The Trump administration is set to follow through on its promise to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the wake of widespread criticism over the agency’s poor response record to recent disasters in the United States. According to CBS News, the overhaul has sparked concerns among some employees whose jobs are now on the line as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) seeks to investigate FEMA for fraud, waste, and abuse. The decision has created uncertainty among FEMA employees, with fears that it will lead to a significant reduction in staff over the next few years, and employees may be forced to reapply for their positions through DHS.
An internal FEMA email, obtained by CBS News, detailed a new hiring process requiring most employees to seek approval from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for contract renewals. This change affects a large portion of FEMA’s workforce, including members of the Cadre of On-Call Response (CORE) and reservists. The new hirijg proceesn”does not apply to certain positions within The National Flood Insurance Program, and positions including Emergency Management Specialist, Human Resources Specialist, Contracting Specialist, Information Technology Specialist and attorney, according to the email sent to the FEMA workforce, Friday,” according to CBS News.
“Employees have started to take their leave and go job hunting,” one current FEMA employee told CBS News. “They’ve seen the writing on the wall.”
This policy shift is reportedly driven by President Trump’s executive action to reduce the federal workforce. The new policy affects a significant portion of FEMA’s workforce, as two-year and four-year COREs and Reservists compose much of the agency’s staff. According to agency sources, FEMA acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton briefed his leadership team on the decision last week, prompting regional directors to inform employees.
CORE employees, who make up roughly 39% of FEMA’s workforce (over 8,800 people), are responsible for providing disaster assistance. The agency’s roughly 7800 reservists make up a temporary, on-call workforce that is also deployed to disasters, emergencies and critical training, nationwide. These first responders are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, enabling them to operate even during government shutdowns. They staff recovery centers, assist survivors, and conduct community checks after disasters.
The email instructed employees with contract termination dates after March 17 to submit requests for “renewals and extensions” to DHS for approval. Certain positions, such as those within the National Flood Insurance Program and roles like Emergency Management Specialist and IT Specialist, are exempt from the new policy. The email also stated that all external hiring and onboarding of new employees has been frozen until further notice, except for political appointees.
A DHS spokesperson defended the decision in a statement to CBS News, claiming it will eliminate “wasteful spending and bureaucracy,” arguing that disaster recovery is best handled by state and local officials, not federal employees.
President Trump has previously expressed skepticism about FEMA’s effectiveness and cost. He signed an executive order directing state and local governments to take “a more active and significant role” in emergency preparedness.
“I say you don’t need FEMA, you need a good state government,” President Trump said while visiting the Los Angeles communities following devastating wildfires in January. “FEMA is a very expensive, in my opinion, mostly failed situation.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has stated her support for reshaping FEMA.
Critics are pointing out that this overhaul of FEMA’s hiring process comes months before the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.
Former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell noted that the agency has been responding to a federally declared disaster roughly every other day, with a significant increase in emergencies declared in 2024 compared to 2023, calling the back-to-back disaster demands on the agency a “new normal.”
It seems as if the General Population has become Demanding & Threatening towards the Established Blessing’s offered by the Fed. Gov, yet lack the insight that God helps those who help themselves. Understanding Emergency Preparedness is a Viral Part of everyone’s life, yet many rely on someone else & take very little accountability towards Their lack of action. We-the-People are a Team where everyone is suppose to be a Team Player & pull their own weight in an Emergency! I ask that the People do their best & step outside for a Walk with their neighbor’s, to see where They can make a difference through any unforseen Disaster. I ask God to Help Us safely move forward to insure the safety & Welbeing of One & All!
Great job Ms Carter, que the great news coverage