Do Americans want FEMA involved?

David Dube, Contributor

FEMA may seem like a federally funded savior, but the agency might not be what you think.
On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in hopes to combat the spreading of the novel coronavirus. Trump insisted that the move was to excel in the availability of tests and testing sites. Standing in the White House Rose Garden, Trump stated: “To unleash the full power of the federal government under this effort today, I’m officially declaring a national emergency.” Many find this disturbing as the “full power” of the federal government is beyond measure, leaving many to wonder what to expect from those leading the fight, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency which significantly grew when it was integrated into the US Department of Home Land Security in February of 2003.
Department of Homeland Security and FEMA service branch manager Beverley Cobb; a thirteen-year employee stated in an interview Wednesday, when asked about the effectiveness of FEMA and DHS when combating a virus within such a large population as in America, stated: “FEMA has many resources [personnel, equipment, warehouse/facilities, trucks, commodities, and additional funding) to assist any state that has an active disaster declaration.”
When commenting on personnel, Beverley explained, “FEMA has over 10,000 Reservists, that can deploy at a moment’s notice, to any disaster declaration. In addition to the Reservist, FEMA has 4000+ full-time personnel located throughout the US in offices (aka Regional offices) and at Headquarters that also will deploy and/or assist remotely to support the mission. As the third line of support, FEMA also hires personnel locally in the declared state/county, that will augment any disaster response.”
When a state of emergency is declared, Executive order 11921 allows FEMA to develop plans to establish control over the mechanisms of production and distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money in US financial institutions in any undefined national emergency. It also provides that when a state of emergency is declared by the President, Congress cannot review the action for six months.
President Carter signed executive order 11490 in 1979, this order states that if the President declares a national emergency / national disaster, FEMA will have control of communications media, they will have the power to suspend laws, This order provides for the housing and finance authority to relocate communities, design areas to be abandoned, and establish new locations for populations, arrest and detain citizens without a warrant and hold them without trial. It can seize property, food supplies, transportation systems and can suspend the constitution, as explained in Executive orders; 109990,11000, 10998, 10997, 10995, 11001, 11002, 11003, 11004, 11049, 11310, 11051 and 11005.
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act was signed into law in November 1988, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Public Law 100-707) This amended the previous relief act. It created the system currently in place. A presidential disaster declaration of an emergency triggers financial and physical assistance through FEMA. At first glance, this updated law appears to be a technicality, but once you read the whole order, you will see that in a state of emergency or disaster, all federal agencies will fall under FEMA, that is the key. FEMA will have so many resources, that many fear an Orwellian State isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
More Detailed Information regarding Emergency Declarations, Disaster Declarations, The Reservist Program, FEMA Regions, and employment, visit FEMA.gov.
If anyone is interested in becoming a federal Volunteer, they can apply at redcross.org, and volunteer.gov/faq.cfm.