Petrelis Files

FEMA Hiring Firefighters As Social Workers

The F*cked-up Emergency Management Agency continues its bumbling ways, with idiot Michael D. Brown still at the helm. When does the door slap his ass on the way out?

Just when I thought most of the head-scratching stupidity of FEMA was a thing of the past, I read this September 2 release from the U.S. Fire Administration, which is part of Homeland Security.

USFA put out a release correcting the confusion of an earlier email from the fire administration regarding possibel work for firefighters.

Well, it turns out FEMA isn't looking to hire the firefighters to do what they're trained to perform. FEMA wants them to do p.r. and social work for FEMA!

Read choice excerpts the USFA release and weep:

"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 [...] 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 [...] We simply ask that you understand how desperate the situation is and how badly we need skilled people."

Sounds to me like the initial USFA memo was confusing to firefighters, who mistakenly thought FEMA was looking to employ them to actually fight fires or perform other rescue and vital public safety services. Another example of poor communication from the feds.

And what are the nitty-gritty detail duties these brave men and women are being hired for? This September 6 posting on the U.S. Fire Service site provides the answer:

"The work we are recruiting Fire Service members for is community relations-focused, consisting of direct humanitarian outreach to persons in multi-state areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

"It is non-operational in nature.

"You will assist victims in applying for Federal disaster assistance, distribute information, provide minimal first aid (if required), and take reports. The work may be outside (exposed to the elements and require significant walking) or inside an evacuation shelter/center or disaster field office."

Let the record show that in the second week of Katrina's aftermath FEMA, USFA and Homeland Security were recruiting and hiring firefighters to work as social workers and p.r. reps for the agencies.