The Informationist

Why Not Rush To Judgment?

Following is an excerpt from page 15 of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Response Plan. The Secretary of Homeland Security is supposed to initiate action when the incident is so significant that local government can’t handle it. So let’s stop talking about whether Bush and Chertoff had the authority to respond, the plans in place, or whether the mayor and governor were at fault. The real question is why didn’t Chertoff and Bush exercise their authority. Were they derelict in duty?

A basic premise of the NRP is that incidents are generally handled at the lowest jurisdictional level possible. Police, fire, public health and medical, emergency management, and other personnel are responsible for incident management at the local level. In some instances, a Federal agency in the local area may act as a first responder and may provide direction or assistance consistent with its specific statutory authorities and responsibilities. In the vast majority of incidents, State and local resources and interstate mutual aid normally provide the first line of emergency response and incident management support.

When an incident or potential incident is of such severity, magnitude, and/or complexity that it is considered an Incident of National Significance according to the criteria established in this plan, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with other Federal departments and agencies, initiates actions to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the incident. These actions are taken in conjunction with State, local, tribal, nongovernmental, and private-sector entities as appropriate to the threat or incident. In the context of Stafford Act disasters or emergencies, DHS coordinates supplemental Federal assistance when the consequences of the incident exceed State, local, or tribal capabilities.

Posted by Jeffrey Itell from Manteo, North Carolina on 09/17 at 10:50 AM in American Government, Politics, and Domestic Policies