A resurfaced video of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) webinar from 2023 shows panelists emphasizing FEMA policies based on “equity” over policies “designed for the greatest good for the greatest amount of people.” The resurfaced video comes as the Biden-Harris administration’s agency is facing significant backlash over its slow response to Hurricane Helene.
According to Fox News, FEMA held webinars in March and April of 2023 with panelists from local and state governments, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, and other individuals who help with disaster relief efforts.
In the March 2023 webinar, Tyler Atkins, an emergency management specialist who moderated the panel discussion, emphasized the impact of disasters on the LGBTQ community.
“LGBTQIA people and people who have been disadvantaged are already struggling,” Atkins said. “They already have their own things to deal with. So you add a disaster on top of that, it’s just compounding on itself.”
During the meeting, Maggie Jarry, who works with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, added, “The shift that we’re seeing right now is a shift in emergency management from utilitarian principles where everything is designed for the greatest good for the greatest amount of people to disaster equity. But we have to do more.”
Fox News reported that a second webinar was held in April, highlighting the “Response and Recovery Considerations” for members of the LGBTQ community who are faced with disasters.
In 2022, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) emphasized the need for FEMA to have a new “equity adviser” who would make sure “underserved communities” had an opportunity to receive federal disaster funding, according to Fox News. The Democratic senator claimed that America’s “communities of color” and “lowest income communities” were the most affected by “extreme conditions.”
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At the time, Warren said, “We have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality, but also need to fight for equity.”
According to Fox News, just a month after Warren’s comments, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the administration would make “equity” a factor in providing disaster relief following Hurricane Ian’s devastation along the eastern coast of the United States.
Fox News also reported that FEMA released the “Achieving Equitable Recovery: A Post-Disaster Guide for Local Officials and Leaders” toolkit last November for officials to “help rebuild their communities equitably, with the needs of different populations in mind.” FEMA’s guide was designed with eight goals to help leaders “design and execute a more inclusive and equitable recovery planning process.”
