The Sandspur

Issue date: 10/7/05 Section: News

Media Credit: Chuck Kennedy/ KRT CAMPUS BROWN TESTIFIES: Former FEMA director Michael Brown testifies before a special congressional panel investigating the agency´s response to Hurricane Katrina.

Former Chief of the Federal Emergency Management Academy (FEMA), Michael Brown, addressed a special House committee meeting on Sept. 27 to stress his belief that FEMA did everything they could during the crisis of Hurricane Katrina.

Brown went on to place blame on the local officials of the New Orleans area. According to the New York Times, Brown stated that he did everything he could to warn the people of New Orleans to evacuate on Sunday news shows even when the governor of Louisiana had not done so. He believes the problems were made worse by the open discourse between the governor and the major of New Orleans.

Brown admits, however, to making mistakes. He talks about his wish that he could have done more, but the agency did everything they could. He says: "FEMA doesn't own fire trucks, we don't own ambulances, we don't own search-and-rescue equipment." Without this, there wasn't much FEMA could do without the help of local officials.

Brown resigned his position as chief of FEMA "after being removed as the overseer of recovery efforts in New Orleans, seemed certain to stir more bitter debate over how blame should be apportioned for the admittedly slow response to the winds and flooding, particularly in New Orleans," according to the New York Times.

However, following Brown's testimony about blame, Governor Kahtleen Blanco of Louisiana began to dismiss everything he said with corrections and changes. According to her, the order of evacuation was done on Saturday, well before Brown's alleged warning to the people of New Orleans.

This begins to shift the blame of the disaster from her shoulders and into the air. The New York Times says that "Representative William Jefferson, a Democrat from New Orleans, immediately challenged Mr. Brown's assertions, saying that he found it 'absolutely stunning' that Mr. Brown would blame the governor and mayor."

The argument back and forth between Blanco and Brown is disturbing. Blame is being shifted between local officials and FEMA as assertions are being thrown to and from. However, FEMA stands strong with their mission: "helping state and local officials plan and coordinate responses to disasters."

Brown stated that, "every state, in every disaster, has a complaint about FEMA." However, Brown enlightens the people there in telling them that FEMA is not meant to be a "first responder," but is meant to be a "coordinator" of disaster relief. Since FEMA is no longer an independent agency, and is now a division of the Department of Homeland Security, their numbers of employees and money to do their jobs have been lessened. This is a disadvantage in disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

However, the New York Times finds someone to dispute this problem. "Just because they're not first responders, doesn't mean that they should be a second thought," said Representative Tom Davis, Rep-VA.

"It's not like we're talking about a division of motor vehicles. We're talking about the federal agency charged with coordinating response to massive disasters," said Davis.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools