Don't they look like they are? ;)
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.
This was a highly unusual storm: a powerful catagory 5 hurricane heading on a projected track straight into New Orleans. I think the last time that happened was Hurricane Betsy in 1965, so it's the kind of storm that happens once every fourty years or so. The other key fact is that New Orleans sits in a bowl below sea level so it's extremely vulnerable to flooding. I understand what you're saying and the dangers of forced government evacuations, but in this specific case an evacuation was a good idea. It does need to happen with great transparency of course, in full view of the news media.
This went to the Dome.
Not really. I thought it was rather funny that anyone would think Brown was a redneck, or that he's anything more than a PR man. Bush and the others I mentioned were probably upset. After all, Bush declared the disaster early, because they saw what was coming.
I do not dispute the ongoing devastating realities of what the last couple of years worth of hurricanes has inflicted on so many Americans, in the various paths of these deadly tropical storms.
"Just think about what some are asking for, here."
A more coordinated response would be a good start :)
On a side note relating to storms & flooding, while the Gulf coastline & Florida were being slammed by Katrina, two super-typhoons were bringing destruction to portions of Asian nations. Typhoon 'Nabi' Hits Japanese Production
Even as Japan is in the midst of recovering from Typhoon 'Nabi' rampage, this madness takes place: Masked men spray Japan students with powder.
(red)China: Typhoon Talim leaves 99 dead, 36 missing
The week before Hurricane Katrina there was a Disaster in Europe: Fires out, flood waters recede (heavy graphics) (8-25-05)
Yesterday a Strong quake jolted Taiwan (6.1)
I think it far more likely that the officials in Florida were far more prepared than the officials in LA, and therefore the combination of federal (FEMA) and local emergency government was seamless.
You're kidding right? The federales are nothing if not PC in the present Dim/MSM/ACLU dominated world. Yer basic MSM hit piece. Out of maybe several hundred firemen, they find a few disgruntled ones to quote to give the proper perspective? If there's any meat here, it ain't much IMO.
Don't they look like they are? ;)
Yes he was.
No, you always charge blindly in while the storm is still raging. That way many of your employees can get killed too, so the media can't blame you.
So putting 229,328 people in 679 shelters in 12 states in 5 days is pathetic? You are either Katy Couric or the Mayor of New Orleans
FEMA
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18618
To date:
Not until you begin to act like a thinking conservative with at least a smattering of rudimentary comprehension skills.
What should they do? Show a Unpositive image. Are you always this stupid?
Please enlighten me. I'm so enthralled by those that continue to excuse leaders because they have the 'right' letter by their name. Especially leaders that apparently can't even hold down a job as a horse show coordinator. I can only imagine how taxing that job was and how it prepared him to be the leader of FEMA
Yes, before.
Why don't you read his bio.
Bingo, absolutely correct. This is a fine time to have a political hack in such a key national security position. 'Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) plans hearings on the agency's performance since the hurricane'. Yet the minority of Brown's supporters act like FEMA did a wonderful job dealing with Katrina from day one.
It's time this guy returns to supervising horse-shows since 'horseman' did not win, place or show when most needed.
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