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What residents are saying after FEMA employee fired over Trump signs
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What residents are saying after FEMA employee fired over Trump signs

WELLINGTON, Fla. — Following Hurricane Milton in Florida, FEMA declared a an employee targeted homes with signs supporting Donald Trump.

WPTV reporter Cassandra Garcia spoke with residents affected by the storm to get their reaction.

Owen Radke of Wellington is one of the thousands affected by the tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton.

“To me it sounded like a jet engine. I mean it was like standing in front of a jet engine that suddenly started up,” Radke recalls. “Several thousand dollars worth (of damage). the roof tiles and my back yard were torn down’.

He is grateful the community came to help.

“The Red Cross was here, the sheriff was here, like an instant,” Radke said. “We had a lot of people here, like an instant, and I heard FEMA came later.”

He was horrified to hear that in another part of Florida, FEMA said one of its employees had advised its survivor assistance team not to go to homes that had signs posted outside in support of Trump.

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WPTV pressed FEMA to find out what happened and why.

We were sent a statement from Administrator Deanne Criswell that read in part: “This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values ​​and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation. This was reprehensible.”

Radke sustained minor damage to his home, but he couldn’t help but wonder how he would feel if he went through a period of need.

“I mean that would be awful,” Radke said. “In times of emergency, people need to come to the rescue and that’s what we’re paying the federal government to do. I mean, that’s their role.”

FEMA has not released the employee’s name, but said she has been fired and referred the matter to the special counsel’s office.

“That’s good, it’s good that it should have,” Radke said. “I would like them to follow up and see if they really — if the crews on the road actually did what that person recommended.”

FEMA added that this behavior will not be tolerated and that they will hold people accountable for violating their standards of conduct.

Below is FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell’s full statement on the matter:

“More than 22,000 FEMA employees every day adhere to FEMA’s core values ​​and are dedicated to helping people before, during and after disasters, often sacrificing time with their own families to help disaster survivors.

Recently, a FEMA employee departed from these values ​​to advise his survivor assistance team not to go to homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Trump. This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values ​​and principles of helping people regardless of their political affiliation.

This was reprehensible.

I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people, this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA, and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct.

We take seriously our mission to help everyone before, during and after disasters. This employee has been terminated and we have referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel.

I will continue to do everything I can to make sure this never happens again.”