For the thousands attending the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis this week, it was a story that spread rapidly. Page three of the USA Today newspaper in front of all the hotel room doors Thursday morning, explained that a Senate report said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "is a failure and should be replaced with a more powerful disaster-response agency".
Since Acting FEMA Director R. David Paulison, who is awaiting Senate Confirmation for the permanent director's position, was the featured speaker at FDIC opening ceremonies Thursday, it added some intrigue to the morning.
"My goal, and you need to hear this, my goal is to make FEMA the most professional, most agile compassionate organization in the federal government," he said to the audience.
After speaking to the audience of over a thousand Thursday morning, Paulison took a few minutes to respond to the stories on abolishing FEMA. Although he said he had seen the news stories, he had not had an opportunity to read the report coming out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security that had set off the widespread reaction
"I feel that FEMA is on the right track. We have been doing a lot of work and are working with the secretary [DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff] to retool FEMA."
There are a number of reports that are coming out of the federal government that they are taking a look at, he said. "We are taking those reports and accepting them with open arms. We are taking all these lessons learned and seeing what we can put in place between now and hurricane season and then what are the longer term things we can do."
"I am excited about it quite frankly. I like the structure we have. I would like to have the opportunity to get FEMA back on the right track before we start considering other options."
Paulison referred to the changes that he noted in his earlier speech to the FDIC audience as progress he has already made in the job: A GPS vehicle tracking system, a new communication system, a new situational awareness procedure that keeps FEMA informed of everything going on all the time, first teams with real-time video streaming, debris removal being simplified and cost-shared, a new procedure for housing-victim management, and a better trained disaster workforce.
"I looked at what happened with Katrina and then drew on my experience," referring to his dealing with Hurricane Andrew when he was chief of Miami Dade Fire Rescue Department fire chief.
With Katrina and the problems there, "Some of them were procedural, some hardware. The procedural piece I have already dealt with as far as our communications within DHS."
"My personal opinion is that we are much better off within DHS then we are outside because there are so many resources right at our fingertips. I have developed a personal relationship with all them. I can just pick up a phone and they are there immediately without going through the bureaucracy of official assignments and all that you have to do with agencies that are outside the Department of Homeland Security."
"There are a lot of good things going on. I see no reason to change anything especially between now and hurricane season 30 days away. We need to be jelling what we have."
Outside the convention center hall, reaction to the suggested FEMA demise was mixed. Firefighter Andy Rammel of the Huber Heights, Ohio Fire Department said, "It's broke. We know that. They got issues as a dysfunctional organization. It should be retooled."
Company Officer Dave Belcher from the Violet Township, Ohio Fire Department said, "They screwed it up when they took it out of the cabinet level position. They have to keep its function to basics, and give the guy [Paulison] a chance."
Rick Niehaus, Assistant Fire Chief at Colerain Township, Ohio Fire Department said, "They learned a lot from Katrina. They learned a lot from the mistakes. To start over now puts them too far behind the game."
Battalion Chief Gary Van Voorhis from Peoria, Illinois Fire Department said, "They need to restructure, clean house and then they should be able to handle it."
Hanover Park, Illinois Fire Chief Craig Haigh said, "I have not had a problem with FEMA. With our floods, we had adequate, professional, quality service. But it's like a fire. Sometimes it doesn't go exactly the way it is supposed to."
With a bit of a smile, his Battalion Chief Jeannine Ames added, "Right now it has a bad name. Maybe if they change the name the problems would go away."
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