By Ari Natter, Bloomberg
The jobs of Federal Emergency Management Agency employees tied to climate change and related hazards are next on the chopping block after hundreds of probationary workers were fired earlier this week, according to people familiar with the matter and an internal FEMA email seen by Bloomberg News.
Managers at the disaster relief agency have been directed to compile lists of workers substantially tied to the programs. Also targeted are people linked to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, among others not in line with President Donald Trump’s policy objectives, according to the people, who weren’t authorized to discuss the matter because the discussions are not public.
“We’re being asked to come up with employee reductions far beyond the probationary list,” said the email, adding employees would be divided into groups of “significant involvement” and “insignificant involvement” in climate and equity programs. “I understand this will impact the majority of our staff.”
FEMA’s key purpose is to respond to major disasters and help states recover. Trump has questioned the agency’s role and performance, suggesting much of its work be done by states instead. The agency currently is responding to nearly 100 major events, including the recent historic wildfires in Los Angeles County and last year’s hurricanes Helene and Milton that devastated Florida’s west coast.
The potential terminations, following those of workers on probationary status who typically have been on the job for less than a year, are part of a directive from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to cull the federal workforce. Some employees were notified of their terminations Tuesday, according to the people.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are making sweeping cuts and reform across the federal government to eliminate egregious waste and incompetence that has been happening for decades at the expense of the American taxpayer,” the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, said in a statement Tuesday. The agency confirmed it has fired more than 200 people at FEMA.
A 2023 Government Accountability Office report, however, found FEMA has a “staffing gap” of more than 6,000 employees. The agency has about 20,000 employees total, according to its website.
The cuts could have wide-ranging, damaging impacts, some observers said. Global warming is having a dramatic impact on natural disasters such as wildfires, heat waves and storms, which are becoming more intense and frequent across the US. Last year, there were 27 confirmed climate and weather disasters nationwide with losses exceeding $1 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“What part of FEMA isn’t touching climate?” said Craig Fugate, who led FEMA under former President Barack Obama. “They are dealing with the consequences of extreme weather events. If you want to say climate change isn’t real, it doesn’t make it go away.”
Last week, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem directed the agency’s top officials to immediately “eliminate all climate change activities and the use of climate change terminology in DHS policies and programs, to the maximum extent permitted by the law,” according to a memo seen by Bloomberg News.
In all, roughly 1,000 employees were affected by the terminations and a deferred resignation program for federal employees, according to the Washington Post, which earlier reported the firings at FEMA.
Other federal agencies that cut workers this week include as many as 2,000 from the Energy Department, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Administration, the General Services Administration and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Zahra Hirji contributed to this report
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