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 am sending this to Bobby Jindall and the Clintons.
I am so sick of hearing the Clintons and all the circling of the wagons.
Sanity bump.
The mayor's actions, as incompetent as they seem, are nothing more than casting blame where it shouldn't be, at the expense of thousands of citizens, many of them young, poor or infirmed.
good bump
good article, Thanks.
Despite what you think, the President does not have almighty powers. And imagine the uproar on here if he (or bill/Hillary Clinton) did.
The 82nd Airborne/Marines or any other military unit can not be instantly deployed by the President snapping his fingers and saying "Make it so." They must be mobilized, and that may take a few days to do - and it did.
What do we know about bureaucracies? They don't move fast - that's for sure. The federal government is the biggest bureaucracy around - it doesn't matter if we are talking DOD, State or DHS/FEMA.
The key point of the article is that emergency management is local and there is a process to kick it up to the feds. It is amazing that no one is mentioning that New Orleans and LA have long been known to be the most corrupt governments in the country (Philly gives them a run for the money).
What role did corruption and malfeasance of local officials in New Orleans play in this disaster? I can guarantee that it is a big part of the problem.
I've been screaming this at my TV set as every airhead commentator, from Chrissy Matthews to Keith Olbermannnnnn to Jack Cafferty (et al ad nauseum) feign their smug high dudgeon over FEMA's failure to act --and NEVER ONCE mention the failure of the Louisiana GOVERNOR.
How come I know how emergency management is supposed to work, and all these guys don't? And I've never even lived in a hurricane zone!
Even Joe Scarborough, who's lived through several hurricanes, doesn't seem to know basic emergency civics. And we can't blame partisanship for his ignorance.
The only person I've heard who understands how the law works, with respect to deploying the National Guard, FEMA etc., before this article, is Tammy Bruce (substituting for Laura Ingraham last night).
Actually in the 'old days', like when it was first created, they could - FEMA had the ultimate power and control in a National Disaster. It was pretty scary in the 'legal' power they had and what they could do. (relocation camps being one)
But then Willard changed it slightly with an EO by having 'his' AG Janet Rino having ultimate control over FEMA and then when the Homeland Security Dept was created FEMA was merged into that and became a subservient division.
The worm is definately starting to turn. I expect within a day or two the MSM mantra will be "Now is not the time to point fingers."
Wrong, the responsibility, by law, INITIALLY falls on local and state governments. The problem falls with depending upon any level of government to protect us. At best they are reactionary.
I would challenge any of the politically motivated scum doing all the pissing and moaning about slow (what is slow/what is fast?) response to come up with a better solution to a Cat 5 hitting a city, stupid enough to be built below sea level, with a stupid crime infested population, a mayor too stupid to use buses before they were flooded, a governor too stupid to request Federal assistance in a timely manner.
For the left, no time frame would be fast enough. They have to use this to beat the right over the head.
Without the 20/20 hindsight none of the "Feds were too slow" crowd would do anything different.
In the future the government response may be better thanks to the lessons learned by this disaster.
Kathleen Blanco is a social worker and ribbon cutter. She can manage Louisiana's legendary corruption. She cannot manage a real crisis. She raised six children. That's her field of expertise.
One freeper said her husband is the real governor
I will say that anyone who understood Louisiana history should have expected the local authorities to make a Charlie-Foxtrot out of things. This isn't Florida, not even close. That is legitimate criticism of the Feds in this matter. It is never "business as usual" when you are dealing with Louisiana politicos.
Given that Hurricane Camille slammed into NOLA on Aug. 17, 1969, I'd say NOLA had nearly 40 years to prepare itself.
Camille "grazed" NOLA, not slammed it. Much smaller storm, Mississippi took the brunt of it.
The media is just learning how their government works. LOL! The blame game is going to get very quiet.
Pinguissimo per il calvo.
When you have an unprecedented disaster involving 90,000 square miles involving millions of people across several states, the Federal Government must take the lead. Damn the uproar if it means lives will be saved. That is what leadership is all about. If GWB (read FEMA and Homeland Security) had taken the lead earlier on, more lives would have been saved. GWB would have been lionized by the American people if he had taken this action. Besides, GWB is not running again for election.
The 82nd Airborne/Marines or any other military unit can not be instantly deployed by the President snapping his fingers and saying "Make it so." They must be mobilized, and that may take a few days to do - and it did.
They don't have to be mobilized. They are ready to go anywhere in the world with less than 24 hours notice. They should have been on standby before the hurricane hit.
The key point of the article is that emergency management is local and there is a process to kick it up to the feds. It is amazing that no one is mentioning that New Orleans and LA have long been known to be the most corrupt governments in the country (Philly gives them a run for the money).
That's what I am railing against--process. There is no doubt that the city and state governments are inept and corrupt. They are not unique. The bottom line is that we had thousands and thousands of Americans in mortal danger. Forget about the process and save lives. Let the chips fall where they may.
Pinguissimo per il calvo.
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