Why did it take FEMA two weeks to help?

[Always in His Presence]

FEMA sends help to East Palestine, Ohio 2 weeks after toxic train disaster

The Biden administration sent federal emergency officials to the site of Ohio’s toxic train derailment two weeks after the disaster.

nypost.com

The Biden administration sent federal emergency officials to the site of Ohio’s toxic train derailment Saturday — two weeks after the disaster released a chemical plume that contaminated local streams and caused a mass evacuation of panicked residents.

“US [Environmental Protection Agency] and Ohio EPA have been working together since day one,” Gov. Mike DeWine and Thomas Sivak of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a joint statement late Friday. “Tomorrow, FEMA will supplement federal efforts.”

Locals in East Palestine, Ohio have bitterly criticized the slow state and federal response since a train carrying toxic vinyl chloride and other chemicals derailed Feb. 3.

 

[Larniavc]

Far be it from me (not an American) to educate you on your own country’s law but here we are.

“Under the 1988 Stafford Act, a "major disaster" is defined as any natural catastrophe in the country that causes damage of such severity that the president determines it is beyond the combined capabilities of state and local governments to respond.”

Ohio train derailment: How federal agencies have responded

When disasters happen, local and state officials often turn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for aid. So, afte

www.politifact.com

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

Far be it from me (not an American) to educate you on your own country’s law but here we are.

“Under the 1988 Stafford Act, a "major disaster" is defined as any natural catastrophe in the country that causes damage of such severity that the president determines it is beyond the combined capabilities of state and local governments to respond.”

Ohio train derailment: How federal agencies have responded

When disasters happen, local and state officials often turn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for aid. So, afte

www.politifact.com

In addition, "All requests for a declaration by the President that a major disaster exists shall be made by the Governor of the affected State."

So Mike Dewine (R) is the one who has to request President Biden for Federal Assistance.

 

[Unqualified]

Red tape, complete in vestigation, application, money to be made available. All takes time. They have to be sure of the laws and of no ripoffs. Sorry it’s uncomfortable to wait. Are you ok physically? Still working? Have a bank account. This can break and make some people, but it will pay in time. Do you have an evacuation place? It must be tough, you have to be brave. I hope the smoke plume is gone.

 

[Blade]

I watched Pet say he was all over this.. just will let us know "when" he might go there. Depends on where you sit again I think. It does make one truly wonder... when President Trump goes there... bring water and what ever. I can say nothing he did more then I ever did so.. can't speak negative to that.

Some will look at this differently since they are a small place that likes President Trump. Fact people that like love what ever President Trump do have been treated differently. <---I personally believe that is not the case here. I look at everything (try) that has happen since Biden has been in office and... this is just par for the course. This is how Biden rolls. How long was Pet gone when he first go this gig? yeah but praise God like Pet said he talked about it allot so.. that helps?

 

[Gene2memE]

I watched Pet say he was all over this.. just will let us know "when" he might go there. Depends on where you sit again I think. It does make one truly wonder... when President Trump goes there... bring water and what ever. I can say nothing he did more then I ever did so.. can't speak negative to that.

Some will look at this differently since they are a small place that likes President Trump. Fact people that like love what ever President Trump do have been treated differently. <---I personally believe that is not the case here. I look at everything (try) that has happen since Biden has been in office and... this is just par for the course. This is how Biden rolls. How long was Pet gone when he first go this gig? yeah but praise God like Pet said he talked about it allot so.. that helps?

This is Alex Jones level conspiracy garbage.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Typical bleeding heart liberals complaining that tax money allocated for a specific purpose by Congress be profligately spent in some other way.

 

[peaceful-forest]

FEMA is only helping now because Trump helped the East Palestine people.

 

[comana]

FEMA is only helping now because Trump helped the East Palestine people.

…according to Trump

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

FEMA is only helping now because Trump helped the East Palestine people.

What part of this do you not understand? No president can simply declare a federal emergency in a state. Mike DeWine, the governor of Ohio, MUST request FEMA assistance.

How a Disaster Gets Declared

This page provides procedural information regarding the St

www.fema.gov

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5207 (the Stafford Act) §401 states in part that: "All requests for a declaration by the President that a major disaster exists shall be made by the Governor of the affected State." A State also includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Republic of Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia are also eligible to request a declaration and receive assistance through the Compacts of Free Association.

Federal Disaster Assistance | Maine Emergency Management Agency

www.maine.gov

When the State suffers a large-scale disaster, and damages overwhelm the State's capability to respond and recover, the Governor may request a Major Disaster Declaration from the President. Once a Declaration is received, FEMA assistance programs are implemented. MEMA coordinates the delivery of the disaster assistance with FEMA on behalf of the Governor.

Joint Statement from Ohio Governor DeWine and FEMA Regional Administrator Sivak

Following continued discussions between the state of Ohio and FEMA regarding the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Governor Mike DeWine and FEMA Regional Administrator Thomas C. Sivak issued the following joint statement.

www.fema.gov

 

[Landon Caeli]

You should all watch White Noise on Netflix. The similarities are amazing.

It stars Adam Driver from Star Wars.

 

[essentialsaltes]

You should all watch White Noise on Netflix.

It was even filmed right in that area.

 

[Bradskii]

FEMA sends help to East Palestine, Ohio 2 weeks after toxic train disaster

The Biden administration sent federal emergency officials to the site of Ohio’s toxic train derailment two weeks after the disaster.

nypost.com

The Biden administration sent federal emergency officials to the site of Ohio’s toxic train derailment Saturday — two weeks after the disaster released a chemical plume that contaminated local streams and caused a mass evacuation of panicked residents.

“US [Environmental Protection Agency] and Ohio EPA have been working together since day one,” Gov. Mike DeWine and Thomas Sivak of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a joint statement late Friday. “Tomorrow, FEMA will supplement federal efforts.”

Locals in East Palestine, Ohio have bitterly criticized the slow state and federal response since a train carrying toxic vinyl chloride and other chemicals derailed Feb. 3.

Why did it take 2 weeks? The question is: Why didn't you check? Instead of posting yet another knee jerk reaction and desperately trying to politicize any and all events.

From here: PolitiFact - Ohio train derailment: How FEMA and other federal agencies are aiding East Palestine

'Although the aftermath of the train derailment "certainly has been a disaster," Gov. DeWine said Feb. 17, it does not meet this legal definition. DeWine said FEMA is "most typically involved with disasters where there is tremendous home or property damage such as tornadoes, flooding and hurricanes."

 

[rambot]

As a high tax paying Canadian whose government doesn't spend 40% of our budget on missiles to drop on enemy x, might I say that taxes pay for cool studd like emergency responses.

As noted local and state officials have not made any significant response. I wonder I'd that has to do with politicians promising and delivering on lower taxes?

 

[Larniavc]

Why did it take 2 weeks? The question is: Why didn't you check? Instead of posting yet another knee jerk reaction and desperately trying to politicize any and all events.

Dang it I missed another opportunity to go out on a limb and predict this was another post that was either lies or just wrong.

Oh, Poot.

 

[Tuur]

FEMA sends help to East Palestine, Ohio 2 weeks after toxic train disaster

The Biden administration sent federal emergency officials to the site of Ohio’s toxic train derailment two weeks after the disaster.

nypost.com

The Biden administration sent federal emergency officials to the site of Ohio’s toxic train derailment Saturday — two weeks after the disaster released a chemical plume that contaminated local streams and caused a mass evacuation of panicked residents.

“US [Environmental Protection Agency] and Ohio EPA have been working together since day one,” Gov. Mike DeWine and Thomas Sivak of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a joint statement late Friday. “Tomorrow, FEMA will supplement federal efforts.”

Locals in East Palestine, Ohio have bitterly criticized the slow state and federal response since a train carrying toxic vinyl chloride and other chemicals derailed Feb. 3.

FEMA isn't Civil Defense. I have never seen FEMA show up in the middle of a disaster. They always showed up after we had the power lines put back up, and that was for reimbursement of funds spent during the disaster.

 

[Tuur]

As a high tax paying Canadian whose government doesn't spend 40% of our budget on missiles to drop on enemy x, might I say that taxes pay for cool studd like emergency responses.

As noted local and state officials have not made any significant response. I wonder I'd that has to do with politicians promising and delivering on lower taxes?

Once upon a time, the United States had a program called Civil Defense. Part of the goal of CD was to help the US recover from attack, which during the Cold War meant nuclear war. CD also responded to natural disasters. The US had a good CD program, but it languished because some in Congress feared that if the US tried to keep it functional, the Soviets would think we were preparing for a first strike. I think this increased as the CD program was allowed to languish and getting it back in working order would take more outlay, and that increased the fears the Soviets would think that this was a prelude to nuclear war.

So it was, in the 1970s, that the US government came up with FEMA. Where CD was based on prepositioning resources and having smaller, self-activating, units, FEMA is, by design, top-down based. If there was a nuclear war, FEMA, by design, likely wouldn't be able to do much. From what I've seen, FEMA relies heavily on other organizations.

That's why the only FEMA people I've seen have come by after we had power restored. They offer to reimburse expenditures incurred due to the disaster, but that's about all they can do.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

So it was, in the 1970s, that the US government came up with FEMA. Where CD was based on prepositioning resources and having smaller, self-activating, units, FEMA is, by design, top-down based. If there was a nuclear war, FEMA, by design, likely wouldn't be able to do much. From what I've seen, FEMA relies heavily on other organizations.

That's why the only FEMA people I've seen have come by after we had power restored. They offer to reimburse expenditures incurred due to the disaster, but that's about all they can do.

Years ago, our Boy Scout troop took a tour of a Massachusetts Emergency Management site (a former nuclear bunker) and from what I remember local communities have their own EM agencies. So the local EMA will assess their damage and coordinate with the state EMA. I imagine that FEMA is made aware so that they can at least monitor a given situation. It is only once the governor (or governors if it is a multi-state issue like East Palestine borders Pennsylvania) call for assistance that FEMA can become directly involved.

 

[rambot]

Once upon a time, the United States had a program called Civil Defense. Part of the goal of CD was to help the US recover from attack, which during the Cold War meant nuclear war. CD also responded to natural disasters. The US had a good CD program, but it languished because some in Congress feared that if the US tried to keep it functional, the Soviets would think we were preparing for a first strike. I think this increased as the CD program was allowed to languish and getting it back in working order would take more outlay, and that increased the fears the Soviets would think that this was a prelude to nuclear war.

So it was, in the 1970s, that the US government came up with FEMA. Where CD was based on prepositioning resources and having smaller, self-activating, units, FEMA is, by design, top-down based. If there was a nuclear war, FEMA, by design, likely wouldn't be able to do much. From what I've seen, FEMA relies heavily on other organizations.

That's why the only FEMA people I've seen have come by after we had power restored. They offer to reimburse expenditures incurred due to the disaster, but that's about all they can do.

OK. Their roll is to step in if local (and state) sources can't do the job.

But if thr smaller, more nimble and more local governments choose not to fund emergency relief due to tax cuts then what?

 

[Tuur]

OK. Their roll is to step in if local (and state) sources can't do the job.

But if thr smaller, more nimble and more local governments choose not to fund emergency relief due to tax cuts then what?

No, not even that. If for some reason we couldn't restore power after a natural disaster, FEMA couldn't so much as set a pole. They can essentially pay to have it done, but it's not something they can do themselves.

It might come as a surprise to someone who doesn't work in utilities, but unless a utility is government owned, as is found in some municipalities, government doesn't restore power. This is the case for a lot of things, and if you check, I think you'll find it's the same in Canada, too. I suspect that in Canada, not everything is done by the government, just like in the US.

I get the impression that you're fortunate enough never to have been in a natural disaster in general or a natural disaster in a rural area in particular. It's good if you've never had to go through it, but once you've seen one, you have a better idea of what happens. In the rural areas here, the first thing that happen is your neighbors help. First responders arrive and are usually followed by utilities and road crews. For big natural disasters, the National Guard shows up. FEMA is among the last.

So, what about this spill? Honestly, I haven't had to clean one up. For transformer oil, that's done by the utility. I don't know how it's handled for a wreck, only that soil contaminated by so much as diesel has to be removed. Beyond that, I don't know.