Michael Brown FEMA Testimony
RESPONSE TO KATRINA: ‘LESSONS CAN AND MUST BE LEARNED.’
FEMA’s Michael Brown says some criticisms of government response is and is not valid, details the agency’s responsibilities.
The federal government is simply not a “first responder.”
The former head of FEMA defended the agency’s actions today at a House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform hearing. Michael Brown responded to various criticisms of government handling of Hurricane Katrina. Brown said that criticism of FEMA “must be understood in the context of understanding FEMA’s role in responding to disasters…”
Brown explained the function of FEMA as providing the basic “cycle” of standard emergency management: preparation, response, recovery and mitigation. Brown shifted responsibility, saying, “Emergency management begins at the local level.”
Brown said, “The federal government is simply not a “first responder,” has never been, and should never be. The role of the federal government in emergency management is generally that of coordinator and supporter.”
Hurricane Katrina, made landfall in New Orleans, in late August of this year. Fatalities totaled 1,833 in affected Southern states, with damage totaling $108 billion. The committee required an explanation into the events which involved the agency before, during, and after Katrina.
“Emergency management begins at the local level,” said Brown, deflecting majority of the criticism onto Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. Brown said that local government are better at “understanding the vulnerabilities and capabilities of their communities.”
Lastly, he passed responsibility to the affected residents, saying, “Individuals must take personal responsibility for being prepared.”
Brown was appointed in 2003 by President George W. Bush and resigned September 12, 2005.