Former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate highlighted ongoing staffing challenges at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, emphasizing that this issue has been persistent over time. However, he clarified that these challenges do not hinder the initial response efforts during emergencies.
For Hurricane Milton in Florida, FEMA deployed over 1,000 incident management staff, which accounts for approximately 9% of its total personnel. Additionally, around 1,200 search and rescue personnel were dispatched from other federal agencies to support the response efforts.
