Answer: There are several aspects to this question which need to be addressed separately. First with a natural disaster you may have some warning when and where it might occur such as in hurricanes and volcanic eruptions. But as with some disasters earthquakes and acts of terrorism there is little or no warning. Acts of Terrorism may pose special threats to first responders as shown in the 9-11 disaster. Besides FEMA Homeland Security also coordinates the military roll of first responder including military aircraft in air sea rescue. The military also has follow up responsibility for security forces and deliverance of supplies in all disasters.

Notice that in looking at the functions that FEMA and Homeland Security perform they both have similar and possible overlapping functions as responders to disasters. So I believe that FEMA should remain under Homeland Security. Homeland security has added responsibility to deal with special threats bio, chemical, nuclear as well as bombs but both organizations respond to the needs of the public.

Now let’s examine the FEMA organization it is a classic bureaucracy although I am seeing signs of change mainly brought about by TV coverage. Bureaucratic personnel in many cases behave like robots they are programmed by senior management with sets of rigid rules, which they are to follow. When presented with a situation in which he has not been programmed the bureaucrat like the robot will ignore the situation or when pressed will have a melt down. Consider these statements “We have pre-staged food and water for this hurricane” and “Help is on the way” These are hollow robotic platitudes which only added to the Katrina disaster when the Governor of Louisiana believed them. Hundreds of people were without adequate food and water for nearly a week and they were within thirty miles of the FEMA stores yet FEMA was unable to make the connection of people’s needs and their stores.

I noted in a recent article that there was a plea from a city authority on the Mississippi coast for travel trailers for people living in tents and the shells of what is left of their homes. They had no running water or electricity and because of that FEMA would not deliver the travel trailers. The trailers were finally delivered a month late without the keys. Like robots the bureaucrats were unable to associate sleeping in a travel trailer as better than sleeping on the ground. They simply had not been programmed for it.

The Homeland Security organization other than FEMA is more military oriented than bureaucratic it has a much better record of taking care of people in a disaster situation than FEMA. The military seams to have performed well in recent emergencies especially when it took over the management of FEMA in the Katrina disaster.

You can read about my recommendations for FEMA in the following: Article 36. “Thousand Die due to Bureaucratic Bungling”. Article 37. “Restructuring Government for Quick Response”. Reader Question 11. “FEMA Appears to have Solved its Problems. Is Reform Necessary?”.