(CTN News) – Michel Martin of NPR speaks with Deanne Criswell, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), about responding to natural disasters.

The host, Michael Martin, said:

Kerrville’s recuperation is ongoing.

Jonathan Lam: Ever since the daybreak of July 4, we have been going nonstop. We’ve gone on without stopping.

Martin: Jonathan Lam, spokesman for the Kerrville Police Department.

LAM: The people of the Hill Country have come together to support the local first responders and all responders involved in this operation. The amount of love and support I’ve received has humbled me.

Martin: But for months, the Trump administration has been attacking FEMA, threatening to close it down or fundamentally change how it operates. We told Deanne Criswell about it. Under President Biden, she oversaw the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

She oversaw the response to disasters such as the wildfires in Los Angeles County and the tornadoes in Mississippi in 2023. She’s here now. Thank you for being here, Administrator Criswell.

FEMA Danne Criswell Hi there, Michel. I’m thrilled to be here.

Martin: Many professionals in the field have invested significant effort, as you may have heard. How would you respond if the FEMA administrator weren’t present?

CRISWELL: The FEMA administrator needs to show up right now. I wanted to be there the following day. To observe the consequences and speak with local leaders and families, I was typically there within 24 hours, sometimes even 48.

I wanted to hear about their experiences to understand their agony and worry, but I also wanted to see how awful things were to inform the president of how quickly a disaster should be declared. It’s challenging to make those choices at an office in Washington, D.C.

Martin: Should we prepare resources beforehand?

Resources may be installed at the first indication of a disaster and taken down when no longer needed. Is that correct?

Criswell: Michel, of course. All we want is to arrive on time when it’s required. Emergency managers need to be prepared for requests from the state. Bring those resources in. Considering the severity of the situation, I would have moved resources in on Friday.

FEMA can move them before the president’s announcement. Before they can be used, the state must explicitly request them. We will return them if they are not needed. But it’s better to have them and not need them than to fall behind and catch up.

Martin Trump, a local resident, wants to dismantle FEMA.

The administration is giving up on that plan in the wake of the floods. If we reduce or eliminate FEMA, could states recover from such a catastrophic event?

CRISWELL: It’s critical to keep up with current affairs. Texas is the most capable and resource-rich state. Through the state-to-state mutual aid agreement, they asked other states for help. FEMA also funds these resources. Responders would find their job more difficult in a less capable state.

Recovery is difficult, isn’t it? During my time in command, I never got any complaints regarding the response. Concerns regarding recovery were common among state directors. In order for these communities to rebuild more quickly, we need to think about ways to accelerate recovery.

Martin: MaryAnn Tierney, a former acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security, stated in a guest post for The New York Times that “the uncomfortable truth is this—with each passing day, the federal government is becoming less prepared to face the next big disaster.” Its capacity to respond to disasters declines as risk rises. She resigned. Do you concur? You agree with her?

CRISWELL: Do you agree with me? If administrative problems hinder the FEMA administrator, I believe you’re regressing to pre-Katrina levels. That is not what we desire. Upgrades made after Katrina increased your agency’s flexibility. We’re talking about responding once more. Without qualified and experienced people to assist these communities, this recovery would be challenging.

Martin: This is Deanne Criswell, the former director of FEMA. Thank you for the talk, Administrator.

SOURCE: NPR