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.
I read that through, and it says "relief crews" stocked the Dome. Who were they, I wonder? It's frustratingly sparse on detail.
It should be if it isn't. They need to know what resources need to go where,and by what available route. None of which is known until after the damage is done. Also remember that folks thought (for no good reason) that NO was out of the woods the night after the storm.
The article is a hit piece on the Admin. Notice their's no mention, not even a hint of LA EM folks rules regarding any relief effort's outside their own. The kept the Red Cross out and FEMA. Those relief crews were fedFEMA, not Red Cross, or anyone else.
That NYTs piece was a vicious, pure partisan attack.
"I read that through, and it says "relief crews" stocked the Dome. Who were they, I wonder? It's frustratingly sparse on detail."
The NG brought in MRE's for 15000 for 3 days
The NG brought in MRE's for 15000 for 3 daysSpan, hope your wife doesn't mind me posting to you, would be bad etiquette not to include you in the To: box.
Sometimes you play chess 2 moves ahead and sometimes 3.
Novak came out saying there are two too many lawyers at Homeland and FEMA and I think he is playing 1 move ahead of any of us.
I hate to think the worst but keeping in mind the narrow advantage the conservative movement has developed and the 80 years it took, there is not a whole lot I'm not willing to trade for that if the poop hits the fan.
And 2 lawyers is chump change.
Never trust Novak, unless of course you're a Dem. But it is nice to learn that you can actually read. I, too, hate to think the worse and would like to give you the benefit of the doubt on that chess thing, but not going to do it, so keep trying.
He's all yours. Have fun!
Thanks, I'll give it a try but this one is as slippery as an eel.
The conservative movement only grows bigger each election.
America sees the libs for the dregs they are.
So don't worry about us we can keep our hand on the treasure
The dude's just completely outclassed. Let him crawl away.
"The dude's just completely outclassed. Let him crawl away."
Thanks for sharing all the love, but I guess Bush put this thread to bed.
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