5/27/08: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NOT PREPARED FOR START OF HURRICANE SEASON

05/27/2008 Ben Smilowitz Comments Closed

Contact: Ben Smilowitz: 314-761-7631

Ben@DisasterAccountability.org

For Immediate Release:

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NOT PREPARED FOR START OF HURRICANE SEASON

Disaster Accountability Project Providing Hurricane Season Oversight, To Profile Six Areas Of Concern Over Next Week

With Hurricane Season beginning June 1, 2008, the Disaster Accountability Project is profiling six ares of concern in the U.S. disaster management system to expose gaps in preparedness — and compare rhetoric to reality. Despite recent assurances from leadership at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA that the Federal government is prepared for a major disaster, significant areas of concern remain that must be resolved before the U.S. disaster management system can honestly represent itself as sufficiently prepared to respond to a disaster requiring federal resources.

In recognition of Hurricane Preparedness Week, the Disaster Accountability Project will be highlighting an issue that is important to hurricane/disaster response and recovery on each of the following days: Wednesday 5/28 – Disaster Housing, Formaldehyde Levels in Cabins; Thursday 5/29 – Recovery; Friday 5/30 – Mass Care/Medical/Healthcare; Saturday 5/31 – Evacuations; Monday 6/2 – Emergency Alerts/Notifications; Tuesday 6/3 – Levees. Each day, the Disaster Accountability Blog (http://blog.disasteraccountability.org) will post a story on a different area of concern.

Please Publicize: The Disaster Accountability Project is recruiting a network of Disaster Accountability Monitors across the U.S. In the event of a disaster, Monitors will help publicize the Disaster Accountability Hotline (866-9-TIP-DAP) and report and/or verify reported gaps in disaster relief/response services.

Please Publicize: The public is encouraged to call the Disaster Accountability Hotline (866-9-TIP-DAP) with any tips on gaps in federal, state, and/or local preparedness, response, relief, or recovery systems. Individuals with special needs that 1) do not know the details of their local evacuation plans or 2) believe their local plans are insufficient, are encouraged to tip DAP by calling the DAP Hotline (866-9-TIP-DAP) or sending an email to Tips@DisasterAccountability.org. Tips must include the city or township and state in which any confusion or incomplete plans exist (this is critical information for DAP to evaluate where weaknesses lie).

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The nonpartisan Disaster Accountability Project provides accountability and oversight to the nation’s disaster prevention, response, relief, and recovery systems through monitoring and policy research.

A toll-free hotline (866-9-TIP-DAP) is available as a public service for disaster survivors, workers and volunteers to report critical gaps in disaster prevention, response, relief, and recovery services or planning. The group is recruiting a national network of Disaster Accountability Monitors and Bloggers to help report, verify, and publicize gaps in disaster services or planning.

The Disaster Accountability Project’s website is https://disasteraccountability.org

Disaster Accountability Project is a 2008 Echoing Green Finalist.

For more information: http://www.echoinggreen.org/fellows/2008-fellowship-finalists

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