Reichert Praises Select Committee’s Critique of FEMA, Operability

Rep. Dave Reichert (WA-08), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science and Technology of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following statement after reviewing A Failure of Initiative, the report released today by the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina:

“I read this report and immediately honed in on the statement, “We must recognize that we are woefully incapable of storing, moving and accessing information—especially in times of crisis.” I, and other law enforcement officials, have been saying this for over 30 years. One of the reasons I’ve made hearings on interoperability my number one priority as chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness is that I know it’s impossible to make the right decisions in the field without complete and timely information. I know from my own experience as a cop that the “information gaps” the report identifies cost lives.”

Reichert continued, “I agree with the Select Committee’s findings that, ultimately, the failures surrounding Katrina were of leadership. The lack of good leadership is at the root of every single problem identified and detailed in the committee’s report. It’s why I’ve taken a leadership role as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness in addressing operability and interoperability. My committee is going to address this problem in a series of hearings and we will solve the general problem with emergency communications in this country.”

The Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science and Technology has jurisdiction over first responder funding, including how these funds are administered; preparedness for and collective response to terrorism and natural disaster; national exercises and training for terrorist attacks and disaster response; coordination between the federal government and state, local, and private sector in terrorism and disaster preparedness; and research and development of new technologies for combating terrorism and preparing for natural disaster.