Originally published HSToday Welcomes Former U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell to Editorial Board on by https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/emergency-preparedness/hstoday-welcomes-former-u-s-fire-administrator-dr-lori-moore-merrell-to-editorial-board/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hstoday-welcomes-former-u-s-fire-administrator-dr-lori-moore-merrell-to-editorial-board at Homeland Security
The Government Technology & Services Coalition’s (GTSC) Homeland Security Today is honored to announce that Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, former U.S. Fire Administrator, has joined its editorial board.
“From the moment Lori was selected as a Mission awardee at the HSToday awards we knew that she was leading the wave of applying technology to improve fire services. Her understanding of data, and its importance to informing policy and administrative policies to support the well-being and efficiency of our firefighters and first responders, is critical to meeting their needs. These insights will add tremendously to HSToday’s mission to educate and inform the community of our best ideas and implementations.” said Kristina Tanasichuk, Executive Editor of Homeland Security Today.
As U.S. Fire Administrator from 2021 to 2025, Dr. Moore-Merrell led the reorganization of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to realign it with its originating legislation and modern-day mission. Under her leadership, the USFA convened the first National Fire Prevention and Control Summit since it was founded nearly 50 years ago, bringing together top federal agencies and fire service organizations. Together they launched the National Fire Service Strategy to address firefighter mental health, cancer screenings, recruitment, and climate-related challenges.
Prior to her appointment, Dr. Moore-Merrell served as President, CEO, and Founder of the International Public Safety Data Institute (IPSDI) and spent 26 years as a senior executive with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Her fire service career began in 1987 with her work as a fire department paramedic in Memphis, Tennessee. As a Doctor of Public Health and a data scientist, she has also conducted significant work in applying data analytics to improve the fire service by streamlining operations, risk assessment, and EMS deployment.
In 2020, she was a recipient of the Homeland Security Today Mission Award for her work on leveraging data to improve fire services. See an interview on her work here.
Dr. Moore-Merrell led the research, development, and implementation of the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS). NERIS was designed to replace the outdated National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and modernize fire and emergency response data across the United States. In 2023, she co-chaired the Wildland Fire Management and Mitigation Commission, delivering key policy recommendations to Congress to combat the growing wildfire crisis.
Additionally, she created the World Fire Congress, bringing her years of experience and expertise to the global stage. In 2024, the Congress brought together fire leaders from 56 nations, as well as representatives from the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Africa Fire Mission. These leaders continue to drive international collaboration through six Communities of Practice (CoPs), which will shape fire service policies leading up to the 2026 World Fire Congress in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Moore-Merrell joins a distinguished group of leaders on the HSToday Editorial Board, including former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, former Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, former FEMA Administrator Brock Long, and Francis X. Taylor, former head of Intelligence & Analysis for DHS. See the full editorial board here.
For more information on Homeland Security Today, please visit www.hstoday.us. For more information on the Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC), visit www.GTSCoalition.com.
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Originally published HSToday Welcomes Former U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell to Editorial Board on by https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/emergency-preparedness/hstoday-welcomes-former-u-s-fire-administrator-dr-lori-moore-merrell-to-editorial-board/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hstoday-welcomes-former-u-s-fire-administrator-dr-lori-moore-merrell-to-editorial-board at Homeland Security
Originally published Homeland Security
