FEMA employees laud suggestions for improved disaster response

Employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday praised suggestions for improving disaster response made by the Homeland Security Department's inspector general last week, while criticizing what they called short-sighted work by the agency in remedying remaining problems.

"We're going into this hurricane season unprepared," said one FEMA employee, speaking under the condition of anonymity. "We're pretty much at the same place that we were last year."

The employee, a FEMA veteran with experience in disaster management, said plans at the agency - like the 95/95 plan, which would bring staffing there to 95 percent of capacity in 95 days - are short-sighted and will fail to bring the most qualified candidates on board.

The FEMA employee said more contractors have been awarded work, but hiring still lags. Further, the employee stated, thanks in part to a rushed hiring process where some job postings are left open for as little as a week, "inexperienced people are creating more chaos than they are helping."

FEMA was targeted for the lion's share of improvements recommended in the IG report issued Friday; 35 of 38 recommendations address the agency by name.

The report called for sweeping reform at FEMA, recommending that the agency tighten procedures for issuing contracts, and reconstruct its process of handling data internally and its delivery of information to the rest of the Homeland Security Department and to the public. The IG also called upon FEMA to request additional funding if needed and asked the agency to re-evaluate its temporary housing plan.

Leo Bosner, a 27-year employee of FEMA and president of an American Federation of Government Employees local representing FEMA employees, said the agency's contract preparations can be improved as well.

"FEMA has had lots of contracts established before a disaster even occurs," he said. "That whole process needs to be strengthened."

The agency said that some of the reforms suggested by the IG have already been undertaken.

"Many of the recommendations found within the DHS inspector general report are already in the process of being implemented, including overhauling federal response plans and working to ensure our local and state partners are ready for the 2006 hurricane season," said Aaron Walker, a FEMA spokesman. "FEMA will review this information carefully as we consider ongoing enhancements to our processes to better serve victims of disaster."