No. of Recommendations: 8
One guy interviewed is part of a private church based rescue group who hiked into a remote area and discovered two elderly women
A disaster response like the one for this hurricane is never going to be perfect. There will always be people in remote places who don't get help as fast as in other places. The coordinated response will send people into places where they can provide the most help in the shortest time. Helping these remote folks takes much more time. This does not indicate a wide spread failure of the response.
Another interview, a private citizen had went into the outback and had found a survivor who had lost everything, he brought the guy back down the mountain and to a hotel in the area, to give him a place to stay. The front desk said no vacancy,
Did he then search out a shelter for victims? There are alternate solutions. In a disaster, there is a bunch of high level planning to be done. The responders need a place to stay as well as finding a place for the victims. Victims and responders have different needs. A shelter for victims will be set up to provide for most or all of the victim's needs, and not just a bed. Again, this isn't a failure of the response, it is one guy trying to help on his own without coordinating with other responders. Lack of coordination between responders often results in conflicts like this.
a private drone rescue guy wanted to fly his infrared detecting drone over remote areas looking for survivors. Was told No by officials,
Again, this is part of a coordinated response. He's trying to help in the way he wants to instead of coordinating with the larger response effort. Did he then ask where he COULD help with his drone? Where it would be safe for him to search?
None of these represent a failure of the FEMA response. They represent failures of ad hoc responders to be part of the response team and instead try to do things on their own in their own way.
--Peter
