> FEMA is NOT a first responder organization. In the case of Katrina, FEMA is a support agency.
Therein probably lies a problem: their brief and their label are possibly out-of-sync. If they are the Federal Emergency MANAGEMENT Agency, they probably do need to be a first-response organization, as their name might imply.
One cannot manage a situation from a support position. One actually needs to lead it to manage it. Otherwise, one is merely coordinating it — and “coordination” is usually a useless waste of everybody’s time.
Anyrate, no complaints from DownUnder. The Yanks are here, on time, right away. Brilliant response.
God Bless America.
It’s a bit more subtle than that, FEMA must be invited in before they can go into a disaster area. (something about state’s rights)
The Democrat governor and the Democrat mayor delayed permission and then blamed the Republican president and FEMA for the very delays they caused.