We must pay now, or we will pay later.
The actions outlined above will require resources – money, time and an engaged leadership that prioritizes these issues. Improving federal preparedness and response will require significant changes in culture, mindset and processes. Training and otherwise enabling federal officials to manage these changes successfully will require a substantial investment – of dollars, yes, but also of time and intellectual capital. But it is an investment that will more than pay for itself over time. We have already learned, the hard way, the consequences of under-investing in disaster preparedness and response.
Comments
Absolutely. We need to make proactive investments in our country before the next disaster. Throwing billions of dollars at post-disaster relief does little to prevent the next disaster unless permanent changes in infrastructure and field operations are implemented. When you look at the cost of clean-up versus prevention, how much money was wasted in the past 10 years? How many lives were lost? How many disasters are needed before we learn the lesson?
Posted by: Anonymous | August 26, 2006 11:21 AM
We need better coordination at the higher levels of government. Sticking with our flawed and slow system of response will ensure that we are destined to repeat our mistakes. All public servants should be trained in the principles of Unified Command so that we can understand our governement's capabilities and resources, and know how to work collaboratively.
Posted by: Professional Firefighter | August 26, 2006 11:51 AM