Disaster Drama

ADISASTERDRAMA
IN THREE ACTS

TOWNIES
What
disaster?
It’s been
5 years since the flood…
Yesterday
wasa long
time ago!
© 2009 / H2O Partners and BrightSpot Info Design

STATIES wear different hats.
Legislative
Sombreros
Governor
Crowns
Barrister
Wigs

UNCLE SAM
Presidential
Executive Agency
Commander-in-Chief
Congressional
Federal Courts

PRIVATE BUSINESS
Infrastructure Players
Power Companies
SUBSTATE GOVERNMENTS
Health Care Institutions
Counties/
Parishes
Regional
Development Authorities
(Councils of Governments)
Transportation
NONPROFITS/
CHARITABLE GROUPS
Communications

Sometimes an actor tries
to don the costume and role of another actor…
Katrina

STAGE
BACKGROUND

THE CONSTITUTION =
MASTER SCRIPT

SET DESIGN IS A WORK
IN PROGRESS.

PREAMBLE TO CONSTITUTION
Government Powers
Individual Rights

STATIES on stage first.

3 MODELS OF FEDERAL SYSTEM
All power at national level
UNITARY
CONFEDERATION
Equal states share power
FEDERAL
Power divided

FEDERALISM

WHAT KIND OF CAKEIS FEDERALISM?
National
States

THE POWER QUESTION
?

The American Disaster Management System represents Shared
or Concurrent Powers.

ACT ONE:
Introduce actors and tension mounts.

Danger in the wings!

Emergency Management is essentially a role played by local governments.

Locals remain in charge of an event –
even if it’s one of “national significance.”

Local Governments’ failures are largely
pre-disaster inactions.
So many duties,
so little time..

Local Governments are lead disaster actors but must know their lines.

The Federal Government SUPPLEMENTS
– not supplants.

POSSE COMITATUS

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act – Public Assistance
I declare a disaster!

Stafford ActPublic AssistanceGrants to Statesfrom Uncle.Staties andTownies have topaytheir shareof recovery costs.

Federal Program crosses into Townie stage.
NATIONAL
FLOOD
INSURANCE
PROGRAM

STATES’ ROLES

States manage their own financial resources and also federal funds.

Emergency
Response
Mitigation
STATES HAVE CRITICAL ROLES
IN DISASTERS INCLUDING:
Long-Term
Disaster Recovery
Grants
Management

Preparedness
Mitigation
4 PHASES OF
HAZARDS MANAGEMENT
Recovery
Response

NATIONAL INCIDENT
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NIMS)
FEDERAL
STATE
LOCAL

States, locals and private actors manage the majority of critical infrastructures in the U.S.
STATE
LOCAL
FEDERAL
PRIVATE ACTORS

MITIGATION
PREPARED
-NESS
RECOVERY

What function
isgovernment
performing?
What’s the cause of the disaster?
What’s the scale of the disaster?

ROWBOAT FEDERALISM
If all levels of government don’t row…
WE ALL SINK.

WHOOOOO PAYS?

ACT TWO
Pratfalls on the disaster stage…

CRITICS CITE PERCEIVED MISSTEPS
Mitigation opportunities lost by allowing / encouraging rebuilding in high-risk areas
Environmental protection lost out in priority in the recovery process
Layers of federal bureaucracy and “red tape”
CDBG funding did not include significant mitigation programs
National Flood Insurance enables floodplain development

UNCLE SAM: VILLAIN OR HERO?

Which actor can best keep Danger away?
Who should pay when Danger comes?
Who should be center stage when Danger strikes?

Whoooooooo pays?
We all pay.

BUILD A SUSTAINABILITY SET
HEALTH
SAFETY
ECONOMICS

ACT THREE
Hope brings down the curtain.

GET STANDING OVATIONS –
NOT BOOS!
Bravo!

DISASTER DRAMA CAN HAVE HAPPIER ENDINGS.
Tie Federal Aid to Mitigation and Environmental Protection Measures
Public Assistance Conditioned on Mitigation in Rebuilding
Keep CDBG as Discretionary Disaster Assistance Funding
Have Rainy Day Funds for Grant Matches
Amend Stafford Act (PA) for Cat Events
Adopt EMACs
Award Pre-Event Competitively-Procured Contracts
Utilize PA Workflow/Expenditure Tracking Systems to Expedite PA Grants
Identify and Mitigate Risks
Define Disaster Roles and Responsibilities and Practice
Improve Public/Private Partnerships Pre- and Post-Incident
Push for More Mitigation Funds and Financial Aide for Disaster Recovery

We all have a part to
play onstage.

CREDITS