ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricanes frequently impact our region, leaving behind damage that can take years to repair. Assistance and grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are crucial for rebuilding efforts.

However, recent comments by President Trump have stirred discussions, as he suggested that FEMA might need to be revamped or possibly even discontinued.

Alan Harris, the Director of the Office of Emergency Management for Seminole County, expressed his concerns about the potential changes.

“…Not having FEMA would provide an incredible challenge. We would have to look at restructuring the entire emergency management system,” Harris said.

Sen. Rick Scott, who dealt with numerous hurricanes and natural disasters during his tenure as governor of Florida, points out that it’s local and state governments that really matter in a disaster.

Speaking via Zoom from Washington DC to News 6, he said, “President Trump has talked about changing the role of FEMA. My experience with FEMA has been positive. There are things that we need to improve. I have a bill that just got passed, in December, that tried to crack down on fraud over debris pickup.

“Disasters are first local responsibilities, then state responsibility. Then the federal government is a partner. FEMA is a response organization to a governor. They contract out for help that the governor requests. I think there are ways that we can make it more efficient and ensure there’s no fraud. But really, disasters are run by the governor and local government,” he said.

President Trump has established a 20-member committee to review the agency. The council is expected to release a report later this year.

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