Louisianna Homeland Security Kept Red Cross out of NO

[mburbank]

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (CNN) -- Louisiana officials rebuffed American Red Cross requests to enter New Orleans with relief supplies last week because of concerns over logistical difficulties, Red Cross and state officials said Thursday.

The Red Cross never launched its relief effort in the city.

The national president of the American Red Cross, Marsha Evans, first made the request to undertake the operation during a visit to the state on September 1, three days after Hurricane Katrina struck, a local Red Cross chapter official said.

Vic Howell, chief executive officer of the agency's Louisiana Capital Area Chapter, said he renewed that request the next day to Col. Jay Mayeaux, the deputy director of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

"We had adequate supplies, the people and the vehicles," Howell said at a news conference in Baton Rouge. "It was the middle of a military rescue operation trying to save lives. We were asked not to go in, and we abided by that recommendation."

Mayeaux, appearing at the news conference with Howell, said he had asked the Red Cross to wait 24 hours for conditions to be "set" for the operation.

"To set up a feeding station to feed a large number of people, you need space. You need to escort the personnel into position. ... And we asked Mr. Howell, and he concurred, to wait 24 hours to go to set that in," Mayeaux said.

By Saturday, however, the point became moot because the large-scale evacuation of the city was under way, Howell and Mayeaux said.

"After that point in time ... their rescue operation was in full force, and they felt they had adequate supplies there to take care of it without (the Red Cross) being introduced into the situation," Howell said. "So we did not go directly into New Orleans."

The National Guard began moving large quantities of food, water and ice into New Orleans and other damaged areas of southeast Louisiana on Wednesday, two days after the hurricane struck and a day before the Red Cross made its request to go in, Mayeaux said.

The supplies were being delivered from Camp Beauregard, a National Guard base near Alexandria, 150 miles away, in the central part of the state.

So far, 16.4 million pounds of ice, 14.2 million quarts of water and 7.9 million ready-to-eat meals have been distributed, Mayeaux said.

In addition, food and water had also been stored before the storm at the Louisiana Superdome and other shelters, Mayeaux said. He added that guard troops also brought supplies.

Mayeaux said that state officials did "push" supplies into the distribution pipeline before requests were made and did not wait for local officials to request them.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

It sounds like the local Red Cross representative was in full agreement with Howell. And they're right, if you aren't logistically prepared to receive this assistance, then that assistance can simply become a problem if it isn't planned properly.

What's the issue here? It seems like the article titles itself in a very contentious manner, but the meat of the piece doesn't seem to live up to that outrage.

[mburbank]

Kev; Cross reference this article with the EMT's first hand account I just posted. Then read the article again. Homeland security requested the Red Cross stay out for 24 hours for logistical reasons, which they.

Then:

"By Saturday, however, the point became moot because the large-scale evacuation of the city was under way, Howell and Mayeaux said.

"After that point in time ... their rescue operation was in full force, and they felt they had adequate supplies there to take care of it without (the Red Cross) being introduced into the situation," Howell said. "So we did not go directly into New Orleans."

The National Guard began moving large quantities of food, water and ice into New Orleans and other damaged areas of southeast Louisiana on Wednesday, two days after the hurricane struck and a day before the Red Cross made its request to go in, Mayeaux said."


I fault the Red Cross almost as much as I fault homeland Security for believeing that Homeland and National Gaurd had the situation under control and didn't need them. Perhaps the Red ross, like Homeland Security, lacks access to television. The point is, they were DESPERATELY WRONG, as we all know at this point. The article continues:

"In addition, food and water had also been stored before the storm at the Louisiana Superdome and other shelters, Mayeaux said. He added that guard troops also brought supplies. "

If this is even true, it was certainly far from aqequate. There was no point at which conditions in the superdome were even remotely adequate, no point at which more food, water and trained personell would not have helped. While I fault the Red Cross, it is the job and duty of Homeland Security to HAVE THAT INFORMATION. In addition, there were huge congregations of people without food and water at the convention center and on the highway overpass.


again:

"they felt they had adequate supplies there to take care of it without (the Red Cross) being introduced into the situation,"


How could they have been that incompetent, that wrong, that misinformed? When your boss's previous experience is Judging horse shows and hios boss can say with a straight face that 'no one expected the levees to break' maybe competence isn't really a job requirement.
Whatever the cause this is failure and people died because of it and it needs to be called what it is. The Red Cross should have fought them on it, and publicly. That is failure to, and Howell should absolutely be fored for it.

I agree, the headline is inflamatory, but I don't really care. The facts are there in the story and the timeline. This is fucking barbaric, Kevin, and if this amateur diddlypoke crap in the face of disaster is what we can expect four years after 9/11 then this administration has fucked up bigtime. This isn't the 'blamegame', it's accountability. I find the Democrats almost as disgusting as the Republicans, but, and this is KEY, the Republican party has held the house, the senate, and the Presidency ALL THIS TIME. No matter how you slice it, the Republicans are in the drivers seat and the fact the that governor of an extemely poor state is a Democrat and the Mayor of a brutally poor city is a Democrat doesn't change it. If I hear the phrase 'Blame Game' one more time I think I'll puke. The motto of this administration is "The Buck stops ANYWHERE but with one of us".

[mburbank]

Here's what I mean about lack of job experience

From the Washington Post:

Five of eight top
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials came to their posts with virtually no experience in handling disasters and now lead an agency whose ranks of seasoned crisis managers have thinned dramatically since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
ADVERTISEMENT

FEMA's top three leaders -- Director Michael D. Brown, Chief of Staff Patrick J. Rhode and Deputy Chief of Staff Brooks D. Altshuler -- arrived with ties to
President Bush's 2000 campaign or to the White House advance operation, according to the agency. Two other senior operational jobs are filled by a former Republican lieutenant governor of Nebraska anda
U.S. Chamber of Commerce official who was once a political operative.

Meanwhile, veterans such as U.S. hurricane specialist Eric Tolbert and World Trade Center disaster managers Laurence W. Zensinger and Bruce P. Baughman -- who led FEMA's offices of response, recovery and preparedness, respectively -- have left since 2003, taking jobs as consultants or state emergency managers, according to current and former officials.

Because of the turnover, three of the five FEMA chiefs for natural-disaster-related operations and nine of 10 regional directors are working in an acting capacity, agency officials said.




I guess when the friggin' Commander in Chief has only held one elected office before the Presidency, previous experience ceases to be a big resume builder.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Yeah, I saw a story on this this morning. I think TIME is coming out with a big piece on Brownie's lack of experience.

However, I'd be interested in seeing the resumes of past FEMA heads. Did they have extensive first response experience, or disaster relief work behind them? I mean, I can't say i even know what the director of FEMA's day-to-day might look like. Do you usually get these bureacratic patronage-types, or do you get former EMTs?

I ask, because during the Clinton admin., I believe a record number of disasters were declared. I don't recall there being any issues with how FEMA responded, who ran it during Clinton's time again???

[mburbank]

I heard a big thing about Clinton's FEMA guy on the radio yesterday, but his name slips my mind. Fema has up to now been known in bith R and D administrations as one of the Govt. most competent arms. In the last few years (even before it became part of homeland security) there have been multiple complaints that it was being gutted, and a number of experienced key personell have left in protest.

This is more difficult to source right now, but I'll bet you it becomes a whole lot eaiser over the course of the next week.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

James Lee Witt

"Mr. Witt's professional career includes the formation of Witt Construction, a commercial and residential construction company. After 12 years as a successful businessman and community leader, he was elected County Judge for Yell County, serving as the chief elected official for the county, with judicial responsibilities for county and juvenile court. At age 34, he was the youngest elected official in Arkansas, and was later honored for his accomplishments by the National Association of Counties. After being re-elected six times to the position, Mr. Witt was tapped by then-Governor Bill Clinton to assume leadership of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services (OES). He served as the Director of the Arkansas OES for four years."

I hear ya on FEMA's performance level, but let's be fair, this guy didn't really have the background either until Clinton decided to take a fellow Arkansasan along for the ride.

That may, however, be a moot point. Like you said, FEMA had a strong rep. under Witt, but it was also (sort of jokingly) called the biggest vote buyer in the country.

[Abcdxxxx]

Even with 9/11 the FEMA/Red Cross presence was questioned. Local business owners were feeding people out of pocket, themselves.

What's important to note is that there were some National Gaurd (something like 300) at the Silverdome, doing the security checks which delayed entry into the temporary shelter...and Red Cross did participate. If you're the nations top relief/aid responder and you're being blocked, shouldn't you be able to predetermine what type of tragedy might result, and take action? The hotels, and media were able to get in and out of the area just fine. To me it's their attempt at covering their ass. Notice they're mainly discussing the Silverdome.... but what about the rest of the city?

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Did the Red Cross encounter such difficulties in Mississippi or Alabama? What about other regions of Louisiana???

I doubt they're simply covering their asses. The media can come and go primarily because they are more like gnats who buzz around you and observe.

If the Red Cross is in there, then they are providing food, clothing, and other services to needy people. I could see this requiring more of a green light than the media needs.

[Abcdxxxx]

I'm not clear on what the Red Cross presence was in other States.... doesn't seem like much if any from the media reports. Sounds like a lot of private donations are keeping people alive. I know there are hundreds of Red Cross shelters open and caring for people, at least.

My impressions is every dept. is consumed with these petty turf wars over their jurisdiction (even on down to the National Gaurd, and the Police).