Following Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was viewed by many as the agency primarily responsible for the federal government's inadequate response. This presentation will offer an insider's perspective of the critical role of public awareness in improving the emergency management system. Building on elements of the National Response Framework, this presenter will examine how communication policies, organizational culture and core competencies contribute to helping FEMA regain its position as the nation's preeminent emergency management and preparedness agency, and how the agency is seeking to change public behavior in being better prepared to respond to both notice and no-notice events.