This is Getting Annoying
There are times when it really, really ticks me off that I'm right.
I remember watching the coverage of the Katrina rescue efforts and hearing that FEMA had ordered grounded after reports of people shooting at rescue helicopters. I said, wait, is there any evidence of this? Have we got a bullet hole in a fuselage? Have we got an air crew that saw a muzzle flash? Has anyone involved in giving that grounding order actually investigated to determine the reliability of those reports? The TV wouldn't say.
Sitting thousands of miles away, perhaps I had the advantage of detachment. But it was clear to me that such reports were likely to be rumors, or confusion about people firing guns to attract notice and aid, or merely the sound of a street-level gunshot that had nothing to do with the helicopters. It seemed absurd that any helicopter would be spending a minute on the ground at such a critical time, without strong, physical proof. And now I read this:
Which is why it's important to have trained, experienced people in charge. They need to be able to sense what is a silly rumor, and what isn't. They need to be able to quickly invent ways to ascertain what is real and what isn't. They need "disaster smarts," like street smarts. That people with those skills weren't on hand is one of many ways in which this disaster was bungled.
I remember watching the coverage of the Katrina rescue efforts and hearing that FEMA had ordered grounded after reports of people shooting at rescue helicopters. I said, wait, is there any evidence of this? Have we got a bullet hole in a fuselage? Have we got an air crew that saw a muzzle flash? Has anyone involved in giving that grounding order actually investigated to determine the reliability of those reports? The TV wouldn't say.
Sitting thousands of miles away, perhaps I had the advantage of detachment. But it was clear to me that such reports were likely to be rumors, or confusion about people firing guns to attract notice and aid, or merely the sound of a street-level gunshot that had nothing to do with the helicopters. It seemed absurd that any helicopter would be spending a minute on the ground at such a critical time, without strong, physical proof. And now I read this:
NEW ORLEANS - Among the rumors that spread as quickly as floodwaters after Hurricane Katrina, reports that gunmen were taking potshots at rescue helicopters stood out for their senselessness.One of the problems when regular communications systems are down is that it's hard to know what's going on. Rumors abound, and every functioning communication channel takes on aspects of the children's game "Telephone", as information gets repeated from person to person to person and garbled. Which is why it becomes extra important for those in charge to both be open to whatever information they can get, yet be suspect of whatever information they can get. To use the Reagan cliche, they must trust, but verify.
On Sept. 1, as patients sweltered in hospitals without power and thousands of people remained stranded on rooftops and in attics, crucial rescue efforts were delayed as word of such attacks spread.
But more than a month later, representatives from the Air Force, Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security and Louisiana Air National Guard say they have yet to confirm a single incident of gunfire at helicopters.
Likewise, members of several rescue crews who were told to halt operations say there is no evidence they were under fire.
Which is why it's important to have trained, experienced people in charge. They need to be able to sense what is a silly rumor, and what isn't. They need to be able to quickly invent ways to ascertain what is real and what isn't. They need "disaster smarts," like street smarts. That people with those skills weren't on hand is one of many ways in which this disaster was bungled.
posted by Paul at 10:33 AM |
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