The rescuers deployed in the response phase are not full-time employees. They are employees of whatever agency operates the FEMA-funded USAR/water rescue team. So, for example, the FDNY and NYPD have a joint water rescue and urban search and rescue team that deployed to North Carolina. FEMA pays for their training, their equipment, and pays their salaries when they are deployed, but when they are not deployed they are paid for by the agencies that they work for (i.e. the FDNY and NYPD). The arrangement is mutually beneficial - the home agencies benefit from having great equipment and highly-trained specialty teams in their backyard, and FEMA benefits from having assets that can be deployed nationwide (or even worldwide in some cases) when a disaster overwhelms state and local authorities. Get rid of FEMA and that relationship is no longer mutually beneficial. New York is not going to pick up the tab to continue to fund a team that will deploy to North Carolina.FEMA doesnt have the resources either, without mutual aid.
"A Government Accountability Office report earlier this year found FEMA was 6,000 employees short of its staffing targets, forcing it to function at 65% of its operating capacity."![]()
Federal agencies have deployed 3,600 employees in Helene response
Biden promises feds will stay as long as necessary, and FEMA says it may tap volunteers from other agencies to aid in response.www.govexec.com
Fatigue and moral have been a problem at FEMA for many, many years.