Maybe part of this is a branding and messaging problem. I think of FEMA as a response-oriented agency: They aren't there to prevent disasters from occurring,

Maybe part of this is a branding and messaging problem. I think of FEMA as a response-oriented agency: They aren't there to prevent disasters from occurring, they're intended to pick up the pieces afterwards. If you approach it with that perspective, then you'd surely expect them to be devoted predominantly to hurricanes and similar natural disasters, as they can be anticipated and planned for. If their true role is to be proactive about some specific disaster functions, maybe this needs to be better communicated to the public. Otherwise you end up with the poor guy who gets a job with the Secret Service and his family is "OMG do you jump in front of a bullet for the President" when he's going to spend his career squinting at bogus $5 notes.