Bobby Jindal: “I have an amendment to enhance the real- time capabilities assessments. The events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…”

“I have an amendment to enhance the real- time capabilities assessments. The events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita highlighted serious flaws and deficiencies in our national response plan, the National Incident Management System, and State and local regional responses that were caused by a lack of valid, real-time data related to resident capabilities. For example, one Texas community had an overflow of special needs residents that were using dance studios, abandoned shopping centers even though it was determined later there were over 10,000 special needs beds available within 100 miles. The city of New Orleans had an emergency excavation plan, but it couldn't be executed as written because assumed capabilities not functional and prior coordination of assets were not implemented. Response plans called for the utilization of National Guard troops even though at the time of Hurricane Katrina one of the designated units was deployed to Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of hours were spent on phone calls and e-mails to obtain real-time capability information, finding suitable replacements or options, or to redirecting assets from locations with excess capabilities to those with critical needs. The underlying bill takes important steps to build upon the existing Department of Homeland Security requirements to build a national assessment and reporting system by September 30, 2006.…”