Is fema working against americans

[johnh]

They block truck loads of water and ice from New Orleans

The cut communication lines into New Orleans (Mayor reconnects them and assigns an armed guard)

They won't release hundreds of truckloads of relief supplies sitting just a couple of hours away

The won't request assistance so the Army can help

Block relief flights to distribute refugees around the country

 

They are beyond incompetent, it is almost criminal. Fire them all and start over, and keep it out of Homeland Security.

[DaytonaSpirit]

They have also refused a request from Trent Lott, Mississippi Senator, to have mobile homes released from storage and sent to Southern Mississippi for residents to live in til they can rebuild or relocate.  Though I think Senator Lott is up to handling that challenge.

 

Here's some more:

 

WASHINGTON - The government's disaster chief waited until hours after Hurricane Katrina had already struck the Gulf Coast before asking his boss to dispatch 1,000

Homeland Security employees to the region — and gave them two days to arrive, according to internal documents.

 

Michael Brown, director of the  Federal Emergency Management Agency, sought the approval from Homeland Security Secretary Mike Chertoff roughly five hours after Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29. Brown said that among duties of these employees was to "convey a positive image" about the government's response for victims.

 

Before then, FEMA had positioned smaller rescue and communications teams across the Gulf Coast. But officials acknowledged Tuesday the first department-wide appeal for help came only as the storm raged.

 

Brown's memo to Chertoff described Katrina as "this near catastrophic event" but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, "Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities."

 

The initial responses of the government and Brown came under escalating criticism as the breadth of destruction and death grew.     President Bush and Congress on Tuesday pledged separate investigations into the federal response to Katrina. "Governments at all levels failed," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

 

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said Brown had positioned front-line rescue teams and Coast Guard helicopters before the storm. Brown's memo on Aug. 29 aimed to assemble the necessary federal work force to support the rescues, establish communications and coordinate with victims and community groups, Knocke said.

 

Instead of rescuing people or recovering bodies, these employees would focus on helping victims find the help they needed, he said.

 

Brown's memo told employees that among their duties, they would be expected to "convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizations and the general public."

 

"FEMA response and recovery operations are a top priority of the department and as we know, one of yours," Brown wrote Chertoff. He proposed sending 1,000 Homeland Security Department employees within 48 hours and 2,000 within seven days.

 

Knocke said the 48-hour period suggested for the Homeland employees was to ensure they had adequate training. "They were training to help the life-savers," Knocke said

 

Employees required a supervisor's approval and at least 24 hours of disaster training in Maryland, Florida or Georgia. "You must be physically able to work in a disaster area without refrigeration for medications and have the ability to work in the outdoors all day," Brown wrote.

 

The same day Brown wrote Chertoff, Brown also urged local fire and rescue departments outside Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi not to send trucks or emergency workers into disaster areas without an explicit request for help from state or local governments. Brown said it was vital to coordinate fire and rescue efforts.

[DaytonaSpirit]

FEMA Memo

 

EXCERPTS FROM THE MEMO:

 

Role of Assigned Personnel:

Establish and maintain positive working relationships with disaster affected communities and the citizens of those communities.

 

Collect and disseminate information and make referrals for appropriate assistance.

 

Identification of potential issues within the community and reporting to appropriate personnel.

 

Convey a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizations and the general public.

 

Perform outreach with community leaders on available Federal disaster assistance.

 

Deployment Information:

 

Selected personnel will either go to Atlanta, Georgia for Community Relations Training or Orlando, Florida for all other Training and assignments. After which they will be

deployed to a disaster Joint Field Office (FCO) when conditions are safe.

[badcad]

C'mon you guys are getting as bad as the media. Do you believe everything you see or "reported" there is usually alot more behind the scenes.

[DaytonaSpirit]

I don't know badcad, the memo looks pretty darn legitimate to me.

 

FEMA MEMO FROM AUGUST 29

[johnh]

C'mon you guys are getting as bad as the media. Do you believe everything you see or "reported" there is usually alot more behind the scenes.

This time I think the criticism is legit.  FEMA really fucked this up.  Complete lack of leadership when it was needed most.  Maybe if General Honore was in charge...

[badcad]

C'mon you guys are getting as bad as the media. Do you believe everything you see or "reported" there is usually alot more behind the scenes.

This time I think the criticism is legit.  FEMA really fucked this up.  Complete lack of leadership when it was needed most.  Maybe if General Honore was in charge...

Yeah he's a real genius. He makes me wonder how he ended up with rank of LG..... Never mind I know how.

[johnh]

C'mon you guys are getting as bad as the media. Do you believe everything you see or "reported" there is usually alot more behind the scenes.

This time I think the criticism is legit.  FEMA really fucked this up.  Complete lack of leadership when it was needed most.  Maybe if General Honore was in charge...

Yeah he's a real genius. He makes me wonder how he ended up with rank of LG..... Never mind I know how.

Hopefully by being very efficient at killing our enemies. Either way he seems to be getting high marks for getting some stuff happen on the ground.