FEMA Contractors Are Unqualified, New Report Says
Contractors who work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lack the proper training or certification to help with the aftermaths of various disasters.
This is according to a report that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published last week.
GAO staff said they reviewed 15 contracts from three recent disasters. FEMA, the report said, did take proper oversight steps, such as assessing contractor reports of work performed and conducting site inspections.
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“However, FEMA did not always document oversight activities or details of contractor performance, such as whether a contractor performed work within the time frame specified in the contract,” the GAO report said.
“Without this documentation, FEMA and others may not know whether FEMA received the level and quality of services or goods that it purchased.”
Additionally, some FEMA staff performed oversight without the required authorization or certification, which is not in accordance with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) guidance or FEMA policy.
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“For example, some FEMA housing specialists conducted activities like filling out contractor assessment forms without having received certification or authorization for performing such tasks,” according to the GAO report.
“Without FEMA identifying who across the agency is currently performing contract oversight duties and ensuring they are appropriately certified and authorized, there is increased risk that FEMA has unqualified staff performing contract oversight. These staff may not properly assess the goods and services received in accordance with the contract.”
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The United States and its territories have experienced several devastating and costly natural disasters that required FEMA assistance. From fiscal years 2018 through 2023, FEMA spent more than $10 billion on contracts — mostly for services, such as housing inspections — to conduct response and recovery efforts.
Three disasters in that time frame include the Kentucky floods, Hurricane Ian, and the Maui wildfires. Contract obligations for these disasters totaled more than $1 billion.
FEMA spends billions of taxpayer dollars annually on contracts that are meant to help communities recover. These contracts are mostly for goods, like water, and services, like construction.
Special thanks to Warhammer’s Wife proofreading this story before publication to make certain there were no misspellings, grammatical errors or other embarrassing mistakes and/or typos. Follow Warhammer on Twitter @Real_Warhammer
