per HSDL + FEMA websites: The new FEMA Think Tank is a forum to engage our partners, promote innovation, and facilitate discussions in the field of emergency management.

FEMA recognizes that the best solutions to the challenges we face are generated by the people and the communities who are closest to these challenges. It is essential that these partners are invited to the table to actively participate in thought-provoking discussions.
That is why we are reaching out to state, local, and tribal governments, and to all members of the public, including the private sector, the disability community, and volunteer community, to seek their input on how to improve the emergency management system.

FEMA wants to hear your ideas and suggestions, to both explore best practices and generate new ideas. The FEMA Think Tank will help facilitate these conversations and encourage further discussion.

What is the FEMA Think Tank?

The FEMA Think Tank has two main components:

• Online Forum: Submit your own ideas, comment on others, and participate in conversations meant to generate creative solutions. The forum is open to anyone who wants to discuss a variety of emergency management issues, such as how as we prepare for, respond to, recover from, or mitigate against all types of disasters, as well as ideas on how we can continue to integrate the whole community. Visit the forum at http://fema.ideascale.com/

• Monthly Conference Call Discussions: Deputy Administrator Serino will conduct monthly conference calls to discuss some of the real-life solutions and ideas that are generated by this online forum. These calls will be open to the general public and captioning for participants who are deaf or hard of hearing will be provided. Learn more

What ideas will be discussed during the monthly conference call?

Each month, Deputy Administrator Serino will select three to four ideas on improving emergency management at the federal level to discuss during the conference call. The individuals that submitted these ideas will have the opportunity to brief the Deputy Administrator during the call. The call will then be opened for questions and further discussion.

Who can participate?

Anyone can participate in the FEMA Think Tank. If you have an idea or suggestion on how to improve the emergency management system, you can submit that idea to the online forum or comment, comment on another’s idea, and listen to the monthly calls with Deputy Administrator Serino.

How do I participate?

Visit FEMA's online collaboration platform to participate in an open dialogue and discussion at http://fema.ideascale.com/ or visit www.fema.gov/thinktank/ .