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Trump Decides FEMA Is a Four-Letter Word

His words and actions align towards dismantling the 46-year old Administation, which provides so much more than just financial support during major disaster responses.

Barton Dunant
Policy Panorama
Published in
5 min readJan 27, 2025

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A car sinking underwater during a flood.
Photo by Wes Warren on Unsplash

In addition to pronouncing on January 24, 2025, that FEMA should “go away”, U.S. President Donald Trump has designated Cameron Hamilton as his new Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). Unlike Trump’s last pick (Peter Gaynor) from his first term, Hamilton is not a Certified Emergency Manager® and he has not managed a large-scale Office of Emergency Management (whereas the outgoing administrator Deanne Criswell — appointed by President Biden — ran NYC’s Emergency Management group). In the past, there have been several successful FEMA Administrators without this credential, but today the job of FEMA Administrator really aligns to a question of professionalism in our field of Emergency Management.

One would expect the Attorney General to be a practicing attorney. And the Surgeon General to be a practicing medical doctor. The same should be the case for a practicing emergency manager, our nation’s leading professional. It bears noting that Mr. Hamilton is a former member of the Navy SEALS who regularly appears on Fox News as a military analyst…

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Policy Panorama
Policy Panorama

Published in Policy Panorama

Policy Panorama is a place to discuss the laws, systems, and norms that impact our lives and the planet. We welcome thoughtful discussion on policy and policy-adjacent topics at all levels, from the international to the local.

Barton Dunant
Barton Dunant

Written by Barton Dunant

Emergency Management Consulting and Training. We advocate for safety and security issues at home and the workplace. Visit us on the web at bartondunant.com

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