FEMA Improvements to Disaster Plans

[ILGHAUS]

Fugate Details Improvements to Disaster Plans for Disabled

by Mickey McCarter
Wednesday, 21 October 2009


FEMA chief's letter to Congress updates status on general guidance for evacation plans as well

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) plans to publish a range of disaster guides in the next six months to cover planning for working with disabled populations, handling household pets, and setting evacuation plans during disasters.

FEMA chief Craig Fugate detailed FEMA's progress on these guides in a letter to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), which was publicly released Tuesday. The letter, dated Oct. 15, specifically addressed questions from Thompson regarding guidance for assisting disabled populations during a disaster but provided information on general disaster planning topics as well.

..... Fugate also revealed that anticipated disaster guidance on pets and evacuation planning would be forthcoming.

He anticipated release of a FEMA comprehensive planning guide on household pets and service animal plans in late 2009.

Link to Full Article

[scannergirl]

You know what killed me about Katrina? You had families that got seperated and it took forever for certain people to be found.
Seems like a central database of anyone who was relocated for an emergency would have eliminated that. We have computers, ya know.........

[ladylaw203]

Quote: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) plans to publish a range of disaster guides in the next six months to cover planning for working with disabled populations, handling household pets, and setting evacuation plans during disasters.

I have been through two major hurricanes here, Ike and Rita and have yet to see FEMA do anything. I am not impressed. Now, the Red Cross was here before the wind stopped blowing serving hot meals,giving out water etc. They stayed a very long time. The Salvation Army as well. FEMA has done little for anyone around here. The are disorganized and overpaid....

[ILGHAUS]

Well I do have high hopes for Craig Fugate. He was only appointed in May so he hasn't been sitting around. He did a lot for FL and we were very sorry to see him go - now if only DHS lets him set up programs and not restrict everything that he wants to do. He has a list of high priority items that he has given deadlines to and some are already up and running.

Quote:Seems like a central database of anyone who was relocated for an emergency would have eliminated that.

From what I have read that is one of the major things that is to be set up.

Quote from worksheet:
The new system also includes an enhanced GIS mapping
function that will allow emergency management
professionals to see in real time, shelter locations,
critical infrastructure, flood plains, fault lines, and other
geospatial elements.

Additionally, FEMA is working to ensure the system is
interoperable with the Red Cross National Sheltering
System and several other commercial emergency
management programs, allowing data to be shared
between systems, eliminating the need to enter data
in multiple applications. This system is available
to emergency management professionals with a
demonstrated need for this information.

Use of the system is free of charge and accessible from
any internet connection, 24 hours a day, 7
days a week.


Here in FL we already have a system that I can get into even from my home. I've only had some very basic training on it so far and am limited to what I can do but will be getting some additional training on it over the next couple of months.

[3K9Mom]

FEMA used to be a pretty great organization. I worked national catastrophe teams, and bumped into them a lot in the 80s and 90s. Things got done and quickly.

But I think that when FEMA was put into DHS, things started to go downhill quickly there. There's always a battle for funding (and respect) in large agencies, and fighting terrorism seemed to be more important than fighting hurricanes, wildfires and floods. A lot of senior staff at FEMA left. There was a lot of brain drain of the most experienced, knowledgeable people.

Hopefully, Katrina and Rita served as a wake-up call, but it's going to take a while to build up experienced savvy staff again. The folks that I used to run into are long gone -- either retired, moved on to the insurance industry, contracting, or other casualty-related work.

I'm hopeful too. I've seen what FEMA can do when it runs well. It's a governmental agency, so it will never be exactly "nimble." But I'm hopeful.

[ILGHAUS]

Quote:so it will never be exactly "nimble."

I love that. I can see where I could use that phrase at work quite often.