The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, has fired many federal disaster response workers just days before the new year. This decision is causing concern within FEMA as the agency prepares for future emergencies.
According to CNN, about 50 employees from FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) workforce received notifications in late December that their contracts would not be renewed and their employment would end in early January. These notices arrived as workers were heading into the holidays, leaving them little time to adjust to the sudden loss of income.
The affected workers are part of FEMA’s disaster response team, which often helps manage hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other major emergencies. CORE employees typically coordinate recovery efforts on the ground, manage federal aid programs, and work directly with state and local officials following disasters.
The cuts come as DHS leadership has instituted changes that restrict FEMA’s authority to renew contracts independently. CNN reported that DHS has removed FEMA’s ability to extend CORE contracts without approval from the department, meaning contracts that previously renewed automatically can now expire. Thus, workers who expected renewals found themselves receiving termination notices instead.
CORE employees represent about 40% of the agency’s staff, over 8,000 employees nationwide, work full-time under term-limited CORE contracts. Many of these contracts are set to expire at various times in 2026, which will leave many staffers wondering how long they will be employed.
Several employees who received notifications were surprised at the timing and abrupt nature of the decision. One described it as “beyond cruel,” pointing out that the notices came so close to the new year that there was little opportunity to find other work or make financial plans.
These staffing changes follow leadership shifts at FEMA, currently headed by acting administrator Karen Evans, who took over after the previous FEMA chief resigned. Sources told CNN that the new limits on contract renewals were established under Evans’ direction as part of DHS-directed changes.
Former senior FEMA officials suggested that reducing CORE staff could harm day-to-day disaster response and recovery efforts. One former official warned that regional offices depend heavily on CORE workers, and reducing their numbers would leave states with fewer federal personnel available during disasters.
DHS officials disagreed, stating that this move does not deviate from past practices. A department spokesperson explained that CORE positions are designed to fluctuate based on disaster activity, funding, and operational needs, highlighting that these roles have always had time limits.
FEMA continues to deal with significant backlogs in disaster aid, and states often rely on federal employees to process claims, manage recovery programs, and coordinate responses after major storms and fires. Many state and local emergency managers have indicated they lack the capacity to manage large-scale disasters without considerable federal staffing support.
FEMA offices begin the new year with less staffed than anticipated, and many within the agency are closely monitoring whether more contract expirations will continue and how these staffing shortages will impact the next major emergency response under Kristi Noem’s leadership.
