FEMA Needs a Brain

I've held back from blaming FEMA or the LA govenor or N.O. mayor or whoever for the fiasco of Katrina preparedness and recovery. Yeah, things could have been better but it's a tough job too so I didn't join in the dogpile of pointing fingers. But now they've just so obviously lost it. Phoenix sent a Fire Department's Urban Search and Rescue team with four Phoenix police officers that had been deputized as U.S. Marshals. Now FEMA is suspending the Phoenix team because the officers were armed!

These teams are supposed to arrive self-supporting for a number of days so it isn't like the 4 officers were adding to the FEMA logistics problems. And even without Katrina 20-20 hindsight, there aren't that many emergency situations where armed officers might not be needed. Apparently FEMA wasn't providing security for the fire fighters and yet wouldn't allow them to supply their own security?! And by what legal authority do they think they can disarm U.S. Marshals?

FEMA needs to take a long look and decide what side they're on.