The chaotic Fema summer has gone from bad to worse

Fema did not respond to WIRED request for comment.

“It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who have headed for decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform,” the agency. Tell the trusteeThat mentioned revenge against the employees who signed the message. “Change is always difficult. It is especially for investment in the current situation, and those who forgot their duty is the American non -bureaucratic people.”

The targeting of the two sites in FEMA is repeated a previous step at the Environmental Protection Agency in July, when that agency is hanging About 140 employees signed a similar public letter.

A Fema employee, who signed this week, expressed concern about WIRED that the agency may try to search According to what was mentioned, lying is managed In April, try to identify the employees who leaked to the press. They say: “I am worried because they may use similar tactics to identify the two unknown positions.” This employee spoke to WIRED on the condition that his identity was not disclosed, as they were not allowed to speak to the press.

On Tuesday morning, a day after the publication of the employees ’letter, Cameron Hamilton, former FEMA director, published a proxy criticism publicly on LinkedIn.

“The saying that Fema works more efficiently, and cutting the red tape is either: not familiar with disaster management; misleading by public employees; or lying to the American public (such) to support the talk points,” books. “President Trump and the American people deserve better than this … Fema provides good money due to the US astronomical debts from Congress. Nevertheless, FEMA employees respond to completely new forms of bureaucracy that are prolonged waiting times for the demands, and delaying the spread of time sensitive resources.”

Hamilton, who was expelled from his position a day after the testimony in defense of the agency to Congress in May, did not answer questions and respond to whether his position was linked to the open message to employees.

Both Hamilton and the open letter call for a new base, established in June, which imposes that any spending of more than $ 100,000 needs to be examined personally by NOEM. This maximum, in the Monday’s message, “reduces the FEMA authorities and its capabilities to provide our mission quickly.” The policy was criticized in July yet diverse Ports She mentioned that she caused a delay in the agency’s response after the floods in Texas, which killed at least 135 people. Urban searches and rescue operations at the agency resigned in late July, in part due to the frustration of how to delay the approval of approval of one death during the disaster, CNN I mentioned.

WIRED contract data footage shows that as of August 7, the agency still has more than $ 700 million to allocate to a non -Dister district before the end of the fiscal year on September 30, with more than 1,000 open procedures. The agency seems to be pressure to accelerate the contract proposals. In early August, many FEMA employees were asked to volunteer to work during the weekend to help review contracts to prepare for the signature of NOEM, according to emails that WIRE reviewed. (“A lot of work during the weekend”, read the notes from one meeting.)

“Disaster money is only sitting.” “Every day the applicants in the Fema ask for contact” Where are my money? “We only passed to say nothing and re -guidance.”

It also states almost open employee message A third of Fema employees full time I have already left in May, “which led to the loss of indispensable institutional knowledge and the long -built relationships.” Employees ’departments may hinder these efforts from the agency to implement financial competence measures such as contract reviews. A former FMA WIRED employee tells that while the Agency began with nine lawyers in the purchasing team that helps in reviewing the financial contracts during a disaster, the entire team left almost or has been reset, leaving the experience of a scarcity of the hurricane season.

“I have no idea what is happening,” tells the former employee WIRE, when the hurricane strikes, “and we need a lawyer in SHIFT 24/7.”