Posted on 09/06/2005 5:35:09 AM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
As one who has received training by FEMA in emergency management and also training by the Department of Defense in consequence management, I believe that the federal response in New Orleans needs clarification.
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| Craig Martelle, retired as a major in the U.S. Marine Corps, lives in North Huntingdon. He recently launched the Strategic Outlook Institute, a public-policy organization. | |||
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The key to emergency management starts at the local level and expands to the state level. Emergency planning generally does not include any federal guarantees, as there can only be limited ones from the federal level for any local plan. FEMA provides free training, education, assistance and respond in case of an emergency, but the local and state officials run their own emergency management program.
Prior development of an emergency plan, addressing all foreseeable contingencies, is the absolute requirement of the local government --and then they share that plan with the state emergency managers to ensure that the state authorities can provide necessary assets not available at the local level. Additionally, good planning will include applicable elements of the federal government (those located in the local area). These processes are well established, but are contingent upon the personal drive of both hired and elected officials at the local level.
I've reviewed the New Orleans emergency management plan. Here is an important section in the first paragraph.
"We coordinate all city departments and allied state and federal agencies which respond to citywide disasters and emergencies through the development and constant updating of an integrated multi-hazard plan. All requests for federal disaster assistance and federal funding subsequent to disaster declarations are also made through this office. Our authority is defined by the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, Chapter 6 Section 709, Paragraph B, 'Each parish shall maintain a Disaster Agency which, except as otherwise provided under this act, has jurisdiction over and serves the entire parish.' "
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Phil Coale, Associated Press Flooded school buses in a lot, New Orleans, Sept. 1. Click photo for larger image.
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Check the plan -- the "we" in this case is the office of the mayor, Ray Nagin who was very quick and vocal about blaming everyone but his own office. A telling picture, at left, taken by The Associated Press on Sept. 1 and widely circulated on the Internet shows a school bus park, apparently filled to capacity with buses, under about four feet of water. If a mandatory evacuation was ordered, why weren't all the taxpayer-purchased buses used in the effort?
Who could have predicted the anarchy resulting as a consequence? The individuals who devolved into lawless animals embarrass the entirety of America. (I worked in a U.S. Embassy overseas for a couple years and I can imagine what foreign diplomats are thinking.) What societal factors would ever lead people to believe that this behavior was even remotely acceptable?
The folks in New Orleans who are perpetrating the violence and lawlessness are not that way because of low income or of race, but because they personally do not have any honor or commitment to higher ideals. The civil-rights leaders should be ashamed at playing the blame game.
The blame is on the individuals. The blame is on the society that allowed these individuals to develop the ideal that the individual is greater than the national pride he is destroying. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was very clear in her comments that she was offended at those who suggested the suffering in New Orleans was prolonged because of race.
As a retired Marine, I hang my head in shame to see my fellow Americans degenerate so far. I spent so many years in the Corps helping the citizens of other countries rise to a higher level of personal responsibility to ensure that in case of emergency, anarchy did not necessarily follow. When people are held to a higher standard of personal responsibility and they accept that, then they will do the right thing when the time comes.
It seems that the mayor of New Orleans is leading the effort in not taking responsibility for his actions. The emergency managers for the state of Louisiana do not have much to say either. The failure in the first 48 hours to provide direction for survivors is theirs to live with. When FEMA was able to take over, it started out behind and had to develop its plan on the fly. Now the federal government has established priorities -- rescue the stranded, evacuate the city, flow in resources and fix the levee. It appears that now there is a plan and it is being systematically executed.
Hurricane Katrina was a national tragedy -- not just in the number of lives lost or the amount of physical damage, but also in the failure of people to do what is right when no one is looking.
OK,
I posted this on another thread,
but did you hear her today on Fox insisting that buses WERE used in the evac?
ARGH!
And like one of my employees just said,
Why wasn't the mayor or the governor at the Superdome?
So, would they still be sitting there if they were never asked?
I'll elaborate. Americans don't care about arcane bureaucratic turf battles when they are used as explanations for not achieving desired results. They just want the job done.
Totally wrong. I want control to remain at the local level as our founding fathers intended. I never want the federal government taking control of anything where locals have responsibility.
Responsibility and capability are two different things. When you have huge national disasters spaning many local jurisdictions and states, the feds must take control. A major attack (nuclear, chemical, or biological) on this country or a major earthquake affecting major metro areas need to addressed, the founding fathers not withstanding. Katrina will cost well over $100 billion in federal assistance. We all have a stake in this.
In this case, the feds had to take over because of an incompetent mayor and governor. This should never have to happen again and I don't want to see precedent set here.
As far as I know, the feds have not taken over. The state and city are still in control. Blanco refuses to federalize the NG.
While I see some communication and coordination problems on the federal level, they were not supposed to be the initial responders. They actually got in there when they were supposed to and did a totally magnificent job. I, for one, am proud to be an American when I see what we did in New Orleans this past week.
I agree that the Feds have done a fantastic job considering the magnitude of the disaster. No country on earth can respond as well as we have. Still, mistakes were made, which cost lives. I think we are making a mistake, politically, when we offer excuses like FEMA couldn't do anything until the Governor or Mayor requested it. Rightly or wrongly, the public believes the buck stops in the WH.
That is all well and good but there are laws in place that must be observed.
The POTUS cannot just take over a state unless declarations are made or very exceptional cricumstances are met. If the state government of LA was wiped out and could not respond THEN the Federals can move in quickly. If not then requests are needed for Federals from State authorities. You may think that these things can be tossed aside at a whim but they are there for good reason.
Then write a law stating exactly that and campaign for it to be passed into law. Then the next Clinton can Waco a major city with that law instead of a compound on the outskirts of a mid-sized town.
What you're demanding is DANGEROUS and I cannot believe you and the others screaming for the same thing don't see that. The reason is because while we can never predict the exact damage that a given theoretical disaster will do, we damned sure DO know what damage can be done by a leader who goes power mad and behaves like a dictator.
Such a law will be abused whether another major hurricane hits an American city or not.
I can't BELIEVE so many people on FR scream about how the Patriot Act is taking away our civil rights and that the government should stay OUT of the privacy of our own homes but are willing, screaming, DEMANDING the government send in the US military to declare martial law and SHOOT PEOPLE WHO YOU WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO DEFINE AS DANGEROUS TO OTHER PEOPLE.
The bottom line is that we had thousands and thousands of Americans in mortal danger. Forget about the process and save lives. Let the chips fall where they may.
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Thousands and thousands in mortal danger because they have been taught dependency on Govt. officials to tell them what to eat, where to go and when to leave.
What part of "independence" do you not understand?
sp
She and Nagin both are.
As Gen. Honore says....
Sorry kabar, but what a load of BS!!!
Your rationalizing and justifying the local/state incompetance while saying the feds were too slow is just bull.
They got in there as fast as circumstances allowed, and as quickly as they were informed and requested to do so under EXTREMELY jumbled, confusing, MIScommunication.
The problem would have been solved had they all had their crystal balls and could READ the minds on the ground.
Monday morning quarterbackers are so tiresome.
Great stuff; this Bob Lonsberry's GOOD. Not nuanced enough for the elitists, but straight forward and to the point, just the way I like to hear people talk.
It has nothing to do about whether people care or not. The people who matter are the victims. There should be no political calculation.
You do not even have any facts as to how many lives were lost due to the feds not rushing in to solve the disaster immediately. Would it have comforted you if hundreds or thousands of lives of federal first responders' lives were lost due to gangs, looters, etc.? Do you not value the lives of FEMA officials, rescuers, military, volunteers AT ALL?
Let's not be absurd. The facts will come out about the number of lives lost. First responders should not be in danger. That is my point. As soon as the first Coast Guard chopper was fired upon, the Feds should have gone in to insure proper security was in place. As a veteran, I value the lives of the military, rescuers, volunteers, etc..
You seem so obsessed with placating the left, that you have no interest in the implications of your arguments.
I have no interest in placating the Left, but I do believe that we need to learn some lessons from this experience. The initial federal response was not as timely and effective as it should have been. My interest is to be ready for next major disaster/event. You are serving our side very well by mindlessly saying that no mistakes were made by the Feds and all the blame rests on the Governor and Mayor.
At least she's finally admitting it.
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GOOD QUESTION.
I'm unaware of a contingency plan for a COMPLETELY inept and paralyzed local/state government, but you can bet after this fiasco there may be one written.
We need to keep pounding the foul mouthed Mayor and crocodile tears Governor. The MSM won't do it, We can't let GWB down now.
well, if the feds got in as soon as they could have, then who cares about whether the locals had to ask?
Bullseye!
Idon't get it. Of they could go in after they were asked.
duh..
Wait a minute. You AGREE with the fact that Posse Comitatus was not broken again by the federal government but insist the president go ahead and break it at his descretion anyway?
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