A Federal Emergency Management Agency supervisor has been fired and is under investigation for allegedly instructing team members not to inspect homes in a Florida city ravaged by a hurricane that featured signs supporting Donald Trump’s campaign, the agency said.
The incident occurred while FEMA’s unidentified supervisor was monitoring damage from Hurricane Milton in Florida and reportedly asked its members to avoid homes that had the signs, the agency said in a statement. press release.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell called the incident “reprehensible.”
In this October 13, 2024 file photo, a FEMA truck is shown parked next to debris and damage from Hurricane Milton in St. Pete Beach, Florida.
MediaPunch/IPx via AP, FILE
“This is a blatant violation of FEMA’s core values and principles of helping people regardless of political affiliation,” she said in a statement.
The supervisor was fired and the matter was turned over to FEMA’s office of special counsel, according to Criswell.
In this October 7, 2024 file photo, a box of drinking water distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sits on a counter in an apartment damaged by Hurricane Helene ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Milton in the middle of this week, in Treasure Island, Florida.
Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
“This type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct,” she said.
“I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Criswell added.
