Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), announced Thursday that he was resigning from his position, saying "it is time for me to go home to my family."

In a statement, Long said FEMA had provided assistance on "more than 200 declared disasters" and thanked President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, whom he said "have been extremely supportive of me, the FEMA workforce and our mission."

"As a career emergency management professional, I could not be prouder to have worked alongside the devoted, hardworking men and women of FEMA for the past two years," Long added. " ... I leave knowing the Agency is in good hands."

Long had been investigated by the Department of Homeland Security's internal watchdog last year over allegations that he inappropriately used government vehicles to travel to his home in North Carolina. Officials found he had misused vehicles, but Long was not asked to resign, and he agreed to reimburse the government. Homeland Security sources told Fox News that they did not know whether the controversy had anything to do with Long's decision to step down, but added that no one at DHS had asked the administrator to resign.

FEMA Deputy Administrator Peter Gaynor will become acting administrator upon Long's departure. Trump must nominate a permanent replacement for Long and that person must be confirmed by the Senate. Sources told Fox News that Long submitted his resignation when he did so the White House could identify, nominate and have a successor confirmed in time for the forthcoming hurricane season.

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"Over the last two years, Administrator Long has admirably led the men and women of FEMA during very difficult, historic and complex times," Nielsen said in a statement. "Under Brock’s leadership, FEMA has successfully supported State and Territory-led efforts to respond and recover from 6 major hurricanes, 5 historic wildfires and dozens of other serious emergencies. I appreciate his tireless dedication to FEMA and his commitment to fostering a culture of preparedness across the nation."

Sources told Fox News the tempo of the job may have played a role in Long's resignation, noting that FEMA had more disasters and emergencies to deal with in the past 15 months than it had in the previous 10 years.

Fox News' John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>– Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced his resignation Wednesday, calling his nearly two-year tenure the “opportunity of the lifetime.” In a statement, Long said he is leaving to return home to his family. Long added the agency is “in good hands,” with deputy Peter Gaynor taking over as acting administrator.

In September 2018, a congressional committee and the internal watchdog for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees FEMA, launched investigations in Long’s possible misuse of government vehicles. The revelations came to light as Long was spearheading recovery efforts during a busy hurricane season.</s>Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Brock Long announced Wednesday that he is resigning.

“It has been a great honor to serve our country as @fema Administrator for the past two years. While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family,” Long tweeted.

Last fall, Long was the subject of a Department of Homeland Security probe into whether he was misusing government resources when he used government vehicles and personnel for six-hour drives between his home in North Carolina and FEMA headquarters in Washington.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said at the time that Long would reimburse the federal government for his non-official use of government vehicles.

“Over the last two years, Administrator Long has admirably led the men and women of FEMA during very difficult, historic and complex times. Under Brock’s leadership, FEMA has successfully supported State and Territory-led efforts to respond and recover from 6 major hurricanes, 5 historic wildfires and dozens of other serious emergencies. I appreciate his tireless dedication to FEMA and his commitment to fostering a culture of preparedness across the nation. “Deputy Administrator Pete Gaynor will become Acting Administrator upon Brock’s departure. Rest assured, FEMA is prepared to continue to lead current recovery efforts, to respond to new disasters, and to get ready for this year’s hurricane season.”</s>FEMA Administrator Brock Long Says He Will Step Down

Brock Long, who led the Federal Emergency Management Agency during 220 declared disasters since 2017, announced his resignation Wednesday.

In a statement, Long, 43, said "While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family — my beautiful wife and two incredible boys."

William "Brock" Long has led FEMA since June 2017. A former state emergency management director in Alabama, Long was faced with immediate challenges in the federal post, including hurricanes Harvey in Texas and Maria in Puerto Rico. FEMA's response to Maria was widely criticized as slow and inadequate.

Long was also found by the Department Of Homeland Security's inspector general to have improperly used government vehicles and resources to travel back to his North Carolina home.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said of Long in a statement, "I appreciate his tireless dedication to FEMA and his commitment to fostering a culture of preparedness across the nation."

Nielsen said Deputy Administrator Pete Gaynor will become acting FEMA administrator upon Long's departure. It's not clear how much longer Long will remain at his position.</s>Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced his resignation Wednesday, calling his nearly two-year tenure the "opportunity of the lifetime." In a statement, Long said he is leaving to return home to his family. Long added the agency is "in good hands," with deputy Peter Gaynor taking over as acting administrator.

"As a career emergency management professional, I could not be prouder to have worked alongside the devoted, hardworking men and women of FEMA for the past two years," said Long.

In a letter to FEMA employees, Long said stepping down was "one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make."

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said Long "admirably led the men and women of FEMA during very difficult, historic and complex times." FEMA is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"I appreciate his tireless dedication to FEMA and his commitment to fostering a culture of preparedness across the nation," Nielsen said in a statement.

Long was confirmed by the Senate in June 2017 and oversaw FEMA's response to three major hurricanes — Harvey, Maria and Irma — during his time as administrator. The agency was sharply criticized in particular for its response to Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico and knocked out power for months.

In September 2018, a congressional committee and the DHS internal watchdog launched investigations in Long's possible misuse of government vehicles. The revelations came to light as Long was spearheading recovery efforts during a busy hurricane season.

Long told reporters he would "never intentionally run a program incorrectly."

"Bottom line is if we made mistakes in the way the program was run then we will work with the OIG to get those corrected. Doing something unethical is not part of my DNA and it's not a part of my track record in my whole entire career. We will work with the OIG to get anything corrected," he said, referring to the department's Office of the Inspector General.

Politico and the Wall Street Journal reported at the time that Nielsen had asked for Long's resignation, which Long disputed.

"I've never been asked to resign. Secretary Nielsen and I talk everyday, we have a very professional functional relationship," Long told "Face the Nation."

Nielsen eventually determined Long had used government vehicles without proper authorization, but said he would not lose his job over it.

In his statement Wednesday, Long said both the president and Nielsen had been "extremely supportive of me, the FEMA workforce and our mission" during his two-year tenure.</s>FEMA Administrator Brock Long announced Wednesday he would be stepping down after two years leading the federal agency.

"While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family – my beautiful wife and two incredible boys," Long said in a statement.

Bloomberg reporter Jennifer Jacobs noted that Long's family still lives in North Carolina.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen released a statement saying that Deputy Administrator Pete Gaynor would be taking over as Acting Administrator once Long departs.

"Rest assured, FEMA is prepared to continue to lead current recovery efforts, to respond to new disasters, and to get ready for this year's hurricane season"

Long said in a statement that he leaves knowing the agency is in good hands.</s>Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will step down, he announced Wednesday.

Long, who has come under intense scrutiny for his response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and personal use of government funds, said in his announcement that he was leaving to focus on his family.

“While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family – my beautiful wife and two incredible boys. As a career emergency management professional, I could not be prouder to have worked alongside the devoted, hardworking men and women of FEMA for the past two years.”

It has been a great honor to serve our country as @fema Administrator for the past two years. While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family. 

You can read my full announcement here: https://t.co/2HXa7tQtV8 — Brock Long (@FEMA_Brock) February 13, 2019

Deputy FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor will take over for Long as the acting head of the agency.

Last September, news broke that Homeland Security Department watchdogs had been investigating Long’s spending for months and found he improperly used government resources at least 40 times during his tenure, costing taxpayers more than $150,000.

Though DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Long would not lose his job over the spending, she was rumored to be seeking a replacement in light of the embarrassment to the agency.

Prominent Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have continued to call for an investigation into FEMA’s handling of the Hurricane Maria disaster in 2017 and why thousands died in the wake of the storm.</s>WASHINGTON, D.C. – Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Brock Long announced Wednesday that he is resigning.

“It has been a great honor to serve our country as FEMA Administrator for the past two years. During my tenure, the Agency worked more than 220 declared disasters,” Long said in a statement.

His resignation comes months after a controversy over his use of government vehicles.

Last fall, Long was the subject of a Department of Homeland Security probe into whether he was misusing government resources when he used government vehicles and personnel for six-hour drives between his home in North Carolina and FEMA headquarters in Washington.

An inspector general’s investigation, released by House Democrats in September, found that even after Long had been told not to, he continued to use government SUVs and drivers to shuttle between home and work.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said at the time that Long would reimburse the federal government for his nonofficial use of government vehicles.

Reports surfaced last fall that both the White House and Nielsen had considered asking Long to leave the agency amid the controversy. However, at the time Long denied that Nielsen had asked for his resignation.

After his resignation was announced Wednesday, Nielsen said in a statement that Long had “admirably led the men and women of FEMA during very difficult, historic and complex times.”

“Under Brock’s leadership, FEMA has successfully supported State and Territory-led efforts to respond and recover from 6 major hurricanes, 5 historic wildfires and dozens of other serious emergencies,” she said.

Long, who was confirmed to the position in June 2017, led the federal emergency response to the trio of major hurricanes that hit Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico in 2017.

FEMA was criticized for its response to Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria, in particular, a storm that resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths.

Last July, Long acknowledged that FEMA’s response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was flawed, but added that his team did a “phenomenal job” the despite harsh criticisms.

“Going into other areas, like Puerto Rico, there was only one leg that was present and that’s the fact, and that’s the reality,” Long said. “That’s not a complaint, but it’s what we’ve got to overcome in lessons learned from 2017 and going forward. We’ve got to figure out how to build better baseline capabilities at all levels of government.”

Deputy FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor will serve as acting administrator when Long departs. It was not immediately clear when he would leave the agency.</s>Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long announced his resignation Wednesday, saying he wishes to spend more time with his family.

Long leaves after working two years in the Trump administration. During that time, he said he oversaw the agency's response to more than 220 declared disasters, including 2017's devastating hurricane season.

"While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family -- my beautiful wife and two incredible boys," he said. "As a career emergency management professional, I could not be prouder to have worked alongside the devoted, hardworking men and women of FEMA for the past two years."

Long said Peter Gaynor will take over as acting FEMA administrator upon his departure.

Last year, Long came under scrutiny for his unofficial use of government vehicles. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said he used the vehicles to travel from home to work -- 6 hours between North Carolina and Washington, D.C. -- without authorization.

He was ordered to reimburse the government for their use.

"As the leader of this agency, I accept full responsibility for any mistakes that were made by me or the agency," Long said at the time. "The secretary and I are taking corrective action to prevent such mistakes from happening in the future."</s>Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Brock Long announced Wednesday that he is resigning.

“It has been a great honor to serve our country as @fema Administrator for the past two years. While this has been the opportunity of the lifetime, it is time for me to go home to my family,” Long tweeted.

Last fall, Long was the subject of a Department of Homeland Security probe into whether he was misusing government resources when he used government vehicles and personnel for six-hour drives between his home in North Carolina and FEMA headquarters in Washington.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said at the time that Long would reimburse the federal government for his non-official use of government vehicles.

This story is breaking and will be updated.
FEMA Administrator Brock Long announces his resignation.