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Today BP announced it has hired Witt Associates, and its CEO James Lee Witt, to support BP's work to restore Gulf Coast communities in the wake of the oil and gas spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Witt Associates, a public safety and crisis management consulting firm, founded by former FEMA Director James Lee Witt, has unrivaled experience in emergency response, recovery, and mitigation. The firm has successfully worked in the Gulf region and across the nation to engage with key stakeholders and manage transparent and accountable long-term recovery efforts. BP will draw on Witt's expertise and strategic counsel on all aspects of BP's long-term recovery work. As BP builds out its Gulf Coast Restoration Organization, it will draw on Witt Associates to identify experienced and effective personnel in the region to liaise with state and local government officials and community organizations on behalf of BP. BP's Gulf Coast Restoration Organization will continue to work in cooperation with the Unified Command and will build the infrastructure necessary to see through BP's long-term commitments. "Our responsibilities go beyond sealing the well, and the immediate response and cleanup operations, and we want the people of the Gulf Coast to know that we are going to be here as long as it takes to make this right," said Bob Dudley, CEO of BP's Gulf Coast Restoration Organization. "Our commitment extends beyond the economic claims. We are committed to restoring communities and the environment. And we continue to bring in the very best people to do that important work. "I look forward to drawing on James Lee's expertise, built over years of successfully responding to difficult events in the Gulf Region and elsewhere," said Dudley. "Witt Associates will provide us with the experienced hands who are familiar with the Gulf Coast and can reach into impacted communities to help BP deliver its recovery commitments in a smooth and effective fashion." "BP has made a huge commitment to the Gulf Coast and its people," said James Lee Witt, chief executive officer of Witt Associates. "Our experienced team of crisis managers and recovery specialists look forward to supporting BP's long-term efforts as they work to restore the region and make things right for Gulf residents and communities that were impacted by the spill." - ## - Note: James Lee Witt's biography can be found at: http://www.wittassociates.com/about/our-staff/james-lee-witt/ For further information: BP Gulf of Mexico response: www.bp.com/gulfofmexico BP Press Office London +44 20 7496 4076 BP Press office, US: +1 281 366 0265 Witt Associates: Kim Fuller - 202-585-0780 Cell - 202-439-0237 (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 30, 2010 10:39 ET (14:39 GMT)