Fema 's Mission Of Fema

Three criticisms of FEMA is that first of all they are more focused on terrorism rather than responses to natural disasters, the second is that that FEMA has a shortage of manpower to act rapidly and effectively is disaster situations and third, the planning within FEMA for responses to natural disasters is poor.(Ahlers,2006,p.1)

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for “consolidating existing federal government response plans into a single, coordinated national response plan.” (GAO Reports. 2007.) The Homeland Security Act of 2002 allows them to handle all sorts of disasters from natural disasters to terrorist attacks. DHS also “Operates the Federal

time of crisis by R. David Paulison, who unlike Brown, has had a career focused on disaster

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has had some downfalls within their missions as does any organization, however, they still lead a very positive and contributing lending hand when in times of need. Their goal and ultimate mission, according to the official website of the Department of Homeland Security, is to “support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against,

Over the years of Hurricane Katrina, Fema faced many criticisms. Back in 9/11, They acted fast and accordingly to the disaster. During hurricane Katrina, they were slow and had false promises that the locals of New orleans believed (Maestri, “The

Over the years of Hurricane Katrina, FEMA faced many criticisms. Not only FEMA, but “every level of government was roundly criticized”( Howellq ). Back in 9/11, They acted fast and accordingly to the disaster. During hurricane Katrina, they were slow and had false promises that the locals of New Orleans believed ( Maestri, “The Storm”, PBS ). Many people asked FEMA for resources and help, but that turned down because they did not “ask the right way” ( Hale “The Storm”, PBS). During an interview with one of FEMA’s secretaries, “Michael Brown”, had claimed that FEMA could not help Louisiana because they didn’t tell them what they

FEMA was not able to provide effective disaster relief due to incompetent leadership. Those in charge, such as FEMA Director Michael D. Brown were unqualified and in power because of connections to the Bush Administration. Bush’s saving grace in this category was his quick passing of the “PATRIOT Act”. Though it can be argued that it was a poor decision in the long run, he responded quickly and innovatively in an attempt to protect America from potential terrorist attacks.

The whole world observed as the administration responders appeared incapable to provide essential protection from the effects of nature. The deprived response results from a failure to accomplish a number of risk factors (Moynihan, 2009). The dangers of a major hurricane striking New Orleans had been measured, and there was sufficient warning of the threat of Katrina that announcements of emergency were made days in advance of landfall (Moynihan, 2009). Nonetheless, the responders were unsuccessful to change this information into a level of preparation suitable with the possibility of the approaching disaster. Federal responders failed to recognize the need to more actively engage (Moynihan, 2009). These improvements include improved ability to provide support to states and tribes ahead of a disaster; developed a national disaster recovery strategy to guide recovery efforts after major disasters and emergencies; and the Establishment of Incident Management Assistance Teams in which these full time, rapid response teams are able to deploy within two hours and arrive at an incident within 12 hours to support the local incident commander (FEMA,

The Department of Homeland Security has merged twenty-two separate agencies into one unified and integrated department. Funding has nearly reached 9 billion dollars towards the security enhancements of homeland security such as the national borders and transportation systems (Spindlove and Simeson, 2009). Some noticeable department components that make up DHS are the developments of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), United States Customs and Border Protections (CBP), Unites States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Additionally, further expanding core mission of homeland security were the effects of hurricane Katrina and its response toward disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was enacted in order to prepare the nation for hazardous events, manage federal response and recovery efforts following a national incident. As events have unfolded, homeland security strategies and missions have adapted safeguards and protective measure to ensure a homeland that is safe from

Despite warnings of the impact, Hurricane Andrew the response was negligent and ill prepared. As predicted, the devastation was catastrophic. (20) Governor Chiles was either not informed as to how the state would be affected or was lax in his duties. The Governor waited too long before requesting help for the state. Governor Chiles felt that the state itself could handle the damages that arose after impact and refused government assistance. Once he realized the state could not handle the devastation on its own, government also waited for a formal request from the Governor before stepping in. The reaction from FEMA after the request was slow and ineffective waiting for word from Chiles. In essence, no one actually surveyed the damages caused by the hurricane and once surveyed properly; people had already waited too long and were in dire

Many argue that because of this change, the slow reaction of FEMA was expected, but considering a terrorist attack could lead to an evacuation, this idea is proven false. The first problem is really that the bureaucracies and government control in the United States have grown, slowing the reaction time of governmental agency aid.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is responsible for coordinating the government’s role in preparation, prevention, response and recovery from domestic disaster, whether they be natural or man-made. FEMA.gov lists 1849 total disasters declared since 1953, with an average of 32 each year (13). This particular agency has generated a lot of praise and but just as much criticism. Over the course of FEMA’s history, there are many lessons to be learned and FEMA is always looking for ways to be more effective. This paper will examine the history of FEMA, evaluate its performance over the years and pinpoint lessons to be learned and actions to be taken.

In a time of crisis, the government response to the situation at hand was poor and inefficient. There were numerous flaws and errors in the relief plan proposed to the government which in turn led to delayed relief to victims in need. The immediate response phase after Katrina lasted roughly 12 days. During this time, “victims were evacuated, rescued, sheltered, and received medical care from first responders, charities and other non-governmental organizations, and private citizens”(McNeill, 2011). The fact that the U.S. government organizations were not the first responders to the disaster is shameful for our country.

The Hurricane Katrina disaster highly challenged the operations of FEMA thereby leading to great changes in the agency. The Storm that is ranked as the third most intense U.S. landfalling intense caught the FEMA and at large the Department of Homeland Security unprepared thereby leading to severe losses. The hurricane claimed more than 1200 individuals and a total property of around $108 billion, of which could have minimized if FEMA could have carried out its operations effectively (Bea, 2006).

These events along with others help shape the role of the federal government, especially their laws, programs, policies, regulations, plans, and grant requirements in state and local emergency management organizations and efforts to offset some of the aftermath. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initiated the Federal Response Plan in New York and Virginia. The emergency response system recognized for its quick and effective activation of hundreds of Federal response personnel to help in a crisis. Later in 2002, President Bush signed the Homeland Security Act of 2002; and announced the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Governor Tom Ridge. The Homeland Security Act was designed to protect the United States from