In 2017 in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, PPOs were dispatched to Key West, Florida. Soon after, PPOs were dispatched to Puerto Rico following vast destruction in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Image: Chuck Wagner/Shutterstock.com
By: Frank Albergo, Postal Police Officers AssociationA basic premise of emergency management is that response begins and ends at the local level. However, when a disaster strikes and states and localities are unable to provide the necessary resources, it becomes critical that the federal government assist with emergency response. This “all hands on deck” approach can help save lives and ensure that the diverse needs of impacted communities are met, such as search and rescue, clearing of roads, delivering critical supplies, and restoring power.
The U.S. Postal Service, with its nationwide physical network, roots in every community, unmatched address information, extensive knowledge of neighborhoods from coast to coast, and its fully functioning law enforcement agency, has unique assets and capabilities to aid in federal response efforts.
In fact, the federal government—including the President, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Health and Human Services—has recognized the unique value of the nationwide postal infrastructure during national crises. As a result, the Postal Service prepares for emergencies as though it were a full executive agency (not an independent entity).
Indeed, the Postal Service plays a critical role in the National Response Framework (NRF) developed by the Department of Homeland Security. The Framework establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach for all responders. The Postal Service is designated as a supporting agency for 8 of the 15 emergency support function (ESF) annexes. Accordingly, the Postal Service itself has developed extensive plans to meet its obligations under the NRF. Under the Integrated Emergency Management Plan (IEMP), the Postal Service integrates into one master plan the Emergency Action Plan (EAP), Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), and annexes for specific attacks, disasters and hazards. Postal districts and facilities are required to tailor standardized district and facility IEMP templates to specific local processes and procedures.
A vivid illustration of the value of the Postal Service and its Postal Police Force to the National Response Framework is the role of Postal Police Officers [PPOs] during hurricane recovery efforts. In 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Postal Police Officers were quickly deployed to help reestablish communications, reopen lines of commerce, and to ensure delivery of government information, relief checks, and medicine and supplies to hurricane victims living in makeshift shelters. The Postal Service’s extensive address database enabled PPOs to assist in locating thousands of displaced persons so that they could be reunited with their families. The nation benefited from having a functioning, comprehensive delivery, retail, and address management infrastructure in place at the time of Katrina’s landfall.
In Audit Report, “Postal Inspection Service Emergency Preparedness for Hurricane Katrina” (SA-AR-06-005) the USPS Office of Inspector General acknowledged how important PPOs are:
“The Postal Inspection Service responded to Hurricane Katrina rapidly and successfully under very difficult and unprecedented circumstances and implemented actions consistent with the Integrated Emergency Management Plan. More than 300 postal inspectors and postal police officers responded immediately to safeguard U.S. Postal Service employees, provide security guidance to postal managers, and ensure that infrastructures were secure and operational. Further, Postal Inspection Service personnel escorted fuel and other recovery-related goods (for example, lights and generators) into Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Postal Inspection Service also initiated an educational campaign to prevent fraud schemes related to Katrina relief efforts.”
Likewise, in 2017 in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, PPOs were dispatched to Key West, Florida. Soon after, PPOs were dispatched to Puerto Rico following vast destruction in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
Today, with no policing power away from postal building, PPOs no longer respond to national emergencies including Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which the Postal Service described as “catastrophic natural disasters that have disrupted services and operations for many organizations – including the Postal Service’s ability to deliver mail and packages – throughout the entire Southeast region.”
The purpose of national preparedness planning is to ensure readiness and risk mitigation, and to return to normal postal operations as quickly as possible. Congress must ensure that Postal Police Officers continue their critical role in responding to natural disasters and other national emergencies by restoring the policing power of the Postal Police Force by passing the Postal Police Reform Act (H.R. 3005, S. 3356)
In today’s threat environment with the potential for no-notice emergencies, including natural disasters, localized acts of terror, cyber-attacks, and public health crises, the need for Postal Police Officers—and the Postal Service’s ability to appropriately respond—is greater than ever. Downsizing the Postal Police Force—and stripping PPOs of their law enforcement authority—is not only wrongheaded but it is irresponsible. Put simply, by marginalizing the Postal Police Force, the Postal Service has undermined the nation’s federal emergency response framework.
Frank Albergo is the current national president of the Postal Police Officers Association (PPOA). The PPOA represents uniformed police officers employed by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
*The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by FEDweek. Interested in contributing? Please send us your article.
Flurry of Workplace Policy Changes Expected with Return of Trump
Bills on Telework, Agency Relocations Reintroduced in Senate
GPO-WEP Repeal Bill Signed; Clock Starts toward Retroactive Payments
Telework, Relocations, Holman Rule in Focus as Congress Reorganizes
Upcoming Pay Raise to Affect Some Benefits
2025 GS Locality Pay Tables Here
See also,
Have My Federal Benefits Changed in 2025
5 Key Considerations as You Near FERS, CSRS Retirement
Get Your Official Personnel Folder in Order to Max Out Benefits
