DHS begins slashing FEMA staff

(CNN)–Many Federal Emergency Management Agency employees are starting the new year without jobs.

They were notified on New Year’s Eve via e-mail their positions would not be renewed.

The impacted workers are part of FEMA’s on-call response and recover teams.

Those are the people who are generally among the first federal boots on the ground during disasters.

Sources say so far, about 50 workers have received termination e-mails.