[StBernard] Landrieu, Lieberman and Collins Comment on National Response Framework

[Westley Annis]

Landrieu, Lieberman and Collins Comment on National Response Framework 

 

WASHINGTON - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman
Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Me., and Disaster
Response Subcommittee Chairman Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., on Tuesday commented
on the Department of Homeland Security's completion of its National Response
Framework (NRF) to guide government agencies through the response to a
natural or manmade disaster.

The framework is the successor to the National Response Plan, which proved
inadequate for the response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Senators
Lieberman, Collins, and Landrieu provided comment on an earlier draft of the
NRF in October:
http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelea
se_id=1571&Affiliation=C

"The National Response Framework is a step in the right direction as we work
to better prepare for future disasters, be they natural or manmade. We still
have a lot of work left to do before the federal government moves beyond the
planning stage and can respond quickly and effectively to a catastrophic
disaster on the scale of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Sen. Landrieu said
today. "As chair of the Disaster Recovery Subcommittee with jurisdiction
over federal recovery efforts, I will work with Senators Lieberman and
Collins and our other Senate colleagues on the implementation of the NRF and
the drastic FEMA and Stafford Act reform our nation so desperately
requires." 

"I am pleased DHS consulted with state and local stakeholders to produce a
comprehensive and coherent plan for responding to disasters of all sorts
when they occur," Sen. Lieberman said. "And I am particularly pleased the
final National Response Framework, unlike an earlier draft, recognizes the
larger role the Post-Katrina Act gave to the FEMA Administrator for
emergency management. But this is still just a framework. The success of the
plan will depend on the operational plans FEMA develops as well as
successful exercising, training, and implementation of the plan. So, we
still have a long way to go before we are fully prepared."

"The Department has taken seriously many of the comments that I made along
with Senators Lieberman and Landrieu in response to the draft version of the
National Response Framework (NRF) released in September," Sen. Collins said.
"I was particularly concerned that the draft version failed to take fully
into account changes we made to strengthen the role of FEMA and its
Administrator in the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.
The revised NRF now acknowledges that the FEMA Administrator serves as the
principal advisor to the President on emergency management.  It also
clarifies the distinct roles of the Principal Federal Official, the Federal
Coordinating Officer and the State Coordinating Officer.  The Department
plans to periodically update the supporting annexes for the NRF, and we will
be following this effort since these annexes provide key operational
guidance to the country's emergency managers and first responders at the
state, tribal and local level."  

 

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