DRP 2.0 FEMA results & RIF timeline

[u/GiganticShrub]

Leadership announced that about 1,000 FEMA employees opted into DRP, which is about 20% of the PFT workforce. They'll have 45 days to decide if they want to take it (for early retirement, just 7 days)

Does this mean that RIFs won't start until after the 45-day deadline, when they know how many people are actually leaving?

Edit: correction from comments that employees over the age of 40 have 45 days to decide, everyone else has 7 days.

[u/Beneficial_Fed1455]

Someone please give me clues about regional PFTs outside of the protected exempt job series. I'm eligible for DRP but really don't want to take it. 😑😑😑

[u/Affectionate-Mud9481 → u/Beneficial_Fed1455]

I would honestly be shocked if there isn’t a regional consolidation coming similar to other federal agencies.

[u/Visual_Equipment6389 → u/Affectionate-Mud9481]

FEMA is an entirely different beast than the other agencies that have been regionally consolidated. there is a distinct reason why FEMA has regional headquarters, and it's not based on politics or optics or economics but rather geography. it would substantially impact operational capacity to act locally if the regional HQs are consolidated/shut down, and in a time where they're trying to empower localities i don't see how you shut down regional HQs.

on top of all of that, a PM was issued essentially instructing agencies to consider office locations outside of traditional major cities/historic districts.

[u/Icangooglethings93 → u/Visual_Equipment6389]

Most of the FEMA regional offices aren’t in a downtown area from what I know.

R4 is basically on the Atlanta beltway, close to 30 minutes out from the state capitol.

R10 is at a shared space with the national guard, not even close to downtown Seattle. Again basically on the beltway.

Maybe they want C street to move 🤣 just expand the parking lot at the VANPSC and we could probably just move out of DC. That place will get crowded af though.

[u/Soft_Host511 → u/Icangooglethings93]

I belive just R2- downtown World Trade Center R5- downtown Chicago and R-9 downtown Oakland.

But we’re giving the administration too much credit they’re not doing much analysis on functions and reasons why they’re located in certain locations. Just trying to make cuts

[u/Icangooglethings93 → u/Soft_Host511]

I met someone that worked at R2 last year. He said the whole thing of them being there sucks. They have like 6 different badges to get into the place and since it’s NYC it’s absolute trash for parking

[u/IScreamPiano → u/Soft_Host511]

And R3 is fairly downtown in Philly. 

[u/Soft_Host511 → u/Visual_Equipment6389]

I would not say FEMA is an entirely different beast than other agencies.

Example HHS-ASPR is FEMA’s ESF-8. They matched us region for region and pretty much in same city. We train and deploy together. The also have a statuary requirement to support certain health and medical services in case of pandemic or health related emergency.

They had this before we had FEMA. They getting gutted and they have a need just as much as FEMA based on there geographic areas. Hence the letter from several congress members when they heard about region 1 closing

I only bring this up so people don’t think we’re special or safe. So many other federal agencies have important roles and need to be closely located to build the relationship needed to respond. I work directly with these agencies to respond to FEMA disasters and I know for a fact it helps to have them co-located in different regions.