GovernmentExecutive.com

Return to Article: Poor communications slowed military's hurricane response

• 42622
  

  You can solve those stupid communications failures by simply placing a military comms expert and liasion officer at the command post! Can´t you understand that you DON´T have to spend millions to get it rigth? Those military guys at the command post will interface with the troops on the ground, and thats enough! You don´t need lower level agents talking directly. It could became even a dangerous breach of security. Remember that each Agency or Force as it´s own mission. If you need local area coordination between small team leaders, you use simplex radios (that don´t need special infrastructures) on a dedicated nationwide set of frequencies that everyone can have in stock before everything happens, and that doesn´t cost billions!!! Even analog radios with scramblers can be cheap when bougth by large numbers, and remember: only team leaders need them to coordinate bettween diferent Agencies at steet level events and rescues. Just remember to buy them waterproof (not splash proof) and with high capacity litium batteries. Forget about those ignorant opinions of same sub-band of frequencies (700 MHz or else) for everyone with a supersofisticated network: in a major catastrophe it will be the first to faill and then everybody will be without comms. Otherwise, even if it doesn´t colappse because of fisical reasons (quake or similar), wait until everybody deploys units at the scenne, using all avaiable channels in the network, overflowing the system, and putting most of the other units on "a waiting to communicate list" typical of trunk type comms. Same sub-band radios even have the tendency to block other nearby radios trying to communicate... The above doesn´t happen when you have diferrent dedicated sub-bands for each major Agency (CB radios, Red Cross comms, Military low band radios,Ammateur,EMS, Air Band, UHF links,etc.etc. can be on the air at the SAME time without problems). Unified same sub-band common radiocommunications for everyone, are to easy to attack by a terrorist jammer, just ask a military specialist on the subject!(and I´m not even adrressing the EMP factor...) Is this that hard to understand? I´m just trying to help (and save you billions).

  joao placido Posted January 30, 2008 6:23 PM
• 12335
  

  What an excellent insightful article you have written on this subject. The lack of communications problem still reverberates four years after 9/11. Thank God for the Coast Guard and the fact that they have their act together.

  David Posted September 20, 2005 11:30 AM
• 12318
  

  "My biggest mistake is having a fundamental assumption that ... in the country of the United States, that can move whole fleets of aircraft carriers across the globe in 24 hours -- that my fundamental assumption was to get as many people to safety as possible, and that the cavalry would be coming within two to three days," embattled New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said on NBC's Meet the Press. "And they didn't come." And the voters' biggest mistake was electing this guy!

  This guy is the most incompetent mayor for the emergency. He had everyone moving back in just yesterday and as they approached on the highway he changed his mind and told them to stay away. Anyone that listens to this guy is nuts!

  Even worse is the governor, she told the Feds to stay away. The Federal response was great for its timing and its timing should be measured from the date and time the governor properly asked for federal assistance.

  There is plenty of blame to go around but the timing of the military response is not one of them. First blame goes to Mayor Ray Nagin because he did not do what his own plan said he should do! Next comes Goveronor Blanco because she was more interested in her political career than in the people of New Orleans. I hope they do not re-elect her because that is why she held the fed's out of the action until it was too late to really help. La folks should get rid of her! finally, FEMA responded poorly when they could respond and this is the only government political person that has been terminated! I think it is time for Mayor to go and the Goveroner to go but that is not going to happen!

  This entire tragety is an example of our poor political process in the USA. The process was designed to work for 13 colonies in a concentrated geographic area, not 50 states located all over.

  taxpayer Posted September 20, 2005 7:06 AM
• 12310
  

  Hello Where is the Army Reserve? Before the hurricane the state governors had complained about a shortage of National Guard troops. They say they were stretched thin due to the war. All I hear of is the National Guard and the Regular military. Where is the ARMY RESERVE. The Army Reserve is in every state. They have the support capabilities while the National Guard has the combat units. I have not heard of the Army Reserve being called up. There is a web site requesting National Guard who wish to help out but none for the Army Reserve. When WTC happened, the National Guard from hundreds and thousands of miles away were brought into NYC. Army Reserve troops that live in the city were barely called up at all. Yes the Reserve can only be called up by the President. National Guard are called up by the state Governors or the President. Maybe someone could think of including the Army Reserve into disasters immediately instead of waiting for permission. Maybe its time to change the US Code of law that prevents the use of Army Reserves. I hear that they are looking for truckers to volunteer their vehicles to bring supplies to New Orleans while Reserve trucks sit idle. Maybe the Reserve could be put in charge of helping deliver the goods foreign countries are offering. Too late, the Mexican military has forces in the hurricane area doing a great job. I guess the Reserve units have been replaced.

  Please keep me anonymous I am still serving

  GovExec.com reader Posted September 20, 2005 12:28 AM
• 12307
  

  The mayor of New Orleans or the Governor should be the last people who critisize the military's response to Katrina. If it wasn't for the military, many more would obviously be dead by now. God Bless the military and the men and women of New Orleans police force, and all others who "stayed the course". The mayor and the governor should keep their mouths shut. They were disgraceful during Katrina and their indecisiveness cost the lives of many. In fact, President BUSH should place criminal charges against both for their failure to act. If he cannot do it, the U.S. justice deparment should.

  Charlie Posted September 19, 2005 8:59 PM