Search for Answers Before Hawaii's Next Natural Disaster Begins with Crisis Response Officials

At the risk of stating the obvious, Katrina showed the critical importance of advance knowledge about crisis response procedures, capabilities and readiness. Hawaii lies more than 2,000 miles from the nearest "help" center and therefore would have to rely on stockpiled resources in the first days following a category 4 or 5 hurricane.

The following letter was sent this date to three Hawaii-based senior officials in the crisis-response industry. The questions enclosed with this letter were in the newspaper commentary posted here on September 1 and published in The Honolulu Advertiser the next day. It's hoped answers will be received in advance of the Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit & Exposition to be held in Honolulu September 20-23.

Postscript: A page-one story in the September 6 edition of The Wall Street Journal is headlined: "Behind Poor Katrina Response, A Long Chain of Weak Links... Changing Structure of FEMA, Emphasis on Terrorism Contributed to Problems" That latter point is what supports the hope expressed in the following letter that the upcoming Homeland Security Summit in Honolulu will have adjusted its heavy focus on terrorism to include natural disasters, as well.

September 6, 2005


Mr. Woodrow Goins, Jr.
Director, Pacific Area Office
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Fort Shafter
Honolulu, HI 96858-5000

Mr. Edward T. Teixeira
Vice Director of Civil Defense
Hawaii State Civil Defense
3949 Diamond Head Road
Honolulu HI 96816-4495

Mr. William D. Balfour Jr.
Administrator
Oahu Civil Defense Agency
650 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

Gentlemen:

A major lesson to be learned from Hurricane Katrina is that all citizens have a stake in knowing what plans have been made on our behalf by crisis and disaster response managers to assist our survival after the next man-made or natural disaster. Here in Hawaii, that responsibility presumably falls to your agencies.

Enclosed is a copy of a commentary published by The Honolulu Advertiser on September 2. It includes nearly two dozen questions pertinent to the survival of Hawaii’s population following our next major hurricane. I respectfully request that your agencies respond to these questions (see enclosure) before the Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit & Exposition, September 20-23.

Today's Wall Street Journal quotes emergency response officials in their belief that the Department of Homeland Security's focus on terrorism has undermined its readiness for other catastrophes. Although the Honolulu Summit has been publicized as a terrorism-oriented conference, I trust you’ve adjusted your intentions for the event to include a heavy emphasis on natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and Hawaii’s next major storm.

Thank you for your attention to this request.

Sincerely,


Doug Carlson

Enclosures (newspaper commentary and list of questions therein)