National Mutal Aid Box Alarm

[Jybehofd 85]

I have just checked out firehouse.com response to the Presidents address on hurricane Rita and the war on terrorism. I have never truely heard of a National Mutual Aid Box alarm. But with a hurricane bearing down on an area of the Gulf of Mexico that was just previously hit hard just a few weeks ago.

I know in the past (September 11th) several departments that are not in the NYC regional response to the Mutual Box 5-5-5-5-5 sent in crews and truck. Does anyone really know if they were actual dispatch though the state or maybe the Federal Goverment on a National level. I am not saying they weren't a big help, they deffenitly were at the time. But to me there seemed no real organization to the whole ordeal. Just wait at the stadium or wait at the training center. I understand the purpose of stagging to have equipement ready to go in. But when other crew just fly by with out orders or direction and just go into a scene doesn't that just add to the disorder???

We should have learned from numerous other events by now. Hurricane Andrew, and several other large Hurricanes' that have caused wide spread damage. Did we have a National Mutual Aid Alarm then???

What happened to FEMA(Federal Emergency Mangement Agency) in all of this??? Aren't they the ones to be in charge when there is a disaster??? Shouldn't they be similar to our battalion cars in westchester. You just ask for something and they get it and know where to pull it from. I don't know truely I am just wondering. But I do know my prayers are with those that are about to go through this storm and the ones that will have to deal with the aftermath of this storm. Good luck to everyone I hope it will not be as bad as they fear.

Site on National Mutual Aid:

http://www.mabas.org/

http://www.firemutualaid.com/

http://www.gmag.org/