FEMA’s acting head urges hurricane preparedness, talks agency changes in Florida

While touring areas of Florida still recovering after last year’s hurricane season, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is urging locals to stay vigilant and get prepared for the upcoming season.

Cameron Hamilton, appointed by President Donald Trump back in January, serves as the interim administrator for the federal agency tasked with coordinating nationwide disaster preparation, response, relief and recovery.

Hamilton’s stop in Florida comes as the president has called for an overhaul of FEMA, floating the idea of diverting funds for the agency directly to states for hurricane response.

“We are looking at the whole concept of FEMA. I like the concept, frankly, when North Carolina gets hit, the governor takes care of it. When Florida gets hit, the governor takes care of it,” President Trump said earlier this year. It's a message Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has supported.

The president has signed executive orders to fully review the agency and recently, to put more disaster response control in the hands of state agencies.

“FEMA stands at the ready entering this hurricane season,” Hamilton said Wednesday in Tampa, lauding state partnership with Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, as the duo urged residents to begin getting plans and goods together for next hurricane season.

10 Tampa Bay reporter Aaron Parseghian asked Hamilton if FEMA is making sweeping changes after ideas floated by the president.

“The president's comments are really generated from the place of wanting to ensure that survivors have the best resources possible as quickly as possible. I think most of us have had a variety of different experiences, and he was frustrated that there were bureaucratic hurdles that have to be overcome so that people can have the assistance necessary,” Hamilton responded

Hamilton added that he thinks the administration has an opportunity to make FEMA more efficient and effective.