The Heritage Foundation hosted a discussion on the Defense Department’s role in domestic disasters as part of its "Homeland Security 2020" series.
Panelists, including the Defense Department’s Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense Paul Stockton, spoke about how the department helps civilian authorities and law enforcement in emergencies, ranging from hurricane response to wildfires and other disasters.
They also examined both the historical and specific roles of the Department of Defense during domestic disasters including transportation, communication, medical personnel, and search and rescue.
Additional panelists included: former Deputy Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and retired Coast Guard Vice Adm. Harvey Johnson Jr.; and James Carafano, Deputy Director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and Director of the Heritage Foundation's Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies.