Fema and Hurricane Katrina
Joshua Darnell Hillard
Composition I
17 April 2008
Dr. MacVaugh
A Much Needed Change: FEMA & Hurricane Katrina
It has been almost three years since the catastrophic hurricane winds and water of Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast. New Orleans was the most damaged city and media coverage showed the outcries of the neglected people. Many feel that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is to blame and, rightfully so. FEMA is a very disorganized and dysfunctional agency; its entire agency should be revamped. Most critics argue that it was incompetence of government officials and various decisions were or were not made at critical times to ensure the health of the residents. The deficiencies the government had include command and control, communication, coordination, equipment, infrastructure design, leadership, management, planning, and training (Krane 31). The Federal Emergency Management Agency has incurred problems since the creation of it. Competence of appointees is one of the biggest issues. Critics argue that FEMA was filled with political appointees like Michael Brown who had no prior experience with emergency management. There should be changes of the mandate, mission, and most of all placement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Since the beginning of our country disaster has been an unknowing thing that has occurred. Before the creation of FEMA, the government aided overwhelmed communities but most disaster stricken citizen were assisted local and state governments. “Federal involvement dates from at the least the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 which left 478 people dead and more than 250, 000 homeless.” The Civil Defense Act of 1950 was next with a powerful stand against nuclear attack. (Roberts 17). This proves the FEMA has long been associated with the security of the American home front because terrorist attacks are apart of emergencies but should it be? A series of disasters in the 1960s and 1970s such as:
Composition I
17 April 2008
Dr. MacVaugh
A Much Needed Change: FEMA & Hurricane Katrina
It has been almost three years since the catastrophic hurricane winds and water of Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast. New Orleans was the most damaged city and media coverage showed the outcries of the neglected people. Many feel that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is to blame and, rightfully so. FEMA is a very disorganized and dysfunctional agency; its entire agency should be revamped. Most critics argue that it was incompetence of government officials and various decisions were or were not made at critical times to ensure the health of the residents. The deficiencies the government had include command and control, communication, coordination, equipment, infrastructure design, leadership, management, planning, and training (Krane 31). The Federal Emergency Management Agency has incurred problems since the creation of it. Competence of appointees is one of the biggest issues. Critics argue that FEMA was filled with political appointees like Michael Brown who had no prior experience with emergency management. There should be changes of the mandate, mission, and most of all placement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Since the beginning of our country disaster has been an unknowing thing that has occurred. Before the creation of FEMA, the government aided overwhelmed communities but most disaster stricken citizen were assisted local and state governments. “Federal involvement dates from at the least the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 which left 478 people dead and more than 250, 000 homeless.” The Civil Defense Act of 1950 was next with a powerful stand against nuclear attack. (Roberts 17). This proves the FEMA has long been associated with the security of the American home front because terrorist attacks are apart of emergencies but should it be? A series of disasters in the 1960s and 1970s such as: