Coast Guard Commandant Testifies on Hurricane Response
United States Coast Guard Commandant Thomas H. Collins testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Science and Technology and the Armed Services Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities on responding to catastrophic events. His written statement identified the Coast Guard’s primary missions in disaster response (saving lives, security and reconstitution, hazardous material response, and support to other agencies), and discussed how the strengths and weaknesses of the organization affect its ability to perform them. Perhaps most significantly, the report addressed the ineffectiveness of the government’s response to hurricane Katrina…
Responding to Catastrophic Events
The Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science, and Technology of the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities of the House Committee on Armed Services conducted a joint hearing on Responding to Catastrophic Events: The Role of the Military and National Guard in Disaster Response . Among the witnesses was Admiral Thomas H. Collins , Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, who summarized the Coast Guard’s actions following Hurricane Katrina. He testified that the Coast Guard’s primary missions in disaster response are: (1) saving lives in distress and survivability of our own forces for post-disaster response…
