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Should FEMA Aid Distribution in Puerto Rico Supersede Local Efforts There?

This is an excellent issue in ethics and legalities.

Read or listen to this NPR Radio story, How Aid Is Being Delivered To Those In Need In Puerto Rico.

The United States military are always subordinate to civilian authorities. Thus the comment in the story above about doing what FEMA tells us to do is right on the money.

But, and it is a big BUT, what about FEMA? From reading this story, it seems that the 78 mayors in Puerto Rico may be operating individual fiefdoms with little control from outside sources. But think about the situation in any small city or larger metropolitan city on the mainland. Who are those mayors accountable to? Who can come in and say, "We don't trust you — we are going to take over disaster relief operations in your community and ignore what you want done and how you want it done!"

Is the next step in disaster relief going to be, "You are a Democrat/Republican mayor and therefore we are not going to enable you as being seen as being successful in supporting your constituents"?

Is the rule of law being subverted by good intentions? It is this type of thinking that always supports "the means justifies the end." The problem with this type of thinking and actions is that it is a slippery slope that you put yourself on.

If anyone from Northern Command is reading this, I recommend that when you do training and orientations for uniformed personnel performing the role of Defense Coordinating Officer (DCO) and their staff Defense Coordinating Element (DCE) that you use the real-world example above as a, "What should you do?" situation to talk through. 

For those of you not familiar with the role of DCO and DCE, see this interview I did a few years back on the topic of Military Support to Civil Authorities.

 

 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.