Former FEMA Director Shares Perspective On Puerto Rico Relief Efforts

COUNTERPART IN SAN JUAN.
HE HAS PLEDGED THAT FLORIDA
WILL DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO
ASSIST.
THE SCOPE OF THIS TRAGEDY, JUST
SEEMS TO GET BIGGER EVERY DAY.
NO ONE CLAIMS THAT IT IS EASY
TO HELP, BUT THE HELP IS IN
GETTING THERE FAST ENOUGH.
SOME PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO
HANDLE THIS AND WE TURN TO ONE
OF THEM FOR PERSPECTIVE.
WE SPOKE TO ONE PERSON WHO
HAPPENS TO BE A FORMER DIRECTOR
OF FEMA.
HE IS ALIVE AND WE WANT TO HEAR
WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. HE
CERTAINLY KNOWS ALL ABOUT
HURRICANES.
HE GOES WAY BACK TO HURRICANE
ANDREW.
HE IS A LONGTIME FIREFIGHTER
AND CHIEF IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
HE WAS QUITE CANDID AND TALKING
ABOUT THE SLOW RESPONSE.
HE DIDN'T BLAME IT ON ANYONE.
HE SAYS IT IS PART -- IN SHEER
PART THE SIZE OF THE ISLAND.
THERE IS DEVASTATION ALL OVER
THE ISLAND.
HERE IS OUR CONVERSATION.
WHAT IS WORKING AND WHAT IS
NOT WORKING? A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF CRITICISM IS GOING
OUT.
I AM NOT DEFENDING ANYTHING,
BUT PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
THAT ONE OF THE PORTS WAS
CLOSED.
THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET IN.
IT IS A HUGE ISLAND.
THE HURRICANE WENT FROM ONE IN
TO THE OTHER AND TOOK OUT ALL
OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK WHAT IS WORKING, IS THE
MILITARY IS MOVING IN, THE
PRESIDENT IS MOVING IN, THAT
WILL HELP A LOT WITH LOGISTICS.
NOBODY MOVED STUFF BETTER THAN
THE U.S. MILITARY.
SO THAT WILL HELP HIM UP.
-- WITH FEMA.
THEY NEED TO START MOVING
THINGS AROUND THE ISLAND.
RIGHT NOW IT IS PILING UP AT
THE PORT AND IT HAS TO BE MOVED
AND DISTRIBUTED THE ISLAND.
A LITTLE LATE GETTING GOING
ON THIS.
ARE THEY OVERWHELMED.
YOU HAVE TO SAY THE ANSWER
IS YES, BECAUSE OF WHAT
HAPPENED.
WE HAD HARVEY, IRMA AND NOW WE
HAVE MARIA. THREE MAJOR
HURRICANES IN A ROW.
IT IS STRESSING THE SYSTEM.
I THINK THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS
WHAT I SAID EARLIER.
THE PORTS WERE SHUT DOWN, YOU
COULD GET SHIPS IN.
THE AIRPORT WAS SHUT DOWN.
YOU COULDN'T LAND ANYTHING.
THAT MADE THINGS SLOW GETTING
STARTED.
PEOPLE ARE SAYING, SHIP A
BUNCH OF TRUCK DRIVERS DOWN
THERE, SHIPS AND GASOLINE, IT
IS NOT THAT EASY IS IT?
IT'S NOT.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS DOWN.
WE HAVE BRIDGES OUT.
WE HAVE ROADS THAT ARE NOT
PASSABLE.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WILL
GET BETTER IN A COUPLE OF DAYS
OR WEEKS.
IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO GET
THE ROADS CLEARED AND GET THE
SUPPLY CHAIN GOING.
RIGHT NOW I AM ASSUMING THEY
WILL HAVE TO USE HELICOPTERS TO
DROP PEOPLE AND PLACES OFF AT
THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO THAT WILL BE THE FIRST STEP.
ANY ADVICE TO THE CURRENT
FEMA DIRECTOR RIGHT NOW.
HE WILL TAKE A LOT OF HEAT.
HE IS A GREAT MANAGER.
HE DID A GREAT JOB IN ALABAMA.
HE WAS THE MANAGER WHEN I WAS
THERE.
HE REALLY KNOWS HIS STUFF.
HE HAS GOOD PEOPLE AROUND HIM.
MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO TAKE A
DEEP BREATH, STAY ON TOP OF IT,
KEEP DOING THE PRESS
CONFERENCES.
YOU WILL GET BEAT UP IN THE
PRESS, BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE
PRESS INFORMED OF WHAT YOU'RE
DOING.
HE PUTS A LOT OF STOCK IN
THE MILITARY.
THOSE OF YOU WHO WENT THROUGH
HURRICANE ANDREW REMEMBER HELP
WAS A LITTLE SLOW COMING TO
SOME SORT OF.
REMEMBER, WHERE WAS THE CALVARY
. BUT WHEN THEY DID ARRIVE, AND
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Former FEMA Director Shares Perspective On Puerto Rico Relief Efforts

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