Criticism of Fema: Fires endanger emergency aid in the USA!

Criticism of Fema: Fires endanger emergency aid in the USA!

The US authorities continue to be faced with an alarming number of forest fires that keep the country in suspense. Deann Criswell, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), commented on the continued danger and described the current situation as extremely risky. According to Wormser Zeitung , the weather is favored by weaker winds at short notice, but stronger gusts are expected in the next few days. The population is called to remain vigilant and to follow the instructions of the local authorities to protect themselves from the dangers of smoke and fire.

Criswell also reacted to persistent criticism of the coordination of the auxiliary measures. The simultaneous combating of several fire breakouts not only represents a challenge for the fire brigade, but also significantly burdens the existing aid system. It is important to cooperate all participating authorities in order to support the affected regions in the best possible way.

coordinated efforts for fire fighting

Combating and prevention of wild fire is a common effort coordinated by FEMA. This ranges from the provision of technical support to financial help for state, local, and tribal governments, as described on the website of fema The support and personnel resources go hand in hand with the efforts of other federal authorities who work all year round to avoid and combat wild fire.

Currently in California, the coordinated provision of resources to combat the fires is intensified. Fema has also sent incident management assistance teams (IMAT) to affected areas to support state administrations. In addition, urgently required financial aids are provided for risk reduction, among other things by the Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) Program.

comprehensive recommendations to improve fire fighting

In a new report by the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, which goes back to the reforms initiated by the Biden-Harris administration, extensive recommendations for coping with wild fire are presented. This commission, which was launched as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has the goal of improving the handling of wild firing through proactive measures that are intended to lead to more sustainable fire fighting. The commission consisting of various experts aims to optimize the coordination between various authorities and institutions in order to be able to react more efficiently to the growing challenges through wild fire.

The report particularly emphasizes the need to better train the employees in fire management and to employ all year round. The effects of climate change are also pointed out, which has reinforced the intensity and frequency of wild fires. Central recommendations include the introduction of a community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program and the help for marginalized population groups, so that they are also better cared for during times of crisis.