The National Response… Framework?
By: Dale A. RoseThis was off my radar — like lots of things lately. So DHS has decided to whittle down the NRP, and turn it into the NRF. Ta-da! The problem is, apparently, that the very emergency managers who will be called on to implement it are *totally* against it. Why? In part, because it is oriented towards 15 scenarios around which are to be formed essentially 15 distinct assemblages. Wait a minute! What happened to all-hazards preparedness? Don’t ask DHS; it is figuring out how to ride out what will probably, in the end, not cause such a big brouhaha: the latest proclamation from the GAO on just how modest — or is it moderate? — progress has been in implementing necessary reforms in the nation’s newest Cabinet-level agency. Check it out here, but prepare yourself for a long read. A thread on either of these items is welcome and encouraged — especially the former, I think!
September 16th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Glad you caught this, Dale. It would be worth digging further to figure out just what the politics of this are. An old issue, defining the chain of command between various jurisdictions - which was at the heart of disputes over how to attribute blame for Katrina-response - seems to be a major sticking point. Here is the Post article: “state and local emergency managers said the new plan offers insufficient detail for guiding the actions of officials in charge of handling specific incidents and leaves unclear the chain of command, from the president to workers on the scene.” So is it that there is insufficient detail? Or are local emergency managers annoyed that they’re not getting enough autonomy?
September 19th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Andy, glad you brought this issue up. Working off the top of my head now, as opposed to having a ton of material in front of me, I would have to say that the complaints of the local emergency managers about the new NRF make sense. I do not get a sense that local folks are currently concerned about local autonomy during and after a crisis, the Katrina case notwithstanding. In fact, there is a fair amount of evidence in the public domain to support the assertion that FEMA under DHS in the last few years has really put emphasis on the saying “All disasters are local first.” It is a matter of policy at DHS, if I recall Secretary Chertoff’s words on the matter correctly, that locals can pretty much count on the fact that the feds will not be showing up for a good 72+ hours after a disaster event occurs (!) I hope I’m not misrepresenting his claim on the matter. Anyway, I’m pretty sure locals will not only have a fair amount of autonomy during/immediately after disasters, but that the feds want no part in running things in that period. As an aside, I’m curious if the same would apply across the spectrum of disasters, including pandemic flu or even BT.