A Tale of Two Disasters

The residents of a hurricane-ravaged region cry out for help from a storm that left billions of dollars in damage. Aid quickly comes to the rescue in the form of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, whose bureaucratically nimble director, Michael Brown swiftly implements a plan to deliver pre-positioned supplies and equipment. In the first two days, drivers deliver truckloads of ice, water, cots, blankets, baby food and building supplies to affected residents. A day later, a one-stop disaster relief center is up and running.

Unfortunately that was last year, as Charlie Mahtesian noted in a Nov. 2004 GovExec column. (Thanks for the reminder, Daniel P.)