Posted on 01/29/2006 7:57:05 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Hundreds of available trucks, boats, planes and federal officers were unused in search and rescue efforts immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit because FEMA failed to give them missions, new documents show.
Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency called off its search and rescue operations in Louisiana three days after the Aug. 29 storm because of security issues, according to an internal FEMA e-mail given to Senate investigators.
The documents, released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, are further evidence of lapses in FEMA's response to Katrina. They also detail breakdowns in carrying out the National Response Plan, which was issued a year ago specifically to coordinate response efforts during disasters.
A spokesman for the Homeland Security Department, which includes FEMA, did not dispute the documents. Katrina "pushed our capabilities and resources to the limit — and then some," said spokesman Russ Knocke.
Responding to a questionnaire posed by investigators, Interior Department Assistant Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett said her agency offered to supply FEMA with 300 dump trucks and other vehicles, 300 boats, 11 aircraft and 400 law enforcement officers to help search and rescue efforts.
"Although the department possesses significant resources that could have improved initial and ongoing response, many of these resources were not effectively incorporated into the federal response to Hurricane Katrina," Scarlett wrote in the response, dated Nov. 7.
Scarlett added: "Although we attempted to provide these assets through the process established by the NRP, we were unable to efficiently integrate and deploy those resources."
At one point, Scarlett's letter said, FEMA asked U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to help with search and rescue in New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish and St. Tammany Parish but that the rescuers "never received task assignments." The agency, a branch of the Interior Department, apparently went ahead anyway, according to the letter, which said that Fish and Wildlife helped rescue 4,500 people in the first week after Katrina.
Other Interior Department resources that were offered, but unused, included flat-bottom boats for shallow-water rescues. "Clearly these assets and skills were precisely relevant in the post-Katrina environment," Scarlett wrote.
Knocke, the Homeland Security spokesman, said up to 60,000 federal employees were sent to the Gulf Coast to response to Katrina. However, "experience has shown that FEMA was not equipped with 21st century capabilities, and that is what (Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff) has committed as one of our top priorities going forward," he said.
Sen. Susan Collins (news, bio, voting record), R-Maine, head of the Senate committee that released the documents, called them "the most candid assessment that we've received from any federal agency." Her panel, which is investigating the government's response to Katrina, is scheduled to question a FEMA operations official Monday at a hearing focusing on search and rescue efforts.
"Here we have another federal department offering skilled personnel and the exact kinds of assets that were so desperately needed in the Gulf region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and there was no response that we can discern from FEMA," Collins said in an interview Sunday. "That is incredible to me."
Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the panel, said the Interior documents underscore "an outrage on top of an outrage."
Lieberman and Collins both said they also were dismayed by an internal FEMA e-mail, dated Sept. 1, calling a halt to search and rescue task force efforts in Louisiana.
"All assets have ceased operation until National Guard can assist TFs (task forces) with security," said the e-mail, sent from FEMA headquarters.
Knocke said the halt was likely the result of looting, rioting and other security concerns in New Orleans in the days after Katrina hit. It could not be determined Sunday whether FEMA suspended its search and rescue missions indefinitely or just temporarily on Sept. 1.
Knocke said he did not know and that the answer would be determined in the department's own review of the response.
But Lieberman said the e-mail suggests FEMA "left early," noting that personnel from the Coast Guard, and other federal, state and local agencies continued looking for storm victims for days after.
"This is shocking and without explanation," he said.
The documents were among 800,000 pages of memos, e-mails, plans and other papers gathered by investigators for the Senate committee, which plans to issue a report of its findings in March.
Lieberman charged last week that the White House was hindering the inquiry by barring some staffers from answering investigators' questions.
White House counselor Dan Bartlett maintained Sunday that the Bush administration would not give up specific internal documents or information from top presidential advisers.
"We're making sure that they have all the information necessary while we also protect the separation of government," Bartlett said on CNN's "Late Edition." "That's something that everybody recognizes and I think everybody at the end of the day can be satisfied."
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that the federal government will spend "well over $100 billion" to help rebuild the still-reeling Gulf Coast. The government has so far committed about $85 billion, including $67 billion in direct spending approved by Congress.
St. Bernard Parish Councilman Craig Taffaro Jr. touts his community's post-Katrina message to'return, rebuild and remain,' on his t-shirt in Chalmette, La., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006, where he and a group of volunteers assisted a family in gutting the interior of their home. The volunteers were part of a prize, offered by parish officials in their house-gutting lottery. The effort is a way to help bolster community spirit while assisting residents with their cleanups. (AP Photo/Rogelio Solis)
I think we're expecting waaay too much of FEMA.
I think President Bush expected Mr Browne to perform according to his job description. He didn't and was fired.
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
Before FEMA , how on earth ever did communities and individuals survive?
It's the old 'If Big Gubamint is good, Bigger gubamint will be great!'
Individuals and communities that choose to rely on others may eventually find that they will oft if not always be disappointed.
Good point.
I guess that is one aspect of the "plantation" that could use some work. ;-)
Note, however, that it took these people this long to realize that those things were there.
Also, anyone remember how according to the X-Files, FEMA was what the Shadow Conspiracy was going to use to take over the world?
Heh.
I'd like text a "Thankyou" to FEMA. If it was not for them , our home would still be in ruins. My Wife, My Son, and I, thank all those that donated. We are forever in debt to you, and we shall pay it back. God bless you.
Jeff
Good Morning COnservebabe,
I believe the logical and sane residents of NOLA and La expected their mayor ragin-nagin and blanko-blanco to perform in a responsible manner.(first line of govt local decision making)
They both failed prior to Katrina's arrival and the aftermath.
Brown did a good job, he was the scape-goat for the P.C. crowd and Bush haters.
One can never please those who hate you through parental programming.
I think NOLA's ass has been kissed enough, with our hard earned tax dollars.
There was nothing anyone could have done to please the anarchists and government sugar-tit babies.
If God would have appeared and restored NOLA back to normal and added 1 million dollars in the accounts of all the crybabies,(it would not have been enough to please the unpleasable)
Bush's compassionate conservatism is his weakness.He will continually be exploited, cursed, and blamed for all bad things regardless of his actions.
The culprits to blame are nagin, blanco and the rest of the ineffective La politicans.(democrats&spineless repubs)
Brown acted in a responsible manner, (being a republican and in charge of FEMA) doomed Brown from the start. This will always occur when you are dealing with liberal DNC plantation cess pool cities, states and governments.
Sooooo Sad, Tooooo Bad.
Saying What Needs To Be Said,
NSNR-THM
Good Morning
Browne didn't perform well in Mississippi, either.
Afternoon Conservebabe,
Regardless of location, this man (Brown) was sacrificed to appease a bunch of public assistance and democratic idiots.
The state, county or municipal elected officials bear the ultimate responsibilty for evacing their citizens with their EMER OPS PLAN.(Disaster Prepardness Plan NOLA)
The idiots in charge(local level) failed. Typical, blame someone other than those responsible.(liberal 101)
In relation to the real blame to go around Brown would only share a minute amount in reality.
One thousand(1000) unused empty(evac) flooded school buses "sho ain't just whistling Dixie."
Put the blame on the those who failed, nagin, blanco and landrieu.
Cordially,
NSNR-THM
If you believe Bush fired Browne without reason, then you must put the blame on him.
Neatly hidden away at the end of the article there seems to be a reason why the help wasn't utilized - security concerns.
It still all goes back to Blanco. Instead of utilizing the National Guard to keep the peace, she let everyone run wild and FEMA couldn't send it's own people in, let alone another agency's people.
By the time the General got into NOLA and took back control of the streets the major rescue operation was over.
I think I will blame you instead!!! (Just Funning)
NSNR-THM
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