Hurricane Katrina: A (bureaucratic) Nightmare

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Hurricane KatrinaA (bureaucratic) Nightmare

• Vicki Bier
• Industrial Engineering
• September 28, 2005

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Louisiana Prepared for the Hurricane, but Not the
Flood

• The Superdome was a refuge of last resort
• (only 90,000 liters of water and 43,776 military
  meals)

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Refuge of Last Resort

• A place for persons to be protected from the high
  winds and heavy rains from the storm
• Little or no water or food
• Possibly no utilities
• Best available survival protection for the
  duration of the hurricane only

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This is not surprising!

• Challenger and Columbia
• September 11
• Avian influenza

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• Bureaucratic organizationstypically fail
  because they have neglected potential problems or
  have taken on tasks for which they do not have
  the resources to do well
• Ron Westrum, 2004

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Emergency planning is primarily a state and local
responsibility
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We tell you when to leave

• You take your car and your credit cards, and look
  after your own self!

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This is not true everywhere!
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How soon should federal relief have been expected?

• We had been told we would be on our own for 48
  hours, Maestri said. Prepare to survive and in
  48 hours the cavalry would arrive.
• The federal plan advises state and local
  emergency managers not to expect federal aid for
  72 to 96 hours.

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National Incident Management System
Standardized process and procedures for
incident management
Incident
DHS integrates and applies Federal resources
both pre and post incident
Local Support or Response
Resources, knowledge, and abilities from
independent Federal Departments and Agencies
State Support or Response
Federal Support or Response
National Response Plan (NRP) Activation and
proactive application of integrated Federal
resources
NRP is activated forIncidents of National
Significance
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Layered Response Strategy
Capabilities and Resources
Federal Response
State Response
Regional / Mutual Response Systems
Local Response, Municipal and County
Minimal Low Medium High Catastrophic
Increasing magnitude and severity
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Before Katrina

• Blanco had requested emergency protective
  measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual
  and Household Program assistance, Special Needs
  Program assistance, and debris removal

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The governor was frustrated that Brown wanted
itemized requests

• Mr. President, we need your help. We need
  everything you've got.

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We're going to break the mold

• The federal government is not going to play
  merely its customary role in giving all necessary
  support to first responders
• The federal government is going to step up and
  take a primary role

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The National Guard remained under state control

• Blanco refused Bush administration requests to
  federalize the National Guard
• They wanted to take over my National Guard,
  Blanco said

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The Insurrection Act of 1795 permits the use of
federal troops on U.S. soil to put down violence

• But the Posse Comitatus Act (power of the
  county) of 1878 forbids the military from
  performing civilian law enforcement without
  congressional approval

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Timeline
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Bureaucratic organizationsare dysfunctional in a
dynamic environment

• The bureaucratic cultureis oriented toward
  following rules and protecting the organizations
  turf (Westrum)

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