“A” PLUS DISCUSSION

Review the YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSXfWtCn0u4 that is also included in your required reading assignments. The video is of Admiral Thad Allen, former commandant of the Coast Guard, also known for coordinating the recovering of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. There are many opinions regarding the quality of local, state, and federal assistance that New Orleans received during Hurricane Katrina. Should citizens always expect government to help them out during these types of events? What coordination gaps between government and business does Thad Allen identify?
ANSWER THE ABOVE QUESTION AND THEN REPLY TO MY CLASSMATE’S RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTION AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE? (A MINIMUM OF 125 WORDS or MORE EACH QUESTION)
                                                  CLASSMATE’S POST
Citizens should always expect government to help them out during natural disasters. Government should monitor natural disasters and work with media to inform the citizenry of the possible effects of these events. Government also has a responsibility to assist in the cleaning and rebuilding of the community post event. However, that doesn’t absolve citizens from heeding warnings to evacuate when advised to do so. Local, state and federal coordination also includes citizens staying alert and proactive to alerts and warnings given by these agencies. If there is a mandatory evacuation ordered and people choose to ride the storm out, consequences of that decision do not lie at the feet of government. 
Coordination gaps identified by Thad Allen include each state having its own emergency management function and how they relate and communicate with different types of local government (e.g. parishes versus cities). There are also gaps because each state has a different set of preparedness standards and, from a national level, there are no overarching preparedness standards that allow each state to function the same. Consequently, when federal agencies do into a state in an emergency situation, there are roadblocks created because the chain of command and interagency communication can vary widely. That extra time could cost lives.