FEMA's fuzzy chain of command impedes its mission -

The Federal Emergency Management Agency needs a clearer chain of command and more efficient partnerships with state and local governments in disaster relief situations, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. READ MORE

The House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management met on Monday, July 27, 200 to receive testimony on defining a catastrophic disaster, the role of the Federal Government after a catastrophic disaster, and whether additional authority is needed to address the response and recovery from a catastrophic disaster. MORE INFO

Moving FEMA out of Homeland Security could pose risks

Pundits, bureaucrats and elected officials have debated the merits ever since FEMA was absorbed into DHS. After weighing the arguments for and against making FEMA a stand-alone agency again, the DHS Inspector General found such a reorganization could have significant negative repercussions. READ MORE

DHS Inspector General Report

What the Next President Must Do to Save FEMA

Gregory Button, a researcher at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, outlines in the October 28, 2008 issue of CounterPunch what he thinks the next administration must do to improve the operations of FEMA. READ MORE

GAO says FEMA Should Better Assess Voluntary Organizations’ Mass-Care Capabilities

The GAO faults FEMA for not fully assessing the capacities of relief groups and for not clearly documenting the roles that each should play in a disaster. To read the GAO report, click here...