Here’s a quick fix to federal gridlock involving disasters:
FEMA, the federal emergency-management agency, must return to its own cabinet status in the Dubya administration.
All prevention, planning and responses to natural disasters should be FEMA’s sole mission. Prevention, planning and responses to unnatural menaces such as terrorism, however, should be the sole mission of homeland security.
In natural disasters, homeland security’s agencies would be supportive of and answerable to FEMA. In unnatural disasters, FEMA’s components would be supportive of and answerable to homeland security.
If a natural disaster affects only one state or local jurisdiction, FEMA’s and homeland security’s agencies such as the Coast Guard would be supportive of and answerable to the affected state.
If more than one state is affected by a natural disaster, all responses would come under the jurisdiction and control of FEMA.
All terrorism preparedness or responses in any state or states would be directed only by homeland security.
Fat chance. (18 SEPTEMBER 2005)
