Yahoo News: FEMA Chief Waited Until After Storm Hit

[blonndee]

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.

More...looking bad for Brown, Skeletor et al.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050907/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/katrina_disaster_response

Vote it up DUers!!

[YDogg]

1. Bad link?

[blonndee]

3. Sorry. Try again. nt

[jsamuel]

4. here

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050907/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/katrina_disaster_response_3

[jsamuel]

5. SMOKING GUN!

[JCMach1]

32. Definitely a smoking gun here

a complete failure on FEMAs part

[YDogg]

13. Thanks! I hit it.

[fooj]

2. Oh sure. Brownie did a great job!

I am so angry I can't even type anymore.

:grr:

[DODI]

6. Don't forget to vote it up!

I am sickened beyond words.

[Cobalt Violet]

7. But ya, it's still the Democrat's and Clinton's fault.

But we won't play the blame game.

:sarcasm::sarcasm:

[snippy]

8. Compare it to what FEMA did prior to last year's hurricanes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4666463&mesg_id=4668485

[BootinUp]

9. Did I read that right?

The 48 hour delay in sending the Homeland Security employees was so they could be trained? boggle.

[Art_from_Ark]

41. "Just-in-time" training

Just another part of "running government like a corporation"

:puke:

[blonndee]

10. And part of their "duties" (The HS people) was propaganda:

"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."

[snippy]

12. Last year FEMA hired a political consultant for hurricane season.

But that was an election year.

[Sarojin]

11. Swimming lessons perhaps?

--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.--

So there are no FEMA or HHS employees trained, just on the job waiting for a disaster so they can tailor a 2 day course to the specific region and disaster type...efficient!

[krkaufman]

14. I'd love to see his phone records and business receipts

I'm wondering whether Brown or Chertoff were even up late Sunday night, preparing for Katrina... or if they called it an early night, and took it as a 9-5 issue.

[highnooner]

17. Fuzzy math?

Sen. Ted Stevens (news, bio, voting record), R-Alaska, said the administration is "getting a bad rap" for the emergency response.

"This is the largest disaster in the history of the United States, over an area twice the size of Europe," Stevens said. "People have to understand this is a big, big problem."

Europe = 4,065,945 sq miles

Louisiana, Alabama & Mississippi combined = 151,180 sq miles.

:wtf:

[krkaufman]

27. Ha! Yeah, I'd noticed that, too. I was thinking Stevens needed...

... a serious geography lesson. I guess he's too busy getting pork inserted into legislation to have a clue about the world outside Alaska.

Just ridiculous.

[yorkiemommie1]

15. recommended and wrote letter

to Los Angeles Times.

[longship]

16. Front Page Story, please

This is extremely damning. Gawd, how are they gonna weasel their way out of this?

They waited until five hours after Katrina landfall. They sent PR people!! And gave them 2 days to get there!!!!

[krkaufman]

18. "Thank you for your consideration ..." -- ???

Gotta love the sense of urgency in Brown's memo. It really shows that he recognized Katrina as severe as the Weather Service had proclaimed.

[highnooner]

19. It's ok to delete my thread,...

I was beaten to it on the headline.

[Kurovski]

20. Yeah, ya' know what? To hell with Bush's "investigation."

Let's get behind the media to investigate.

We all can see what happened. Get the paperwork, timelines and witness's in a row before death-lover George and his shit licking pals and captives crap all over the evidence with an "investigation".

[bettyellen]

21. FEMA didn't have 1K employees with 24 hours of disater training?

"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..................snip.............

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."

So they officially turned back offers on behalf of the Gov and the Mayor.

[highnooner]

22. FEMA Chief Waited Until After Storm Hit

<snip>

After a senators-only briefing by Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff and other Cabinet members, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (news, bio, voting record) said lawmakers weren't getting their questions answered.

"What people up there want to know, Democrats and Republicans, is what is the challenge ahead, how are you handling that and what did you do wrong in the past," said Schumer, D-N.Y.

Sen. Ted Stevens (news, bio, voting record), R-Alaska, said the administration is "getting a bad rap" for the emergency response.

"This is the largest disaster in the history of the United States, over an area twice the size of Europe," Stevens said. "People have to understand this is a big, big problem."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050907/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/katrina_disaster_response

=======================================

Europe = 4,065,945 sq miles

Louisiana, Alabama & Mississippi combined = 151,180 sq miles.

Fuzzy math? :wtf:

[democrat in Tallahassee]

23. maybe he meant old europe

[blockhead]

24. stevens = fucking idiot

[xultar]

25. Ruh-ro!

[FightingIrish]

26. Is that the math justified building the Alakan bridge to nowhere?

[Kool Kitty]

28. I think Ted Stevens is wrong.

After all, didn't the FEMA chief say this was "a near-catastrophic event"? NEAR CATASTROPHIC?????????????

[milkyway]

39. But don't let this be reduced to a bad hire by bush. It's repug policy for

25 years to weaken the federal government.

Nonetheless, this is a major story. Brown will be offered up for sacrafice to the American people. It should not be enough.

[NYC]

29. Rate the article.

4 1/2 stars with 75 votes.

[arwalden]

30. Do They Think Americans Are IDIOTS?

[FlashHarry]

31. FEMA head Brown to be the fall guy?

I guess the 'buck' doesn't stop any higher than that. Figures.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

33. FEMA Chief Waited Until After Storm Hit

Bush better fire this idiot.

By TED BRIDIS, Associated Press Writer
46 minutes ago



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."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050907/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/katrina_disaster_response

:grr:

[tedoll78]

34. Here it comes..

If the news media truly has turned a corner, this will be all over the place tomorrow.

[shraby]

35. That's all they think about...

PR PR PR PR PR. Must make the government look good above all else...even people's lives.

[aquart]

36. Good freaking grief.

So, those pre-positioned FEMA people...they're the well-trained geniuses who prevented food, water, rescue, and medical aid from reaching desperate people?

[rocktivity]

37. What if FEMA was TOLD to wait?

(Louisiana governor Blanco) has refused to sign over control of the National Guard to the federal government and has turned to a Clinton administration official, former Federal Emergency Management Agency chief James Lee Witt, to help run relief efforts...

:scared:
rocknation

[xyboymil]

38. AP: FEMA chief sent help only when Katrina was over.

Sorry if this was posted, but dammit it needs posting AGAIN:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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 workers to support rescuers in 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."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KATRINA_DISASTER_RESPONSE?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

What a clueless ASSHOLE. :mad:

[leftofthedial]

40. Brownie will be the fall guy

IF one is needed

either that or he's due for Presidential medal

the buck never stops with the bushturd, even when his politically appointed underlings so clearly fail