Opinion: Keep political hacks away from FEMA

Soon after Donald Trump was sworn into his second term as president he declared that FEMA must go away This was echoed by his Secretary of Homeland Assurance who oversees FEMA who noted We are going to eliminate FEMA But in the aftermath of the catastrophic and deadly floods in Texas the White House is now backtracking by hinting that the federal urgency management agency should be overhauled All of this adds to the confusion and chaos within this federal agency where key leaders with extensive experience in crisis management have either been pushed out or left which a great number of attribute to the slow response to the flood accident It is essential that any effort to improve FEMA s operational and strategic effectiveness be guided by experienced non-partisan urgency management experts not political appointees with limited or no background in catastrophe response This includes the acting director of FEMA who has zero experience in crisis management FEMA s mission is rooted in protecting communities during their greater part vulnerable moments and its success relies on deep expertise coordination across regime levels and trust from the community During a full-scale catastrophe FEMA coordinates the federal response to advocacy local and state emergency efforts It provides search and rescue teams delivers critical supplies like food and water and therapeutic aid sets up exigency shelters and helps restore power and infrastructure It also provides financial assistance to individuals and communities recovering from the damage A while back I was urged by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review their catastrophe and communications plan that responds to a nuclear attack on America FEMA s full-scale response was imperative which illustrates the vital role this agency is expected to play Having a politically appointed Secretary of Homeland Measure and an Acting Administrator of FEMA who have zero experience in urgency management lead a top-down overhaul greatly risks turning a life-saving and humanitarian agency into a bureaucratic and ideological experiment Instead the President should appoint a Task Force of distinguished seasoned professionals including current and former FEMA executives state urgency managers constituents wellness experts and mishap response leaders to assess FEMA s current structure and recommend practical evidence-based reforms One local resident who should be included on this Task Force is Richard Serino the former Chief of Boston EMS who was appointed by President Obama as Deputy Administrator of FEMA where he responded to more than national disasters and who now serves as a special advisor to former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis s consulting group FEMA s mission demands experts not amateurs with a political agenda Political meddling will cost lives Emergency response is not a political battleground nor should it be It requires steady non-partisan and informed leadership rooted in real-world experiences Any serious attempt to strengthen and streamline FEMA must start with listening to the people who have dedicated their careers to saving lives before during and after disasters There is no room for political hacks in this process Billerica resident Rick Pozniak has been accredited in family reunification critical episode management mass casualty response and citizens information by the National Accident and Emergency Management University He has employed this training during mass casualty events and a total hospital evacuation