Ken Pagurek
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Ken Pagurek | |
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Firefighter, disaster response expert |
| Known for | Urban search and rescue (US&R) operations |
Ken Pagurek is a longtime American firefighter and disaster response expert, best known for his extensive work in urban search and rescue (US&R) operations.
Key background and career
He is a career member of the Philadelphia Fire Department, where he has served for many years (including as a captain) and to which he returned after leaving federal service.
For over a decade, he was involved with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) national Urban Search and Rescue Response System, including leadership roles with Pennsylvania Task Force 1 (PA-TF1), one of the 28 FEMA US&R task forces.
He has participated in high-profile disaster responses, such as the 2021 Surfside, Florida, condo collapse.
Recent role and resignation (2024–2025)
Pagurek served as the chief (or head) of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue branch for approximately one year until his resignation on July 21, 2025.
His departure came amid widespread reporting on frustrations with delays in FEMA's response to catastrophic flooding in Central Texas (Hill Country) in early July 2025, which killed over 100 people.
Sources close to him indicated that new bureaucratic requirements under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—such as personal approval by Secretary Kristi Noem for contracts over $100,000—caused significant delays (reportedly over 72 hours) in deploying US&R teams, which he viewed as the "tipping point" after months of concerns about efforts to overhaul or reduce FEMA's scope under the Trump administration.
In his resignation letter, he did not explicitly cite the Texas response, instead stating he was returning to the Philadelphia Fire Department after "much reflection and prayer."
DHS pushed back on criticism, defending the changes as necessary fiscal oversight and disputing claims of meaningful delays.
Pagurek gained public attention primarily through this 2025 resignation story, which was covered by major outlets including CNN (which broke the news), The New York Times, ABC News, and local Philadelphia media. He has no prominent public social media presence and has declined comment on the matter. Prior mentions of him are mostly in professional or local contexts, such as testimony on emergency management or past deployments.
References
External links
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