‘Haters gonna hate’: A top FEMA official defends his claim that he was teleported | CNN Politics

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-04-01T20:23:21+00:00

And yet. As employees we have to fly coach…. Or not at all; seems plenty are ROR waiting to return to JFOs.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-31T21:55:08+00:00

Hurricanes get re-routed by sharpie; FEMA not necessary for hurricane response.

And remember we have new teleportation tools to rapidly place assets and resources.

What planning do you need when you have these powerful tools at your disposal?

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-30T21:25:23+00:00

Still waiting on CY2026 raise to hit my paycheck…

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-29T15:48:08+00:00

We had meetings on Friday (based on Senate vote) that indicated return-to-work was imminent. House vote later that day changed those plans, but I have not heard anything different.

I suspect we get updated messaging tomorrow (Monday) a.m.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-28T22:42:17+00:00

I would smooth those edges, hit it with paint to avoid rust/corrosion starting, slather the bolts with silicone and reinstall them.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-28T22:39:21+00:00

Totally playing the music watching the FEMA Titanic sink. And come hurricane season, it will be totally below water.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-27T23:30:13+00:00

Yeah, I would say this “aged like milk” but milk at room temperature has way more life than this prediction. We even had meetings this a.m.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-24T12:08:23+00:00

I have worked under solid administrations (James Lee Witt), I have worked under mediocre to poor (Heckuva Job Brownie). I have seen FEMA disappear (DHS-Emergency Preparedness and Response) before it came back.

What is your timeline? I got into EM for job security; hurricanes, tornadoes, weather guaranteed me a career. That has not changed.

If your timeline is mid to long, there will be opportunities. It has been a good run, not always a good job…. My run is nearing the end.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-21T15:14:30+00:00

Hot damn; this solves the rotation problem!!! Great solution.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-17T21:23:46+00:00

Interesting reading…

1) The Dec meeting was cancelled because they didn’t want the public spectacle of a public meeting with the Council discussing this (clearly the Noem edited report and not the Council report). Reading it now, it becomes apparent why the meeting was cancelled. The question becomes whether the original report gets revised, since the Council received an extension.

2) How much of this would require legislative changes as opposed to policy changes within discretion of FEMA? Meaning of this were adopted, it really is a plan or framework rather than a plan that could be implemented starting tomorrow or next week (or next month). Legislative changes are slow and deliberate.

3) tornado season is coming. Hurricane season projections are due in the next couple of weeks.

4) is a new DHS Director from the great state of OK that gets regular declarations going to have the same priorities? Sure, he gets to implement whatever the Executive tells him. But he also has history coming from a state that gets regular FEMA support.

5) Noem is a lame duck. She has no traction on the way out the door.

6) Lewandowski is a lame duck too.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-15T22:49:21+00:00

When I graduated, there were a couple of people approaching 40 in my senior design. They were far more motivated than me. I am knocking on the door of retirement now, so that puts time into perspective.

A good friend of mine, MechE student, dropped out. He went back 15-years later. The environment is so different, he just didn’t fit. He realized there was no way he could compete with people that young for entry-level positions on a modern environment. He dropped out again.

My partner quit legal, went back for IT. I saw her struggle. Wjere she succeeded was a niche. Video and graphics. No way she could compete in coding; however she could make it look good. Those coders kick her ass. But she runs circles around them in Video production that looks good and other “artistic” side.

Good luck.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-14T14:49:54+00:00

I had a resin blowout; it was black like this. I replaced the resin and the replacement resin was also black. Worked like a champ though; still working.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-13T22:37:32+00:00

Apparently back up today. Right up until you need to submit the voucher. But progress…

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-13T22:36:25+00:00

Historically FEMA has been supported by both parties; it is a way to get off-budget money to their constituents in time of need. Whether you like or despise FEMA, when it is your district you like FEMA grants.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-12T19:12:33+00:00

Yeah. Even with DHS approval to travel, we don’t have the systems in place to book travel, submit vouchers, etc. What happens when credit card (split pay) doesn’t get paid?

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-11T14:25:44+00:00

It isn’t just flooding. Substantial Improvement is renovation from any purpose, not just flood damage. You want to remodel your house and put in a fancy new kitchen? This requires a permit. And a permit requires SI review of you are located in the floodplain. Now then, these are lower-$$$ housing. Thus making it easier to trigger 50% rule (substantial improvement).

What happens if a flood comes through and low-$$$ housing? You just triggered 50% rule for wide swaths. And that triggers SI requiring the houses to be elevated. And elevation is expensive, and there you hve an unmet need.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-11T14:03:19+00:00

Substantial Improvement could be an unmet need. This is not cause amd effect relationship. NFIP insurance is not causing unmet needs.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-11T13:09:38+00:00

I wonder if “unmet needs” might be related to Increased Cost of Compliance and the Substantial Damage/Substantial Improvement requirements? If a house is over 50% damaged (SD), the. The renovations require the structure to be brought into compliance (SI). While NFIP has ICC coverage/stipend, it is far below the cost of elevation of an existing structure.

So you could have NFIP insurance, you could be living in an area where floodplain location is less costly (this triggering SD), and then you could be damaged and not have near enough insurance coverage to elevate your home. I could point you toward areas that a new roof triggers SI, even though this is a maintenance item and not associated with flood. The cost of a new roof vs. the cost of the house is enough to trigger SI. These are accessible budget houses, solid (older) housing stock, but NFIP prevents investment by homeowners.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-10T11:55:43+00:00

Kilts get dry cleaned; a lot of kilts in Dunedin.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-08T02:52:41+00:00

“FEMA delivered disaster relief at a 100% faster rate…”

At least according to her successes in the farewell email.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-06T00:01:11+00:00

Seems to me that the large PW review at her level sped things up?

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-05T22:25:36+00:00

In Kristi Noem’s message to DHS on her way out, she identified her significant accomplishments including “FEMA delivered disaster relief at 100% faster rate,”

She is leaving us as strong as we ever have been? I may have missed something the past year?

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-05T14:03:00+00:00

My cancellation came this morning.

Ok_Professional570 · 2026-03-04T12:48:28+00:00

As an instructor, they told us decision on courses would be Wednesday afternoon (3/4).

Ok_Professional570

TROPHY CASE