Federal Daily - April 24, 2008

FEMA Employees Among Most Satisfied at DHS, Study says

Workers within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are more satisfied with their jobs compared to the overall work force for all components within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to results of an internal agency survey released his month. Although FEMA employees surveyed said they saw a need for agency improvement, 84 percent of those surveyed also said they enjoyed their work, which is slightly higher than the DHS overall average of 80 percent, FEMA said. The DHS-wide survey was conducted last year and yielded a total of 65,753 of 141,160 eligible employee respondents. FEMA said that the agency ranked higher than DHS overall on positive responses to four major indices: leadership and knowledge management, results-oriented performance culture, talent management and job satisfaction. Specifically, FEMA employees surveyed saw a stronger connection between pay and performance than DHS respondents overall, with 19.6 percent at FEMA saying pay was tied to performance, compared to 17.6 percent for DHS overall. Also, FEMA employees are generally more satisfied with their pay—59.6 percent said it is OK, compared with 49.4 percent of DHS workers overall. To see more, go to: www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=43229

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Senators Call for Katz Resignation

Two senators on April 22 called for the resignation of Dr. Ira Katz, the head of mental health for the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), saying court documents indicate he tried to cover up the rising number of veteran suicides. Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Katz withheld crucial information on the true suicide risk among veterans. The senators urged his resignation following the release this week of Katz emails that claimed 12,000 veterans a year attempt suicide while under VA care. The emails were released as part of a federal class-action lawsuit underway in San Francisco. “The epidemic of veterans’ suicide is horrifying but it should also be preventable,” Murray said in a statement. “The VA must be honest about the numbers and the needs. It is time for the VA to own up to the true cost of the war and ensure our heroes aren’t lost when they come home.”  To see more, go to: http://murray.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=296526 or http://veterans.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?pageid=12&release_id=11649

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Detroit Radar Control Center Understaffed, at 16-Year Low

The Detroit Metro TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) center is extremely understaffed, with just 38 Certified Professional Controllers (CPCs) on staff, down from the 45 CPCs the facility had in 2006, said the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). The center is experiencing its the lowest staffing level in at least 16 years—and 14 CPCs are eligible to retire over the next 12 months, NATCA said in a April 22 statement. NATCA said that to compensate for the facility’s short-staffing, controllers will have to work anywhere from 15 to 22 overtime shifts each week this summer. “Unless something is done to reverse this trend, we will not be able to operate Detroit Metro Airport at its current capacity,” said Detroit Metro TRACON Facility Representative Jeff Blow. To see more, go to: www.natca.org/mediacenter/press-release-detail.aspx?id=503.

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