**February 21, 2006, FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project
Activity Report**

\(1\) DISASTERS AS GROWTH BUSINESS:

Agence France-Presse. \"Scientists Say California Quake Could Cause
Katrina II.\" February 19, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060219/sc_afp/usclimatefloods]{.underline}](http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060219/sc_afp/usclimatefloods)

Barnes, Steven D. \"Dry Weather Stokes Fire Fears in Florida.\" Orlando
Sentinel, February 19, 2006. Accessed at:
<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/seminole/orl-sfires1906feb19,0,6995354.story>

Bridges, Andrew. \"Development Raises Flood Risks Across the U.S.\"

Associated Press, February 18, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/science/3669938.html]{.underline}](http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/science/3669938.html)

Fox, Maggie. \"Experts: St. Louis, Sacramento Face Flood Danger.\"

Reuters, February 18, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/science/20060218-1236-science-flooding.html>

Leiser, Ken. \"Scientists Warn Of Potential Flooding Disasters.\" St.

Louis Post-Dispatch, February 18, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/13907644.htm]{.underline}](http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/13907644.htm)

Main, Douglas M. \"Experts On AAAS Panel Assess How to Prevent the Next
New Orleans.\" February 19, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0220katrina.shtml]{.underline}](http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0220katrina.shtml)

Stockton, Lindsey. \"Upcoming Fire Season Has Local, State, National
Officials Concerned.\" Eastern Arizona Courier, February 20, 2006.

Accessed at:

[[http://www.eacourier.com/articles/2006/02/21/local_news/news03.txt]{.underline}](http://www.eacourier.com/articles/2006/02/21/local_news/news03.txt)

\(2\) DISCIPLINES, DISASTERS, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT \-- COLLEGE BOOK
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT:

February 21, 2006 \-- Received for review from book developer, Dr. David
McEntire, University of North Texas, the 3rd draft of chapter entitled
\"Who\'s in Charge Here? Some Observations on the Relationship Between
Disasters and the American Criminal Justice System,\" by Dr. Robert J.
Louden, Georgian Court University, NJ.

\(3\) EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT & HOMELAND SECURITY/DEFENSE HIGHER ED
CONFERENCE, JUNE 5 - 8, 2006:

Communicated with Chris Webb with the New Zealand Emergency Management
organization and with John Lindsay of Brandon University, Canada, about
their partnering in the development and administration of a breakout
session on Comparative Emergency Management (previously titled
International Emergency Management). Both Mr. Webb and Mr. Lindsay are
in agreement.

\(4\) FEMA:

Ahmann, Tim. \"US Lawmakers Call For Revamp of Disaster Agency.\"

Reuters, February 19, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19372885.htm]{.underline}](http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19372885.htm)

Daniel, Douglass K. \"Lawmakers Call For Overhauling FEMA.\" Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, February 19, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1151AP_Katrina_Washington.html]{.underline}](http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1151AP_Katrina_Washington.html)

Hartford Courant (CN. Editorial). \"Can This Agency Be Saved?\" February
21, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-fixfema.artfeb21,0,1769862.story?coll=hc-headlines-editorials>

Hook, Janet. \"Lawmakers Call For FEMA Restructuring.\" Los Angeles
Times, February 20, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-fema20feb20,0,978690.story?coll=la-news-a_section>

Kamarck, Elaine. \"Cut FEMA Loose From Red Tape.\" Miami Herald,
February 21, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/13921424.htm]{.underline}](http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/13921424.htm)

Lakeland Ledger (FL. Editorial). February 18, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060218/NEWS/602180376/1036/EDIT03>

Meridian Star (AL, Editorial). \"Lott Is Right About FEMA.\" February
18, 2006. Accessed at:
[[http://www.meridianstar.com/editorials/local_story_049075814.html]{.underline}](http://www.meridianstar.com/editorials/local_story_049075814.html)

Mobile Register (AL, Editorial). \"Fixing FEMA Can\'t Be Delayed Any
Longer.\" February 19, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.al.com/opinion/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/opinion/114034418494580.xml&coll=3>

New Orleans Times-Picayune (Editorial). \"FEMA\'s Future.\" February 20,
2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1140418508152170.xml?nola>

Sabo, Representative Martin Olav. \"Free FEMA From Flawed Homeland
Security.\" St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN), February 21, 2006. Accessed

at:
[[http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/opinion/13919829.htm]{.underline}](http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/opinion/13919829.htm)

Washington Post. \"A Conversation With Michael Brown.\" February 19,
2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/17/AR2006021702492.html>

\(5\) INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS PRESS RELEASE ON
DHS FUNDING:

February 21, 2006 \-- Received IAEM Press Release, dated today, entitled
\"Local Emergency Managers Take Issue with DHS on Emergency Management
Performance Grants (EMPG).\" Pasted in below:

\"(Falls Church, VA - February 21, 2006) \"Our members have been through
the worst natural disaster in U.S. history\...many literally risking
their lives to do their duty. To hear federal officials say our efforts
are not in the national interest is very frustrating.\" This was the
reaction of Kent Buckley, President of the Mississippi State Civil
Defense/Emergency Management Association who, along with other
representatives of IAEM, has been surprised by recent statements by DHS
representatives which, they believe, seriously mischaracterize the
nature and importance of the Emergency Management Performance Grants
(EMPG).

EMPG is a long-standing federal program which provides assistance to
state and local personnel who do emergency planning, training,
exercising and inter-disciplinary coordination. The program was recently
cut by approximately \$13M in the DHS 2007 budget proposals.

These cuts came even after the glaring failures of coordination and
collaboration during the Federal, state and local response to the
catastrophic events along the Gulf Coast. Buckley pointed out that the
program had been seriously under-funded for years and required
significant additional funding just to catch up. \"This was always
supposed to be a 50% federally matched program, but in my state we\'ve

been lucky if we got a 20% federal match.\"

When asked recently in congressional hearings about the rationale for
the EMPG cuts, Secretary Chertoff responded that the department
preferred not to fund personnel and indicated that doing so was not \"a
federal interest\". He further stated that \"traditionally\" the Federal
government did not fund personnel.

In response, Michael Selves, IAEM President-Elect and Director of
Emergency Management and Homeland Security for Johnson County, Kansas,
noted that at the same hearing these remarks were made, the Secretary
prominently displayed a copy of the National Plans Review requested by
Congress and the President. \"The information and analysis contained in
the NPR was due to the efforts of hundreds of (EMPG-funded) state and
local emergency managers involving thousands of man hours - how is that
not a Federal interest?\" Selves asked. \"Unfortunately, it appears
there\'s a striking lack of understanding within DHS as to what
Emergency managers do. We are in a people- intensive business \-- we\'re
supposed to be the \'honest brokers\' who bring all the disciplines
together to prepare for and to meet the crisis\" he concluded.

Robert Bohlmann, IAEM Government Affairs Chairman, E.M. Director in York
County, Maine, stated, \"To imply that the funding of personnel under
EMPG is not a traditional function of the Federal Government is
astonishing given that the EMPG program has been in existence since the
1950s. If that\'s not a tradition, I\'m puzzled as to what is.\"

In addition to IAEM, the National Emergency Management Association
(comprised of state emergency management officials), the National
Association of Counties and numerous state emergency management
associations have protested the proposed cuts.\"

\(6\) INTRODUCTION TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEXTBOOK DEVELOPMENT PROJECT:

February 21, 2006 \-- Received from the Procurement Office a contract
amendment extending the period of performance by about five months \--
to July 31, 2006 \-- in order to accommodate modifications suggested in
the review process. The comment period for the draft textbook ends
tomorrow, February 22nd. The lead developer, Dr. Michael Lindell of
Texas A&M is then responsible for producing another draft based upon a
consensus we will reach on modifications in the next week or so. The
review draft is on the EM HiEd Project website \-- Free College Courses
and Books section \-- Books Under Development subsection.

\(7\) KATRINA:

Hosenball, Mark. \"The Back-Channel Chatter After Katrina.\" Newsweek,
February 27, 2006. Accessed at:
[[http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11434022/site/newsweek/]{.underline}](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11434022/site/newsweek/)

Joyner, Chris. \"Pickering Criticizes Inefficient Storm Aid.\" Jackson
Clarion-Ledger (MS), February 18, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060218/NEWS0110/602180340/1001/NEWS>

Lipton, Eric. \"Disaster Response: Watch TV, Go Home.\" New York Times,
February 19, 2006. Accessed at:
[[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/weekinreview/19lipt.html]{.underline}](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/weekinreview/19lipt.html)

Marek, Angie C. \"A Post-Katrina Public Flaying.\" February 27, 2006.

Accessed at:

[[http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060227/27wrong.htm]{.underline}](http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060227/27wrong.htm)

Meet The Press with Tim Russert. \"Transcript for February 19 - Michael
Chertoff, Maureen Dowd, David Gregory, Paul Gigot & Mary Matalin.\"
February 19, 2006. Accessed at:
[[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11363075/]{.underline}](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11363075/)

Norman, Joshua. \"Why Did They Stay.\" Biloxi Sun-Herald, February 18,
2006. Accessed at:
[[http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/13903323.htm]{.underline}](http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/13903323.htm)

The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. Transcript of Interview with
Michael Brown as well as between Stephen Rue, Executive Producer of
\'New Orleans Story\' and Michael Brown.\" February 17, 2006. Accessed
at:

[[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0602/17/sitroom.03.html]{.underline}](http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0602/17/sitroom.03.html)

\(7\) PANDEMICS:

CNN.com \"Bird Flu \'Could Take 142M Lives\'.\" February 15, 2006.

Accessed at:

[[http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/conditions/02/15/birdflu.cost/index.html]{.underline}](http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/conditions/02/15/birdflu.cost/index.html)

B.Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM

Higher Education Project Manager

Emergency Management Institute

National Emergency Training Center

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department of Homeland Security

16825 S. Seton, N-430

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

\(301\) 447-1262, voice

\(301\) 447-1598, fax

wayne.blanchard@dhs.gov

[[http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu]{.underline}](http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu)

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