The Story of Fema

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Table of Contents

1. How It All Began ................................................................................................................ 2

2. A Quest on FEMA’s Organizational Problems .................................................................. 3

2.1. FEMA Leadership During Katrina and Now..................................................................... 3

2.1.1. Fast Decision Making ......................................................................................................... 4

2.1.2. Ability to Influence Internal and External Stakeholders..................................................... 5

2.1.3. Ability to Get Political Patronage ....................................................................................... 5

2.1.4. Individualized Consideration .............................................................................................. 5

2.2. Lack of Workforce Planning............................................................................................... 6

2.3. Departure of Senior Employees .......................................................................................... 8

3. When the Winds of Hurricane Katrina Died Down…........................................................ 8

4. The Reincarnation of a Government Agency ................................................................... 12

5. Recommendations for a Strong Future ............................................................................. 14

6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 16

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1. How It All Began

The organization of FEMA, or Federal Emergency Management Agency, was formally

established in 1978 to carry out the functions of disaster relief to the nation under one agency.

The first federal agency organized specifically for disaster relief was the Reconstruction FinanceCorporation in 1932 and over the next 47 years, several other organizations were established for relief purposes but were at the mercy of budget availability. These early organizations were not well prepared to handle emergencies since they were generally formed as an afterthought to a crisis. Recognizing that this unorganized approach was a disaster waiting to happen, FEMA was organized in 1978 and launched in 1979 by President Carter to encompass the areas of disaster

preparedness and civil defense within one unified federal agency10.

Between the years of 1979 and 2003, FEMA existed as an independent agency

responsible for all emergency financial and technical assistance efforts. The organization

handled several disaster relief efforts during this period, such as the Three Mile Island nuclear

accident, reinforcing the fact that the agency seemed to be a success for the nation. FEMA facedmany hurdles while trying to stand as a unified, independent agency, though, one of which was

that although it was established with the intent of existing as an independent executive

organization, FEMA lacked any real structural hierarchy which made it difficult to effectively

respond to emergencies as well as to enforce effective management practices10.

As a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, President Bush created the

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in an attempt to unify the federal agencies responsible

for disaster relief and civil defense10. FEMA officially became a part of the DHS in 2003 where

it remains to this date. This move was vehemently opposed by former Director Michael Brown,

who foreshadowed that the restructuring of the organization would lead to "an ineffective and

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uncoordinated response" in the event of a natural disaster or another terrorist