DHS: FEMA head's hurricane remarks were jokes
The caput of FEMA's National Response Coordination Center — a presumption liable for the government's effect to storms — submitted his resignation missive Wednesday and volition formally depart the bureau successful 2 weeks.
Jeremy Greenberg's planned departure comes little than two weeks into hurricane season and amid a large enactment exodus astatine the nation's catastrophe effect and betterment agency.
Greenberg confirmed his departure to CBS News but deferred each remark to FEMA, which did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, besides did not instantly respond.
The National Response Coordination Center is the nervus halfway for FEMA during emergencies. During large disasters, it serves arsenic a 24/7 exigency operations hub, hosting experts from antithetic national agencies, the subject and adjacent nonprofits. When a large hurricane, wildfire oregon different situation hits, the NRCC helps coordinate everything from getting rescue teams connected the crushed to dispatching food, h2o and aesculapian supplies to catastrophe zones.
Among his galore responsibilities, Greenberg oversaw and approved ngo assignments to the Pentagon amid large disasters and was liable for deploying FEMA's 28 Urban Search and Rescue Teams.
"This volition beryllium a important loss. He led each of FEMA's planners that prepared for each hazards," a erstwhile FEMA elder authoritative told CBS News. "He had beardown interagency narration that fostered collaboration and coordination successful responding to disasters."
One existent FEMA authoritative told CBS News, "He's irreplaceable. The encephalon drain continues and the nationalist volition wage for it. I don't spot however FEMA volition find idiosyncratic who tin coordinate with national, authorities and section exigency organizations similar helium did."
Tony Robinson, the determination head for FEMA Region 6 has besides announced his volition to depart the bureau this week, sources told CBS News. Robinson began his vocation with FEMA arsenic an intern successful 1987 and has led Region 6, which oversees respective disaster-prone states successful the Gulf, including Louisiana and Texas, for the past twelve years.
He led FEMA's effect and betterment efforts for respective notable disasters, including Hurricanes Harvey, Isaac, Ike, Gustav, Rita and Katrina. Robinson volition besides depart the bureau by the extremity of June, the sources said. Robinson's departure follows the resignation of his deputy, Tracy Brasher, conscionable past week, according to the sources.
Sources archer CBS News each 3 leaders are among the astir experienced vocation staffers astatine the agency.
"These leaders don't privation to enactment successful the dismantling of the bureau they value," the erstwhile elder FEMA authoritative said. "They person been dedicated to the ngo implicit aggregate administrations but won't enactment the existent administration's direction."
President Trump said Tuesday that his medication wants to "wean" states disconnected assistance from FEMA aft this year's hurricane season. The president's remarks came aft helium received a briefing from apical medication officials astir wildfire and exigency management. He claimed that FEMA has not been successful, and said governors are amended positioned to respond to earthy disasters similar hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.
"We privation to wean disconnected FEMA and we privation to bring it down to the authorities level — a small spot similar education, we're moving it backmost to the states," Mr. Trump said.
Earlier this month, recently minted acting FEMA head David Richardson said during a regular briefing that helium had not been alert that the U.S. has a hurricane season, 3 sources acquainted with the gathering told CBS News. Richardson's remark near FEMA employees confused, arsenic they were unclear arsenic to whether helium made the remark arsenic a joke, CBS News reported past week. DHS aboriginal insisted helium was joking.
Nicole Sganga is CBS News' homeland information and justness correspondent. She is based successful Washington, D.C. and reports for each shows and platforms.
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