[Dowwie]

My experience with disaster response is a month in Louisiana helping to operate the Rapides Coliseum shelter managed by the American Red Cross after hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Those who are resourceful, can solve problems creatively, and take initiative will lead a disaster response while those granted rank and position tend to spin wheels and control a situation they don't understand. Disasters aren't responded to by staff employees with adequate training. If it's a major disaster, people who have never worked together nor acted in such a capacity are loosely organized together and used to channel resources and effort to victims and their families. Technology absolutely plays a vital role in disaster response but at times it can be a major hindrance. I recall when agents of FEMA came to the coliseum, they asked where the computers and network were. The location did have them, unlike others, but over time they went down and no one has available to maintain them. I explained to the agents that they will have to use forms and manual entry the old fashioned way. They just looked at each other and left. Several days passed. Then, FEMA returned with a mobile command center, featuring computers and satellite communication.

The experience didn't surprise me but made me realize how dependent people are on technology and how unprepared they are to handle circumstances they haven't trained for.