FEMA Requires FBI Background Checks For Field Inspectors

Back in 2005, the South Florida Sun-Sentinal on April 24, 2005 published an article about the field service inspectors hired by a contractor to FEMA. They found that  inspectors hired by FEMA contractors that were entrusted to enter disaster victims’ homes and verify damage claims included criminals with records for embezzlement, drug dealing and robbery. READ MORE  >>>>

The the article brought a lot of attention to the subject of background checks for FEMA field inspectors. The Congress held hearings on this matter. The result is that the policy today is that all FEMA field inspectors must be finger printed and background checked by the FBI. My opinion is that a FBI finger-print background checks are the only REAL background checks.

I have been finger printed many times in my life. I have been background checked many times in my life. I have been polygraphed at the National Security Agency (NSA) at Fort Meade, Maryland. The Government has investigated my wife and children. Government investigators have talked to my friends, relatives and neighbors.

I have never had to pay for a background check. About 99% of all field service representatives have NEVER had to pay for a background check. If you look at all businesses in the US, you will find that employers pay for background checks and not the employees. Background checks is a cost of doing business … hiring firms pay the background check fee.

The National Association of Mortgage Field Services (NAMFS) has created a program where their national and regional member corporations will require the mortgage field service representative to pay about $65 for a background check.  The NAMFS organization is composed primarily of field service representatives. I would estimate that about 95% of NAMFS members are field service representatives … those that perform the work in the field. On the matter of paying for background checks, It appears to me that the 5% of the NAMFS members (national and regional member corporations) WIN and 95% of NAMFS members (the field service representatives) LOSE when it comes to who pays for a background check.

Can someone please tell me who is represented by NAMFS? Does NAMFS represent their majority membership … the field service representative? Do field service representatives have a vote?