New FEMA Stronger, More Nimble Than It Was
Release Date: June 12, 2007
Release Number: FNF-07-031
Re: "Ready or not," Our Opinions, June 7.
The Times-Picayune's editorial fails to acknowledge FEMA's considerable progress over the past two years. FEMA has made major improvements in our communications, logistics, customer service and financial controls. The new FEMA is stronger and more nimble than it was a year ago.
The author of the Government Accountability Office report you cited said of FEMA, "They really have made a yeoman's effort to step back and look at what they've needed to do and how they're going to do it." GAO's William Jenkins also noted that FEMA is "certainly better off, they have teams ready to go; they have teams that can get there within 12 hours. They've got mobile communications trucks that they can send video back."
Updating the National Response Plan is an ongoing process. The expanded role of FEMA under the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act that Congress passed last fall widened the scope of and interest in the revision process for the National Response Plan. While the overwhelming desire of new constituencies to be part of the discussion resulted in the updated plan being delayed, the existing plan remains sound and we are better prepared than we were last year.
Our effective plans and improvements are evident in FEMA's recent responses to tornadoes and storms across the country. Senior FEMA leaders were in regular contact with our partners in state and local government.
Supplies were pre-positioned and available even before states asked for assistance. FEMA staff were on the ground within hours assessing damage.
In short, our plans worked. We continue to work aggressive-ly to update the NRP with additional input and are confident that the revised plan will be well received by all of those who use it.
R. David Paulison
Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Washington, D.C.
Last Modified: Thursday, 21-Jun-2007 16:38:41