The cure for wildfires ... acronym soup
Of course, chaos is the entrée.
As of yesterday, here is the response from the Department of Homeland Security ...
No additional comments needed. This dispatch says it all.
from:
Major Response Operations: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) is at Level I operations with all Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) activated. The Region IX Response Coordination Center (RRCC) is activated at Level II with all ESFs, the US Coast Guard (USCG) and the Defense Coordinating Element (DCE) activated. The FEMA Joint Field Office (JFO) is established in Pasadena, CA. FEMA Region IX has activated an Emergency Response Team - Advance (ERT-A) that has arrived at the JFO. The Emergency Response Team - National (ERT-N) Red is deployed to the JFO and will be operational on 25 Oct 07. Eight (8) Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) have been issued. Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) - Bothell is deploying two (2) Mobile Emergency Operations Vehicles (MEOV) to the JFO in support of communication needs. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has deployed a temporary Power Planning and Response Team (PPRT), a Temporary Housing Team, a Tiger Team, a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) specialist, electrical engineer and a subject matter expert. Two FEMA safety officers have been deployed to the JFO. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has deployed two (2) Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) to San Diego, CA, TO BE BASED AT THE DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS AND MARCH AIR FORCE BASE (AFB) RESPECTIVELY. HHS has also deployed an Incident Response Coordination Team (IRCT) to the JFO. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has deployed a liaison to the JFO. A NUMBER OF MOBILE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS (MDRCs) HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED: SAN DIEGO - ONE (1) ARRIVED YESTERDAY; THREE (3) EN ROUTE FROM PASADENA TO SAN DIEGO EXPECTED TO ARRIVE TODAY; THREE (3) EN ROUTE TO PASADENA TO BE DISPATCHED LATER; TWO (2) EN ROUTE FROM FORT WORTH, TX TO PASADENA WHICH WILL BE DISPATCHED TO SAN DIEGO ON 25, OCT 07; ONE MDRC AT MOFFETT FIELD IS AWAITING A DRIVER AND WILL BE DISPATCHED UPON ARRIVAL. SIXTY (60) USDA FOREST SERVICE STRIKE TEAMS WERE REQUESTED OF WHICH TEN (10) HAVE BEEN FILLED. THE REQUEST IS UNDER REVIEW. THE USDA HAS ALSO APPROVED THE ISSUANCE OF "DISASTER FOOD STAMPS" FOR FIRE VICTIMS IN ALL AFFECTED COUNTIES. THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY FAMILY REGISTRY AND LOCATOR SYSTEM (NEFRLS) HAS BEEN SET UP. NEFRLS reports 119 calls and 32 registrations as of 1900 EDT 10 Oct 07. THE REGISTRATION CALL VOLUME IS NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME. A JOINT HOUSING TASK FORCE (JHTF) HAS BEEN STOOD UP AT FEMA HQ. INITIAL OPERATING HOURS WILL BE 0800 - 1700 EDT. EPA AND OPS WILL DISPATCH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AT FEMA HQ TO SUPPORT THE NRCC AND THE REGION ON AIR QUALITY ISSUES. THE INITIAL COMPOSITION OF THE TASK FORCE WILL INCLUDE, EPA, HHS, OSHA, DOE (POTENTIALLY), USCG AND FEMA. THE PURPOSE IS TO ADVISE ON AIR QUALITY ISSUES IN SUPPORT OF REGION IX. THE ATLANTA FEDERAL INCIDENT RESPONSE SUPPORT TEAM (FIRST) HAS ARRIVED AT
QUALCOMM STADIUM IN SAN DIEGO. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) HAS APPROVED FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE TO FOUR CALIFORNIA COUNTIES.
Comments (9)
tl;dr
Published: October 26, 2007 9:04 PM
And here I thought economics was bad enough with its AD, AS, DMRP etc etc... Not acronyms per se, but still mind-boggling in their sheer quantity.
Published: October 26, 2007 9:55 PM
Astounding really. I'm always struck by the way in which tiny pockets of socialism (bureaucracy) mirror the big experiences with socialism in all themes and ways.
Published: October 26, 2007 10:17 PM
When the country is confused and in disarray, the royal minister appears.
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Published: October 27, 2007 2:04 AM
This is a perfect example of why arbitrary non-market solutions to economic issues are impossible.
The market is a process that operates like language, conveying meaning, participatory in consultation, and continually improving over time.
Empirically-based central planning of the economy, in contrast, resembles the disjointed, inefficient, garbled thoughts of distant and unconnected bureaucrats that 'respond' to the situation - like Hurricane Katrina and these fires (before, during and after)!
Central planning of the economy generally has two types of bureaucrats:
1. Ego-driven interventionists(http://divineeconomyconsulting.blogspot.com/2007/09/difference-between-politician-and.html),
2. And their minions!
They have no moral authority since they can only be hopeless failures in understanding the dynamic and omnipresent forces of the economy.
Published: October 27, 2007 6:04 PM
As a DMAT member, I wonder how many of you have left your home to provide aid and comfort to your fellow citizens? during a disaster.
Published: October 29, 2007 8:21 AM
"As a DMAT member, I wonder how many of you have left your home to provide aid and comfort to your fellow citizens? during a disaster" - Ron
If I recall, people with the Red Cross tried to help during Katrina and were forced to turn around by FEMA...
Published: October 29, 2007 11:20 AM
I wonder at the point of Ron's post. It seems he sees two options for hurricane relief - government action, and charitable work. This is true, given the government monopoly on disaster relief. But were it not for this monopoly, the point is that response would be provided by the market, which means it would be done better, at a profit, and in a moral fashion. Ron is right that people don't go out to volunteer - that's why it's crucial that there be a profit motive and competition in the provision of these services - they are too important for government to be given a monopoly. Ron, are you famliar with Acadian Ambulance, known throughout Louisiana as the anti-FEMA because they, with a profit motive, actually accomplished much?
Published: October 29, 2007 12:39 PM
Ron,
Am I to assume that only government can form DMAT-like units and coordinate their actions? If so, why wouldn't we turn over all aspects of healthcare to government? Otherwise, why should I believe that DMAT is an efficient solution? Which is it?
Keep in mind that government created the US Peace Corps as a means get volunteers to needed areas worldwide -- at least that is the storyline, yet private organizations provide the exact same service.
Am I missing something?
Published: October 29, 2007 6:04 PM