September 06, 2005
Firefighters Needed For Non-Fire Assignment (FEMA)
USA.FEMA.gov
"The U.S. Fire Administration has received several emails regarding our recent memo soliciting firefighters to work as Disaster Employees. First and foremost, this is not a part of the National Response Plan, the Urban Search and Rescue Program, Emergency Management Assistance Compact or Mutual Aid.
This is simply the hiring of firefighters to work as federal disaster employees of FEMA through existing financial instruments. There is no attempt to “back door” existing NRP/EMAC/USAR or mutual aid systems.
The hiring of Community Relations disaster employees occurs at every disaster. This time, due to the constraints of doing background investigations when we hire private citizens, we made the decision to hire firefighters that already have gone through a criminal background investigation. We desperately needed 2000 people who could be hired as federal employees and deployed quickly.
These people will not be performing firefighter duties. They will become temporary FEMA Community Relations personnel, doing a job we do in every disaster.
We understand that some people may have been upset – this was never our intent. We are trying to respond to a desperate situation with the most talented people we know – firefighters.
The USFA, FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security will continue to remain true to the tenets of the NRP, ICS, USAR, EMAC and mutual aid.
We simply ask that you understand how desperate the situation is and how badly we need skilled people."
FEMA explanation of fire help
Tag; Hurricane Katrina
"The U.S. Fire Administration has received several emails regarding our recent memo soliciting firefighters to work as Disaster Employees. First and foremost, this is not a part of the National Response Plan, the Urban Search and Rescue Program, Emergency Management Assistance Compact or Mutual Aid.
This is simply the hiring of firefighters to work as federal disaster employees of FEMA through existing financial instruments. There is no attempt to “back door” existing NRP/EMAC/USAR or mutual aid systems.
The hiring of Community Relations disaster employees occurs at every disaster. This time, due to the constraints of doing background investigations when we hire private citizens, we made the decision to hire firefighters that already have gone through a criminal background investigation. We desperately needed 2000 people who could be hired as federal employees and deployed quickly.
These people will not be performing firefighter duties. They will become temporary FEMA Community Relations personnel, doing a job we do in every disaster.
We understand that some people may have been upset – this was never our intent. We are trying to respond to a desperate situation with the most talented people we know – firefighters.
The USFA, FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security will continue to remain true to the tenets of the NRP, ICS, USAR, EMAC and mutual aid.
We simply ask that you understand how desperate the situation is and how badly we need skilled people."
FEMA explanation of fire help
Tag; Hurricane Katrina
