Lessons from the Fact Sheet accompanying the report

 Comprehensive National Preparedness System

• The Existing National Preparedness System Must Be Improved To Minimize The Impact Of Disasters On Lives, Property, And The Economy.
  
• The Response To Hurricane Katrina Revealed A Lack Of Familiarity With Incident Management, Planning Discipline, And Field-Level Crisis Leadership. [requiring the following actions]
  1. Building and integrating the Federal government's operational capability for emergency preparedness and response;
  2. Strengthening DHS's capacity to direct the Federal response effort while providing resources to responders in the field;
  3. Ensuring unity of effort and eliminating red tape and delays in providing Federal assistance to disaster areas;
  4. Strengthening homeland security education, exercises, and training programs; and
  5. Ensuring that homeland security assessments, lessons learned, and corrective action programs are institutionalized throughout the Federal government.

Creating A Culture Of Preparedness

• The Creation Of A Culture Of Preparedness Will Emphasize That The Entire Nation Shares Common Goals And Responsibilities For Homeland Security.
  
  1. A prepared Nation will be a long-term continuing challenge;
  2. Initiative and innovation must be recognized and rewarded at all levels;
  3. Individuals must play a central role in preparing themselves and their families for emergencies; and
  4. Federal, State, and local governments must work in partnership with each other and the private sector.

Ensuring That The Federal Government Does Not Repeat Problems Encountered During Hurricane Katrina

• Changes Must Be Made Immediately To Prepare For The 2006 Hurricane Season. 
  1. Ensure that relevant Federal, State, and local decision-makers, including leaders of State National Guards, are working together and in close proximity to one another in the event of another disaster;
  2. Ensure that for events preceded by warning, we are prepared to pre-position an interagency Federal Joint Field Office (JFO) to coordinate and, if necessary, direct Federal support to the disaster;
  3. Ensure situational awareness by establishing rapid deployable communications, as well as instituting a structure to consolidate Federal operational reporting with DHS;
  4. Embed a single Department of Defense point of contact at the JFO and FEMA regional offices to enhance coordination of military resources supporting the response;
  5. Designate locations throughout the country for receiving, staging, moving, and integrating military resources to ensure the most effective deployment of Federal disaster relief personnel and assets;
  6. Identify and develop rosters of Federal, State, and local government personnel who are prepared to assist in disaster relief;
  7. Employ all available technology to update and utilize the national Emergency Alert System in order to provide the public with advanced notification of and instruction for disasters and emergencies;
  8. Encourage States to pre-contract with service providers for key disaster relief needs, such as debris removal and the provision of critical commodities;
  9. Enhance the mechanism for providing Federal funds to States for preparations upon warning of an imminent emergency;
  10. Improve the delivery of assistance to disaster victims by streamlining registration, expediting eligibility decisions, tracking movements of displaced victims, and incorporating safeguards against fraud; and
  11. Enhance ongoing review of State evacuation plans and incorporate planning for Continuity of Government to ensure the continuation of essential and emergency services.