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 am not laying absolute & total blame on Brown, it's well known there was a total lack on coordination from the Mayor of New Orleans, that state's Governor, all the way up to the Federal level. Many police and residents have all stated the same thing.
"Representative Mark Foley, Republican of Florida, said FEMA should be separated from the Department of Homeland Security. "FEMA should not be hindered by a top-heavy bureaucracy when they are needed to act swiftly to save lives," Mr. Foley said."
"Since FEMA's absorption into Homeland Security, its ties to state emergency programs have been weakened, and it has reduced spending on disaster preparation, critics say."source
I am glad FEMA assisted you with last year's multi-hurricane devastation. Katrina's first geographic victim in the US was southern Florida.
Not everyone has had such favourable experiences with FEMA.
Like George Tenet
He's toast.
Your response points something out that also needs to be considered. People are still being tended to from last years hurricanes...not to mention the two already this year before Katrina.
Heck, FEMA was (and is) still responding to the first Katrina strike in South Florida just days before. This doesn't include the other 90,000 square miles they are also dealing with.
I'm amazed that so many people really expect that FEMA can do as much as they are being asked. Sadly, I don't want a federal goverment that has to become so big that it continues to take even more responsibility (and revenue for support) away from the states. Just think about what some are asking for, here.
"The head of the Red Cross said the Louisiana State Homeland Security Dept was the dept which prevented them from entering NO. Not FEMA."
FEMA is "owned" by Homeland.
Both directors must go
Poor Stevens. That was not just dumb. It was Sheila Jackson Lee dumb.
"Let's suppose for a minute the Red Cross is all gung-ho to crash an unknown situation.
By what authority does FEMA have to NOT let them into an area? I can see local police, fire, Nat'l Guard having jurisdiction. But FEMA?
"
Read these strings - its widely reported that Homeland/FEMA denied/heldup a wide variety of profesional first responders.
Don't think it matters to him.
"The Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" "Don't stop him, he's on a roll."
From Animal House. Seems appropriate here too. Friggin' morons everywhere these days. At least Blutarski was likeable.
Seven years of college down the drain....
"Brown blocked aid for five days? Got a source for that?"
Its all over - even Bush said the results of aid have benn unnacceptable.
>>Don't you see its political KoolAid?
"Back away from the Koolaid with your hands at your side"
OK - You get up there in 2008 and give the keynote speech on how the 5 day delay in the "Worst Disaster in the History of the US" was justified. We ain't winning these elections with Reagan landslides anymore.
"To help keep them fed and hydrated, the Louisiana National Guard delivered three truckloads of water and seven truckloads of MREs — short for "meals ready to eat." That's enough to supply 15,000 people for three days"
And are you suggesting that this was sufficient in a city with 100,000 victims?
You better give him a call and tell him.
I'd bet his phone is busy.
Just a guess.
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