Which brings me to the always flexible "Semper Gumby FEMA." Imagine if you will, poor Craig Fugate trying to cast his vision for what FEMA should be and do, mentoring his leadership team, meanwhile being summoned to this House Committee or that Senate Committee to comment on FEMA's Readiness for a disaster or event that is the topic of the day.
Even though FEMA has been on a hiring spree of late, beefing up the FEMA Regions with staff, they are still a very small Federal agency. When it comes to the people end of things, they are not much different than the rest of us State and Local emergency managers. When disaster strikes they drop what they are doing and respond. At some point, they come back and try to pick up where they left off, but with a longer list of "to dos."
All of the above thinking was caused by the The Washington Post article, Is FEMA Ready for the Next Disaster? In American eyes I can tell you, "No" not for the type of event that hit Japan. And, "Who is ready for that type of event(s)?" Can you imagine Americans standing in lines quietly to get their cup of instant noodles, crammed into shelters on the floor, no cots, etc? There would be this screaming mob hounding every reporter they saw with a camera, demanding better treatment and "their check" for the losses they experienced.
In the article the Homeland Security IG says FEMA has been in a "State of flux." Well, duh! This state of flux started with the first George W. Bush administration and was kicked into high gear with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. I'm still hopeful that Fugate, because he is an experienced emergency manager, will be able to use these windows of opportunity that are disasters hitting other nations to guide FEMA to a more stable path and not be blown by the whims of Congress and other voices.
Hang in their Craig, "Semper Gumby!"
