Your concern is laudable, but your comment that it is " too bad the  
people recovery and food/medical delivery efforts don't match the  
organization of the NPS artifact and document recovery teams" ignores  
the fact that the NPS task is orders of magnitude smaller. It   
ignores the complexity and scope of the problems inherent in disaster  
operations. I have been involved in a number of disaster relief  
operations including hurricanes and volcanoes. While planning is  
great, each disaster is unique and poses different problems. My  
impression is that the Federal government is doing a pretty good job  
of getting the required assets (manpower and equipment) into the area  
as fast as is possible. I am less impressed with the City of New  
Orleans and Louisianna. Both appear to at best have had really  
sketchy plans and to have lost control pretty fast (especially New  
Orleans). Police, fire/rescue, and local disaster assets are the  
first responders and need to do it quickly. The State and Feds can  
only come in once there is some idea of what is needed and where it  
is needed.

Consider for a start that before recover operations can even begin  
you have to gain access to the area. Many of the roads are covered  
with downed trees and power lines (some of which are still live). It  
is not as if you can just drop in the 82D ABN and all will be well.

One major problem is communication. The use of the USS Bataan (LHD-5)  
is just an example of why having a military around isn't a bad idea.  
The ship not only has a flight deck and is providing a base for  
search and rescue helos, but also has considerable hospital space  
(second only to hospital ships) and extensive command and control  
facilities (radios and telephones). It is a very quick way to  
reestablish control in an area that has lost its infrastructure.  
Other Navy and Coast Guard ships are also being used for many of the  
same purposes, but lack the capabilities of the Bataan. At the same  
time military units are moving in to assist in rescue, support, and  
security. Keep in mind the military is not allowed to act as police  
in the US.

I've worked with the military, NGOs, foreign governments, and FEMA on  
hurricanes, volcanoes, bombings, refuges, etc. It may look  
disorganized, and FEMA may be a bit slower than many would like, but  
that is more appearance than substance. Mind you if you have no water  
or food, are filthy dirty, scared, and its hot as hell you are not  
likely to be very understanding of the problems inherent in disaster  
operations.

On Sep 2, 2005, at 9:14, Dane Magoon wrote:

> Hey All:
>
> Too bad the people recovery and food/medical delivery
> efforts don't match the organization of the NPS
> artifact and document recovery teams, as detailed in
> the Washington Post article forwarded by Vergil Noble.
>
> I simply don't think it is appropriate for any
> recovery efforts to focus on affected cultural
> resources
> until the immediate human tragedy is dealt with.
> Planning such a recovery and working out the logisitcs
> is important, but the emphasis should be on carrying
> out people first.
>
> Dane Magoon