LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The City of Little Rock announced on Tuesday afternoon that Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. has been appointed by the Biden administration to serve on the FEMA National Advisory Council.
Mayor Scott will now join a group of leaders in emergency management that come from across the country. He will be able to take part in making recommendations and giving advice to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
“Little Rock residents have demonstrated their strength and resiliency repeatedly in the last few years, whether taking action to protect against COVID or recover and rebuild from historic floods, winter storm events, and a devastating tornado,” Mayor Scott said. “Through this adversity, we have made excellence in emergency management one of the benchmarks of our service to residents. I’m proud to lead an exemplary team that prioritizes emergency preparedness and response."
He also expressed how it was an honor and privilege to be selected to join this council by both Administrator Criswell and the Biden administration.
The tornado on March 31, 2023, damaged almost 3,000 structures in the capital city, and during that time Administrator Criswell was among the first federal government officials to visit Little Rock.
FEMA partnered with local agencies in Little Rock to open a Disaster Recovery Center and help out those who were in need.
According to FEMA, members of the National Advisory Council consist of emergency managers, emergency reporters, as well as subject matter experts from local, state, territorial, and tribal governments. They also include private sector and non-governmental organizations.
"Having a Council that has a diversity of expertise and experiences ensures we are serving disaster survivors and communities as effectively as possible," said Criswell.