A new audit by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General that examined payments made by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the state of California for helping to suppress wildfires in southern California in 2007, questions some of the charges. It concluded that of the $122 million total that was paid to the state, “the Department did not properly request additional funding for a cost overrun exceeding $80 million”. A portion of the overruns, $6.6 million, was in “ineligible labor costs”. The audit said that FEMA agreed with “parts” of the OIG’s findings regarding the labor charges, but did not say specifically which parts they agreed or disagreed with.
While CalFire pays their firefighters portal-to-portal 24 hours a day while they are on fire assignments, the FEMA policy stipulates that after the first 48 hours they will only reimburse for 16 hours a day “even when the applicant is contractually obligated to pay for 24 hour shifts”.
The audit recommends that $12.6 million of the charges be disallowed, and to “require the Department to review its costs incurred and submit a revised claim based on supporting documentation and applicable federal criteria”.
Some federal wildland firefighters are trying to get legislation passed to enable portal-to-portal fire pay for the federal land management agencies. If they are successful, that would put FEMA in an awkward position.
Note, March 20, 2011: we modified this article to clarify that the audit was conducted by the DHS’s Office of Inspector General. FEMA is an agency within the DHS. The audit report can be found here.
Waste in the Cal Fire fighting system is way out there. I worked next to Cal Fire for 25 years and here is a fact, not only does Cal Fire get to spend their nites in hotels, eat in resturants over 60 percent of actual firefighters are STATE CONVICTED FELONS. Most of Cal fire is “overhead”. Not folks who actually fight a fire. As stated above look at the station fire, and the Pachenga fire. Another fact, after the great loss in San Diego, they had to change their name for Califonia deivision of forestry and fireifghting to Cal Fire because of the conotation of the desaster and their agency.
Kudos Kay
If the public only new of the waste fraud abuse and cronyism in the wildfire system that favors the more costly cooperating agency over a certified private contractor. Not to mention the loss of resource and property waiting for the cronies to show up to charge the taxpayer in most cases three and four time more than what the same private resource would cost that was closer to respond.
For those interested, you should refer to the Station Fire investigation, where the Government pulled resources from the east coast before hiring local certified contractors. That was cost effective and in the best interest of those who lost property and the tax payers who paid for it.
And there are people out there who think private contractor fire fighting resources are more expensive than government resources? Really?
We the people and the Gov. have always paid to much for the above mention agencies, FEMA has always been very point blank with the Federal Agencies and the payments they will cover. FEMA has always had heart burn with paying this type cost, since the early 80’s it has always been a issue. When dealing with City Departments and County Agency FEMA needs to be as point blank with them (No means No) Sooner or later the States, Counties and City agencies will realize the Gov DEEP pockets are drying up…..”$80 million was in “cost overruns” and unjustified reimbursements. A portion of the overruns, $6.6 million, was in “ineligible” labor costs”…..We not only paid them to sleep, and paid them for but back fill , sounds like we paid for a hell of a lot more….. I’ve been in the Fire Service for 35 years, things have changes, Federal Agencies are as broke as the States and County and Cities…Bottom line is, We have to Cut Cost …..IMHO
Using this rationale how do they justify paying for the Local Government fire agencies for resources sent on Orders that have an MOU covering Portal to Portal pay plus overtime like LA City and County FD’s? The billing for many and the agreements have approved of this in the past. Why was Cal Fire singled out? I was a ICT Finance Chief for eight years and we met with FEMA then in settlement conferences and at that time they had no qualms about this payment system.
The OIGs are intended to be independent of the individual Agencies (like FEMA) and are supposed to look at actions in light on existing laws and regulations, not “common practices” or what happened in a settlement conference. Maybe the FEMA folks over-stepped their legal boundraies witout knowing it? Any way, as a taxpayer, I’m glad to see that there are ever-vigilent OIGs on the job. Their work in the Defense Department has saved us Billions!