Collaborating in Crisis: FEMA’s Adaptive Strategies in the 2023 Maui Wildfires

• In Event: Policy With versus Policy On: Collaborative Decision-Making and Equity

Abstract

Following a large-scale disaster, there are both opportunities for collaborative decision-making, where communities and government agencies work together to accelerate the recovery and rebuilding process, and opportunities for top-down decisions, where the government steps in to maintain order and re-establish services following disruption. The level of engagement with the community depends on the priorities of the government agency and whether they are willing to actively learn from the field and alter their approach accordingly. This engagement can also reflect the equity in the response decisions undertaken, as community engagement can enhance understanding of where the needs are. 

Using a case study of the 2023 Maui wildfires, we analyze FEMA’s adaptive strategies during the recovery efforts and identify key factors that influenced the agency’s ability to respond effectively and adjust course amid the evolving challenges on the ground. Key adaptive strategies explored include adjusting to the cultural context, which included a pre-field cultural training for deployed staff and partnering with cultural advisors in the field; community engagement strategies, which included attending and participating in listening sessions in partnership with the county of Maui; interagency collaboration, which included partnerships with EPA and USDA; and active learning, which included studying Interagency Recovery Coordination Case Studies of the Paradise wildfire. The Maui wildfires present a valuable case study for examining these capabilities and the challenges FEMA faces in navigating post-disaster recovery and attempting to implement collaborative decision-making on the ground, in the aftermath of a deadly wildfire. By integrating these examples, this paper provides actionable insights into how FEMA can enhance its resilience-building efforts and move toward more collaborative, context-sensitive models of post-disaster recovery.

Authors

• Christa L Remington, University of South Florida
  Presenting Author

• Kaila Witkowski, Florida Atlantic University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Lauren Azevedo, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Ratna B Dougherty, University of South Florida
  Non-Presenting Co-Author