More than FEMA: Building True Rural Disaster Resilience

Live Webinar: Thursday, September 24 - 3pm - 4pm Central Time

"More than FEMA: Building True Rural Disaster Resilience" is a 45-minute presentation by Ian Costello designed to shift the focus of agricultural and rural stakeholders from reliance on FEMA toward proactive, community-led disaster preparedness. By debunking the myth that disaster recovery is primarily a federal responsibility, the session introduces the "Chain of Recovery" framework, clarifying the roles of individuals and local and state leadership while demystifying FEMA’s legal constraints. The presentation emphasizes building local resilience through under-utilized resources—such as USDA programs, NGO support, and peer-to-peer networks—to equip attendees with actionable strategies for securing their communities long before a disaster strikes.

Intended Audience: Agricultural health/safety professionals, Extension staff, rural community leaders, and farmers.

Speaker:

Ian Costello, MSEM

Keswick Village Community Resilience Coalition, Founder