FEMA to Lead Shuttle Response, Recovery
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tom Ridge, the new Homeland Security secretary, coordinates the federal response to all significant domestic incidents even though terrorism is not suspected, under an executive order signed by President Bush last month.
On Saturday, Ridge contacted Mike Brown of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, and the head of the military's Northern Command, and determined that FEMA would be the lead agency for response and recovery. Northern Command will offer assistance.
FEMA will become part of Ridge's agency on March 1.
Ridge called officials in Arizona and New Mexico to warn them about possible debris, although those states were out of the likely debris field. Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana were more likely to see shuttle debris.
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