FEMA head who resigned after Texas floods will return to Philadelphia Fire Department

A former Philadelphia Fire Department captain who became head of FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue branch resigned Monday, according to published reports.

According to the New York Times, which cited unnamed sources, Ken Pagurek, a longtime Philadelphia firefighter who served as chief of FEMA’s search and rescue branch for the past year, resigned following frustration with how the Department of Homeland Security handled the floods in Texas that killed at least 135 people.

Rachel Cunningham, a spokeswoman for the Philadelphia Fire Department, confirmed that Pagurek is returning to the department. His specific role is unknown. City records show that Pagurek left the fire department approximately a year ago.

The Times, citing colleagues of Pagurek’s, said he was concerned about a new FEMA policy that required Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to personally sign off on all contracts over $100,000, leading to delays that “could hurt disaster response efforts that require speed and agility.”

CNN, which also reported on Pagurek’s alleged concerns, said they obtained a copy of his resignation letter, which did not mention the floods specifically.

“This decision was not made lightly, and after much reflection and prayer, it is the right path for me at this time,” Pagurek allegedly wrote, according to the letter cited by CNN. “I have been continually inspired by the unwavering dedication, unmatched courage, and deep-seated commitment we share for saving lives and bringing hope in the face of devastation.”

A DHS spokesperson declined to speak to The Inquirer about the specifics of the Times report. They sent a statement attributed in the Times to Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security.

“It is laughable that a career public employee, who claims to serve the American people, would choose to resign over our refusal to hastily approve a six-figure deployment contract without basic financial oversight. We’re being responsible with taxpayer dollars, that’s our job. Attempting to spin a personal career decision into some big scandal is ridiculous.”

According to CNN, Pagurek spent more than a decade with FEMA’s search and rescue system, and was its chief for approximately one year.

Pagurek was well-versed in major disaster responses. He helped coordinate task force responses to the deadly West Reading chocolate factory explosion in 2023, the 2013 Market Street collapse, and helped lead Pennsylvania Task Force One Urban Search & Rescue’s response to Hurricane Florence in South Carolina, in 2018.

In 2021, Pagurek led the Pennsylvania Task Force 1 team, to the Miami suburb of Surfside, where a condominium collapse killed 98 people.

“The magnitude was much greater than it appeared on TV,” Pagurek told reporters at the time.

At least 135 people have died so far as a result of the July 4 Texas floods that turned the Guadalupe River into a wall of raging water.

Noem authorized FEMA’s search and rescue efforts in Texas over 72 hours after the flooding. Officials with the agency, along with President Donald Trump, have brushed off criticisms of that response time.

DHS has publicly denied any problems with its response to the deadly flood. At a news conference earlier this month , Noem said the response in Texas represented what FEMA “would look like in the future” under Trump.

Pagurek could not be reached for comment.

Pagurek, who was also captain of the Philadelphia Fire Department’s cycling team, touched on his dedication to public service when CNN interviewed him in 2021, in Surfside, Fla.

“Our job is to do the best that we can as quickly as possible,” he told CNN. “I love helping people. I love serving others.”

Staff writer Barbara Laker contributed to this article.