rate this story up! First Responders Warned Feds on Training

[jasmeel]

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration was warned by congressional investigators this summer that some first responders were concerned that their training and equipment was tilting too much toward combatting terrorism rather than natural disasters.

It's too early to tell whether the shift affected the slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina. But it led some emergency personnel to raise red flags.

The emphasis changed once the
Federal Emergency Management Agency lost its independence and joined the 22-agency
Homeland Security Department in March 2003.

The mammoth department was created in 2002 as a response to the lack of coordination prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and its emphasis clearly is terrorism. Officials developed an "all hazards" policy that used the same training exercises and equipment to prepare for two distinct types of disasters: a terrorist attack and an event of nature.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050906/ap_on_go_pr_wh/katrina_warnings_3

[babylonsister]

1. Have a link? nt

[jasmeel]

2. Link added-oops.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. done

[Karenina]

4. This tidbit needs to be filed

in one of the FUBAR FEMA threads.

[MountainLaurel]

5. Kick

This is no surprise.

:kick: