As Major Hurricane Approaches Florida, FEMA Faces Severe Staffing Shortage
The New York Times
Featuring Senior Executive Advisor Beth Zimmerman
It can also pull staff away from long-term recovery operations, such as helping communities rebuild infrastructure with federal money, according to Beth Zimmerman, who led disaster operations for FEMA during the Obama administration.
“The No. 1 priority is lifesaving, life-sustaining action,” said Ms. Zimmerman, who is now a senior executive adviser with IEM, a private contractor that works with FEMA. “It’s not, how do I write a project worksheet to fix a road.”
FEMA has surge capacity, allowing it to use volunteers from other parts of the Homeland Security Department. If that is not enough, FEMA can also call in people from across the federal government.
Those staff members from other federal agencies are trained for the roles they’re assigned, Ms. Zimmerman said. “They’re not just going to be sent out cold,” she said.
The agency has staffing agreements with private contractors, Ms. Zimmerman said, and it often supplements its work force further by hiring people who live in areas affected by disasters. “Because a lot of them have lost jobs,” she said.
