Why did the buses to evacuate the New Orleans Superdome and Convention Center after Hurricane Katrina take so long and where were the 400 buses? Why were the buses so late getting to New Orleans?
We found one possible problem with FEMA and their contracting / outsourcing problems. FEMA, instead of contacting the big United States bus companies directly, contracted with an outside company for this crucial task of the initial evacuation of the New Orleans Superdome and Convention Center after Hurricane Katrina.
As the country and the world watched the thousands of evacuees stranded in the New Orleans Superdome and Convention Center, the big United States bus companies and their parent bus association - American Bus Association was contacting FEMA but could not get through to the right FEMA official - (talk about a total lack of "command and control" on the part of FEMA). No one that answered the bus company's calls at FEMA apparently knew that the bus evacuation from New Orleans was outsourced to an outside company. Why didn't the person(s) at FEMA simply make a concerted effort to locate that information, maybe no one will ever know - but when an independent investigation of FEMA takes place, someone should zero in on why those calls at FEMA were not referred correctly.
While I was watching the first news reports of the evacuees stuck at the New Orleans Superdome and Convention Center, I told my family members - why doesn't the head of FEMA or the U.S. President just get on the phone and call the CEO or president of the American Bus Association, Trailways and Greyhound bus lines (here's the address - 700 13th Street NW, Suite 575, Washington DC 20005-5923, a contact page from the American Bus Association, two email addresses - first email address, second email address and fax number of (202) 842-0850, main phone number (202) 842-1645 of the American Bus Association plus the ABA's Director of Communications at is at 800-283-2877 - Note to FEMA - put this contact information into your Rolodex for the next hurricane or earthquake) and ask them to respond to this national emergency. The whole world knew within 24 hours of the on-going tragedy in New Orleans, why didn't top U.S. officials.
The outside contractor, instead of calling the large U.S. bus companies, tried to outsource and sub-contract their responsibilities of supplying the New Orleans evacuees to even more contractors such as small limousine companies.
See this news story for more background on this important story at Red Nova.
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