FEMA Is Not A First Responder

[Adam's Apple]

FEMA IS NOT A FIRST RESPONDER
By Craig Martelle, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

September 6, 2005

Don't be so quick to pillory the federal response in New Orleans. Immediate emergency management is primarily a local and state responsibility.

As one who has received training by FEMA in emergency management and also training by the Department of Defense in consequence management, I believe that the federal response in New Orleans needs clarification.

The key to emergency management starts at the local level and expands to the state level. Emergency planning generally does not include any federal guarantees, as there can only be limited ones from the federal level for any local plan. FEMA provides free training, education, assistance and respond in case of an emergency, but the local and state officials run their own emergency management program.

Prior development of an emergency plan, addressing all foreseeable contingencies, is the absolute requirement of the local government --and then they share that plan with the state emergency managers to ensure that the state authorities can provide necessary assets not available at the local level. Additionally, good planning will include applicable elements of the federal government (those located in the local area). These processes are well established, but are contingent upon the personal drive of both hired and elected officials at the local level.

I've reviewed the New Orleans emergency management plan. Here is an important section in the first paragraph.

for full article:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05249/566101.stm

 

[Nuc]

"Don't be so quick to pillory the federal response in New Orleans. Immediate emergency management is primarily a local and state responsibility."

Yeah, and if the Federal Government knows that a major natural disaster is going to hit an area with corrupt local and state governments, then what? The reaction to this disaster is giving the whole country a black eye.

 

[Mr. P]

"Don't be so quick to pillory the federal response in New Orleans. Immediate emergency management is primarily a local and state responsibility."

Yeah, and if the Federal Government knows that a major natural disaster is going to hit an area with corrupt local and state governments, then what? The reaction to this disaster is giving the whole country a black eye.

No....

The individuals who devolved into lawless animals embarrass the entirety of America.

Is what did that.

 

[Adam's Apple]

As I understand the story, the Federal Government was ready. They were waiting for the call from Louisiana, which was very slow in coming. (Personally, I think the call never did come, although no one has claimed that was the case.) I think the Federal Government just took over the situation when they saw the state and local governments were incapable of handling the situation. When the feds contacted the Governor and Mayor of N.O. about the news reports they were hearing, they were told an entirely different story about the situation than what the feds were hearing on the newscasts. (This is what the Director of Homeland Security said on the talk shows Sunday.) The U.S. government responds at the invitation of the state and local governments. Also, several state governments are saying that they called the Governor of LA to offer their national guard units for security and were put off.

 

[Nuc]

No....Is what did that.

Are you saying that the federal gov. had no inkling that the people of New Orleans were an accident waiting to happen? Bush was the governor of a neighboring state and he didn't have a clue? I'm not saying the residents are not responsible, just if you know that there's a powderkeg you should guess that there might be an explosion.

 

[Nuc]

As I understand the story, the Federal Government was ready. They were waiting for the call from Louisiana, which was very slow in coming. (Personally, I think the call never did come, although no one has claimed that was the case.) I think the Federal Government just took over the situation when they saw the state and local governments were incapable of handling the situation. When the feds contacted the Governor and Mayor of N.O. about the news reports they were hearing, they were told an entirely different story about the situation than what the feds were hearing on the newscasts. (This is what the Director of Homeland Security said on the talk shows Sunday.) The U.S. government responds at the invitation of the state and local governments. Also, several state governments are saying that they called the Governor of LA to offer their national guard units for security and were put off.

If Bush wants to create new departments such as Homeland Security, it should KNOW what the hell is going on in the country, not wait to be told by losers.

If they don't know what's happening, why have it?

 

[Adam's Apple]

They were in touch with the elected state and local leaders, relying on them to tell the feds what their needs were. Everyone knows that the news gets distorted by the primarily lib reporters who put their political spin on everything. There's plenty of evidence the Governor and the Mayor flubbed their responsibilities BIG TIME. The feds were following protocol--waiting for the invitation to step in as provided under the established laws. Contrast the breakdown of the state and local governments in LA to how they functioned in NY, FL and OK, and I think you can see the difference. The Governor of LA cried instead of acting! The Mayor of NO got on TV and blamed everyone but himself!

 

[Mr. P]

Are you saying that the federal gov. had no inkling that the people of New Orleans were an accident waiting to happen? Bush was the governor of a neighboring state and he didn't have a clue? I'm not saying the residents are not responsible, just if you know that there's a powderkeg you should guess that there might be an explosion.

You're hopeless.. What would you have had the Feds. do, Bush in paticular, step in and takeover from the State? Boy, then you guys could have really waved that Bush is a Nazi dictator flag, huh?

The PRIMARY responsabilite was with State and Local Government, they failed, deal with it.

 

[Adam's Apple]

Mr. P., I have a 10 a.m. function to attend this morning, so I'm signing off. I'll depend on you to continue to show Nuclear the error of his thinking.

 

[Nuc]

You're hopeless.. What would you have had the Feds. do, Bush in paticular, step in and takeover from the State? Boy, then you guys could have really waved that Bush is a Nazi dictator flag, huh?

The PRIMARY responsabilite was with State and Local Government, they failed, deal with it.

No, because I've been to NO and I know how corrupt it is, I would have thought Bush showed some "leadership" if he went in there.

 

[Mr. P]

Mr. P., I have a 10 a.m. function to attend this morning, so I'm signing off. I'll depend on you to continue to show Nuclear the error of his thinking.

I'll try but I think it's hopeless.
Eyes wide shut, ya know?

 

[Johnney]

You're hopeless.. What would you have had the Feds. do, Bush in paticular, step in and takeover from the State? Boy, then you guys could have really waved that Bush is a Nazi dictator flag, huh?

The PRIMARY responsabilite was with State and Local Government, they failed, deal with it.

hes damned if he does and damned if he doesnt.
the problem wa in the planning. come on now, you live in a gulf state. its not like the mississippi river (which does flood in this area). you should have some type of plan for this. obviously state and local sop didnt quite cover something as in depth as what happened. you should always plan for the worst case. i mean theres the gulf at your back door. no one ever, never thought about the integrity of the levys? not once? or was it "what if it breaks?... naw that wont happen so lets not cover it".