Posted on 09/06/2005 5:56:44 PM PDT by 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.
Rush is right, and your "prediction" is a major "duh" alert.
"They would have been better off to tell them to bring their own food, a lawn chair, and an AK-47 to defend themselves from the criminals freely roaming the dome during that time."
Amen - and lets fund that by getting rid of Homeland which was a big Hillary project anyways
Be safe and thanks for all the hard work. Now how about chipping in here a bit so I can take a break? :-)
"Do you honestly think some kid at a checkpoint is going to give John Travolta a hard time?
Should celebrities be in N.O.? Possibly, but probably not. Did he ask permission before going in?"
All good questions!
Yes, I do indeed know that. Nobody in emergency management would make such an outrageous claim.
Detail FEMA's screw ups. We'd prefer to see some objective facts not just your subjective opinions.
What SPECIFICALLY did Brown screw up?
Just because you don't approve of his appoinment doesn't mean that he has done a bad job or did a bad job in this case.
Just asking: What experience do you have in crisis management or emergency response? Are you just taking your cues from the hysterical (and ignorant) media on scene or are you reading off the Liberal cheatsheet?
Does anyone know whether sending people to the Superdome and Convention Center was part of the official pre-hurricane plan, or did the mayor just come up with that idea at the last minute? And was any police protection provided at those two sites?
LOL
DHS does have too many tentacles for its own good, I'll grant you that.
So tell me again how hanging a solid performer out to dry (scapegoating) teaches us about "personal responsibility?" (This one should be good. Where's the popcorn?)
Laugh all you want. Anything to keep from answering my valid question, right?
I'd have to look at their disaster plan to be sure, but I think the Superdome is a designated spot (had been used at least twice before), the Convention center just happened when people fled the chaos of the superdome, and police? Hell, most of them never reported, some of the ones who did were downtown looting, and those who stuck to their posts were completely overwhelmed.
Brown's mistake was assuming the Rats running Louisiana wouldn't make a Charley-Foxtrot out of things. I think most of us who knew anything about Louisiana politics knew how things were going to go down there.
YOU are the Left's spokesman on this thread.
How about YOUR boss just dump you just to prove an invalid point and to attempt to placate an implacable opponent?
It is possible to stun the Liberals but it is impossible to appease them.
Me? I say kill them outright by announcing a push to repeath the 22nd amendment. They die of stroke.
LOL
The laughter is very appropriate in the context of your farfetched claim that his departure would have zero effect on FEMA.
Now THAT is funny!
FoxNews showed vehicles driving through the thirsty, hungry crowd. The people had to move to let the vehicles drive through. The vehicles came from outside the flooded area.
Did you watch people asking for water and food on national TV over and over again?
If you think that waiting five days to deliver water is not sluggishness, then we must disagree.
I paid $80 k in taxes - where did it go?
Clearly not to your education!!! You still think FEMA is the police/fire department/paramedics/ambulance all rolled into one. They are not.
FEMA is a "management agency". They push paper, award contracts, and write checks.
More than one poster has corrected you on the time lines (i.e. it wasn't five days) but you ignore that. More than one poster has corrected you on the difference between FEMA and the Louisiana Homeland Security chief, you also ignore that.
Clearly the $80K you spent on taxes didn't go towards your education.
Fire them all.
How many years in office did Nagin have to shape up the NOPD?
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