FederalDaily - October 25, 2007

DHS Officials Tour Fire-Blackened S. California

Vowing to avoid a repeat of the post-Katrina response disasters, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator David Paulison toured fire-scorched Southern California and promised immediate help. As part of the energized federal response, President Bush signed a major disaster declaration on Oct. 24 that funnels money to people whose property losses aren’t covered by insurance. Also, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) ordered 1,500 California National Guard troops to stand by to support efforts to fight at least 14 wildfires that are ravaging the state. The fires have burned about 410,000 acres and forced at least a half-million people to evacuate since Sunday, including 14,000 who have sought refuge in Qualcomm Stadium. The scene at the stadium, located in San Diego, is far different from what Katrina evacuees experienced at the New Orleans Super Dome. In San Diego, serenity reigned, with evacuees stretched out on cots, dining on piles of donated food and attended to by ample medical staff. “This is a new FEMA,” Paulison said, appearing on several morning television shows Oct. 24. To see more, go to: www.dhs.gov or www.ngb.army.mil/news/default.aspx.

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NATCA Opposes Sturgell FAA Nomination

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said it will oppose the nomination of Robert Sturgell to become head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the next five years. Now acting FAA administrator, Sturgell will be nominated by President Bush for promotion by Congress to the top slot at the agency. NATCA President Patrick Forrey said on Oct. 23 that “the president’s nomination for FAA administrator has been an integral part of [a] systematic demise of controller staffing and abysmal labor-management relations” at FAA. “Simply put,” Forrey said, “over the past five years of this administration, we have experienced the demise of the world’s safest and most efficient air traffic system.” Sturgell, a former Navy aviator and commercial pilot, moved up from deputy FAA administrator to acting administrator when Marion Blakey’s term ended on Sept. 13. To see more, go to: www.natca.org/mediacenter/press-release-detail.aspx?id=460.

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VA to Host PTSD Research Conference

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Oct. 24 that it plans to host a special multi-agency conference to improve the designs and methodologies used in future Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) research studies. A date and location for the so-called “consensus conference,” to be held with DoD and the National Institutes of Health, will be announced soon. Acting VA Secretary Gordon Mansfield pointed out that findings from new research from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies “have important implications for the future of PTSD treatment for veterans and all Americans.” Mansfield said IOM’s report will be used “as a blueprint to guide our future research and treatment efforts.” Mansfield also directed VA staff to see if the Army and Marine Corps early intervention programs—designed to ease the post-combat transition—could improve outcomes for veterans with PTSD. To see more, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1403.

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