Chertoff seeks to repair FEMA logistics

Chertoff seeks to repair FEMA logistics    One reason for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s poor response to Hurricane Katrina is that the agency operates a 20th century logistics system in the 21st century, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff testified.
   In a sometimes contentious hearing before a Senate select committee investigating the government’s disaster relief efforts, Chertoff said the country is not prepared to deal with massive natural disasters and, acknowledged the federal government had ultimate responsibility for preparedness and recovery.
   Chertoff said FEMA had poor systems for matching areas with the greatest need to available supplies and making sure supplies were delivered to the right place.
   “FEMA faced challenges in having full situational awareness of where the needs were greatest, getting supplies into affected areas, and tracking shipments of supplies to ensure that they reached the people who need them,” he said.
   Former FEMA Director Michael Brown, who was relieved of his responsibilities by Chertoff, said during a House hearing a few weeks ago that his agency knew what supplies it had, but didn’t know where those supplies were at any given time.
   “FEMA’s system for moving supplies into a disaster area is not adequate for catastrophic events,” Chertoff said. “Many parts of it are antiquated and inefficient. We must more effectively partner with the public and private sectors and tap into their expertise to overhaul our logistics system within FEMA.
   Companies such as Wal-Mart have contingency plans to deal with disruptions to their logistics networks, and the retail giant was able to use prepositioned supplies and trucks to bring relief to some communities and quickly restock its stores.
   “We want to learn from and emulate successful distribution and delivery systems, such as major private sector shipping firms and public sector experts in the Department of Defense,” Chertoff added. “FEMA needs to have a just-in-time inventory and delivery system that allows it to quickly assess inventory, deliver those goods and replenish its stocks.”