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Every once in a while I encounter someone new to emergency management who thinks taking FEMA out of DHS is some radical (or new) idea and folks, it’s not.
Here’s some history about this remarkably non-controversial idea:
#EMGTwitter #FEMAoutofDHS
Here’s some history about this remarkably non-controversial idea:
#EMGTwitter #FEMAoutofDHS
First, FEMA used to be a cabinet-level independent agency.
Post-9/11 the Bush administration reorganized the federal government and created the Department of Homeland Security under which 22 agencies were placed — including FEMA.
Post-9/11 the Bush administration reorganized the federal government and created the Department of Homeland Security under which 22 agencies were placed — including FEMA.
Emergency managers advised against this.
James Lee Witt: "I assure you that we could not have been as responsive and effective during disasters as we were during my tenure as FEMA director, had there been layers of federal bureaucracy between myself and the White House"
James Lee Witt: "I assure you that we could not have been as responsive and effective during disasters as we were during my tenure as FEMA director, had there been layers of federal bureaucracy between myself and the White House"
The International Association of Emergency Managers agreed:
“mixing the DHS mission of preventing future terrorism events and the FEMA mission of disaster consequence management... has significantly detracted from both missions.”
http://www.iaem.com/documents/IAEM-USACallsForFEMAtoBeRestoredtoanIndependentAgency.pdf
“mixing the DHS mission of preventing future terrorism events and the FEMA mission of disaster consequence management... has significantly detracted from both missions.”
http://www.iaem.com/documents/IAEM-USACallsForFEMAtoBeRestoredtoanIndependentAgency.pdf
The country’s leading disaster scholars also agreed with practitioners and came with receipts.
For example, they showed how the post-9/11 changes, including the demotion of FEMA, contributed to the failed federal response in New Orleans: https://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/congress/2007_h/070731-tierney.pdf
For example, they showed how the post-9/11 changes, including the demotion of FEMA, contributed to the failed federal response in New Orleans: https://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/congress/2007_h/070731-tierney.pdf
Even a bunch of people in Congress agreed!
The “FEMA Independence Act of 2009” was written and had *bi-partisan support*
https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=36763
The “FEMA Independence Act of 2009” was written and had *bi-partisan support*
https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=36763
Yet, despite the consensus among practitioners and researchers that FEMA being in DHS is detrimental to the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission, here we are almost 20 years later and… nothing.
The forever caveat is that taking FEMA out of DHS does not at all solve all of the problems in emergency management (I've never met anyone who thinks it is).
It is a starting place.
It is a starting place.
It’s especially important to consider the approach to removing FEMA. Ideally, this change would be one piece of much broader and comprehensive emergency management reform (which looks very different depending on how you ask).
So, this isn't a new idea.
I am going to keep mentioning it though because it needs to remain front of mind. One day (and I do not know when) there will be a window of opportunity that someone in Congress can use to shake DHS up.
I am going to keep mentioning it though because it needs to remain front of mind. One day (and I do not know when) there will be a window of opportunity that someone in Congress can use to shake DHS up.
(Thanks for the hashtag idea @scottbmiles)
