Professor John Harrald Testifies on Capitol Hill

Professor John Harrald of the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering was called to Capitol Hill twice during the 2005-2006 academic year to testify on emergency management matters.

On June 8, 2006, Professor Harrald testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs during its "National Emergency Management: Where Does FEMA belong?" hearing.

He had been working with the committee staff since Hurricane Katrina to help them understand some of the organizational problems and issues created by the way FEMA was incorporated into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). His testimony, available below, recommended leaving the responsibility for emergency management within the Department of Homeland Security. Professor Harrald testified that Congress should not transfer emergency management responsibilities to the Department of Defense or create another two-year disruption by attempting to re-create an independent FEMA.

DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff; Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allan; and Professor Donald Ketl, the director of the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, also testified at the hearing.

Professor Harrald also testified on Capitol Hill in September 2005. He spoke before the House Committee on Government Reform on lessons learned from the response to Hurricane Katrina. His testimony from the September 2005 hearing is available below.

Testimony of Professor John Harrald

United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, "National Emergency Management: Where does FEMA belong?"

United States House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform, "Back to the Drawing Board: A First Look at Lessons Learned from Katrina."