Latest news with #KenPagurek
a day ago
- Politics
Head of FEMA Search and Rescue resigns over agency's response to Texas floods: Sources
The head of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue branch, Ken Pagurek, resigned on Monday, multiple sources confirmed to ABC News. Pagurek told colleagues he was frustrated by the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to dismantle FEMA and by new hurdles that slowed the agency's response to the catastrophic flooding in Central Texas earlier this month, according to sources familiar with the matter. Sources said he pointed to a new DHS policy requiring all spending over $100,000 to be personally approved by Secretary Kristi Noem as a key factor behind the delays and, ultimately, his decision to step down. CNN. Pagurek had worked with FEMA's search and rescue operations for more than a decade and had served as its chief for the past year. Pagurek did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told ABC News, "The attempt to spin a personal career decision into some big scandal is RIDICULOUS. It is laughable that a career public employee, who claims to serve the American people, would choose to resign over our refusal to hastily approve a six-figure deployment contract without basic financial oversight." "We're being responsible with taxpayer dollars, that's our job," McLaughlin said. "FEMA experienced no delays in deployment of assets, and Texas officials have unequivocally and vocally applauded the federal government and FEMA's response. If anyone is upset by the end of unchecked, blank-check spending under President Trump's administration, that says more about them than it does about us."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
FEMA Chief Quits in Disgust at Kristi Noem's Texas Flood Response
The head of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue Branch has resigned, telling colleagues that the Trump administration's disastrous response to the deadly flooding in Texas had driven him over the edge, CNN reported. Ken Pagurek, who had worked in that branch for more than a decade, reportedly told colleagues that his departure Monday from FEMA had come after mounting frustrations with the Trump administration's efforts to gut the disaster aid agency. But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's pitifully delayed response to the flooding over the Fourth of July weekend was apparently the straw that broke the camel's back. Noem had severely botched FEMA's Texas response by failing to renew contracts with companies staffing FEMA call centers, resulting in a majority of calls going unanswered for days as the floodwaters raged. The secretary dismissed the reporting as 'fake news.' She also reportedly delayed FEMA's initial response by instituting a policy that required her to personally sign off on all DHS expenditures exceeding $100,000. FEMA officials, who were unaware of the new rule, didn't receive Noem's go-ahead for 72 hours. In his resignation letter, Pagurek didn't mention the floods at all. 'This decision was not made lightly, and after much reflection and prayer, it is the right path for me at this time,' he wrote. 'I have been continually inspired by the unwavering dedication, unmatched courage, and deep-seated commitment we share for saving lives and bringing hope in the face of devastation.' One DHS spokesperson defended the response to the floods, while another criticized Pagurek's decision, saying that it was 'laughable that a career public employee, who claims to serve the American people, would choose to resign over our refusal to hastily approve a six-figure deployment contract without basic financial oversight.' 'We're being responsible with taxpayer dollars, that's our job,' the second spokesperson said. Last month, Donald Trump said he plans to 'phase out' FEMA after this year's hurricane season, and future disbursements would come straight from him. 'We're going to give it out directly. It'll be from the president's office. We'll have somebody here, could be Homeland Security,' Trump said at the time. Clearly, putting Noem in charge of personally approving decisions in a disaster comes at a cost, and the Trump administration's mismanagement of relief is more far-reaching than just the flooding in Texas.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Chief Resigns
The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's urban search and rescue unit has resigned, telling colleagues he was frustrated by bureaucratic hurdles the Trump administration imposed that delayed the agency's response to deadly flooding in Texas, according to three people familiar with his reasoning. Ken Pagurek, who worked with FEMA's search and rescue branch for more than a decade and served as chief for the past year, told associates that his concerns had been mounting since the start of hurricane season and that the administration's changes to the agency were causing 'chaos.' He said he worried that a new policy that requires purchases of more than $100,000 be personally approved by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, could hurt disaster response efforts that require speed and agility. Experts have said that responses during a disaster can quickly total billions of dollars, and that requiring personal approvals for expenses of $100,000 and above could easily create bottlenecks. 'This decision was not made lightly, and after much reflection and prayer, it is the right path for me at this time,' Mr. Pagurek wrote in a resignation letter. His departure was first reported by CNN. Mr. Pagurek could not be reached for comment. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
FEMA search and rescue chief resigns after frustration with Texas flood response
The head of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue branch, which runs a network of teams stationed across the country that can swiftly respond to natural disasters, resigned on Monday. Ken Pagurek's departure comes less than three weeks after a delayed FEMA response to catastrophic flooding in central Texas caused by bureaucratic hurdles put in place by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the disaster response agency. Pagurek told colleagues at FEMA that the delay was the tipping point that led to his voluntary departure after months of frustration with the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the agency, according to two sources familiar with his thinking. It took more than 72 hours after the flooding for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to authorize the deployment of FEMA's search and rescue network. After spending more than a decade with FEMA's urban search and rescue system, including about a year as its chief, Pagurek said in his resignation letter, obtained by CNN, that he was returning to the Philadelphia Fire Department and did not mention the Texas flooding. 'This decision was not made lightly, and after much reflection and prayer, it is the right path for me at this time,' Pagurek wrote. 'I have been continually inspired by the unwavering dedication, unmatched courage, and deep-seated commitment we share for saving lives and bringing hope in the face of devastation.' The Department of Homeland Security has defended its response to the Texas floods. A department spokesperson stressed that Noem initially tapped into other DHS assets, including rescue teams from the US Coast Guard and Border Patrol, and over time, as a need for FEMA resources arose, those requests received the secretary's approval. Some FEMA officials have balked at sweeping changes to FEMA under the Trump administration, more than a dozen agency officials have told CNN, which they believe have stripped the agency of its autonomy and undermined its ability to respond to disasters quickly and efficiently. Pagurek joins dozens of high-ranking officials to leave FEMA since Trump took office, as the agency undergoes a major overhaul and faces plummeting morale and a brain drain from the departure of longtime leaders. Established by Congress in the early 1990s, FEMA's urban search and rescue system, or US&R, includes a network of 28 highly trained state-managed teams stationed across the country, ready to rapidly deploy to a wide range of disasters – from collapsed buildings to catastrophic storms. Annual congressional funding ensures these task forces are equipped for the nation's worst emergencies and paid when FEMA deploys them – though local fire departments and emergency management offices house and staff the crews and maintain their readiness.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
FEMA search and rescue chief resigns after frustration with Texas flood response
The head of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue branch, which runs a network of teams stationed across the country that can swiftly respond to natural disasters, resigned on Monday. Ken Pagurek's departure comes less than three weeks after a delayed FEMA response to catastrophic flooding in central Texas caused by bureaucratic hurdles put in place by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the disaster response agency. Pagurek told colleagues at FEMA that the delay was the tipping point that led to his voluntary departure after months of frustration with the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the agency, according to two sources familiar with his thinking. It took more than 72 hours after the flooding for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to authorize the deployment of FEMA's search and rescue network. After spending more than a decade with FEMA's urban search and rescue system, including about a year as its chief, Pagurek said in his resignation letter, obtained by CNN, that he was returning to the Philadelphia Fire Department and did not mention the Texas flooding. 'This decision was not made lightly, and after much reflection and prayer, it is the right path for me at this time,' Pagurek wrote. 'I have been continually inspired by the unwavering dedication, unmatched courage, and deep-seated commitment we share for saving lives and bringing hope in the face of devastation.' The Department of Homeland Security has defended its response to the Texas floods. A department spokesperson stressed that Noem initially tapped into other DHS assets, including rescue teams from the US Coast Guard and Border Patrol, and over time, as a need for FEMA resources arose, those requests received the secretary's approval. Some FEMA officials have balked at sweeping changes to FEMA under the Trump administration, more than a dozen agency officials have told CNN, which they believe have stripped the agency of its autonomy and undermined its ability to respond to disasters quickly and efficiently. Pagurek joins dozens of high-ranking officials to leave FEMA since Trump took office, as the agency undergoes a major overhaul and faces plummeting morale and a brain drain from the departure of longtime leaders. Established by Congress in the early 1990s, FEMA's urban search and rescue system, or US&R, includes a network of 28 highly trained state-managed teams stationed across the country, ready to rapidly deploy to a wide range of disasters – from collapsed buildings to catastrophic storms. Annual congressional funding ensures these task forces are equipped for the nation's worst emergencies and paid when FEMA deploys them – though local fire departments and emergency management offices house and staff the crews and maintain their readiness.
