Draft:Lori Moore-Merrell

Lori Moore-Merrell

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell is the current U.S. Fire Administrator. Prior to her appointment on Oct. 25, 2021, Moore-Merrell served nearly 3 years as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Public Safety Data Institute, which she founded after retiring from a 26-year tenure as a senior executive in the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).

Moore-Merrell holds a doctorate in public health.

Career

Moore-Merrell initially intended to go to medical school, and became interested in emergency medicine while undergoing paramedic training. She later joined the Memphis Fire Department, becoming the department's sixth female member. She began work for the department in 1987 at a paramedic. She faced multiple challenges as a woman on the force, from negative attitudes towards women to more systemic issues, such as uniforms and gear not fitting or the station not having women's bathrooms. While on shift, her young son would be taken care of by the wife of one of her colleagues.

As a senior executive in the International Association of Fire Fighters, Moore-Merrell took part in a number of studies and investigations surrounding fires and fire safety.

In 2013, she served on the Public Safety Committee of the Transition Teams for the Mayor of New York City; she reprised the role for the Mayor of the District of Columbia in 2015.

Moore-Merrell founded the International Public Safety Data Institute in 2019. The institute publishes reports based on data compiled from various first responder groups.

Moore-Merrell is considered an expert in executive leadership, emergency response system evaluation, public safety resource deployment, community risk assessment, data science/analytics, strategic planning, costs and benefits analysis, advocacy, consensus building, policy development and implementation, and generational differences in the workplace.

U.S. Fire Administrator

Appointed by President Joseph Biden as the U.S. Fire Administrator on October 25, 2021, she served full term in the Biden-Harris Administration reorganizing the U.S. Fire Administration to realign the administration with its originating legislation and mission. She led federal employees and hundreds of external stakeholders to coalesce the national fire service around a single vision known as #FireServiceOneVoice.

She envisioned and led the research, development, and implementation of a national emergency response analytic platform known as NERIS, replacing a 48-year legacy federal government data system.

She envisioned, created and served as the Chair of the Inaugural World Fire Congress hosted by DHS/FEMA/U.S. Fire Administration and the U.S. Department of State in 2024. She identified, invited and inspired top fire officials from 56 nations to attend the Congress along with delegates from the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction mission, Africa Fire Mission and the World Bank. This enabled the ongoing work of the WFC by establishing a Statement of Founding Principles signed by all 56 national and the UNDRR.

Over her tenure, the U.S. Fire Administration negotiated and signed memoranda of understanding with top fire service officials in Israel, Mexico, XPRIZE, Organization de Bomberos Americanos, Dubai, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to address the threat of fire, wildfire in the interface, emerging technology, fire risk, firefighter training and health and safety.

Moore-Merrell established the annual U.S. Fire Administrator's Summit on Fire Prevention and Control as directed in the 974 Fire Prevention and Control Act. The first Summit held in 2022 marked the 75th Anniversary of President Truman's Conference on Fire Prevention in 1947 calling on state and local government officials to join the federal government in mapping a program to cut the nation's staggering fire loss.

She co-chaired the Wildland Fire Management and Mitigation Commission delivering a report and recommendations to the Congress in September 2023. Collaborating with counterparts at USDA and DOI to chair the Commission, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, they recruited Commission members from federal, nonfederal stakeholder groups, and facilitators leading them to collaborate to carry out their mandate.

Awards and recognition

• 2022 John W. Hoglund Award