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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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October
2005
Volume
9 - Number 1 |
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Quotes from FEMA Director Mike Brown Former head of FEMA, Michael D. Brown was quoted many
times about Hurricane Katrina and the government’s response, those quotes,
and the tone in which they were delivered changed greatly as time went on.
Prior to Katrina, Brown’s voice was one of confidence; on 8/25 it was announced that Brown delivered the keynote address at the annual Governor’s Conference on Emergency Management in, Colorado. “The President knows what we at the Department of Homeland Security know, and what all of you know – the strength of our response capabilities has the power to take the terror out of terrorism. And when all response entities work together, we provide a stronger, more effective response,” Brown said. “…. We are prepared for all-hazards disasters, man-made and natural.” When preparing for landfall in the gulf coast; on 8/28 - “FEMA has pre-positioned many assets including ice, water, food and rescue teams to move into the stricken areas as soon as it is safe to do so.” Brown tried to focus on the positives in the response; on 8/30 - “FEMA is coordinating the mobilization of all available federal resources to help residents affected by this dangerous storm. “ 09/01 - "Considering the dire circumstances that we have in New Orleans -- virtually a city that has been destroyed -- things are going relatively well," "Right now, I'm trying to focus on saving lives. With the increase in evidence to the contrary, Brown wanted to shift focus away from reports from other sources, towing the party line. 9/02 - "I've just learned today that we ... are in the process of completing the evacuations of the hospitals, that those are going very well. “That's not been reported to me, so I'm not going to comment. Until I actually get a report from my teams that say, "We have bodies located here or there," I'm just not going to speculate.’ 09/05 - "Life saving and life sustaining missions continue to be the top priorities in the Hurricane Katrina response and recovery," After being removed as leader of the response; - Asked if he was being made a scapegoat, he said: "By the press, yes. By the president, no." 9/12 - "The focus has got to be on FEMA, what the people are trying to do down there," “This story’s not about me. This story’s about the worst disaster of the history of our country that stretched every government to its limit and now we have to help these victims.” Upon his resignation, Brown revealed comments to the contrary. “I am having a horrible time," Mr. Brown said he told Mr. Chertoff. Throughout the incident and the response, Brown’s focus was on FEMA, the response, and the responders, yet when he resigned, it was not in the interests of the people of the gulf coast, or those same responders, but “in the best interests of the agency, and the best interests of the president”. Begging the question, what are the president’s interests? |