Washington, D.C., October 24, 2001 — Kenneth O. Burris Jr., chief operating officer of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA,) has been appointed director of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IV, headquartered in Atlanta. Region IV oversees agency operations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Burris has been chief operating officer of the USFA since September 1999. Before joining FEMA, Burris, a 22-year veteran of the fire service, served as fire chief in Marietta, Georgia, for nine years. He held senior positions with the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs and is a past president of the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs.
