FEMA hiring overhaul drives fears of agency dismantling as hurricane season nears

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: March 22, 2025 / 4:58 PM EDT


After firing more than 200 probationary workers from the nation's federal disaster relief agency, the Trump administration has taken its first step to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) just months ahead of hurricane season.

In an email labeled, "Hiring Update" and obtained by CBS News, FEMA informed employees on Friday night of a new hiring process that overhauls contract renewals for more than two-thirds of the agency's workforce, requiring all employees to submit requests for further extensions to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for approval.

The decision has created confusion among the ranks of thousands of employees impacted, with fears that the new process will effectively gut the majority of FEMA's workforce over the next two to four years by forcing employees to reapply for their jobs through the agency's overseers at DHS.

Spurred by President Trump's executive action last month directing the Department of Government Efficiency or "DOGE" to initiate large-scale reductions in the federal workforce, the new policy affects members of the agency's Cadre of On-Call Response known as "CORE" as well as FEMA's reservists. "This change will apply to most FEMA positions, as two-year and four-year COREs and Reservists compose much of the workforce," the email read.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fema-hiring-overhaul-fear-agency-gutting-hurricane-season-trump/

[UpInArms]

1. This what they voted for ....

https://www.project2025.observer/

[A Badger]

2. This is the 'next shoe to drop', after

...the 3/19 "Trump signs order to shift disaster preparations from FEMA to states, local governments" (Reuters, - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-order-shift-disaster-preparations-fema-states-local-governments-2025-03-19/).

Are we to imagine a scenario where terminated CORE contractors and FEMA reservists will eventually be forced to scramble to apply to each/any of the individual states and territories, so that their services and expertise can be obtained?
What could possibly go wrong !

[Jit423]

3. Hiring a bunch of MAGAs who won't know what they are doing and other political maggots who don't intend to do anything.

Good luck out there.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. We need FEMA

I would hate to go through a hurricane season without FEMA

[Martin Eden]

5. Residents in areas stricken by Hurricane Helene were fed a bunch of lies about FEMA and the Biden administration

Particularly in the mountains of western North Carolina, the distrust and animosity sowed by those lies hampered relief efforts.

We will see what kind of tune they sing after FEMA is decimated by the reckless cuts of the Orange Fuhrer and his Nazi Muskrat.

Knowing how Repukes operate, they'll spin it into anti-government propaganda without blaming the fascist grifter who caused their suffering.

[LiberalArkie]

6. The right has forever said that government will never be there when you (as a person) need it. Started with Social

Security (Just a ponzy scheme) still using the same term. Remove the call centers so there is no one to help. Now FEMA, destroy it like George Bush tried. Just to prove to the rubes out there that government BAD, taxes BAD, big business GOOD, big money GOOD. Socialism BAD, Plutocracy GOOD.