PORTLAND (AP) - Michael Brown, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been hired by OnScreen Technologies Inc., a maker of compact displays for emergency first responders.

OnScreen, an 8-year-old company that relocated from Florida to Portland last fall, said Brown was hired to generate sales to government.

The company makes RediAlert, a system of portable, computerized signs that first responders can use to instantaneously direct traffic or display messages to the public about safety concerns in remote locations.

Brown resigned his FEMA job last year in the face of criticism over the agency's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina.

“Browns background and expertise of successfully handling four of the most severe hurricanes in Florida's history, including more than 150 federally declared national disasters, combined with his clear understanding of the critical needs of first responders, makes him a perfect addition to the OnScreen strategic team,” Charlie Baker, OnScreen's CEO and president, said in a news release.