Michael Brown Direct Quotations

We're grateful for the outpouring of support already. But it's important that volunteer response is coordinated by the professionals who can direct volunteers with the appropriate skills to the hardest-hit areas where they are needed most. Self-dispatched volunteers and especially sightseers can put themselves and others in harm's way and hamper rescue efforts.

Today I resigned as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, ... As I told the president, it is important that I leave now to avoid further distraction from the ongoing mission of FEMA.

No. No. I'm still the director of FEMA.

When I became the director of FEMA a couple of years ago, I decided it was time we did some really serious catastrophic disaster planning. So the president gave me money through our budget to do that. And we went around the country to figure out what's the best model we can do for a catastrophic disaster in this country? And we picked New Orleans, Louisiana.

There is no other government agency that reaches people in a more direct way, ... It has been the best job in the world to help Americans in their darkest hours.

We are grateful for the outpouring of support already, ... But it's important that volunteer response is coordinated by professionals who can direct volunteers with the appropriate skills to the hardest-hit areas where they are needed most. Self-dispatched volunteers and especially sightseers can put themselves and others in harm's way and hamper rescue efforts.