http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/06/kat...ion=cnn_latest

Is FEMA intentionally looking like idiots or does it just come natural to them?

- Chris

 

FEMA was improperly tarping roofs in Florida, Busting tiles on undamaged parts of roof, leaving seams in valleys, covering ridge vents, not using or not nailing furring strips to the tarps, putting furring strips cross ways rather than up and down. Great for trapping water and sending it into houses. Turning breakers on to damage parts of homes, and starting fires. Telling people the phones were down for the whole area, when all they had to do is go to the outside box, unplug the jack to the house and plug in any phone that didn't get soaked. Reporting tempory repairs when none had been done, then they wouldn't go to that residence. FEMA workers taking 3 to 4 hour lunches at five star restaurants, saw that myself. Wouldn't issue us water because we were "out of state", even though we were working on Cell sites, and they didn't seem to have a problem using their cell phones. They had so much water, they couldn't keep it inside and couldn't tell us were the water was safe. BTW the US Air Force got us water, even though we weren't working on base.

 

Wish they would have had a pic of the guy at the WV flightline, when he had 100 people dumped on his lap, without warning.

Looks like SC did a good job, too bad they probably won't get re-embursed.

We kind of have problems like this out west with forrest fires. When a fire pops up that's bigger than the local BLM or FS to handle, they have local contractors to call to come help. The local guys know the area and things go well. If the fire gets beyond that point, the Feds get called in and they have their own contractors list. If the local guys aren't on it, well, they go home - no money for them at that point. Instead, a bunch of crews from outside the area descend, that don't know the area or contact people and it can get hairy fast.

Looking at FEMAs side of things, this kind of operation has to be like what a teacher goes through on the first day of school, in first grade.

I want a job at FEMA. I believe I have the skills and experience necessary to ducttape any home into a leaky tent.

But only if they put this kid in charge. He knows what it's like when people screw up and at 6 years old - can handle himself.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3340752

 

Yes, but FEMA can proudly state that NOT ONE Arabian horse lost its life during Hurricane Katrina! Go Mike Brown!

And just what does FEMA stand for? Let's see, the "F" could be.......

 

Well I think we know that the M does not stand for Map.

- Chris

 

I'm always in the right Charleston. They'll be well taken care of here.

 

Mightypan, me too!

 

Twilight Zone

- Chris

 

Wow. Thanks for the Thanks.

Many people don't know that the US army corps of engineers(usace) is primarily the ones that do alot of the hands on managment work for FEMA. Although they would be identified with red usace shirts or jackets not FEMA. The usace people do alot of work themselves but mostly manage and inspect disaster contractor work.

I am sorry to hear of your experiences in Florida. I was a volunteer inspector in the Orlando area.

We worked like dogs and every one I was assocaited with worked very hard. 16 to 18+ hour days, day in day out. Many of us missing our familys, our kids soccer games etc. We had some inspectors and contractors who could not take it. Too hot on the roofs. Too much stress-- emotional and phyisical... Ever come to a new town-- don't konw anything about it and yet you have to get the map and find individual homes where work is needed people are hurting and it is rush traffic and if you miss the turn-- good luck. I only had a few roofs where a contractor did not do a good job and had to do it over. Most of the contractors did excellent work! But I would not let any crap go.. it had to be right

You think it is hard to get a family ready to go to the movies or on a short trip? Just try getting 700 to 1500 various people and associated equipment, supplies, inpspectors, workers, those in need together and in the right place at the right time, multiple times a day, day after day, moving from area to area,new calls coming in, don't forget people to people problems, (resturant food get real old, still got to wash cloths at midnight once in a while... man, don't get in an accident or the gov will send your ... home)

Man you do your very best--- your heart goes out to people who somhow fell through the cracks and you help em--- you feel like your gonna break inside for people-- then I see what you guy express...man.

Ya know maybe the water you wanted was suppose to go to a hospital or a school and the workers had stricked orders what was to be done with it-- don't think so-- its another story.

Of course the media is always looking over the workers shoulders so they can say someone is wasting money-- hey no one wants to waste $, least of all me I pay enough taxes-- don't get me started on the waste and the extreme scrutiny cause slowed response and waste in itself.

Hey, no one is perfect--- in the orlando area we were not allowed-- I and my fellow inspectors did not allow ANY of what you expressed!!

FEMA is gov workers therefore they only get a sipend for meals-- if they ate at 5 star resterants they would end up having to pay out of their own pocket.

Maybe like me it took them 16 hours flight and layover time to get in and they got in, in the middle of the day and could not be processed and had to hang out--- got to keep track of people so when they get lost, mugged or hurt on the job you know how to get ahold of family etc. then they go right to work after they get there---

I don't know where you were or what you saw but I did private sector work for years and the usace group and the contractor, in my opinon did a hell of a job putting on roofs in the orlando area, making sure the job was done right and working their heads off with compassion and empathy for those in need!! The uasce was extremly organized and very careful that everything was done right! Not what I expected from a gov agency.

If you are baising your info on major news media you can forget it, the major news medias for the most part are selling hype and blame, hype and blame.
Just like the sentator/congress women who good moring america showed crying over just one large back hoe working on pluging a dike-- hey did she think that maybe that is all that could possible fit on the stinking dike with out crushing it and making it worse? I am an engineer, I have alot of construction experience. These poitictians and media people don't know what they are talking about-- hey just pump it out, like in yesterday... yeah right...

In engineering I hear all the time the word "just" -- there aint no such word.

Oh by the way, I will probably volunteer to go help with Katrina clean up, and I will work like a dog, miss some of my family time, go without sleep, hope I don't get hurt or sick, shed some tears for those I try to help and forget about the media and the media hype and the political blame game and especially those that don’t appreciate the work that is done to help others

Judge not....

 

Thanks for the post, and the work you've done. It's nice to hear this side of the story. It's true, what people base their opinions on is what they see in the news or what little bit they may have experienced. It's hard not to get frustrated when you're fed little pieces of edited, pasturized "news". Someone can give you a diet Coke and say there's sugar in it, but they aren't kidding anyone...

I've been listening to the BBS on the SW and the news on the PBS station and just tonight I feel like I'm getting the real story out of Miss. Many parts of that state haven't seen FEMA, most of the covereage has been from NOLA. I've been to a few war zones and the press always flew in as a group, took a few strategic shots and sound bites - then got the heck out of Dodge. I know this is a lot bigger than NO.

How does the organization of something like this work for the average area? (Hard to say average for something like this.)

I heard on the news that an area at least 80 miles up river and at least 1/4 mile inland is just wiped out. Most other homes further inland have some sort of damage, (like a tree through the roof, ect), and it'll be probably close to a week or more before they get power to places that are left to get power.

I'm just kind of curious how this works. I take it FEMA comes in and does a preliminary look at the damage and identifies what needs done, triage fashion. Then releases the funds to USACE to pay for and inspect the work of contract people to come in.

Is this work finish type, where they do structural and the whole works, back to pre-damage conditions? Or is it "just enough" to keep the weather out and keep things sanitary til an insurance adjuster can come in and access a final damage report?

How does someone get involved with this? I mean, I'm a small contractor and can't afford to just drive down to work and try to collect from a bunch of folks who's jobs and savings just floated down river, but would be able to help on a cost+ basis on gov. contract. How does this work?

 

The people I saw go into the Restaurant for three hours wore Tan golf shirts and worked in a temporary FEMA office. The water wouldn't be any good, after it was rained on and sat in the hot sun, unless you sterlized the outside of the bottles. We heard they dismissed a whole bunch of people, that were tarping roofs, and writing up false repair orders. i don't understand why they tarp roofs in the first place. It would make more sense to scrape, put down 10 lb paper, with 30 lb on top of that. Or the could just put down 30 lb paper. If structure is gone then okay, but then the house isn;t safe to live in. Telephone problem; we saw the guy at a Convenance store and told him how to do the phones, he seemed like he could care less. Our company wouldn't work us more than ten hours a day, do to safety concerns. So we were bored and helped people in nearby neighborhoods. Most of the houses had one original jack, with the added on jacks wiring run in the eave soffits, and that wire was damaged. Also why won't states, in an emergency, let out off state contractors work if they are licenced and insured n their home state?

 

Yeah, let's beat up on FEMA now. Remember when they strafed that NJ school with a 20mm Vulcan from a F16? Oh, wait. That was the Air Force wasn't it?

 

74crwcb-
We DO appreciate the hard work that the FEMA "grunts" on the ground put in. The criticism here is directed towards FEMA management, which APPEARS to be sorely lacking. No one has put forward any proof of Mike Brown's qualifications (emergency-management experience) for the job he holds. He headed up the American Arabian Horse Association (where he was asked to leave), and he was college roomates with the previous head of FEMA. Other than the "ol' boy's club" connection, it's hard to fathom why this guy holds the post.

 

I don't know anything about the Brown guy. Does not sound good. All I know is the usace people on the ground, including the first line managers and office people, work like dogs, care very much about doing it right(the first time) won't let any crap slide, pinch every stinking penny(to a fault) and break hearts for people. That does not mean they are perfect( there's at least one bad in a hundred or a thousand).

The media hype and blame and miss info. drives me nuts. That Mrs. Clinton is trying to start an investigation just makes it all worse! Does she or those close to her know anything about construction-- oh that's right she is a lawyer and a pol--, we all trust and love lawyers( don't get on my case--my best friend is a lawyer-- a righteous one)

 

I want to make something clear, I am not faulting FEMA on NO, only the stuff I saw in Florida. Also FEMA is not set up to go into a disaster for 7* to 10 days after the occurance. This is reflected in their web site and their preparedness guide lines, that a readly availiable from many outlets. I believe the immediate problems set firmly on the shoulders of NO;s Mayor and LA's Governor. *Someone told me it is now 5 days, but cannot find a referance to this!