6/9/08 AP: FEMA disaster ice policy irks Miss. congressman

FEMA disaster ice policy irks Miss. congressman

By SHELIA BYRD

Associated Press Writer

AP: Posted on 6/9/08

The Disaster Accountability Project

JACKSON, Miss. –U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor on Monday called FEMA’s new policy limiting ice distribution after a disaster a “dumb decision.”

Taylor, D-Miss., is sending the federal agency a letter outlining his concerns and urging them to retract the policy. He said in an interview Monday that the change “has left local officials scrambling to figure out ways to make it available for the general public.”

At a National Hurricane Conference in Florida in April, FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison said the agency would only distribute ice for medical emergencies or life-threatening situations. The agency has traditionally provided ice to disaster victims, particularly in areas with power outages.

The new policy comes after the federal government was left with nearly 85 million pounds of unused ice after Hurricane Katrina, which it stored for two years at a cost of $12.5 million. The agency had to pay a fee to dispose of the ice.

FEMA spokesman James McIntyre told The Associated Press on Monday the agency will work with state and local officials to determine which situations would be deemed emergency or life-threatening.

McIntyre said the agency would wait until it had reviewed the letter to respond directly to its contents.

Taylor, who lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, said ice is critical after a storm as people are sifting through rubble and trying to help their neighbors.

“It’s a penny-wise but dumb decision on the part of FEMA,” Taylor said.

With ice, disaster victims could thaw their food and feed themselves without the government having to buy thousands of ready-to-eat meals or set up field kitchens, Taylor said.

Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, has informed FEMA of his opposition to the new policy. It forces Mississippi to provide all the ice for disasters, although the state doesn’t have the same logistical capabilities and purchasing power as the federal government, Womack said Monday.

Womack said it could cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars per day to provide ice if power outages occur in multiple states.

“People expect ice to be provided whether it’s available commercially or not,” Womack said. “The state’s going to continue to work with FEMA to try to get them to change their minds.”

Ben Smilowitz, executive director of the Disaster Accountability Project, a watchdog organization, said he’s launching a petition for Gulf Coast residents who want FEMA to retract the new policy.

Smilowitz said he managed a Red Cross client service center on the coast in the months after Katrina struck in August 2005. He said ice was an essential part of the operation.

“People were baking in the sun, waiting in line the span of blocks. They waited days for assistance. We had people falling out in our lines because of dehydration,” Smilowitz said.

He said FEMA’s new policy overlooks how difficult it would be for the agency to know everyone who needs insulin or a prescription that requires refrigeration.