[8] Fugate was considered for the position as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency by president George W. Bush after sharp criticism and the resignation of Michael D. Brown.

Later, due to Fugate's experience with Florida's extreme weather, he was appointed as the FEMA director in May 2009 by President Barack Obama.

[10] He was criticized in 2012 by Brown for his early response to Hurricane Sandy in which he positioned recovery resources prior to the storm's arrival.

In response, Fugate said that he "emphasized the importance of strong building codes and risk management before disasters strike".

[8] The strategy is particularly helpful in the South where Fugate is from, but becomes a challenge elsewhere where the Waffle House isn't as popular and local chains like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts do not share the same "get open" philosophy.

[6] Without notice, Fugate will walk into the emergency operations center and declare a fake disaster and the scenario obstacles.

[12] He led the effort to develop smart phone apps allowing users to report disasters with photos and use GPS to identify the location.