"Independent journalist Marisa Kabas reported on Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "has begun issuing termination notices" to staff at the agency's Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) that are effective as of January 2. A FEMA staffer who spoke with Kabas described the terminations as "The New Year's Eve Massacre," and explained that "the driving force behind all CORE employees is supporting and enacting the mission of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters.""
"A Thursday report from CNN added some additional details to Kabas' reporting, including that the decision to issue the layoffs was made by Acting Administrator Karen Evans, who was appointed to the role after former Acting Administrator David Richardson resigned in November. One former FEMA official bluntly told CNN that the agency "can't do disaster response and recovery without CORE employees" that are being laid off by the administration."
Termination notices were issued to FEMA Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) staff effective January 2. A FEMA staffer labeled the layoffs "The New Year's Eve Massacre" and described CORE's role as supporting and enacting the mission of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. Acting Administrator Karen Evans authorized the decision after her appointment following a prior resignation. A former FEMA official warned that the agency cannot conduct disaster response and recovery without CORE employees and noted that many regional offices are staffed largely by CORE personnel, meaning usual onsite FEMA teams may be absent.
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