FEMA's Policies, Procedures, and Plans Regarding Unions, Privatization, Pensions, and Productivity, Part 4 (Research Paper Sample)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Name
Institution
Date of submission
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
The Agency and Unions
Numerous attacks and emergency outbreak in the United States since FEMA was established have exposed some weaknesses of the agency in regards to its key mandates. FEMA staffs alongside the employees have been under intense criticism over their failed attempts in discharging their mandates. However, the state and the public, in general, should understand that FEMA employees are human beings too with both personal and corporation challenges which impede their efforts to achieve their goals and objectives. There are too many expectations that the public demands from the Agency than what the FEMA itself can deliver. Several complaints have been received from the states due to high expectations vested on the Agency. The employees are therefore forced to work under intense pressure to satisfy and meet public trust. For this matter, there is undoubted need for the Agency to have union representation to protect its employees and staffs from intense criticism from the public.
The following are some of the primary reasons why FEMA should have unions' representation; first, the union will seek to protect the employees from intense criticism from the public and the state. Following the Buffalo snowstorms of 2006, the Agency came under very harsh criticism with regards to their response to the October Surprise Storm. Procedurally, FEMA could not with the state business unless it was asked to do so. The FEMA staffs received numerous criticisms despite the facts that the governor of the state of New York had not requested them to avail their assistance. It was irony and sarcastic for the public to attack the credibility of the Agency's employees for their incapability to discharge their mandates. Having the Union's representation, this attacks the employees and the Agency, in general, would not have had many impacts on the credibility of the Agency. It is, therefore, practical and significant for the Agency to have union representation.
Secondly, the roles and the mandates of the agency of responding to the emergency scenes are quite discouraging to most employees. With regards to the duties of the employees, their welfare should be well protected by the Corporation. The individual employee is not able to advocate for the well-being of the other colleagues. They are therefore required to form their union from where they could present their grievances. It has been noted that some employees have been sent home without their packages since they have raised important questions concerning their welfare. The union should, therefore, help to intervene between the Agency and the workers as well as the state in general. For instance, the severe attacks from victims of 2007 tornadoes could have been averted with the intervention from the Union (Ditzler, Hoeh, & Hastings, 2015). The efforts of the Agency to supply old trailers were condemned and criticized by the victims, yet the allocated funds could only supply used trailers at that time. It is absurd that even the U.S Senator, Mark Pryor also criticized FEMA's responds to the recovery intervention and the cleanup efforts yet, he was aware of what the Agency is required to cover. It is for the benefits of the Agency to work with Unions so as to protect its workers as well as its credibility in discharging its mandates and responsibility.
The Agency and privatization
FEMA's responsibility of responding to the emergency scenes could be best achieved when the Agency is given to a private firm. For over decades, Privates Company has been for their efficiency in service delivery than the governments or the federal-based firms. One of the most significant reasons why FEMA's services should be privatized is the need for faster and timely service delivery. Private based corporation are best known for being time conscious on their services. There are no much regulations and interdepartmental process involved in service delivery. Response to emergency management services is sensitive and lies on timely service delivery. For instance, FEMA's response to Buffalo snowstorm of 2016, three days after the storm had occurred was widely criticized yet the delay was not on the side of the Agency. There were delays in communication from the federal state conveyed the information to the Agency three days after the storm. In a private based corporation, they often conduct with operation internally without relying on the third party for directives.
Secondly, there are claims of massive embezzlement of funds in a public corporation than Private Corporation. For several decades, many people have shifted from seeking services from public corporations since they are cheap and substandard (VanMetre, & Dabrowski, 2014). Most of the public utilities are today managed by the private sectors for a better quality of service delivery. Privatization of FEMA will be an imperative approach of controlling mismanagements of funds by the staffs. For instance, the claims sending a set of used trailers lower than the expected quantity in tornadoes 2007 events could have been avoided through privatization of the Agency. It is due to poor management services which crippled the Agency making it incapable of meeting its goals and demands.
Employees pension plans
The federal public servants had practical and workable retirement and pension plans for their dedicated employees who were most often sent to the harsh working condition. The Agency had a policy that accommodates both the employees and their family members to meet their health care needs (Koven, & Brennan, 2014). The plan gave privileges to all the federal employees, retirees, and their survivors to enjoy the widest selection of the of health plans within the country. It is also worth to note that the dental and vision benefits are available to all eligible federal employees, and retirees. The policies allow the employees to purchase dental insurance and the vision insurance on a group basis. The significant of this group basis would imply that there is no pre-existing condition limitation. The last to note on this federal plan is the life insurance policy. The policy consists of basic life insurance coverage and other three additional options. New employees in the Agency are automatically covered in basic life insurance policy while other existing employees are free to choose from other available options.
Productivity and performance evaluation
The Hurricane Andrew of 1992 which struck Florida and Louisiana made the Agency re-evaluate its preparedness to the emergency outbreak. The Agency and its federal government were accused of late response to the house, feed and sustained over 250,000 victims who were left homeless and desperate. Following the criticism, the Agency dispatched over 20,000 national guards and troops to set houses for tempora...