the way communities prepare for and recover from catastrophic events.

Join the discussion as Chris discusses the need to evolve the disaster recovery paradigm, leveraging state/local roles, private sector engagement, and innovative technologies to create a more responsive, streamlined system that better supports survivors, especially those impacted by wildfires, through individualized assistance and a focus on community resilience.

Connect with After The Fire USA:

• Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA
• X: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

• 01:02 Mitigating Against Home Loss
• 04:22 What is the Individual Assistance (IA) Program
• 08:53 Key Elements to Pay Attention To
• 14:30 7 Key Principles to Support Survivors
• 19:50 Right Assistance at the Right Time
• 24:05 The Role of Education
• 27:14 Building Back Better AND Smarter

👨🏻‍💼 Meet Chris Smith, Director of Individual Assistance and Disaster Housing, IEM/FEMA Director of Individual Assistance (2015-2022)

Chris Smith, Director of Individual Assistance and Disaster Housing at IEM, is a seasoned emergency management professional with over 25 years of experience. His career highlights include leading the Office of Response and Recovery's Individual Assistance Division at FEMA, managing the distribution of over $52 billion in federal assistance during 175 federally declared disasters. Chris also played a key role in developing and implementing a funeral assistance program funded by Congress in response to COVID-19, delivering over $2 billion in aid. Prior to his time at FEMA, Chris held influential positions in Nevada, including serving as the Chief of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Advisor to the Governor. His diverse experience, academic prowess, and commitment to community resilience make him a valuable asset to IEM and a respected figure in the field of emergency management and disaster recovery.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-smith-9647944/

Connect with IEM:

• Website: https://iem.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ieminc
• X: https://www.twitter.com/iemnews
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/we.are.iem
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_X0aJN-ROsVhxLdEQ7Qxwg
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2JPGPzGVPRjVfhdJQyuO3m?si=5b5561dd3c9549e3