FACING widespread criticism and playing a complex blame game following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was forced to reevaluate its disaster response system, and, to be sure, made a great deal of progress before having to cope with Hurricanes Rita and Wilma. Despite these advancements in response method, however, the problem at the heart of FEMA has yet to be addressed: the tangled web of bureaucracy that makes it ineffective at its objectives.
FEMA's purpose is, according to its Web site, "to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident." The agency unites organizations such as the American Red Cross, the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Guard to coordinate the overall relief effort and optimize the performance of each individual organization. Yet, as many seeking aid following Katrina saw, oftentimes FEMA prevented the smaller groups from doing their jobs. The cause of this hindering was undoubtedly the layers of bureaucracy through which smaller organizations had to wade before accomplishing their goals.
For example, the Hattiesburg American reported that "a group of 19 registered nurses from California, Arizona and Ohio -- some with disaster response experience -- volunteered to come to Mississippi, only to be told no by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services." This department, which during disasters falls under the realm of FEMA, was not able to give these nurses adequate information about where they could best be used and, as a result, they arrived in Mississippi to be told that the nurses needed there were geriatric nurses. Upon learning this, the nurses did not abandon their attempt to aid the relief effort, but relocated to another part of the coast that could use them. FEMA's role in their efforts was minimal.
Even organizations that are understaffed and underfunded are able, through the dedication of committed individuals, to effect more change than FEMA. Time Magazine cited the exemplary work of the U.S. Coast Guard, writing, "The Coast Guard was saving lives before any other federal agency -- despite the fact that almost half the local Coast Guard personnel lost their own homes in the hurricane." The U.S. Coast Guard was not able to save more than 33,500 people because of FEMA; in fact, many members of the Coast Guard took the risk of making rescue trips without FEMA's approval because they recognized that time was of the essence and the bureaucracy that would approve such missions was costing lives. It was the Coast Guard's autonomy that allowed the organization its greatest success.
Time also reported that, "On Aug. 27, the day before the mayor of New Orleans ordered a mandatory evacuation, the Coast Guard began moving its personnel out of the region. Officers left helicopters and boats in a ring around the area so that they could move in behind the storm, no matter which direction it took." The organization acted before the national government and, as a result, was more effective.
Having seen the Coast Guard's success in the wake of Katrina, President Bush replaced ousted FEMA Director Michael Brown with an officer of the Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Thad Allen, as head of Katrina relief operations. Also, another Coast Guard official led the coordination of relief efforts for Hurricane Rita. The U.S. government surely recognizes that an organization like the Coast Guard is doing something right to put two officers in such positions following Katrina. The government should take this decision a step further and minimize FEMA's influence over the relief effort itself; rather than control and potentially hinder the relief efforts of individual organizations, FEMA's hierarchy of command should be eliminated and it should be on par with the organizations it currently directs, serving only to expedite communication between these smaller agencies.
There were undoubtedly other complications in the Katrina response such as the lack of defined responsibilities of local, state and federal government, but, at the same time, those impacted by the storm were told to contact FEMA for help. Clearly, one organization cannot effectively deal with all the problems of a natural disaster. But in times of crisis, time has shown that the most good comes of individuals and small organizations acting on their own. Certainly, some overriding organization ought exist to ensure that these smaller branches can effectively communicate and to aid displaced individuals after the storm, but, as Hurricane Katrina clearly showed, the bureaucracy of FEMA is one of the least helpful elements of disaster relief.
Elizabeth Mills' column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at emills@cavalierdaily.com.
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