News

With the heap of criticism that’s being leveled at FEMA right now, I think it’s important to point out that some things did go right.

Some examples from the public daily FEMA national situation report:

8/27:

State and Federal Preparedness for Hurricane Katrina

FEMA Headquarters:

The FEMA National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) remains at modified Level II operations with Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) 1 (with an Air Operations Element), 3, 4, 5, 7, 15, and a Military Liaison.

On Saturday, the NRCC will transition to a 24-hour Level I on Saturday, August 27 at 07:00 a.m. EDT. ESFs 2, 6, 8, 9, 10-15 and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) are being activated.

FEMA Headquarters is conducting daily video-teleconferences with FEMA Region IV, the National Hurricane Center, Florida, and other potentially affected States.

FEMA Region IV:

The Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) remains at Level II operations. In addition to ESFs 1, 3, 4, 7, 14, 15 and the Department of Defense (DOD), ESF 6 has been activated. ESFs 2, 8, 9, 11, 12 and Rapid Needs Assessment are being activated.

RRCC Level I will be established on Saturday, August 27 at 12 p.m. EDT. Beginning Sunday, August 28 the RRCC will go to 24-hour operations.

An Emergency Response Team-Advance Element (ERT-A) from Region IX has been activated and will arrive to pre-stage in the RRCC on Saturday.

8/28:

Federal Actions:

The FEMA National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) Red Team is activated at Level I (Full Activation).

FEMA headquarters is conducting daily video-teleconferences at noon EDT with FEMA Region IV, the National Hurricane Center and the potentially affected States.

The FEMA ERT-N (Blue) team was activated and deployed to Baton Rouge, LA at noon August 27.

FEMA Region IV: The RRCC in Atlanta activated at Level I (full activation).

FEMA Region VI: The RRCC in Denton, TX activated at Level I (full activation).

8/29:

FEMA Headquarters: The FEMA National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) Red Team is activated at Level I (Full Activation).

FEMA headquarters is conducting daily video-teleconferences at noon EDT with FEMA Region IV, the National Hurricane Center and the potentially affected States.

The Logistics Readiness Center is operational 24/7.

MERS Teams have been deployed to Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and Texas to support Hurricane Katrina response operations.

32 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams have been sent to staging areas in Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee in preparation for responding to Hurricane Katrina.

Seven Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces have been deployed to Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi in preparation for responding to Hurricane Katrina.

The ERT-N Blue is deployed to the Louisiana State Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rogue.

FEMA Region IV RRCC in Atlanta activated at Level I (full activation).

Four ERT-As are operational in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.

FEMA Region VI RRCC in Denton, TX activated at Level I (full activation).

It will be interesting down the road a bit to read the after-action reports and see what actually did happen – versus what is being sensationalized right now by the press and others. The failures of many will be clear and in the black and white… but so will the successes of many.

I don’t have a lot of time this weekend to write about this the way that I would like to do – and it’s clear that there are things that I shouldn’t say or share because of the job I hold now…. I spent all day yesterday dealing with the aftermath of this at work and will do so again and again in the days to come.. and as you see on television, the devastation is horrendous and it will become worse over time as the waters recede over the next 60-80 days.

There’s a ton of fingerpointing going on about this – there will be time for it down the road and I’m sure we’ll be able to read many thousands of pages of after-action reports at some point if we’re so inclined – but the time for solution and actions is now.

Blaming the Mayor, the Governor, the President, FEMA, DHS, or other agencies isn’t really the path to be on right now – the focus should be about what help you can provide – what expertise you can provide – and what role you can play to help with the efforts.

ABC News and others are reporting the death of Peter Jennings from lung cancer at age 67. He had announced in April of this year that he had the disease.

Rest in peace, Peter.

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum… habemus Papam:

Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Josephum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Ratzinger qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictum XVI

As the end of my life approaches I return with my memory to the beginning, to my parents, to my brother, to the sister (I never knew because she died before my birth), to the parish in Wadowice, where I was baptized, to that city I love, to my peers, friends from elementary school, high school and the university, up to the time of the occupation when I was a worker, and then in the parish of Niegowic, then St. Florian’s in Krakow, to the pastoral ministry of academics, to the milieu of … to all milieux … to Krakow and to Rome … to the people who were entrusted to me in a special way by the Lord.

To all I want to say just one thing: “May God reward you.”

Apud Dominum misericordia et copiosa apud Eum redemptio.

Farewell, the Bishop of Rome.

While I am not Catholic, I mourn the loss of Pope John Paul II.

Who else but this man could meet with his would-be assassin in prison and offer him his forgiveness, as we see in the picture below.

Requiescat in pace. Domine, dona nobis pacem.

Ossie Davis died earlier this week at age 87. One of my favorite actors of all time, he was instantly recognizable by that voice that he had. And his uncanny ability to deliver a message, a eulogy, a line.. with that incredible voice.

Most memorable in my mind will probably be the ending of Spike Lee’s monumental film “X” where Ossie Davis delivered the eulogy. That’s one that I’ll remember for the rest of my days.

Eighty – Seven years – a great life. Rest in peace, Ossie.