This list of recommendations, was submitted to the National Fire Academy, December 15, 2005.  The author was part of "Task Force 83 - New Orleans"

To Whom It May Concern:

It has been quite the experience for the response to this enormous disaster.  There are a lot of things that should not have happened and a lot of headaches in the process.  Never the less it was rewarding to see the established task force work out well.  A lot of good was accomplished.  I have listed several recommendations so that we can look forward to the future in hope of making it a lot better for all of us.  There will always be bumps in the road as we are human beings and everyone makes mistakes and disasters themselves are not avoidable.  I do not see that all of these recommendations will be followed but my hope is that they are looked at in order to understand some of the main problems we encountered and where there needs to be immediate correction.  My recommendations are mainly focused on the administration and finance aspect of the task force.  As firefighters we respond on a daily basis to help people in their time of need and it was a natural fit that the fire service be called on to aid in this disaster.  There is no question that in the future the fire service will once again answer the call.  A lot of chaos and confusion should be avoided in the future so that we can all focus on why we were here in the fist place, to help the people who need help and not have to worry more about ourselves.  Thank you for reviewing this list.

Sincerely,

The Author

Recommendations 

Hiring Process

·        There needs to be a hiring process in place for hiring firefighters.

·        It is recommended that a resume be submitted with the application. 

·        Fire chiefs recommending applicants for hire should be selecting and sending qualified personnel.

·        There should be basic background checks done on firefighters. 

The hiring process is lacking.  Some individuals hired weren’t even firefighters.  Some individuals hired had basic reading and comprehension problems.  Some individuals hired had limited experience in the fire service and some individuals weren’t even fit to do basic CR work.  FEMA should be hiring and utilizing the best individuals possible to represent the agency.   

Initial Deployment

·        More detailed instructions should be given as to the specific scope of duties that the firefighters will engage in.

·        Specific instructions need to be given as to what items an individual should bring with them and what will be reimbursed if they have to go out and purchase such items.

·        National Travel should book hotel rooms for a minimum of two weeks.

Several firefighters misunderstood the initial deployment.  When the request went out nationwide for the fire service to “respond” and assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina several firefighters were under the impression that they would be doing operational work.  Firefighters did not read and comprehend the initial emails for the request for assistance.  Very few if any firefighters even knew what community relations work was.  Every firefighter packed supplies on the itemized list that was emailed to them.  Each firefighter assumed they would be thrown in the middle of nowhere and be forced to camp out.  Firefighters went out and purchased expensive camping gear and items on the list prior to deploying to Atlanta.  Firefighters were under the impression that they would be reimbursed for these items and it turned out not to be the case.  Firefighters in Atlanta were staying in hotels that were booked by National Travel.  Firefighters soon learned that they would be staying in their hotel rooms for more than just a couple of days and had to make their own arrangements for longer term stays as National Travel only booked some rooms for a couple of days.  Firefighters had to switch hotels all together and it became problematic.  Accountability was lost every time a firefighter switched a hotel room and failed to notify a supervisor as there was no known reporting system in place and it was unclear as to who exactly was your supervisor.      

Check in Process

·        There needs to be an electronic check in process that tracks you.

-There was a lack of accountability from the first time you checked in Atlanta.

·        The check in process should be more uniformed and have individuals to guide you through the process.

Training

  ·        FEMA needs to establish policies and procedures and train on them.

·        There should be some interactive role playing involved with training.

-A mock training exercise where one individual is a citizen and one is the task force member.

·        A list of answers should be available when encountering citizens in the field.  Just telling people to call the 1-800 number is not enough.

·        Task force members should know what types of assistance are available to citizens.

·        Additional groups such as the SBA, EPA, and OSHA should provide additional training to task force personnel so that they can pass on the information with citizens they come in contact with. 

·        A list of available resources should be available to personnel in the field, including Red Cross centers, disaster recovery centers, places to get drug prescriptions filled, available medical facilities, etc.

·        The task force should meet at a minimum of once a week and provide additional training geared towards what is being encountered in the field.

·        There is never enough training as people will always need clarification on items. 

·        Questions should be asked by each personnel before training is complete.  Everyone should understand everything and be on the same page before going out into the field.  Personnel are often hesitant to ask questions.  There should be an open policy.

·        Training should be more interactive and less boring.  It is necessary that individuals relay back what they have learned to make sure they comprehend everything rather than listing to a lecture and not registering it.

·        Training should be documented and each individual should be signed off before being deployed out into the field.  You could have been deployed in Atlanta without even attending training or being fully processed.

There was no training on what FEMA had for policies and the policies that FEMA did have are greatly lacking as well as outdated.  Whenever you ask a question as to what you should be doing FEMA administration have to base their decision on what has been traditionally done by the agency.  Training, training, and more training should be carried out prior to deployment.  It is easier to set individuals straight from the start than it is to try to correct them down the road.

Unit Building

  ·        Units should be able to be created based upon the check in procedure.

·        Individual qualifications should be compiled to create a unit.

·        Unit leaders should be selected based upon experience.

·        Credit cards need to be obtained prior to signing up to be placed in a unit.

  Just placing random people into a unit and placing them into a task force does not cut it.  Individuals did not receive credit cards in a timely manner and units had to be split up and re-assembled causing more frustration and confusion. 

 Deployment

  ·        Deployment should be quicker.

·        Meetings should be held with everyone waiting for deployment, not just unit leaders.

·        Detailed instructions should be given to those who have to wait to be deployed and they should know what disciplinary actions may be rendered against them if they go outside of the instructions given to them.

·        Briefings may need to occur more than once a day to answer any questions and clarify and rumors. 

·        The most accurate conditions of damage, area needs, and available resources should be given to deployed firefighters headed to an area of disaster. 

·        Individuals waiting to be deployed should have the opportunity to receive additional training on various subjects. 

·        Individuals being deployed should have more than one point of contact when they arrive in the field. 

·        The receiving staff in the field should be communicated with as to how many people they will receive and when so they are ready to receive them.

·        The receiving staff in the field should have contact information for these individuals.

Here’s where the main frustration lied.  Firefighters waited around in Hotel rooms for days waiting to deploy.  While firefighters were getting paid to sit around they watched TV and saw the victims need for help.  Firefighters were helpless because they were stuck in a hotel room far away.  Each day that passed became more and more frustrating.  Rumors were flying around as to where individuals would be deployed to and the conditions that they would face.  Nobody knew what was going on.  Unit leaders would attend morning briefings and try to pass on information to the rest of the Unit.  Unfortunately when people try to pass on information the information itself may become distorted and inaccurate.  The more something gets passed along the more inaccurate it will get.  Every individual waiting to be deployed should be able to attend a daily briefing.   

Arrival in the Field

  ·        Individuals arriving in the field should have a check in process.

·        A.D.D. should be notified every time an individuals moves from one designated area to another. 

Task Force Duties

  ·        Specific guidance needs to be given on duties of the task force.

-What is the limit of activities the task force can engage in.

-What is the task force role within the traditional FEMA community relations.

-How does the task force work with the FEMA community relations already established.

-What are the task force objectives.

·        All duties should be covered in training.

-Specific operational training should be given. 

·        The task force needs to be able to report to one individual in the FEMA chain of command who is in charge of the task force.

·        Recommend that the task force be created as an ESF function and follow under the operations chain of command allowing it to avoid conflict with other FEMA groups.

·        Recommend that the task force be set up similar to a USAR team in its regionalized structure format.

·        Command staff for a task force should be assembled and receive a large amount of training prior to a disaster.  There should be requirements for the amount of training needed each year.

Administration/ Finance

  ·        Have a set of disciplinary actions established and reference them to FEMA policies.

-If people do not show up to work on time.

-If people fail to follow orders or procedures.

-If personnel have activities that they engage in after work hours.

-If personnel try to obtain a second Job.

-If personnel fail to follow the demobilization and rotation procedures.

-If personnel are demobilized due to disciplinary actions and they refuse to leave.

There were no disciplinary actions available except for the threat of sending people home.  People need to have boundaries and if they break them they need to have a clear consequence.  People did show up late to work, call in sick, not even call in to report that they were not coming in, obtained a second job, failed to follow demobilization and rotation procedures once they were established, and when they were sent home some individuals refused to leave the area and hung around with other personnel. 

  ·        Have specific policies on father and son, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, etc. work policies.

FEMA only has one policy on working with a husband and wife team where no couple can be a manager of the other.  There were several couple teams that did come down and did create controversy.  You are with these individuals 24/7 and problems do tend to arise.  There needs to be a clear policy. 

·        Give personnel specific training and policies on filing accident and injury reports.

-The amount of damage needed to file an accident report.

-The procedure for filling an accident report.

-The FEMA Safety Officer (Assigned to the area) should be contacted whenever an accident occurs.

-Pictures should be taken and applied to the accident report.

-The copy of the car rental agreement should be attached to the report.

-Make sure personnel have GARS insurance through the rental car company.

-Injuries need to be reported to the task force leader through the chain of command immediately.

-A Safety Plan should be in place to find the appropriate medical facility for treatment.

-Policies should be in place for appropriate treatment and transportation of the injured individual.

-The FEMA office that you are working out of should have a medical clinic set up with a Doctor and Nurse.  This clinic should be utilized for minor injuries or illnesses.  Make sure it is a well qualified and experienced staff that is equipped with the proper equipment and supplies. 

-Give personnel instruction and training on how to properly fill out an injury report.

-If an injury occurs the FEMA Safety Officer needs to be notified.

-If an injury occurs there is an authorization for treatment form that needs to be filled out and signed by the supervisor.

Because nobody was taught the proper accident reporting procedures there will be several consequences down the road when individuals are billed for damage.  Reports that were filed may have been filed incomplete or improper causing several problems in the future.  There needs to be a clear policy and procedure.  Because a disaster may change the location of medical facilities and temporary facilities will be established it needs to be known to all personnel exactly what each medical facility is capable of and where the medical facilities are located not only for the their own safety but for the safety of the individuals they may come in contact with. 

·        Give personnel specific instructions and procedures for demobilizing or rotating.

-Training is recommended on all practices and procedures.

-What paperwork needs to be filed for both rotation and demobilization.

-Explain the amount of days needed before rotation is available.

-Where the individuals need to be processed in or out of a disaster.

-Give specific guidance on time needed to schedule an appointment to DEMOB.

-Give specific guidance on the procedure to check in and out with the task force.

-A flow chart is recommended for an easy way to follow the process.

-Policies and instructions if an individual surpasses their 14 day rotation period and wants to return to the task force.

-Who do personnel check back in with?

-What are the FEMA admin procedures for checking back in.

-Specific return instructions should be given when an individual rotates out.

-If FEMA policy dictates that individuals rotating back in are reassigned to places in need then it needs to be coordinated with who is in charge of reassigning these individuals.  It is preferred that individuals rotating out return to the task force for ultimate accountability.  There has been a great deal of confusion on this issue to date.

-A.D.D. must be called and notified whenever an individual rotates out, demobilized, or returns. 

-Procedures on if an individual wants to drive their car home instead of flying.  Getting a cost comparison analysis.

-There should be clear  procedures if there is an emergency demobilization or rotation where personnel have to leave within 24 hours do to personal issues. 

Since no instruction on demobilizing or rotating was explained or established right from the beginning there were several personnel who simply called National Travel and went home.  If it was not passed up through the chain of command then that individual was not accounted for.  In order to maintain accountability a policy must be implemented and trained on.

·        Establish a specific policy on sick and personal days.

-If an individual becomes sick are they allowed to call in sick for the day?

-If they do call in sick they are not entitled to getting paid for the day.

-Is an individual entitled to a personal day off?

-If family members are in town to visit can an individual take the day off without pay?

-What is the limit of personal or sick days?

-Is there time allotted each week for a day off?

There was a lot of confusion on this issue.  People expected to get paid seeing how they were away from home and most likely got sick on the job.  Not everyone read through the manuals provided in Atlanta.  It needs to be explained.  Personnel need rest and deserve time off.  It is preferred that individuals receive at least one day off a week. 

·        A policy on time sheets and personnel pay.

-The current FEMA policy on getting paid is lacking.  Trying to fill out hours that you worked once every two weeks and handing in time sheets does not work.  There should be an alternative solution available.  My recommendation is that all task force DAE’s receive an automatic weekly pay rate.  Time sheets would not need to be used allowing personnel to focus on work and not worry about pay.  The original rate for the first week would be based on a maximum of a 12 hour 7 day a week.  The rate would be adjusted as the disaster dies down and personnel begin to cut back on hours.

-If time sheets still need to be used it is recommended that FEMA establish an electronic reporting system where time sheets are submitted every two weeks and hours are electronically verified by the supervisor.

-The current time sheets do not adjust accordingly if personnel need to take off in the middle of the day for personal reasons and return back to work later in the day.

-If the time sheet policy does not change then task force members need to log hours worked on a daily basis.  Unit leaders need to sign of on hours worked.  The task force leader needs to receive all time sheets on the Thursday before the end of the payroll period.  The task force leader needs to sign all time sheets and hand them in to the designated administration FEMA official in the area of the disaster. 

-Task force leaders need to have signature authority.  Signature authority should not be granted, taken away, and changed repeatedly. 

-There should be one standard format used for time sheets as FEMA has multiple new and old formats.

-Instruction should be given to personnel on how to properly fill out the time sheet.

-Name, date, social security number, signed time sheet and a phone number to contact the individual are required.

-It should be known who the time keeper for the task force is.

-It should be known who to contact if there is a pay discrepancy issue.

-If time sheets are not filled out properly or procedures are not followed it should be clear that personnel may not be paid until the next pay period.

-It should be known who the time sheets get handed into.

-Pay stubs should be accessible through the internet allowing individuals to see what hours they got paid for and what the deductions were.  They aren’t much of a help being mailed to the house.

The biggest issue of all, payroll.  People became very frustrated with the entire process.  The existing policy does not work, especially when you are stuck out in the field far away from any office.  It remains difficult to keep track of your hours.  It was the impression that career firefighters got paid based on a seven day week working 12 hour days while volunteer firefighters were getting paid based on hours actually work.  It depended on what part of the country you were from because some career personnel may have made more then the volunteers or some career personnel may have been paid less than the volunteers.  Keep in mind that most career personnel were getting benefits such as insurance.  Some volunteers did not have insurance coverage.  Everyone is entitled to equal pay.  When time sheets were handed in some were not completely filled out and some were illegible.  When time sheets were then passed on to the human resources division it took time to process them all and send them to the JFO.  The time sheets were suppose to end up in Atlanta for all firefighters and none of the three human resource offices communicated with each other well causing chaos.  Atlanta started calling firefighters individually when the JFO or AFO did not pass on the time sheets in a timely manner.  It ultimately caused a loss of work production because firefighters had to stop work and get to a fax machine.     

·        Travel Vouchers

-A FEMA travel administrator should be available to the task force.

-If a FEMA travel representative is not able to be attached then it is recommended that FEMA have an online process where people can voucher out. 

-If travel vouchers are not changed to an electronic application then an appointment must be made to voucher out.

-Specific training should be given on the proper procedure for vouchering out.

-There should be a contact number for any voucher pay discrepancies.

-There should be more than one supervisor that signs for the completed travel voucher and has signature authority.  The task force leader is not always available.

-It should be known what is an acceptable or is not an acceptable miscellaneous expense and who has the authorization to sign off on it.  There should be a policy in place regarding miscellaneous expenditures. 

-It should be known when an SUV authorization form needs to be signed and who is allowed to sign it.

-It should be known how to properly fill out an SUV authorization form.

-SUV’s should be approved prior to obtaining them.

The second biggest problem next to payroll is vouchering out.  The voucher process was never explained well to begin with.  Credit cards were maxed out when vouchering was improper causing chaos and again led to loss of work and loss of personnel.  Some personnel went beyond the normal two week deadline for vouchering out which created more problems of getting paid properly in a timely manner.  Personnel did not have adequate access to a travel representative seeing how they were working out in the field two hours away.  Several personnel eventually had to leave the job site and loose a days work to get their vouchers straightened out.  One supervisor in the chain of command is not always available to sign off on vouchers.  At a minimum a second supervisor should be available.  People began to go out and buy stuff thinking that it was alright and that it would be able to be reimbursed as a miscellaneous travel expense.  People became extremely upset when they learned that they would not be reimbursed.   

  ·        The credit card policies and procedures should be explained.

-There should be a contact number for credit card discrepancies.

-The pin number for credit cards should be given with the credit card and not mailed to the house so that personnel can obtain a cash advance at the ATM.

-Credit card statements should be available for review online where it shows how much FEMA paid and what FEMA paid for so that discrepancies can be adjusted accordingly. 

-It should be known what the credit limit is on the credit cards.

-It should be known what the maximum allowed cash advance balance given each week.

-It should be known what is and what will be charged in interest on the credit card.

-It should be known what can and cannot be charged to the credit card.

-It should be known as to what specific credit card you were issued as the credit card companies issued two entirely different cards to firefighters causing more confusion as to what gets paid automatically and what the traveler has to pay. 

People were ill informed on the credit cards and there were several credit card problems that arose.  People did charge items that were not reimbursed properly by FEMA and they charged items that they should not have.  FEMA did pay automatically for the bulk items such as air fare, car rental, hotel and gas however if the charged gas station had an odd name then FEMA did not reimburse the cost of gas and personnel got stuck with the bill.  The vouchering process did not pick up on this.  If the credit card became maxed out an individual was unable to carry out their job.  The basic needs such as a hotel room, rental car, and meals could not be charged.  Some individuals may have even been evicted from hotels.  Whenever these problems exist it creates a loss of work and more chaos.      

  ·        There should be instruction given on travel pay.

-You only receive travel pay when you come from home to the disaster for the first time.

-When you demobilize or rotate out your pay stops.  FEMA Instruction 8600.1

-It should be known if personnel are still eligible for a travel per diem.

People were under the impression that they received pay for traveling home to and from the disaster.  Once again not everyone read and understood the manuals provided in Atlanta and training was not provided on this matter.  Individuals need to be made aware that they are only to put down for travel when they are traveling to a disaster for the first time or they are switching from one area of a disaster to another.  Personnel should be eligible for travel per-diems when they voucher out. 

  ·        There should be a policy on appropriate apparel.

-What task force members are required or recommended to wear to be as professional as possible.

-What task force members are not allowed to wear.

Some personnel packed ratty clothing or more comfortable clothing not knowing what to expect.  There was a misunderstanding in the directions for deployment as individuals assumed they would be in the middle of nowhere.  People packed camping gear and small amounts of clothing.  It should be known when deploying that individuals will be representing the Federal Government and must dress accordingly. 

  ·        Training on rental cars.

-Who can drive a government rental car.

-All car rentals should go through national travel.

-Only allowed a compact car.

-An SUV authorization policy should be in place.

-If no compact cars are available or your job requires an SUV then an SUV authorization form needs to be completed and signed by the task force leader when vouchering out.

-Who is allowed to ride in the rental car.

-What the process is for extending your 30 day rental contract. 

-No smoking in government vehicles.

-There should be a policy on who to contact if there is a flat tire, lockout, car breakdown, and who pays for this.

-What procedure should be followed if a rental car is stolen. 

Right from the start in Atlanta there was no direction on what personnel were suppose to be driving.  Personnel took it upon themselves to obtain an SUV or larger vehicle based on the fact that either they were headed to a disaster area where the roads may be impassable and they may need to sleep in their vehicles or the compact car was too small for taller individuals to ride and be comfortable in.  There have been several lost work hours dealing with rental car companies.

  ·        Cell phone procedures.

-The FEMA procedures for the use of Government cell phones should be passed on to individuals that are issued cell phones.

-Specific procedures on text messaging should be included.

-Specific instructions on damaged phones or equipment should be given.

Again no instructions were given when the phones were issued.  People began to make unauthorized calls home, unauthorized downloads, and unauthorized text messaging.  Ultimately phone clips and phones were damaged.  There needs to be direction given on how to obtain replacement parts and new phones and it should be handled by the task force logistics chief.

  ·        Have a specific policy on lodging.

-What hotel, tent, or house task force personnel can lodge in.

-Make sure that the personnel keep administration up to date where they are staying.

It is recommended that all personnel have the same lodging.  Although not all personnel can lodge at the same hotel it becomes easier to carry out meetings and daily business when personnel are closer.  If personnel must use houses to lodge in then there needs to be specific policies and clearance to live at a house.  Problems have arisen when real estate agents began charging more money than expected and some personnel may have not been reimbursed properly for staying at a house.  Personnel began to switch hotels without notifying the command staff allowing a loss of accountability.  It is important that all firefighters are accounted for and if someone does not show up for work then it needs to be known where they are. 

  ·        There should be a documentation process where copies of everything are saved and filed appropriately.

  Trying to look back and find old personnel rosters is difficult as there were very few copies saved or filed.  It is also necessary to keep proper documentation as questions may arise in the future as to who was where when.  Human beings can’t remember everything and a lot happens over a three month period.

 Information/ Data Management

  ·        There should be a central database to track all task force members.

·        Copies of the database should be kept on a daily basis as the roster changes daily.  The database should have limited and restricted access to individuals.

·        There should be a standard daily reporting system for all task force activities.

-The report should be based on traditional community relations reporting guidelines already in place but should also include operational reporting guidelines.  Every task force should have identical reports.

·        Task force’s should have internet access and an email account for sending daily reports and communication purposes.

·        There should be a phone list developed for all contacts.

·        There should be an hours worked documentation format on all division or unit leader reports.

·        There should be standard reporting and documentation forms for personnel out in the field.  Paperwork should be limited and get right to the point.

Logistics

·        There should be an individual assigned to logistics.

·        This individual should have the authority to obtain supplies through the FEMA logistics chain of command.

·        This individual should be able to act as an APO to sign equipment over to personnel

·        Projects should be planned in advance and the logistical needs should be ordered in advance to be ready for the project start date.

·        This individual should be able to obtain up to date handouts to supply to individuals in the field. 

Planning

·        There is a need for a planning staff.

·        The planning section must be responsible for planning out what the next days activities will be and what units will execute those tasks.

·        Personnel should be provided with maps of the area that they will be working and it should be outlined as to what area they will be working in.

·        There should be a secondary plan ready incase individuals finish there work assignments and need more work or another unit need additional personnel to finish a task.  There should always be flexibility.

·        Projects that would last more than two days should be planned out in advance as to who the contact person is, how many personnel are needed, and what is needed logistically to complete the project.

·        Planning should be in charge of monitoring weather conditions and briefing all personnel in order for them to prepare for work and safety concerns.

·        Planning should also monitor all local, FEMA, and national news sources to brief personnel and keep them up to date on important changing conditions. 

Traditional FEMA personnel were unable to keep firefighters busy as traditional FEMA personnel became stretched thin an inundated.  Firefighters had to find work for themselves.  Planning became important to organize work efforts.  When you are working out in the field you loose touch with what is going on with the rest of the disaster.  Planning should be able to pass on valuable information on the status of the entire response so that personnel in the field can inform citizens.

Operations

  ·        Operations must work hand in hand with planning to execute the plan and adjust accordingly.

·        Every personnel issue should be able to run through operations before ending up to the commander.  The commander should not be receiving calls from personnel out in the field directly.

·        There should be a policy if people fail to pass information up the chain of command or step outside the chain of command.  There should be disciplinary actions available. 

Transferring Firefighters to Different Sections of FEMA.

  ·        Firefighters who are interested in long term assignments should be given the opportunity to apply for a position within FEMA, for example housing.

·        Firefighters who do apply should be placed on a list and everyone who applied should be interviewed by the section they are looking to transfer into.

·        Firefighters should be transferred based upon qualifications, availability, and the interview they participated in.

·        It should be an equal hiring process.

Firefighters that were interested in being transferred from the task force to housing became frustrated with the transfer process.  Individuals became dissatisfied when other individuals transferred over before them.  Individuals took it upon themselves to try to transfer themselves over making the process more chaotic and it became unfair for those who waited patiently. 

  Additional Recommendations

 The traditional community relations team should be on the same page as the firefighters.  Traditional DAE and local community relation hires should all work together to accomplish one main goal.  Working against each other and not filling in each other makes the situation much worse.  Traditional CR people should welcome and work with firefighters.   If they don’t believe in why we were established then we will do no good.    

 There should be a follow up unit in place.  When task force members come across citizens in the field that need immediate assistance such as food and water there needs to be a reporting system that allows them to get food and water to those individuals.  These citizens need to be checked up on in days to follow to make sure they receive additional assistance. 

 It is suggested that cell phones be enabled with GPS tracking to locate individuals and maintain accountability.

 FEMA should rethink their 30 day rotation policy.  Suggest that personnel commit to 60 days with the option of going home for a maximum of 4 personal days.  After 60 days is up then they can go out on rotation for 14 days.  The command staff itself should have an initial commitment of 60 days. 

 FEMA DRC’s need to be able to work with the Task Force as we are pointing citizens in their direction for assistance.  They need to realize that we are all on the same team.

 Personnel should know and understand the policies for local hires as they come in contact with several individuals who are looking for work in the aftermath of a disaster.  They should be able to provide these individuals with information on who to contact or turn their resume into (The HR person for the JFO or AFO). 

There should be some consideration into a clothing allowance as several personnel brought limited clothing and those that stayed long term during changes in weather climates found themselves running around buying warmer clothing as FEMA jackets are only distributed to office personnel. 

Personnel should get the opportunity to have one day off a week or have the opportunity to work for the day.  Personnel should not be restricted to the hours worked by office personnel.