The U.S. Fire Administrator is a presidential appointee, meaning the selection follows a structured federal process. The administrator leads the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, the outgoing U.S. Fire Administrator, explained this process in a recent episode of the USFA Podcast: โThe U.S. fire administrator is a presidential appointee. I was appointed by President Biden in October of 2021โฆ all Biden appointees typically would be compelled to resign their positions before the start of a new administration.โ
