FEMA Chief Waited Until After Storm Hit

NewsMax ^ | September 7, 2005 | NewsMax Wires

[bobsunshine]

WASHINGTON - The government's disaster chief waited until hours after Hurricane Katrina had already struck the Gulf Coast before asking his boss to dispatch 1,000 Homeland Security employees to the region - and gave them two days to arrive, according to internal documents.

Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sought the approval from Homeland Security Secretary Mike Chertoff roughly five hours after Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29. Brown said that among duties of these employees was to "convey a positive image" about the government's response for victims.

Before then, FEMA had positioned smaller rescue and communications teams across the Gulf Coast. But officials acknowledged Tuesday the first department-wide appeal for help came only as the storm raged. Brown's memo to Chertoff described Katrina as "this near catastrophic event" but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, "Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities."

The initial responses of the government and Brown came under escalating criticism as the breadth of destruction and death grew. President Bush and Congress on Tuesday pledged separate investigations into the federal response to Katrina. "Governments at all levels failed," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said Brown had positioned front-line rescue teams and Coast Guard helicopters before the storm. Brown's memo on Aug. 29 aimed to assemble the necessary federal work force to support the rescues, establish communications and coordinate with victims and community groups, Knocke said.

Instead of rescuing people or recovering bodies, these employees would focus on helping victims find the help they needed, he said.

'Time for Blame'

"There will be plenty of time to assess what worked and what didn't work," Knocke said. "Clearly there will be time for blame to be assigned and to learn from some of the successful efforts."

Brown's memo told employees that among their duties, they would be expected to "convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizations and the general public."

"FEMA response and recovery operations are a top priority of the department and as we know, one of yours," Brown wrote Chertoff. He proposed sending 1,000 Homeland Security Department employees within 48 hours and 2,000 within seven days.

Knocke said the 48-hour period suggested for the Homeland employees was to ensure they had adequate training. "They were training to help the life-savers," Knocke said.

Employees required a supervisor's approval and at least 24 hours of disaster training in Maryland, Florida or Georgia. "You must be physically able to work in a disaster area without refrigeration for medications and have the ability to work in the outdoors all day," Brown wrote.

The same day Brown wrote Chertoff, Brown also urged local fire and rescue departments outside Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi not to send trucks or emergency workers into disaster areas without an explicit request for help from state or local governments. Brown said it was vital to coordinate fire and rescue efforts.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., said Tuesday that Brown should step down.

After a senators-only briefing by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and other Cabinet members, Sen. Charles E. Schumer said lawmakers weren't getting their questions answered.

"What people up there want to know, Democrats and Republicans, is what is the challenge ahead, how are you handling that and what did you do wrong in the past," said Schumer, D-N.Y.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said the administration is "getting a bad rap" for the emergency response.

"This is the largest disaster in the history of the United States, over an area twice the size of Europe," Stevens said. "People have to understand this is a big, big problem."

Meanwhile, the airline industry said the government's request for help evacuating storm victims didn't come until late Thursday afternoon. The president of the Air Transport Association, James May, said the Homeland Security Department called then to ask if the group could participate in an airlift for refugees.

[Brilliant]

Their big point, though, is that he supposedly gave them two days to get there.

[bobsunshine]

Think Congress put FEMA under HS and I think it was a recommendation of the 9/11 commission. Will check it out.

[VeniVidiVici]

Yeah. FEMA should have prepositioned assets before the storm hit.

For what?

What was FEMA to do the day after the hurricane hit? And what good would such assets be if in the path of the hurricane?

The Red Cross even decided several years ago to NOT have shelters in New Orleans proper due to its elevation.

[geopyg]

---"Knocke said the 48-hour period suggested for the Homeland employees was to ensure they had adequate training. "They were training to help the life-savers," Knocke said."---

This part seems to get overlooked - FEMA is not the lifesavers as far as I can tell. They are there to help and "manage" the first-responders.

And the public is the first responder. Anyone who isn't prepared to last 5-10 days (or more!) on their own should do so NOW. (I'm the designated "gas turner-offer" in my block!)

[M. Espinola]

"Brown needs to be fired IMMEDIATELY. I can't belive Bush ever gave such responsibility to this imbecile."

I fully agree. On Saturday I stated on a Katrina thread Michael Brown was not doing his job but was quick to issue snooty comments to reporters saying 'everyone had plenty of time to get out' (90 year old ladies in wheelchairs & the poor without cars or $$ could not) I was attacked as being a 'liberal' for saying Brown should be replaced. Nice eh?

I am not faulting President Bush for bringing Brown on before, maybe he thought the schlub would work out, but he has not, and should be given a pink slip now.

Check this out: FEMA chief fired from previous job Michael Brown oversaw horse shows, had no significant disaster experience

Mr President I nominate Jabbar Gibson as the new head of FEMA!

This young hero accomplished far more then Brown.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Bush declared a disaster on Saturday, and Brown waits until MONDAY to start moving people....

The guy is completely incompetent.

[Daralundy]

Sounds sensible to me. If they had been there during the hurricane they would probably be injured or dead and their equipment destroyed.

[armymarinemom]

Next time we can send them in before the hurricane. Getting yourself killed is always a good way to help.

[Wiseghy]

FEMA=co-ordinates resources.

Local Authorities=handle rescue, recovery and request said resources.

The big lie was that people (the press) expected FEMA to be in charge and the incompetent, cowardly, politicking local leaders promptly blamed them for everything, thus adding to the myth.

OK, 1000 FEMA Reps given the geographic size still seems small, however how many assessors do you need at the outset to deal with the locals in charge? Did they even HAVE any more trained to respond and properly evaluate and interface with local authorities? Just sending bobble-heads into field wouldn't have done any good.

[Howlin]

I have been in three hurricanes, I have not heard of one instance where fema was there before the hurricane.

Precisely.

Everybody in hurricanes states knows that for the first 48 hours you're on your own.

[Howlin]

DNC Talking Points? NewsMax is on the job.

Isn't that the truth.

Somebody should tell NewsMax that it's not FEMA's job to rescue people.

These sound like non-essential personnel who will handle paperwork.

[Howlin]

It's about time somebody "investigated" and "critiqued" the press' part in this disaster.

[Howlin]

Bump for the truth!

[Cyber Liberty]

That'll be the day...

[pepperhead]

Get a grip. FEMA is not a 'first responder'.

Wish more people would wake up to that fact.

[pepperhead]

And what good would such assets be if in the path of the hurricane?

That is what I am trying to figure out.

[Howlin]

Isn't that the truth.

[Lunatic Fringe]

I think the point is that Brown didnt even START moving people until after the hurricane hit. Bush declared a disaster on Saturday and Brown didn't start moving people until Monday afternoon.

[Eva]

I think that I will once again, ask NewsMax to stop sending me emails. (I stopped it once, but somehow it didn't stick) This article is tells some of the truth, but leaves out the most important facts. Blanco didn't want them giving the orders, she wanted to be in charge. So, yes, they were told to hold off until they were asked to come.

[Bob]

Everybody in hurricanes states knows that for the first 48 hours you're on your own.

Until the locals assess the situation and communicate their needs, any FEMA response is purely guesswork and is likely to be exactly what they don't need.