GEMA Chief Under Intense Scrutiny, But Job Appears Secure For Now
In wake of Tuesday’s snowstorm, state leaders are rejecting calls for the resignation of Georgia’s embattled head of emergency response.
At a Thursday press conference, Gov. Nathan Deal stressed the buck stops with him. But Charley English, head of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, said much of the responsibility lied with him for not recommending Deal act sooner. He said he put the governor in an “awful position.”
English, who has led GEMA since 2006, has been under intense scrutiny for not opening the state emergency operations center until 5 p.m. Tuesday, hours after roads were already gridlocked.
Recently released emails from Monday and Tuesday reveal the governor’s staff and state officials were concerned about the weather, but because there was no clear directive from English, no broader action was taken.
Deal has called for a full internal review of the state’s storm response. He rejected calls for English to resign, saying he’d be vital in correcting any response issues.
House Speaker David Ralston agrees formal action would be premature.
“Firing someone now or forcing someone to resign is not going to solve the pain that many Georgians went through the past couple of days,” said Ralston.
He wants to see the results of the internal review before any determination is made.
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