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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;">To all --<br>
<br>
Please excuse this, my first violation (I believe) of the three-post-per-day
rule, but I have an inflamed bile duct caused (I'm told) by the deaths of
thousands of fellow Americans. This is page 43 from the National Response Plan,
the set of protocols distributed to local, state, and federal emergency
response agencies that instruct them about who takes responsibility in the
event of a catastrophe, like, for instance, a giant hurricane hitting New
Orleans. It should make quite clear to Jeff and Pat
with whom the buck should stop:<br>
<br>
Quote begins:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">"A catastrophic event could result in sustained
national impacts over a prolonged period of time, almost immediately exceeds
resources normally available to State, local, tribal, and private-sector authorities
in the impacted area, and significantly interrupts governmental operations and
emergency services to such an extent that national security could be
threatened. All catastrophic events are Incidents of National Significance.</span></strong>
</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Implementation of Proactive Federal
Response Protocols</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Protocols for proactive Federal
response are most likely to be implemented for catastrophic events involving
chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive weapons of
mass destruction, or large magnitude earthquakes or other natural or
technological disasters in or near heavily populated areas."</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">[...]</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">"Guiding principles for
proactive Federal response include the following:"</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">[...]</span></strong><b><br>
<br>
</b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">"Standard procedures
regarding requests for assistance may be expedited or, under extreme
circumstances, suspended in the immediate aftermath of an event of catastrophic
magnitude."</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">"Identified
Federal response resources will deploy and begin necessary operations as
required to commence life-safety activities."</span></strong><br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">"Notification and full
coordination with States will occur, but the coordination process must not
delay or impede the rapid deployment and use of critical resources.
States are urged to notify and coordinate with local governments
regarding a proactive Federal response."</span></strong></p>
In other words, FEMA has not only agreed to take primary responsibility
for emergency management, but communicated to state and local agencies
that it will indeed coordinate emergency response. Much to their
surprise, the crippled feds apparently couldn't coordinate their way
out of a paper bag. <br>
<br>
-- ACS<br>