Lesson from Katrina: Disaster Leader Needed
The Rockefeller Institute of Government released a report last week calling for drastic legislative change that would authorize a presidential appointee to take charge of the government’s response to major disasters like Hurricane Katrina.
The report, Who’s in Charge? Who Should Be? The Role of the Federal Government in Megadisasters: Based on Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina, suggests amending the Stafford Act so that it better serves those affected by natural disasters, creating a central body and/or governmental leader—an “Officer-in-Charge”—with the authority to make plans actionable at a federal level in order to better coordinate federal, state, and local governments’ responses. The Officer-in-Charge would report directly to the POTUS and could “enable the president and Congress to consider extraordinary national action.” I think it is safe to say this is a change that is needed sooner rather than later.
No responses yet
