ST. LOUIS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR FIRED AFTER TORNADO SIREN FAILURE
The City of St. Louis has terminated Sarah Russell, the Commissioner of the City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), following a disciplinary hearing earlier this week.
According to the Department of Public Safety, Russell’s removal came after the failure to activate outdoor warning sirens during the May 16 tornado that devastated parts of St. Louis. Russell had been placed on leave since May 20 while the city conducted an internal review.
An external report released Monday found that Russell was “frequently unreachable” in the days following the tornado and often absent from the Emergency Operations Center. The report also cited her failure to update the city’s emergency operations plan and maintain proper federal documentation.
Mayor Cara Spencer, without naming Russell directly, signaled at a press briefing that leadership changes were imminent, stating the city needed a “permanent, long-term director of the emergency management system that can fully staff the office and respond in times of crisis.”
Russell, who had worked her way up over decades of service, defended herself in a Facebook post, claiming the hearing’s outcome was predetermined and that she did not believe the process was fair.
The firing comes amid mounting scrutiny over the city’s preparedness and response to natural disasters. Critics have argued that leadership failures left residents vulnerable when sirens failed to sound before the tornado hit.
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And for hating white males so much why do these idiots emulate white males in their appearance?