FEMA better get their asses over to Iowa!!!

[Joanne98]

And don't you fuckers DARE come empty-handed!!!!!!!!

U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2008)
U.S. Department of Defense

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

News Transcript

Presenter: Commander, U.S. Pacific Command Adm. Timothy Keating

May 28, 2008

DoD News Briefing with Adm. Keating from the Pentagon Briefing Room, Arlington, Va
< ...Intervening Text... >

ADM. KEATING: I love saying it. Good morning, one and all. It's still morning.

For those who aren't familiar, Tim Keating, commander of the United States Pacific Command, here in Washington for a little while and will leave this evening to join the secretary and the chairman in Singapore for Shangri-La Dialogue and then proceed to -- hello, Jonathan -- to Korea for the change of command there.

A couple of topics that -- in which you might be interested. Burma, to start, and then I'll talk China for just a second and then a couple other relief operations we have under way, and I'll be happy to take your questions.

< ...Intervening Text... >

On to People's Republic of China, in the wake of the disastrous earthquake there, we have sent several flights out of the Transportation Command and Air Force assets, principal among them two C-17s that flew last weekend to close to the epicenter of the earthquake.

They were loaded with earthquake relief supplies that we got from FEMA -- two airplanes with tens of thousands of pounds of equipment including chainsaws, generators, again, plastic sheeting for shelters and some water purification equipment.

That evening, that Saturday night, I was given permission to use the secretary of Defense hotline and called a senior official, a Lieutenant General Ma in the People's Republic of China, and discussed with him the aid we had provided.

He was aware of it. The C-17s had just landed and unloaded their cargo. He was aware of their arrival and the materiel contained in the cargo. So we used the Defense hotline, if you will. It worked just fine. His translator was quite good.

I had met Ma a couple of times. So we had this -- he's an air force fighter pilot in China. So we had a little professional experience with each other, not in airplanes but in meetings in Beijing. Good conversation with him, on the phone for about an hour, and relayed our sympathy for the casualties that they had suffered, as we passed to our Burmese colleagues as well.

We've flown a couple more airplanes since then, one of them carrying members of a Los Angeles Fire Department urban rescue team, and we just sent another load of tents. As you're no doubt aware, because we're getting the information from you guys, principally there are millions of folks who are without shelter. And so one of the things that the Chinese tell us they need is tents. So we've just sent a load of a couple hundred tents yesterday or the day before.

http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/uscn_others_2008052801.html

[sandnsea]

1. CNN says they are, not to worry

And we're off to Japan's earthquake. Iowa got 14 whole minutes, 4 of which were viewer submitted photos.

And we're off to Timmy.

[Joanne98]

2. They'll probably tell the people of Iowa to get help from Walmart.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[HereSince1628]

3. There was 10 minutes that wasn't viewer submitted?

I missed it.

[sandnsea]

7. Yes, right before the Iowa weather

Did you see that part? They had a guy in Cedar Rapids, I think.

[Frustratedlady]

4. But...but...but, they gave all those Katrina supplies away.

FEMA's cupboard is bare, so they will have to give out no-bid contracts to George's friends. After all, they don't have much more time before their Santa will be out of the WH -- Hopefully!

[Joanne98]

5. FEMA Supports Federal Aid to China

Release Date: May 19, 2008
Release Number: FNF-08-044

The Department of Defense purchased relief supplies from FEMA to aid earthquake victims in China. Supplies included food, blankets, water containers, generators, lanterns, tarps and tents. Less than 24 hours after receiving the request from the United States Pacific Command, FEMA had delivered 17 pallets of relief supplies from its Pacific Distribution Center to the 15th Airlift Wing at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii for transport to aid earthquake victims in China.

The supplies were loaded onto an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane on Saturday and flown nonstop to Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, China. DOD also stocked a second air cargo jet in Alaska with FEMA supplies for delivery to China.

Last Modified: Monday, 19-May-2008 16:55:20

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=43488

FEMA was never suppose to provide aid to people in other countries. That was NEVER part their job.

[Joanne98]

6. Okay Iowa FEMA's got you covered....sorta

FEMA Logistics
Resources dispatched by FEMA Logistic to assist flood victims in Iowa include 558,000 bottles of water, 470,000 sandbags, 30 leased trailer trucks, 1-50 pack generator, 63,699 packages of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and five Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers. Deliveries of water to Kansas also are pending.
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=43851

What? No tents?

[Joanne98]

8. USAID has plenty of supplies. Maybe they can spare a few crumbs for Iowa.

June 14, 2008 -- With the Atlantic hurricane season underway, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is prepared to respond to storms in countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.


USAID will hold a press event at its warehouse in Miami on June 19, 2008 concerning hurricane preparations for this year's Atlantic hurricane season. Ky Luu and Tim Callaghan, senior officials from USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), will be on hand to provide an update on USAID's ongoing preparations and disaster response capacities.

USAID has relief commodities stockpiled at its Miami warehouse and is prepared to provide international assistance as necessary. In addition, a team of USAID disaster response experts based in San Jose, Costa Rica stand available for immediate deployment throughout the region should a severe storm hit.

In 2007, USAID responded to the effects of two major hurricanes and one tropical storm in eight Latin American and Caribbean countries and provided life-saving humanitarian relief to disaster affected communities. For major disasters, a USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) may be deployed to provide emergency humanitarian assistance, including disaster relief items and support for humanitarian coordination. Relief commodities including medical supplies, hygiene kits, plastic sheeting, water containers, blankets, and water treatment supplies are stockpiled in Miami for quick disbursement to countries that request disaster assistance from the U.S. Government.


http://www.caribbeanpressreleases.com/articles/3470/1/USAID-Prepares-for-2008-Atlantic-Hurricane-Season-in-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean/Relief-commodities-stockpiled-in-Miami.html

[HereSince1628]

9. They usually give those to dictators to keep the people quiet. You know som'thin?

that the rest of us don't?

[cascadiance]

10. Iowa City just now had a storm of hail with tornado sirens in the last hour!

The situation is NOT getting better!

[barbtries]

11. eeek

it's times like these...
when katrina happened was the last time i sat glued in front of my tv switching from one cable channel to the next to find out what was going on. i would be frustrated that i can't do the same today, but...tim russert died anyway, so from what i'm gathering from reading DU today, i wouldn't be able to find out about Iowa or the entire midwest disaster that's unfolding from cable news anyway.

so i google, and i google. and i feel for the people there.

[pleah]

12. I really hope everyone up there gets the help they need,

but I feel so bad for all of those people. Face it, our government, as we know it now, is a piece of used toilet paper. Where I am, in Katrina land, we are back to normal. But, in New Orleans I am sure there are plenty of people who lost everything and got no help what-so-ever.

I wish the good citizens up north all the luck in the world.