FEMA’s search and rescue chief resigned because of ICE Barbie Kristi Noem’s sluggish response to the Texas flooding disaster, according to a report.
Ken Pagurek, who served as the head of the agency’s Urban Search and Rescue branch, had become increasingly frustrated with the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security, two sources familiar with his thinking told CNN.
But the catalyst for Pagurek’s resignation came when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took more than 72 hours to authorize the deployment of FEMA’s search and rescue network after the deadly floods in Texas earlier this month, CNN was told.
Pagurek did not mention the disaster in his resignation letter, but confirmed that he would return to the Philadelphia Fire Department.
“This decision was not made lightly, and after much reflection and prayer, it is the right path for me at this time,” Pagurek wrote in the letter obtained by CNN.
“I have been continually inspired by the unwavering dedication, unmatched courage, and deep-seated commitment we share for saving lives and bringing hope in the face of devastation.”
A DHS spokesperson blasted Pagurek in response to his decision. “It is laughable that a career public employee, who claims to serve the American people, would choose to resign over our refusal to approve a six-figure deployment contract without basic financial oversight hastily,” a spokesman said in a statement given to the network. “We’re being responsible with taxpayer dollars, that’s our job.”
In a statement to the Daily Beast, a spokesperson added that Pagurek was “attempting to spin a personal career decision into some big scandal.”
“[It] is ridiculous. FEMA experienced no delays in deployment of assets, and Texas officials have unequivocally and vocally applauded the federal government and FEMA’s response,” they added.
“If anyone is upset by the end of unchecked, blank-check spending under President Trump’s administration, that says more about them than it does about us.”
Another spokesperson told CNN that Noem had used other resources, including the U.S. Coast Guard and Border Patrol, before turning to Pagurek’s team.
Pagurek, who had led the search and rescue division for a year, joins a growing list of officials who have fled FEMA since Trump’s second term began in January.
Despite this, his leaving letter expressed confidence “in the ongoing strength, capability, and leadership of the Branch.” CNN reported that his frustrations were shared in private.
The network also reported that FEMA is working on rolling out “lifesaving” resources a lot quicker. An internal review is underway, with a task force set up to instill a sense of urgency, leaked memos suggest, according to CNN.
“Disaster-specific means related to a specific (Presidential Major Disaster Declaration) and requires approval immediately or within hours to prevent delays in the delivery of financial or life-sustaining assistance,” one memo reportedly states.
A DHS spokesperson, in a statement given to CNN, also blasted the memo. “Any bureaucrat with fingers to type and two brain cells to rub together can draft an internal memo suggesting changes to niche bureaucratic process,” they said.
The DHS has been contacted for additional comment.
Noem, who earned the nickname ICE Barbie for her garish cosplaying of law enforcement officers, has previously denied that FEMA failed to answer “nearly two-thirds” of all distress calls and also attempted to rubbish reports that her agency was sluggish in response to the floods.
