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.
Amazing how people allow themselves to be spun by the America hating media.
Given the role of the federal government in such situations I think his actions are reasonable. Again, New Orleans and Louisiana have the primary responsibility for dealing with disasters - the federal government's role is to pitch in, not to take over. That the federal government has essentially taken the job over shows a complete failure by the local and state governments.
"Escapees from the asylum perhaps."
The asylum probably kicked them out after discovering they are stupid instead of insane-stupidity is incurable.
Yes, lies often do need repeating, since most of us aren't gullible enough to believe them the first few dozen times. Since you're having trouble with Google, thought I'd help you out a bit.
From Mike Brown's bio:
Previously, Mr. Brown served as FEMA's Deputy Director and the agency's General Counsel. Shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mr. Brown served on the President's Consequence Management Principal's Committee, which acted as the White House's policy coordination group for the federal domestic response to the attacks. Later, the President asked him to head the Consequence Management Working Group to identify and resolve key issues regarding the federal response plan. In August 2002, President Bush appointed him to the Transition Planning Office for the new Department of Homeland Security, serving as the transition leader for the EP&R Division.
Prior to joining FEMA, Mr. Brown practiced law in Colorado and Oklahoma, where he served as a bar examiner on ethics and professional responsibility for the Oklahoma Supreme Court and as a hearing examiner for the Colorado Supreme Court. He had been appointed as a special prosecutor in police disciplinary matters. While attending law school he was appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee of the Oklahoma Legislature as the Finance Committee Staff Director, where he oversaw state fiscal issues. His background in state and local government also includes serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight and as a city councilman.
Mr. Brown was also an adjunct professor of law for the Oklahoma City University.
A native of Oklahoma, Mr. Brown holds a bachelor's degree in Public Administration/Political Science from Central State University, Oklahoma. He received his J.D. from Oklahoma City University’s School of Law.
The Press bashes Bush for ratings. There are a certain percentage of the population who love to hear Bush hate talking points. Listening to FOX is better than watching CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC. FOX bashes but bashes across the board. The Liberal Press conditions people to hate Bush to keep us divided and also to keep certain people watching News instead of competitive sports. Conflict sells.
Yes, FEMA is not a first-responder. They notify the local and state governments that they will arrive within 72-96 hours. They were right on time according to their guidelines. If Congress wants to mandate a different procedure they will have to change the old one WHICH THEY APPROVED in the Homeland Security Com. Now they act as though they'd never heard of it.I hate politicians.
BUMP.
Well, Terry Ebbert must be changing his tune, because he has been one of the vocal critics blaming the Feds for everything.
How many critics have managed 164 declared emergencies? Or even one?
Excuse me, but how much more bilge are you going to post on this forum?
The TSA and 'Homeland Security'(?) has been a joke for years. Tom Ridge and Norman Minetta have proven this. I have taken half a dozen potential 'weapons' on my business trips for over 35 years. A few years ago, I sent the FBI a list of 11 ways to make a flight crew, "uncomfortable." Subsequently, for at least a year I was drawn aside, and patted down, etc. It was a joke. A 53 year old 150 pound, shaven, bald WASP wearing a $500 navy blue pin-stripe suit being patted down and wanded. LOL
Oh well.
All of them... from the safety of their keyboards.
Wow...and all I've been hearing is how he was some horse-show judge or something.
Yes.
The local governments are responsible for conducting evacuations and setting up shelters. After a request for assistance is made by the Governor of the relevant state, FEMA is responsible to analyze where additional aid is needed (for example after finding where survivors have been sent and what they lack), and if needed the resupplies are to begin to arrive in 5 days.
FEMA beat the snot out of that timetable this time.
FEMA didn't stop the Red Cross from going in. The mayor did.
Larry King transcript - Sep 2 2005
KING: We're back.
Joining us now in Washington is Marty Evans, the President and CEO of the American Red Cross. She traveled with the president today. The Red Cross is not in New Orleans, why?
MARTY EVANS, RED CROSS PRESIDENT AND CEO: Well, Larry, when the storm came our goal was prior to landfall to support the evacuation. It was unsafe to be in the city. We were asked by the city not to be there..
Apparently that's true, but it's not quite presented in context, is it?
THAT is the thinking behind having the first responders be local. They should set up a command and control center and then the feds can come in and work with the locals. They don't work independently of the locals because the area is strange to them.
Good grief, a two year old can figure that out, why can't the media?
As Rumsfeld said, they were leaning forward so much that there were actually moving things before the go ahead.
Either incompetence or malicious motivations. Or both.
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