FEMA---Review of a Product of Sorts (Disaster Assistance)---Pass or Fail?
Posted: Tuesday, February 03, 2009
by Sandra E. Graham
My Books and Articles
We think about our vehicles, electronics, appliances, restaurants, movies, and many more consumer items as subject to review. But what about our ‘services', especially services that are being paid for by our hard-earned taxes? Do they not deserve our support or criticism-according to their reliability and functionality?
On March 1, 2003, FEMA was formed as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Its goal is to help reduce loss of life and property during any type of hazard, including natural disasters, terrorism, or other man-made disasters.
When a disaster occurs, that particular state's governor takes a tour of the effected area. The governor forms teams that visit and access the damage in each of their respective areas. These teams then have to make detailed reports, which are sent to the governor of the state. The governor then has to review each report before making his own decision about which particular assistance programs will be most beneficial for the effected areas. His request for assistance then has to be approved by the President. Admittedly, this is just a round-a-bout and shortened version of all the actual steps that have to be taken before anyone sees any physical movement by any agency involved in the actual assistance.
One of the major complaints against FEMA by the general public is FEMA's lack of a sense of urgency in conducting its specified duties. In this sense FEMA fails miserably in its overall performance review. Granted it takes time (as noted above) for FEMA to receive all the official documents that give them the go-ahead to begin accepting and evaluating assistance forms sent in by the affected victims.
In 2005 FEMA drew much criticism for its slow response from the state officials and victims of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters to strike the United States and yet, it has been shown that FEMA's former Director Brown (through an exchange of emails) was more concerned with his ‘attire, his reputation, and his problems finding a dog-sitter.' He was told ‘to roll up his sleeves so as to appear more hard-working' (another email from a co-worker). In one email Brown even laughingly commented that his 'FEMA uniform made him want to vomit'. Congressional investigation into Mr. Brown's leadership-or lack thereof-would depict a man who was emotionally ill-equipped to handle a disaster of such epic proportions as Katrina.
In 2007 the American public was incensed to learn that FEMA had held a ‘Fake Press Conference' to inform everyone of the status of FEMA's involvement in one of California's devastating brush fires. John Phibin, now former director of external affairs for FEMA, tried to explain away the faux pas by stating to CBS News that ‘he should have cancelled the press conference quickly' and that he ‘did not have a good situational awareness of what was happening.' (And his head was where???) Mr. Philbin deftly passed the buck saying, ‘Adm. Johnson, second-in-command, at the agency did not realize……blah,blah,blah-and we all know it rolls downhill from there. All this, while Rome (or rather, California) burned.
And now we come to February 2009 when numerous states are still reeling from last month's devastating ice storm. Old timers (and I'm one of them) have never seen the likes of such horrendous destruction since the great New Madrid earth quake encouraged the Mississippi River to run uphill! Millions of trees (those left standing) have been stripped of their branches or lain over completely due to the water soggy soil, power poles have been snapped like twigs for miles on every right-of-way, houses and cars have been crushed under the weight of falling branches. People have died. All areas look akin to a war zone.
Where is FEMA in all this? I have yet to find an answer to that. It is as though all these years and incidents of criticism and ridicule have made no impression on FEMA's leaders and employees. I live in the center of this year's natural disaster and have tried four times to submit an application for FEMA assistance and have been told each time at the end of the application that my state has not been declared a disaster area. There are broken trees all over our yard and on our roof, we have been on generator power for eight days-tomorrow will be nine. School buses will try to run tomorrow for the first time in over a week. If we drive down any highway, we drive across wires lying across the road. Many people still can't get into their driveways due to fallen trees and wires. Our governor has declared our state a disaster area; as has our President-at least according to news broadcasts-yet, FEMA states otherwise?
I have a few choice words in my review for FEMA, but I'm not allowed to use them here; nor will my religion allow it. So, I will keep it simple. I am of the opinion that the money that is being paid to FEMA should be redirected to a more reliable assistance program that might get the help out to the people where and when it is needed-not at the convenience of FEMA's directors.
Sorry I haven't had anything good to say about this group. If anyone out there has something good to report, feel free to insert it in a comment. Maybe it will help all the victims that are still suffering and homeless from this terrible ice storm.
I turn the floor over to you. Thank you and may God be with us all.
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Sandra E. Graham, author, AMOS JAKEY and NICOLINA published by American Book Publishing. Sandra loves to write about people and if you enjoy reading about people, you will love these books. Her first two novels are historical/adventure/fiction of early 1900's America. Sandra also writes book reviews for authors through Book Pleasures (no charge for reviews). Visit her website for more information on her books that are in print now and reviews she has written.
http://www.sandragraham-articles-books.com
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More commentsSandra, I do it for a living and I can tell you first hand only on paper, if that. best wishes. RobertThanks, Robert--that's good enough for me.Have a great week.Sandra
Wow Sandra, this is a very moving article you've written. I personally am lucky so I live in Southern California; We had to deal with the fires but our firefighters (we should call them Fire Heroes) took care of that. When it comes to FEMA, it's an utter shame in how they did nothing in the Katrina Hurricane. I was unaware of the State of Emergency your living in in your State, and how inadequate FEMA is in dealing with it. FEMA needs to go and be replaced by a REAL Emergency handleing agency. FEMA cares about the paperwork first, than the emergency. It needs to be the other way around; First fix the emergency, than care about the stupid paperwork. People's lives are at stake here. Maybe SearchWarp can start a petition of some sort and all the authors and readers here should sign it. A grass roots movements originating from this website should possibly result in some sort of "better ment" of FEMA and the Federal Governments general response to emergencies.My thoughts and prayers are with you Sandra.Thank you so much, Gregory. That means so much.Take care and have a good week. Enjoy that southern California weather for me. I've actually never been to San Diego, but my first book AMOS JAKEY, sends my main character there. I hope I did it justice.Thanks again.SandraWell, I'm in Los Angeles County, specifically in the San Fernando Valley.A trip to San Dieago sounds great tho :-)I have made several business trips to LA---several years ago, when I was still working for a big electronics firm in Dallas. Did a little sit seeing, but that's about it.California was a nice place to visit, but I'm too much of a 'hick' for land of beautiful people.SandraI live in the San Fernando Valley. A couple of years ago we tried to cede from Los Angeles and have our own city, but that didn't work out.The valley is different. L.A. is the "busy" part. The Valley is the "calm" part.Now the valley sounds nice. Calm is what I need.Have a great week.Sandra
Hello Sandra, very interesting article, and I am deeply saddened that FEMA, has not stepped up the the plate in what you descripe is in several areas and locations. I have a close friend of mine in Texas that was talking about the hurricane that hit the east coast of Texas, and they have the same situation over there. I told him that I had heard bad things about FEMA from Hurricane Katrina...they have some folks that are still hurting down there.....I am appaulded that FEMA is denying that your area is not a disaster area, what are people doing down there? What is the governor doing, is this being escalated to Washington? I will pray that they will act soon.....This was a great article, although very sad, I will pray for you folks there....Your friend in pen.......Gary.Thanks so much, Gary. As far as I know, the only help we (here in Arkansas) are getting is help from others state's electrical repair men. They deserve a lot of heartfelt thankyous from all of us. They are out working in some very cold weather (although sunny), sometimes late into the night.Arkansas is a tough old bird and we'll get through---FEMA or no FEMA.Sandra
hi sandra,this was a well written, albeit disturbing article. i have had my own run ins with bureaucracy in the past couple of years, and i have found that money is the driving force behind most official intentions, and that can never lead to a good end.thanks for sharing,best regards,sueYou are so right, Sue. Thanks for reading and commeting.Sandra
Great article. So glad that you let your religious conscience guide you. AppreciatedThanks so much, Michael and welcome to our Searchwarp group. Looking forward to reading some of your articles.Sandra
Wow - what a frustrating experience - I guess I'd rely on a local representative - that wants my vote. They have a staff to follow up...who knows - it might help?Good Luck Bye, CherylThanks for reading and commenting, Cheryl. Yes, it is very frustrating, but the victims of Katrina probably had it much worse that what we have.Sandra
Sandra,It is a shame that the press isn't all over this unless I've been missing it.This is a great article and should be sent to the head of FEMA. In the old days, people in communities got together and fixed their problems themselves; however, if we are going to pay the government for another government program, then our tax dollars should be down there at work.Thank you for the insight.My sentiments exactly, but our government doesn't always work the way it should.I have read many horror stories about FEMA and their inadequacies--and these are new reports--but nothing seems to change. I'm hoping this will be a part of Obama's bid for change.Thanks for reading and commenting, Nancy.Sandra
My sis lives in La., and she said many people are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. She says the churches are working very hard to do all they can, and now with the financial crisis, Heaven help us all. Thank you for sharing.Thanks so much, Linda. We are all praying for Katrina's victims. Yes, and may Heaven help us.Sandra
Great article. FEMA What a Waste!BrittanyThanks for reading and commenting, Brittany, dear.Sandra
Great article. We never know the whole truth about any goverment program until we need them. Sure we heard all the good things they did but that was only part of the story. Like Paul Harvey says "Now here is the rest of the story." Keep it going and maybe something good will come out of it. God bless!Thanks, Deb, for reading and commenting. So true.Sandra
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