So too bad for the aged, the infirm, the children, etc.? What kind of attitude is that? This is more than just a bureaucratic turf issue.
You are right. This is not about turf. But it IS about responsiblity. This may have been more of an obvious case, but many are not. How should we have decided, in advance, how to respond? Should we no longer rely upon local officials, and just take over immediately, ignoring the local assessment of the situation? When do the feds make the call? Government cannot operate by the seat of its pants. Perhaps you could help write the procedure for the feds to use in the future.
Turning "don't blame the feds" into "so too bad for the aged, the infirm, the children, etc." seems a disgraceful warping of someones words, IMO.