Posted on 09/06/2005 5:35:09 AM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
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.
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| Craig Martelle, retired as a major in the U.S. Marine Corps, lives in North Huntingdon. He recently launched the Strategic Outlook Institute, a public-policy organization. | |||
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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.
"We coordinate all city departments and allied state and federal agencies which respond to citywide disasters and emergencies through the development and constant updating of an integrated multi-hazard plan. All requests for federal disaster assistance and federal funding subsequent to disaster declarations are also made through this office. Our authority is defined by the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, Chapter 6 Section 709, Paragraph B, 'Each parish shall maintain a Disaster Agency which, except as otherwise provided under this act, has jurisdiction over and serves the entire parish.' "
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Phil Coale, Associated Press Flooded school buses in a lot, New Orleans, Sept. 1. Click photo for larger image.
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Check the plan -- the "we" in this case is the office of the mayor, Ray Nagin who was very quick and vocal about blaming everyone but his own office. A telling picture, at left, taken by The Associated Press on Sept. 1 and widely circulated on the Internet shows a school bus park, apparently filled to capacity with buses, under about four feet of water. If a mandatory evacuation was ordered, why weren't all the taxpayer-purchased buses used in the effort?
Who could have predicted the anarchy resulting as a consequence? The individuals who devolved into lawless animals embarrass the entirety of America. (I worked in a U.S. Embassy overseas for a couple years and I can imagine what foreign diplomats are thinking.) What societal factors would ever lead people to believe that this behavior was even remotely acceptable?
The folks in New Orleans who are perpetrating the violence and lawlessness are not that way because of low income or of race, but because they personally do not have any honor or commitment to higher ideals. The civil-rights leaders should be ashamed at playing the blame game.
The blame is on the individuals. The blame is on the society that allowed these individuals to develop the ideal that the individual is greater than the national pride he is destroying. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was very clear in her comments that she was offended at those who suggested the suffering in New Orleans was prolonged because of race.
As a retired Marine, I hang my head in shame to see my fellow Americans degenerate so far. I spent so many years in the Corps helping the citizens of other countries rise to a higher level of personal responsibility to ensure that in case of emergency, anarchy did not necessarily follow. When people are held to a higher standard of personal responsibility and they accept that, then they will do the right thing when the time comes.
It seems that the mayor of New Orleans is leading the effort in not taking responsibility for his actions. The emergency managers for the state of Louisiana do not have much to say either. The failure in the first 48 hours to provide direction for survivors is theirs to live with. When FEMA was able to take over, it started out behind and had to develop its plan on the fly. Now the federal government has established priorities -- rescue the stranded, evacuate the city, flow in resources and fix the levee. It appears that now there is a plan and it is being systematically executed.
Hurricane Katrina was a national tragedy -- not just in the number of lives lost or the amount of physical damage, but also in the failure of people to do what is right when no one is looking.
I'll buy that, but there were some "paperwork" impediments that hampered an immediate response once the levees had broken.
"GWB would have been lionized by the American people if he had taken this action. Besides, GWB is not running again for election."
Bush would have been impeached, rightfully so, for violating the Constitution he is sworn to protect and defend.
Do you think the city of San Francisco and the State of California have a plan ready to execute if there's a massive earthquake? What should FEMA do, pre-position people, equipment, and food in case there's an earthquake tomorrow?
To tell you the truth, the thought of my tax money being used to rebuild NO sickens me. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent to rebuild a city that will still be 5+ feet under sea level. Why should taxpayers pay for that folly?
Now, tell me about my civic duty and how the Federal Government is responsible for making sure everyone gets what they want.
We could have evacuated the hospitals, old age homes, and children.
That should have been done anyway. In your scenario, who would have supplied the manpower to make all this happen in the 12 hour window we talked about in my last post? More military folks? The local LEO's?
Again, it's easy to look back and criticize, Kerry did a lot of that during the election, but it's hard to look at the realities of a situation and act in the best possible manner.
And if you were in the Supply and Logistics business for 8 years, you know how hard it is to get things moving quickly. Unless your unit is a quick reaction force, you aren't going anywhere in 24 hours.
Perhaps the "minority" of the public believes that, and they would like to thank you for fighting so diligently to promote this wrong thinking.
So, we need to determine just what their personal drive was, and to replicate their pro/con list for evacuating all of N.O. and the possible political ramifications.
No municipality can adequately plan for a disaster the scope of what New Orleans went through. It doesn't have the resources.
Such planning must occur at the state and/or federal level.
There are several obvious lessons:
I'm not saying it's Bush's fault. I doubt any past administration could have responded faster or had a plan in place. Reagan might have, simply because of the force of his intellect.
Tell that to Sean Hannity.
I'm loving all these people that are shooting their mouths off without having the facts.
Marking
Yes I believe you are right.
Good grief!!! And the REASON the feds were a bit slow was because Blanco kept saying they were fine. Didn't need them. The locals were the ones feeding the feds the information to go on.
I am sick of trying to explain it to someone who ignores all reason.
The President believes it too.
First Responders are us...each individual taking care of him/her self and immediate family and being prepared for emergencies. Just MHO.
Finally something good to email to people that think they know everything! Thanks.
5. The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating.
Additionally, page 11, paragraph 7, under the heading, "Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities" reads:
Parishes: Conduct and control local evacuation in parishes located in the risk area and manages reception and shelter operations in parishes located in the host area.
By their very own plan, the local government (first responders) was obligated to organize the evacuation and use city and school busses to carry out that plan, but did not.
I am sure that they have a plan. I am also fairly sure that FEMA has a plan to move people, equipment and food to the area. The first casualty of war after contact with the enemy is the war plan.
To tell you the truth, the thought of my tax money being used to rebuild NO sickens me. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent to rebuild a city that will still be 5+ feet under sea level. Why should taxpayers pay for that folly?
Because Congress and the President will approve it. I favor rebuilding it. Pennsylvania gets its fair share of federal disaster relief.
September 28, 2004
More than 450 homes were destroyed and another 600 sustained major damage across Pennsylvania last weekend after Tropical Storm Ivan dumped nine inches of rain.
The Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas were hardest hit, but thousands of others across the state were affected as rain-swollen rivers and creeks flooded their banks. So far, 46 counties have been declared eligible for federal disaster aid. Emergency officials were still tallying damages on Monday with no word on when more finalized counts will be completed. "In some cases, it's just too early to tell," said Justin Fleming of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).
That should have been done anyway. In your scenario, who would have supplied the manpower to make all this happen in the 12 hour window we talked about in my last post? More military folks? The local LEO's?
I don't accept the premise of a 12 hour window. There was more notice than that. Nagin declared a voluntary departure on Saturday night. We had fairly good information from the weather service even sooner.
The military could have been used as a last resort, but I would assume, without knowing the local circumstances, that the staffs responsible for those facillities could help provide the manpower for the move.
Again, it's easy to look back and criticize, Kerry did a lot of that during the election, but it's hard to look at the realities of a situation and act in the best possible manner.
As a Vietnam veteran, I recall Kerry's criticisms and comments long before he ran for President. I worked hard and gave a significant amount of money to defeat him. I am no John Kerry.
And if you were in the Supply and Logistics business for 8 years, you know how hard it is to get things moving quickly. Unless your unit is a quick reaction force, you aren't going anywhere in 24 hours.
Agreed. The point is that FEMA was ready. Supplies, men, and equipment had been pre-positioned. They were ready to move in right after the storm cleared the region and did so for the most part. When Honore came into NO with his eight mile long convoy on Friday with some elements based as far a way as California, it was apparent that much time and effort had been made in preparation for the event. You don't assemble such a convoy without long range planning and good logistical support. Sometimes people forget that the first responders also need their own logistical tail.
FEMA and the USG were ready. My criticism has more to do with the frustration of knowing that red tape and bureaucratic considerrations kept those assets outside NO for days.
MS and AL are not having the same problems that NOLA is having... Why? Because the state governments in MS and AL had a plan, enacted it, requested help, and coordinated efforts...
So - we should destroy the COnstitution??? Are you advocating that the federal government should ignore the Constitution when it suits them?
Indeed. We are a nation of law, not men. While this may bite us at times, it is a far better approach overall.
It was on a FR thread! I saw it but have no idea which one it was on!
Also, please thank PRESIDENT Bush for not turning into a brown shirt, jack boot, tyrannical dictator ignoring the Constitution and the rule of law.
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