Posted on 09/18/2008 4:14:29 PM PDT by Pinkbell
Hurricane survivors are being put at risk in Texas and other hot weather states because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is no longer providing ice in relief situations, say watchdogs, relief workers and local leaders in Hurricane Alley.
Chad Lavergne searches through his home, destroyed by Hurricane Ike, in search of documents and personal items, in Bridge City, Texas, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008. Hurricane survivors are being put at risk in Texas and other hot weather states because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is no longer providing ice in relief situations, say watchdogs, relief workers and local leaders in Hurricane Alley.
"It's frustrating that the government can deliver $85 billion to bail out AIG, and they can't deliver ice in Texas," said Ben Smilowitz, executive director of the Disaster Accountability Project (DAP), a nonpartisan organization that monitors the nation's disaster response system.
In fact, while the federal government can deliver ice to disaster areas, it's chosen not to, under newly-revised FEMA rules. Instead, individual states and local governments are now tasked with purchasing, delivering and storing ice, even though they face tough logistical challenges in doing so, according to critics of the new policy.
"FEMA is effectively saying we can't guarantee you ice," said Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
Besides preserving food when electricity is out, ice is essential in maintaining temperature-sensitive medication and feeding formulas and keeping people cool in the aftermath of disaster, relief and support workers say.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
What a load of crap.
It's a made-up, two-bit, liberal, hack organization, established and designed to milk every last ounce of political gain from the tragedy of others.
Give the executive director a cooler and a bicycle and have him deliver ice. Otherwise, his hot air is only making the problem worse.
Just wait until they run out of TP.
Under NIMS (National Incident Management System) local government passes on requests to regional operations for items they need that they cannot fill with local resources. Regional, in turn, passes on to state amd then state to federal. That is how it works.
Hmmmm. Who has water, refrigeration,trucks, gas, manpower and distribution points?
After Katrina, there were widespread reports that Wal-Mart had bottled water on store shelves before FEMA could get it into stricken towns. My solution then, and it still makes sense now: Contract out the distribution of relief supplies to Wal-Mart. The only logistics operation that comes close to Wally's reach and efficiency is the U.S. Military, and it kind of has a lot on its plate at the moment.
God help the ignorant in this country when there’s a true emergency where Uncle Sam can’t come to the rescue.
Sarah, please put FEMA on your list.
But no, people don't need ice. You give someone ice today, they'll be in line for it tomorrow. Emergency distributions should be emergency distributions - water for a family for 3 days, enough food to feed them for three days. Local companies can produce ice not long after the disaster is over with, and commercial enterprises can distribute it far more efficiently.
If the local water supply is compromised so much that they're unable to make ice locally, then those FEMA trucks are better used bringing in more clean water than bringing in bags of ice. This, actually, is pretty basic emergency planning. FEMA is supposed to be there to make sure the community can survive through the disaster, not provide comfort.
According to some researchers, Walmart is *more* efficient than the US Military’s logistics system - partially because they have less regulations and paperwork.
Two other points worth noting. Much of that ice was allowed to just melt in the trucks where they sat. It was also reported that the Fed paid over $5 a bag plus the shipping costs for all that ice thus costing tax payers unnecessarily millions. Poor planning and execution.
Those folks might consider making their own arrnagements to get ice then, or to evacuate - as they were told to do - to somme place where there IS ice.
What'll it be after ice?
Beer, too?
And then some corn chips to go with the beer?
How about a movie to watch while you're drinking your beer and eating those chips?
Need a little salsa too?
are these people in areas where the local government wants to take the land by condemnation?
There were a few articles citing that the reason people were not being let back in was in order to condemn and demolish homes before people had a chance to return and repair before condemnation “inspections” could take place.
I don't doubt it. I'd also imagine they're far more cost-effective, because cost is part of their calculations from the start, where the military starts from the assumption that their work is life and death, costs be damned, and then tries to streamline operations and cut costs as a secondary concern.
Political considerations loom large. If the military bought emergency clothing from China or produce from Mexico, some folks would be up in arms. Wal-Mart doesn't have those restrictions.
The people who actually need it may be relatively few, but when they need it, they need it badly.
Insulin, some antibiotics and other medicines, and sterile, pre-made formula for babies (which would be perfect if you didn't have the power to boil water to sterilize) would all probably require water.
Insulin, some antibiotics and other medicines, and sterile, pre-made formula for babies (which would be perfect if you didn't have the power to boil water to sterilize) would all probably require water ice.
Sorry.
Yes... which if you didn’t have before the disaster hit, would be pointless afterwards.
You can make ice on site faster than you can truck it into Texas from Nebraska.
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