WASHINGTON, March 23 (UPI) -- The Department of Homeland Security is not fully prepared for the 15 most likely and stressing disasters, a retired military officer told Congress Friday.
Retired Marine Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro, chairman of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, told the House Armed Services Committee that while Homeland Security has identified 15 disaster scenarios, it has not properly engaged the federal government in planning, coordinating, funding and training for them.
"Because they've just identified them and we haven't engaged the entire system in putting plans together for dealing with these, the nation is not adequately prepared for some, not fully prepared for some, and absolutely, totally unprepared for some of the worst-case scenarios," said Punaro, who reviewed the planning and how it affects the National Guard and Reserves in his work on the commission.
"They ought to either do their job, or somebody ought to just shut them down and admit it's not going to happen and make other arrangements. But they should be held accountable right now under the law for fulfilling their mandate," Punaro said.
Punaro also said the federal government has not empowered state governors to plan for and prepare their responses to disasters.
"The governors, the commanders in chief of most domestic incidents, do not have enough of a voice in policymaking with regard to the Guard in operations in their states," Punaro said. "Our government -- our federal government -- has told the governors, 'You're in charge. You're responsible. We hold you accountable to deal with emergencies in at least the first 72 hours.' That is a fundamental principle of emergency management; you handle it at the lowest level possible. 'But please, Mr. Governor, don't come to Washington and give us your views, don't tell us what you need, and we certainly aren't going to take those factors into account when we're making decisions,'" he said.
