FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency which is a government agency, organized beneath the Department of Homeland Security, which is tasked with dealing with emergency response and preparation in the U.S. The agency is supposed to cover, what it identifies as four main issues relating to national emergencies, namely mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. FEMA is tasked with response to disasters in the U.S. and any federal disaster areas as declared by the President.
FEMA is supposed to coordinate the work of federal, state, and local agencies in responding to natural disasters like floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. FEMA also provides financial assistance to people and local governments to rebuild homes, businesses, and public facilities. FEMA is also responsible for the training of firefighters and EMS professionals like paramedics. They maintain the national flood insurance program and they fund emergency preparedness throughout the US and its territories.
FEMA has been under close scrutiny since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The sheer scale of the disaster coupled with major flaws in the infrastructure yielded poor results for many of the citizen stranded in New Orleans with no vehicle or method to flee the city. Thousands of people were displaced and many ended up in unsanitary and dangerous conditions throughout the city. The Director of Fema at that time, Michael Brown, ultimately stepped down and the hearings about the response of FEMA to the disaster are ongoing.
The number of evacuee’s coupled with the flood waters that kept people from navigating through much of the city were blamed for many of the problems. Additionally, relief efforts were hampered by ineffective communication between Federal, State and local governments FEMA was moved under the Department of Homeland Security by the Bush Administration and Hurricane Katrina, as the first major natural disaster in the US after this change was ultimately a test of its implementation.
A class action lawsuit was filed late in 2005 on behalf of the victims of Hurricane Katrina who felt that did not get sufficient help and good treatment from FEMA. The case is Beatrice B. McWaters et al. v. Federal Emergency Management Agency and it cites a number of the problems with the FEMA response to Katrina including a host of issues in regards to temporary housing. That case is currently pending in the Louisiana courts.
Although temporary housing was provided for many displaced people, most of those benefits were slated to be cut off on February 7, 2006. After the February 7, 2006 deadline, Katrina victims have been left to find housing on their own. Many had to find permanent housing or they are continuing on to different social welfare programs ready to help. Some victims have yet to find permanent housing and are basically being left with nothing.
FEMA is supposed to be an organization dedicated to helping Americans in need. Although their implementation of emergency methods has worked in some cases, when it was put to the biggest test, it failed. As a result of their slow response many people were injured, made ill and put in harms way.