The first story announcing that is this one, Personnel note: Bryan Koon quits as state emergency management head, which is an all-sweetness-and-light-type of announcement and praise from Florida Gov. Scott. Jerry Quinn shared this link and the next one below.
Then today, there is this piece from the Naples, Fla., newspaper that gives a cloudier outlook to why perhaps Koon is leaving, see state’s emergency management chief resigns. For me it highlights how you can "win the disaster response" and lose the "recovery war." I was told that for the Recovery Section at the state of Florida, not one person who was there this time last year is there today. Yikes! Administering FEMA recovery projects requires knowledge and experience. With all the institutional knowledge "out the door," it is a terrible position to be in for the state and local emergency managers who must work through the state's office of emergency management to get their FEMA reimbursements processed.
This then is what I think is the biggest risk for FEMA today and for Brock Long, FEMA administrator. He had the full resources of the federal government at his disposal for the disaster response to Harvey and Irma (now trying to shift to Puerto Rico). However, when it comes to administering disaster recovery, he will be standing alone with a small force of disaster reservists spread very thin across the entire United States with past disasters and now three new big ones to contend with. Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!
As for Bryan Koon, he will land on his feet. However, it is a reminder to all of us of how the winds of change can happen swiftly. It was only earlier this year that Koon was the name on everyone's lips as the expected FEMA administrator in the Trump administration.
