FEMA office on Staten Island closes 'due to weather'

[Dave]

Thank god those people are not starving and have power... oh wait... they are starving and don't have power.... and FEMA people can't take a little bad weather, sucks to be them.

Looks as if FEMA is just a fair- weather friend.

Yesterday’s nor’easter proved too much for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s aid location in Tottenville, SI — which hung a sign reading “Closed due to weather” as the wintery storm blew into town.

Ten FEMA centers in the area reportedly suspended operations because of the storm, although the location with the sign at the Mount Loretto Community Center did open at noon.

NY Post: Chad Rachman

HUH? This sign on the door of a FEMA center in Tottenville, SI, yesterday speaks volumes about the conditions there.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/staten_island/it_bad_sign_for_st...

[XLFD]

Being the day after election day, they probably closed to celebrate that Obama's photo ops with them during Sandy helped him win the election, and gave their jobs some extra security.  Four more years, fourscore tears.

[Lisa O'Brien]

Well since I actually live here - what on earth did you want them to do? nobody was going to go in to the office and just because the office's closed doesn't mean everything is stopped. That's the beauty of technology - laptops, smart phones.

[Dave]

Even if no one or next to no one might of shown up, the office should still at least have a few people in it. Obviously someone noticed being that it ended up in the news. If I understand things correctly, Staten Island was one of the harder hit areas so the day the office was closed might of been the first day some people could of gotten to the office. In other words, if your part of an organization there to help, then help. I mean would you want say the Red Cross to just show up on some days, when it was convenient for them?

[Lisa O'Brien]

Why because they are a organization to help - should they put their lives in danger. Just because some resident is stupid enough to go walking around in a Nor'easter doesn't mean the staff of the FEMA center has to be. Yes Staten Island was hit very hard. But the shelters and warming centers weren't closed because of the storm. All the FEMA centers do is allow citizens to register for disaster assistance. In my opinion that could wait till it was safer, it wasn't safe for the workers or the citizens to be put walking the streets during the Nor'Easter. I live roughly 24/26 miles from work it took me 3 hrs to get home during the storm. The leaves on the tree's here have not fallen, limbs already weakened by Hurricane Sandy were snapping off because of the weight of the snow and falling into the roadways, all but the Ronkonkoma line of the long island railroad was closed because of limbs falling on the tracks and switch failures. 

[Willy]

Lisa

The leaves are still on the trees after a hurricane? That's unusual.

[Lisa O'Brien]

Not really - how many have you been through, me personally 2.

[XLFD]

When I read the phrase that ten FEMA centers "suspended operations" because of the storm, I took it at face value, LIsa.  GWB would be grilled over coals if this happened during his term.

[Lisa O'Brien]

Your right he would have been grilled over the coals, I guess until you experience such things, things aren't really in perspective, and the news programs like to sensationalize these things. I do know that the Federal government is doing/giving whatever the states ask for.

[Willy]

Lisa

Don't forget what FEMA stands for. Federal Emergency Management Agency. The whole idea is to be available during an emergency. Doesn't do anybody any good if your closed. A laptop or cellphone isn't much help if it's been crushed by a tree or has been under water. Even if you had one it may be impossible to charge if no electricity is available. Besides if you had a communications device it wouldn't do much good if FEMA offices are closed and there is noone to contact. Of course one could always leave a message and wait for a reply while  probing thru the ruins that was once your home.

                     Which logo most represents FEMA.

[Lisa O'Brien]

Willy,

Had the office been open they weren't going to run out and rebuild the homes for anyone walking thru the door. They only are there to help citizens register for disaster assistance and answer questions. The ones showing up during the storm probably come from the same ilk that decided to stay in the evacuation zones.

[Willy]

Then why is the word "emergency" in the name. Shouldn't it be changed to "assistance" or something similar?  FEMA offices should be open 24hrs during a crisis if they are really interested in being called an "emergency" agency. Hospital "emergency" rooms are open 24hrs.

1.A serious situation or occurrence that happens unexpectedly and demands immediate action.

2. A condition of urgent need for action or assistance: a state of emergency.

adj.

[Lisa O'Brien]

Really - that's not much of an argument. The centers are designed to answer questions and help register for disaster assistance. FEMA does much more than fill out paperwork. I happen to know of 1 hospital that shut down and had to evacuate because the back up generators failed, should they be forced to rename their emergency room. Even though the centers closed you can be sure FEMA was still at work planning the next strategy to overcome the hurdles that mother nature was throwing at them, just because the centers closed down doesn't meant the whole agency was home relaxing.