Dozens of FEMA Emergency Responders Cut Amid DHS Contract Shift Under Noem
Washington, D.C. — Dozens of FEMA disaster response workers were abruptly told their contracts would not be renewed just as the new year began, a move critics say undermines U.S. disaster preparedness and aligns with broader efforts to reshape the agency. According to CNN-cited reporting, around 50 members of FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) received late-December notices that their employment would end in early January.
The timing has intensified already mounting conflict over the agency’s future under the Biden-era successor Trump administration, where Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other leaders have pressed changes that critics say strip FEMA of operational autonomy and capacity. Staffers and former officials say the CORE workforce plays a vital role responding to natural disasters.
CORE personnel typically deploy early after hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other emergencies. Their sudden contract non-renewals, paired with new rules requiring higher-level approval for contract extensions, suggest an administrative shift within the Department of Homeland Security. Department officials have described CORE positions as term-limited and subject to change with operational need, but critics warn this logic masks deeper destabilization.
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Affected workers described the New Year’s Eve notices as “beyond cruel,” highlighting stress from sudden loss of income and uncertainty about future hiring.
“This abrupt change in contract renewals comes at a time when disaster seasons are intensifying,” said one former FEMA coordinator familiar with the CORE program.
Experts say diminished CORE staffing could leave states and localities with fewer federal responders on the ground, forcing slower or less effective federal support when disaster strikes.
Lawmakers and emergency managers are now watching closely to see if additional contract expirations follow in 2026 and what formal plan DHS has for maintaining disaster readiness.
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