The July 18 keynote speech of FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, at the ARRL National Centennial Convention in Hartford, Connecticut, has been posted on YouTube. Fugate spoke before some 800 guests at the Friday evening convention banquet. Earlier that day, he and ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) aimed at enhancing cooperation between the League and FEMA in the area of disaster communication. In his remarks at the banquet, Fugate said that before he even became FEMA administrator, it became clear to him that Amateur Radio could support ad hoc and innovative communication without relying on conventional telecommunication systems.

“The more sophisticated our systems become, the more fragile they become,” he told the gathering. He emphasized the need for resiliency in communication systems. “The relevancy of ham radio only grows,” asserted Fugate, who just upgraded to General class. “Amateur Radio is taking that hobby and turning it into saving lives.”

After Fugate’s talk, President Craigie presented him with the ARRL Medal of Honor.