FEMA are not supposed to be the FIRST RESPONDERS.
Absolutely right!
Neither FEMA, nor the Red Cross, nor the Salvation Army, nor the US Army are first responders.
During the first 48-72 hours after a disaster, the first responders are local officials and citizens.
The people need to understand this.---And, make sure their local officials are ready.
Hi Fawn,
No don't get me wrong, I agree 100%. FEMA is NOT a first responder agency. Like anyone preped for major earthquake knows, you should be ready to take care of yourself for a few days after a major disaster until FEMA gets to the destroyed area en masse. I meant that it's ironic that the liberals who are now saying that FEMA worked better before it was folded under the authority of Homeland Security, now seem to conveniently forget it was all of THEM, the LIBERALS, who demanded the Bush do that very thing, and follow the recommendation of the 9-11 Commission. They got their way, and now they're griping about it. Typical.
Bottom line is, this disaster in new Orleans is the fault of ray nagin, kathleen blanco, and their local and State governments. They did little before the hurricane hit, and nothing afterwards. The federal government has been forced to do EVERYTHING, with NO substantive help from the New Orleans and Louisiana governments (democrats all BTW), instead of them doing things before and after, until the feds can move in a couple days afterwards, the way it's supposed to be. Very irritating. Especially since the liberal media knows this too, but they're deliberately NOT reporting that easily proven fact.