Where to go from here

Staff

Published Thursday, September 29, 2005

Like many Americans, I am deeply saddened by the devastation and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina and the tremendous suffering it has caused the people of the Gulf Coast region. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and individuals who have lost nearly everything in the midst of such a horrific event. Few of us can comprehend the magnitude of this disaster. Few of us can comprehend the magnitude of a disaster whose geographic devastation covers an area the size of the United Kingdom.

As the waters recede, the smoke clears and the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina's wrath are secured, we need to ask questions and seek answers that will produce better results when our nation is faced with future disasters. By examining the chain of command and determining who is best equipped to handle the logistics involved with a disaster, we can make our country safer. We need to cut through the red tape to find out why so many Americans hit by Hurricane Katrina lost their lives so we can prevent something similar from happening again.

Two years ago, in the wake of Hurricane Isabel we learned of significant shortcomings in our federal response system that delayed assistance to victims and hampered distribution of emergency supplies. Because these shortcomings had such a detrimental impact on the recovery of Virginia a clear need to evaluate federal emergency disaster response surfaced.

In an effort to investigate FEMA's apparent weaknesses, the House Committee on Government Reform, at my request, held a field hearing in the City of Chesapeake on October 10, 2003. During this hearing, I had the opportunity to voice the frustration many people in the Fourth District had felt in regard to FEMA's disaster assistance. The hearing also allowed me to question officials about plans to improve state and federal response so that the errors which were so abundant after Isabel could be avoided when faced with a disaster of a similar or greater scale.

Having now witnessed the wrath of Katrina and subsequent failures in emergency relief, it is obvious that FEMA's initial response efforts have, again, been largely inadequate. One of the more glaring factors behind this is an apparent gap in leadership and communication which exists among federal, state, and local emergency organizations. Tactical and logistical organization is key to effective execution of emergency action. The organization and tactical expertise of our nation's Armed Services should serve as a model of excellence in this regard.

In times of crisis, FEMA and local organizations need to mobilize personnel and materials with military precision and efficiency. It frustrates us all to see the governor of a state and the local mayor fighting with each other during an emergency situation as we saw in Louisiana; or when the decisions they make seem to fly in the face of common sense. It is equally appalling to see the Director of FEMA fail to display the leadership we were all expecting.

As we question the ability of our existing emergency response system, we need to be realistic about the expertise needed to accomplish the daunting tasks inherent to recovery from a disaster. We must overcome and remedy the mistakes that have been made and ensure that an appropriate and capable system of emergency management arises in its place.

In emergencies of this magnitude, the best trained and best prepared leaders we have to coordinate the response needed are our military leaders. Fort Lee, which is located in the 4th Congressional District, is the embodiment of superiority in logistical coordination and organizational operations. FEMA and local emergency organizations could gain a great deal from Fort Lee's proven proficiency and may benefit profoundly from their leadership and direction when handling a crisis. We must improve our existing command and control structure and should look to installations like Fort Lee for guidance.

Immediately after Hurricane Katrina passed, I participated in a conference call with national leaders to discuss the Congressional actions necessary in salvaging, healing, and rebuilding the lives and land that were ravaged in Katrina's path. Although there is still much that Congress will need to do in the days and weeks ahead, to date Congress has passed legislation that will provide a $50 billion long-term relief package in addition to $10.5 billion in emergency relief funding. Congress has also made additional resources and relief available to students affected by the destruction, broadened TANF assistance, and established a committee to investigate the response effort.

I am committed to reforming and restructuring our emergency response system so that we may never again be forced to experience the magnitude of loss and suffering we have seen as a result of Katrina. Although the full scope of Katrina's destruction has yet to be seen, you can be sure that I will monitor this situation with great personal interest and will do all that I can to see to it that the people impacted by this tragic event find the resources they need to recover, rebuild, and reestablish their lives.

J. Randy Forbes of Chesapeake represents the 4th district of Viriginia as a Republican in the United States House of Representatives.

Contact him at his Web site: /www.house.gov/forbes/

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