*EPF310 10/17/01
Allbaugh Assesses FEMA Response on Sept. 11 for Senate Committee
(Tells panel that FEMA's response was swift, comprehensive) (650)
By Eric Bartholomay
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington - Joe Allbaugh, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), appeared before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works October 16 to assess the successes and shortcomings of his agency's response to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11.
In his formal statement, Allbaugh recognized the courage and valor of the first responders and hailed them as heroes. He also expressed his concern for the well-being of those who worked most closely in the rescue efforts and requested adequate counseling for those who, at this time, need closure and support.
Allbaugh described the "hallowed ground" of the World Trade Center as "still a work in progress" and pledged his efforts to "see it through to the end."
In reference to September 11 and the continuing cleanup efforts, Allbaugh said "everything worked just the way it was supposed to, according to the Federal response plan.
"FEMA's response," he said, "was swift and comprehensive and our commitment of continued support is unwavering."
Currently, he said, 1300 FEMA workers are still on-site in New York.
Of the 28 national urban search and rescue teams, 21 teams participated in the rescue effort in New York while 5 teams responded to the emergency at the Pentagon.
To attest to the immediate reaction time and coordination of FEMA, by nightfall of September 11 some eight emergency response teams had arrived in New York and at the Pentagon in Washington. "I am not sure how we could have moved any quicker," said Allbaugh in describing the problems of mobility associated with the grounding of aircraft on September 11.
He praised the training of the responders and expressed the wish that more emergency personnel could participate in the training provided by the Emmitsburg Fire Academy in Maryland. As it stands right now, Allbaugh said, "our demand far outstrips our capability at Emmitsburg."
Though the training, response time, and spirit of those responding to the disaster scenes of September 11 were unparalleled, there were problems that need to be addressed in the future, the FEMA director said.
Allbaugh recognized the unavoidable confusion and initial lack of leadership in the first moments of the rescue efforts. Many men holding command roles in response teams were among those lost in the collapse of the twin towers in New York and as a result, "the fire department lost its leadership, and there was a tremendous void." This loss was unforeseen but order and leadership were quickly restored.
Problems of communication were a point of concern that needed to be addressed "immediately." Allbaugh noted that radio frequencies varied between response teams and areas, resulting in a communication breakdown that could have been avoided.
The overall training of the FEMA teams was reported to be quite good but Allbaugh expressed concern about the training provided to local and state responders. In light of this, he called for capability assessments for readiness "to make sure that we know exactly what each state's capabilities are as well as local entities, and where they need assistance."
When asked if FEMA had the ability to respond to another major disaster within a few weeks, Allbaugh confidently replied that "the mechanics are in place" and that the only limiting factor would be resources.
He expressed concern that there was currently no joint information center addressing issues pertaining to biological threats and stated that "it's incumbent upon FEMA to produce a document, a booklet, as we did years ago during the old civil defense days... that would present basically just the facts and how to respond, based upon what individuals are dealing with."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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