FEMA Acting Director David Richardson Responds to Texas Flood Response Questions

FEMA's Response to Texas Floods

• ⚠️ The hearing addresses the response to devastating Texas floods, which have resulted in over 130 fatalities and 100 missing individuals.
• ❓ Questions arise regarding FEMA's response times and communication, particularly concerning call center wait times and the timing of the state's official request for assistance.

Call Center Operations

• 📞 FEMA states that during a disaster, support is surged to the call center to handle incoming calls.
• ⏱️ All calls were reportedly answered within 3 minutes, with none exceeding 10 minutes, addressing questions and concerns.
• 📊 Calls from outside the immediate disaster area are prioritized lower than those related to an active disaster.

State Request and FEMA Deployment

• 📜 FEMA confirms that a request for assistance from the state of Texas was received on Monday, following a disaster declaration on Sunday.
• 📍 An existing FEMA-funded and equipped urban search and rescue team was already in College Station, Texas, on July 4th.
• 🤝 A federal coordinating officer was also present at the emergency operations center in Austin.
• ⚡ Support was deployed within 24 hours of the state's official request.

Response Time Standards

• ❓ Chairman Perry inquired about a standard minimum response time for FEMA once a request is made, drawing a parallel to military medevac response times.
• ✈️ Richardson stated that teams are dispatched as quickly as possible, emphasizing immediate response and rapid movement.
• ⏳ While no specific hour-based requirement was provided, the emphasis was on getting resources to the affected area with utmost speed.
• ✅ The committee requested follow-up information regarding any established minimum response time standards.