ORLANDO, Fla. -- Responsibility for handling major incidents, including hurricanes, falls with local government, not the feds, according to Dr. Cortez Lawrence, US Fire Administration fire programs director
"No where in the Constitution is fire protection mentioned," Lawrence told several thousand people at the National Fire Protection Association's annual conference Monday.
Lawrence, who assisted with response after Katrina, said locals need to realize that they must be self-sufficient. "They are the tip of the sword..."
Part of that readiness plan is getting the public to understand that they also must be prepared to fend for themselves for at least 72 hours. They should have a supply of medications, food, water, batteries and other personal care items.
And, unless community emergency plans are tweaked, and all facets of local government get on the same sheet of music, he believes there will be a repeat of "doomed events."
To prevent that from happening, everyone needs to be familiar with their local emergency response plan, and the agencies have to know what's expected of them. One of the most important measures is knowing how to acquire items from drinking water to sanitation supplies, boats, planes, food and blankets.
It's also imperative that everyone know the intent of the mission, and feel confident that they can function to achieve that goal. Bringing that type of attitude will encourage people to step out of the box and act, rather than wait for someone else to make a decision.
The total lack of communications halted information sharing and created dangerous challenges for everyone involved in the response and recovery effort. Lawrence said governments should make contingency plans.
Departments also should think about how they would be able to maintain their staffing if 80 or 90 percent of their employees suddenly became homeless.
FEMA took a beating for its response to Katrinia. But, with the new FEMA director David Paulison at the helm, Lawrence said he believes it will regain respect.
