The leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Response Coordination Center resigned from his position Wednesday, just as the nation has entered hurricane season, CBS News reported.
Jeremy Greenberg had led the government’s response to storms as the agency grapples with multiple leadership personnel departing in the wake of the Trump administration’s restructuring of the federal government. Greenberg had overseen the 24/7 communication headquarters that coordinate efforts before federal agencies, military, and nonprofit organizations during emergencies.
In May, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reiterated her stance that FEMA should be eliminated in favor of giving more authority to states.
Acting FEMA Director David Richardson said he plans to “return primacy to the state,” which would entail putting far more financial burden on disaster-inflicted states. The acting director said the agency plans to cut its financial outlay to half of what a state needs to respond to a disaster in future reforms.
“FEMA 2 will look different than FEMA 1. There will be much more emphasis on the states to do response and recovery, to some degree preparedness as well,” Richardson told a staff town hall.
A former FEMA senior official told CBS, “This will be a significant loss. He led all of FEMA’s planners that prepared for all hazards.
“He had strong interagency relationship that fostered collaboration and coordination in responding to disasters.”
Another official said, “He’s irreplaceable. The brain drain continues, and the public will pay for it. I don’t see how FEMA will find someone who can coordinate with national, state, and local emergency organizations like he did.”
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump told reporters that his administration had planned a “phasing out” of FEMA to begin following hurricane season. Trump has been moving more authority to the states and likened the decision to “a little bit like education,” saying governors and other state officials are better positioned to address natural disasters.
“These leaders don’t want to participate in the dismantling of the agency they value,” the former senior FEMA official said. “They have been dedicated to the mission over multiple administrations but won’t support the current administration’s direction.”
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