By BRENT KALLESTAD
Associated Press Writer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- President Barack Obama plans to name Florida's state emergency director Craig Fugate to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an official familiar with the appointment said Wednesday.

Fugate has served as director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management since 2001, when he was tapped by former Gov. Jeb Bush. He was retained by current Gov. Charlie Crist. Both governors are Republicans.

Fugate previously served as the agency's assistant director for nearly five years. Fugate has been praised for his efforts steering Florida through numerous hurricanes in the past decade.

An official close to the announcement said the appointment would be made public later Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the nomination has not been made public.

Fugate declined to discuss the appointment earlier Wednesday as he headed to a meeting with Crist, whose office had no immediate comment.

Fugate's department was held up as a national model after the 2001 terrorist attacks. He said then that the state had been preparing extensively for the threat of terrorism since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and had done exercises for several possibilities, including cruise missile attacks.

However, Jeb Bush and Fugate came in for some criticism after Hurricane Wilma hit crowded southeastern Florida in October 2005. Officials were not prepared for so many people seeking relief supplies so quickly after the storm. With power outages affecting virtually the entire region, no stores or businesses were open and gas station pumps were idled as well.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.