FEMA Opens 300 Priority Jobs After Losing 5,000 Staff as Hurricane Season Nears

2 articles · Updated · Federal News Network · May 29

About 300 priority FEMA roles have been cleared for hiring after DHS lifted the agency’s freeze, with openings already posted on USAJobs ahead of the June 1 hurricane season.
The push follows a loss of roughly 5,000 employees over 18 months, and officials hope to fill as many as 700 vacancies while negotiating a broader staffing plan with DHS.
Robert Fenton, serving as interim FEMA chief, said the agency is targeting disaster-response posts including Incident Management Assistance Teams, regional operations and headquarters support jobs.
FEMA says a little over 30% of its disaster workforce is currently available, up from 12% at the start of last year’s hurricane season but still short of fully replacing departed staff.
The hiring restart also comes as wildfire activity is already historically high and FEMA prepares for major 2026 events including the FIFA World Cup and America 250 celebrations.

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