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.
Fugate expressed concerns about the reluctance to expand FEMA's permanent workforce, stating that this could pose difficulties for the agency in providing long-term recovery assistance to disaster survivors. He pointed out that relying on at-will employees, especially during periods of economic strength, makes it challenging to maintain optimal staffing levels.
