Mobilizing an army to help the victims of Katrina
People are upset with the government for "moving slow" on mobilizing help for Katrina. I am certain that things did not move fast enough. If help wasn't there ready and able to assist every single person within 20 minutes after the storm winds subsided to below 75 MPH, it wouldn't have been fast enough for me. But it is unrealistic to expect massive amounts of help to arrive within hours of a disaster. I agree that our response should have been better. I believe there should be an "investigation" about it. But not to place blame, or to point fingers, but to identify what was done well and build upon that, and to identify what wasn't done well, and find ways to improve. It takes an ENORMOUS amount of work to mobilize 200,000 "troops", and to keep them fed, clothed, sheltered and safe to effect rescue efforts for 500,000 people. France donated and shipped 500,000 MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat). That was a very nice aid. Thank you France. It fed everyone for one meal. I'm not denying this was a help, not trying to downplay their contribution, I'm not being sarcastic. I mention this to underscore the enormity of what is being faced by our country. It took the army 6 months to mass 500,000 troops for the first Gulf war, and that was after knowing the situation, knowing the terrain, knowing the infrastructure, moving into non-hostile territory, and a year of planning specifically for the event. Help was arriving in large numbers in New Orleans within 4 days of the event. Given how slow our government is at doing everything, that is just amazing. People by their nature want to blame somebody for everything. You can't blame a "thing". You can't blame tree for falling, it must have been the tree warden's fault for missing the tree. You can't blame the lightning stroke, you blame the owners of the golf course. After 9/11, people were able to rally as a country and blame the enemy, Al Qaeda. In my opinion, the media has turned the anger to blaming the government. The real fault here lies with Katrina. Blame Katrina. It was a devastating storm, with devastating results, perhaps the worst natural disaster yet in American history. Why is the anger reserved for the government? Why aren't people angry with the Red Cross? After all, the Red Cross' ONLY business is in disaster relief. Why aren't people yelling at them, and calling for their CEO's resignation? A week after the fact, people from my area were still sitting in Boston, being trained to go into the area. Just being trained! Where is their preparedness? Shouldn't they have a few hundred thousand people trained and ready to go? I know, I know, the Red Cross doesn't have unlimited resources. However, if you don't expect the Red Cross to have this off the shelf capability, why would you expect your government to have it? Does the government have unlimited resources to be prepared for all eventualities, and respond instantaneously?? The people who didn't evacuate because they couldn't have every right to be unhappy with some level of government -- which level or levels that is or are to blame, local, state or federal, is subject to your political philosophy. The government, at the least and from every non-radical political viewpoint must care for its citizens that are unable to care for themselves. 'Nuff said. But the anger needs to be refocused and laid at the feet of the culprit: Katrina. The government didn't do this to you, it's trying to help, efficiently or not, effective or not, it is not to blame for your situation. People who had the opportunity to evacuate and did not don't have the right to be unhappy with anyone but Katrina; in fact their presence only absorbs resources that should be going to save people who couldn't get out on their own. How do you explain to someones family that they lost a loved one because rescuers were busy saving a dog or a hamster? If you own a pet that comes with responsibility. Food, shelter, exercise, medical care and a plan for natural disaster or terrorist attack. If they didn't evacuate because of insufficient resources to care for their pet's evacuation, well, that's their fault along with Katrina's, and not the fault of the government or the Red Cross. Our government had been advertising for years, "Be Ready". ( http://www.ready.gov/ ) Be Ready. Don't rely on the government to be there for you with food, water, cash and clothing after a terrorist strike or natural disaster. Be prepared for yourself, for your family, for your pets. The government help will come, but it will seem like it's taking forever. It probably will. |
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| Very basic preparedness:
Quote: Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to make it on your own for at least three days, maybe longer. While there are many things that might make you more comfortable, think first about fresh water, food and clean air. Consider putting together two kits. In one, put everything needed to stay where you are and make it on your own. The other should be a lightweight, smaller version you can take with you if you have to get away. You'll need a gallon of water per person per day. Include in the kits canned and dried foods that are easy to store and prepare. [EDITOR'S NOTE: ENSURE YOU INCLUDE A CAN OPENER] If you live in a cold weather climate, include warm clothes and a sleeping bag for each member of the family. Start now by gathering basic emergency supplies – a flashlight, a battery-powered radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, toilet articles, prescription medicines and other special things your family may need. Many potential terrorist attacks could send tiny microscopic "junk" into the air. Many of these materials can only hurt you if they get into your body, so think about creating a barrier between yourself and any contamination. It's smart to have something for each member of the family that covers their mouth and nose. Plan to use two to three layers of a cotton t-shirt, handkerchief or towel. Or, consider filter masks, readily available in hardware stores, which are rated based on how small a particle they filter. It is very important that the mask or other material fit your face snugly so that most of the air you breathe comes through the mask, not around it. Do whatever you can to make the best fit possible for children. Also, include duct tape and heavyweight garbage bags or plastic sheeting that can be used to seal windows and doors if you need to create a barrier between yourself and any potential contamination outside. Source:http://www.ready.gov/overview1.html Natural Disaster: Quote: Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as making an emergency supply kit and developing a family communications plan, are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency. However, there are important differences among natural disasters that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you take. Some natural disasters are easily predicted, others happen without warning. Planning what to do in advance is an important part of being prepared. Find out what natural disasters are most common in your area. You may be aware of some of your community’s risks: others may surprise you. Historically, flooding is the nation's single most common natural disaster. Flooding can happen in every U.S. state and territory. Earthquakes are often thought of as a West Coast phenomenon, yet 45 states and territories in the United States are at moderate to high risk from earthquakes and are located in every region of the country. Other disasters may be more common in certain areas. Tornados are nature's most violent storms and can happen anywhere. However, states located in “Tornado Alley,” as well as areas in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and Florida are at the highest risk for tornado damage. Hurricanes are severe tropical storms that form in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Scientists can now predict hurricanes, but people who live in coastal communities should plan what they will do if they are told to evacuate. Source:http://www.ready.gov/natural_disasters.html |
| THANK YOU!!!
As an emergency services person I am sick and tired of people being so quick to blame the very people who are there to help. First off, Task Force One from Pennsylvania had members in Louisiana within 16 hours of the disaster. 16 hours (I'm pretty certain of this, didn't get an accurate timetable from them as they were trying to Save Lives!) they were mobilizing before the actual hurricane finished making landfall. These people are unpaid, VOLUNTEER. They donate countless hours of their own lives to training, buying their own equipment and providing their own transportation to 'events'. Not to mention that there are no subsides for when they leave their jobs to go help someone else. These people were also some of the very first to arrive in New York City on 9/11 they also made some great rescues from the rubble while they were there. Who's heard of them? Probably only the other emergency services people in our area. Secondly, there is something called triage that happens in mass casualty events. This is the ranking of severity of people's conditions and situations. If I am looking at 20 people lying in a field and you don't have a pulse within the first 20 seconds of me checking you, sorry, you're dead. I don't have time to risk 19 other people's lives in the hopes that 20 minutes of CPR are going to revive you. I don't care what happens on tv, it's just not the effective and magical. In the time I take on you, in your virtually hopeless state, the person next to you could bleed to death from a laceration that would have taken me 45 seconds to dress with a pressure bandage. Now there's 2 dead people. I know this sounds harsh but this is the way it works in the real world. Also, people who are "Death Impending" are placed in the morgue. Sorry to them as well but I don't have time to move you out of the way, hold your hand while you die and then move you again after you are gone. I really wish that I did but I don't and other people will be saved because I left you there. (This is where Faith comes in and we have to realize that you aren't actually alone during this time.) Please realize that this applies to animals lives too. No they aren't people, yes they are a life but really if I was unavailable to save your Child's life because I spent an hour hauling hamsters out of a house, what would you think of my decision to save animals instead of humans then? Also, loose animal in helicopters make them crash. Please reference turbulance as it applies to loss of lift. Third, if you are too dumb to save yourself, I really appreciate that you want me to risk my life, my partner's life and probably 2 other team member's lives to come and save your dumb self. There are people in every natural disaster that refuse to evacuate and then start screaming for help once they realize that the people in charge weren't lying to them. There are calls from people in the shadow of Mt. St. Helens, when it blew the first time, who sounded surprised that they were surrounded by magma. Please don't have the audacity to sound surprised, volcanoes=lava just as hurricanes=water. If you are unable, meaning you can't, can not, get out of harm's way; don't worry, we'll be right there and we'll take care of you. THAT is what we're here for. If you don't feel like leaving or just didn't get around to it, I'm sure your handicap neighbor appreciates the fact that your 2 good legs and 2 good arms are resting comfortably in my ambulance while she sits and wonders if anyone is coming for her. If I see one more person covered in gold, diamonds and designer label clothes, on the news crying about how the government isn't helping them, I am going to scream. Do you know how much Emergency Services workers get paid? They generally start at about $8.00 an hour. That's the people who are lucky enough to get paid; most are Volunteer. I don't think everyone should be dressed in rags but get your Tommy Hilfiger clad self to the bus station and buy a ticket out of town. Don't look into that camera lens and say you live paycheck to paycheck and can't afford to leave when you are covered in garb and accessories that the people who are trying to save you can't afford. If you are unable to leave because you don't have a car or money for gas, start walking, we'll pick you up as soon as we can and we'll be happy to do it. Oh and if you shoot at me while I'm trying to help you, believe me I won't feel at all bad when the police shoot you. I'll also treat your wounds and attempt to save your life even though you tried to end mine. (I probably won't have a great bedside manner while I do it though!  )
I am the first person who takes a pet's welfare into account when on an accident or house fire scene. I play with people's animals while taking their medical history. I have gone back in my own vehicle to get a woman's cat and take it to her relative's house because they were unable to. You know what, it made her feel better and you could physically see her condition get better once she knew that her animal would be taken care of. I am aware of people's attachment to their animals, don't forget I have my own and I know how distressed I would be if something happens to them. But we also need to realize that you are putting multiple people's lives in danger because you didn't make appropriate arrangements ahead of time. If you think that Dome was unbelievably disgusting and vile, can you imagine what it would have been like with 500 dogs and cats running loose too? (There are several groups attempting to have shelters where you can take your crated animal with you. Not just for the resulting aftermath of this catastrophe but for future events. Thank you to those people! They saw the problem, realized what needed to be done and are taking action. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.) Do I think that they should have emptied the area's grocery stores and put the stuff into the Dome for the refugees? Yes. Do I think that there was too much bureacracy while deciding what to do? Yes. Does my heart break every time I see a lone dog wandering a flooded street or stranded on a rooftop? You freakin' bet it does! But until you've actually been in that situation and been faced with those choices, you have no idea. To people who are Monday morning quarterbacking this thing, get up out of your recliner and do something. Sign those petitions, send care packages, write your congress member, foster an animal. Every little bit helps and we are ALL going to have to do a little something to make this right. Now, somebody get me a ladder so that I can down off this soapbox!  |
| HOLY COW!!
Yes !! Yes !! and YES!! Honestly- the media isn't doing the victims much good at this point anyway. Just more sensationalizing of one sort or another. More Springer mentality, not much real news. In my opinion, if you live in a coastal area - or an area effected by earthquakes, tornados, floods, mudslides or fires, or can be touched by any natural disaster (or unnatural!! ) You NEED TO HAVE A PLAN! Oh Wait! That applies to all of us. Whether it be a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, we all need to know what we will do. There comes a point where you need to be responsible for yourself and your family, and your pets. Know what you will do with the dogs or other pets before disaster strikes! I realize there are exceptions- there always are. I do think many things could have been handled better - no doubt about it. However I also think a lot of what has happened since the hurricane could have been avoided if people would just have planned ahead a little. It's not that complicated, it is doable. I hope this serves as a wake up call for all of us. The "it won't happen here" theory is really kind of silly! It will take a long time and lots of work and donations and volunteers and materials to put back what Katrina took away. If we all did just a little, think what an impact we could make in the lives of all those people! Just one little bit will help, it all adds up. |
| Well said. |
| All of the posts in this thread are so very well thought out and well spoken... and I can't think of anything to add as my thoughts and opinions completely echo those already stated. Good job guys.... it's about time someone put it THAT way. |
| Well said Ron!!
It is really irritating that most of the media shows you the worst parts of what is going on. If they are there with their camera, then they could have brought some water. Everyone said this could happen, but no one really expected it to happen to them. Sure, officials could have done better, but they have never been faced with anything on this scale, ever!!! There will be a lot we can all learn from this and hopefully do better if it should ever happen again. |
| Well said everyone! I agree - the media wants to focus on the heartbreaking stories, but doesn't seem to acknowledge that the transportation, generators and supplies that they were monopolizing could have been used to help evacuate those poor people a little more quickly. And the positive news doesn't get any press at all. By this point many people have resettled in other areas, found jobs and housing, enrolled their children in school and reunited their families, thanks to the efforts of hardworking volunteers and the contributions of the nation. But still the media digs for dirt. The country has unified to support the Gulf Coast in this time of need and yet the media runs polls divided on racial lines in an attempt to cause more dissension. I'm sorry, that's neither relevant nor helpful in my opinion.
I do think we could have done a better job. I think FEMA should be separated from Homeland Security, run by experienced emergency personnel (not government flunkies) and given the authority to take charge in disaster situations. And I totally agree that we should all take personal responsibility for our well being if we are physically able. Take your loved ones (including pets) and get yourself to safety. Your stuff can be replaced. Your family can't. |
| I agree!
I read a story on in our local paper yesterday about a couple who went to New Orleans that Friday before the hurricane for vacation. They said that they were initially supposed to go on the trip in October, but decided to go the hurricane weekend instead. They got on the plane (they noted that it seemed really empty) and said they had checked the weather before leaving and that Katrina was supposed to be miss New Orleans. Hmm, I seem to remember that by Friday it looked like it was a huge storm that was going to get pretty darn close to New Orleans, but hey...So they get to New Orleans, grab a cab and notice that there was NO traffice headed into town, but that it was bumper to bumper headed out of town. Hmm. So then they get to their empty hotel and decide to walk around and bar hop. Next day (Sat) they realize stores are closing up and people are evacuating. They go bar hopping some more. (And these are middle aged people, not some 20 year old crazy kids)...By Sunday they realize they should probably leave, so they call a cab and he comes and he tells them that all the buses and Amtrack are closed. So they ask him to drive them to Baton Rouge or somewhere out of the storm zone. He says he needs his cab to evacuate his own family. So they end up at the Superdome. They said it was horrible, they brought water and bread and wine (the wine was confiscated--could be used as a weapon they were told) and they complained and complained, etc. about the whole situation there. All this could have been avoided it they used common sense and decided to postpone their trip in the first place! Grrr. One more thing: the Superdome was supposed to be the house of last refuge and to house a few thousand, but when what, 10-20,000 showed up, no kidding it would be a mess... |
| Unfortunately Ron, that is the way of the world. News Per-Se is a thing of retrospective intellegence (and i use the word intellegence lightly) and of sensationalism. The press and Media need to get their collective heads out of their A**'s and wake up.
I feel for you guys, you have posted some very interesting stuff here. Best of luck from over the Pond |
| It's interesting because my brother just got his master's degree in broadcast journalism a few months ago and had to take all sorts of classes. The 2 of us are VERY different in our political views and I have always (not that this pertains to politics, per se) complained about the bias the media shows, when it is not supposed to have an opinion (on air) one way or another. They are supposed to present the facts, the news. But, as humans, there is the innate necessity to provide human emotion to stories to get people to connect, but there is a fine line between using emotion to get people to connect and using emotion to steer the direction of the story. My brother, being involved in the business, feels that most news organizations are pretty free of bias, which is interesting to me because it seems so obvious that there is leading going on...But, there has been sensationalism in the media for a very long time--one change now is the 24 hour news access everyone has. It used to be that people could get their news from the newspaper, the radio, the 6pm news and the 11pm news and that was about it. Now with constant tv coverage, internet and all sorts of other options the media has to continue to find 'new' stories to hold the people's attention... |
barney1 wrote: They got on the plane (they noted that it seemed really empty) and said they had checked the weather before leaving and that Katrina was supposed to be miss New Orleans. Hmm, I seem to remember that by Friday it looked like it was a huge storm that was going to get pretty darn close to New Orleans, but hey...
Here's where my political sensibilities run straight into reality. I am a firm believer in small government. I think we should all be able to do what we want as long as it doesn't negatively impact someone else. I think that taxes should be low and the role of the federal government should be limited. HOWEVER - Some people are morons, and the rest of us shouldn't have to pay for their stupidity. In the case of an impending weather disaster, do we need to restrict people from entering the area? Do we need the airlines to refuse service: "New Orleans is expecting a hurricane. If you don't live there, you shouldn't be going there." Should the hotels be required to refuse check-in and send these people right back to the airport? Should you have to sign a waiver that says "I understand that I am entering a zone that is being evacuated and if I come to harm I will reimburse the government for the expense of feeding, sheltering and evacuating me"? I'm not talking about the locals who needed care - I'm talking about ridiculous tourists. Let's take the example of the Spanish member of Parliament who was trapped in the Superdome. Why didn't she and her family evacuate? She obviously had the financial means to get out of there. Here in the Phoenix area when we have monsoon storms there are certain streets that flood. The same streets have been flooding since before people lived here - they were built on washes. When the rains start signs go up to close those streets. If you drive down a closed street and get stuck, you have to reimburse the police for the cost of your "rescue". Perhaps if more actions had consequences, people would think twice before doing stupid stuff. |
| I've been holding off on posting here because, even in a good mood, I'm very opinionated about things like this. Now that I have the flu, my mood has worsened but all the stuff I've been flipping through on TV makes me increasingly angry.
Let me begin by saying that I'm not about to attack the rescue efforts that are being made. I can understand feeling like it's slow when you're down there suffering but how about examining why you're still there anyway? And I'm not talking about people that were physically unable to go, that's another story. I'm sorry if it sounds harsh, but I'm really tired of hearing poor as an excuse. Poor is not an excuse not to walk out of there when you had the chance. If you didn't want to leave your stuff, and you were too poor to get transportation out, what kind of stuff did you have worthsaving anyway? Grab your family, pets, sentimental items and that's all you need. If you're physically able, and you've been told to leave because your life is threatened, do you mean to tell me that you couldn't find some way to leave? Take a bus, steal a bike, put your kid in a wagon and go-- you don't know a single friend/family member with a car? But now, you're angry because, after you wouldn't leave, people didn't come to save you fast enough? Just be glad I'm not the president. The only rescue I'd be doing is animals! Bottom line, money or no money, you find a way. If you have a family, you have a responsibility. You have a responsibility to yourself. I think some of these people have been taken care of by the government for so long, that they just expect them to come through and take care of them again. Even if that is the path you choose to take, to hang around like an idiot and wait for someone to save you when you didn't leave when you should've, that does not give you a license to turn into an animal. I'm not even talking about the shooting and the looting either. for example, I loved when they were showing a group of people in the Superdome who were complaining that no one was picking up the garbage that they were throwing on the floor. In the background, maybe about 20 feet away, was a garbage can that didn't appear to be overflowing. Someone defecated in the concourse. Let me repeat that for those who didn't get it the first time: someone defecated in the concourse. Even if the toilets were broken, that shouldn't be an option! It's disgusting on so many levels. Ultimately, I think many of the problems that are going on down there are so much deeper than the storm, but the storm is what's bringing it all out. One of the first people that I saw interviewed after the hurricane hit and they got the news crews in was a 22 year old girl with 6 kids, the oldest being six years old and no father in sight. She was angry that she was being looked over because she was poor. Um, have you ever thought about not having a kid every year for the last 6 years? You don't think that's even a little bit your fault and maybe you could've afforded a bus ticket out of town if you had, I don't know, even 2 kids? Or maybe bought some birth control? Or how about all the people that have already been caught using the $2000 in relief money to buy designer handbags, gold and other "non-essential" items? Sure it's not everyone so please understand that I don't mean everyone but it is those people giving the entire group a bad name. If these people were so poor that they couldn't leave, I find it hard to believe an $800 Louis Vuitton bag was among the belongings that were lost. With decision making skills like that, wow, what a surprise that they're poor. You've got nothing, but now you have a nice handbag to put nothing in. Well, I guess you need somewhere to put your welfare check when it comes. We grew up in a hard way but my mom never let us know that we were poor-- it wasn't until years later that I put it all together and realized how she scrimped and saved and sacrificed herself so that we never knew we had anything less than other kids. It's almost like there's no shame now in popping out a bunch of kids and living on welfare for the rest of your life. It just sickens me. Like Bailey's Mom said, maybe if there were more consequences for people doing stupid things, it would deter them from being done. Then again, prison doesn't seem to be an incredible deterrent to criminals. Why make your home on a flood plain in the first place? Or on a fault? Or the side of cliff and cry when mudslides happen? You have to wonder about living in a place that you can't get insured for the disaster that's most likely to happen there. Doesn't it seem like common sense should kick in and tell you to pick a safer option? No one is immune from a bad decision or a stupid move, (heck, me in particular) but when it comes to life or death decision and the safety of your loved ones, it's ultimately your own responsibility. |
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