DHS in the Weather Business?

[Grunt]

While flipping through channels tonight seeing how the different stations are covering the snow storm, I couldn't help but notice that channel 5 kept reporting from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) emergency center.

Why would channel 5 go to lengths to pretend that the pogues in DHS are protecting us from snow?

 

[TankerScout]

I seen this too. Fox 59 posted a link about the DHS weather advisory on my facebook page; I thought it was odd as well.

 

[rambone]

Found it. They are talking about Indiana's department... not federal.


https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=418810331527732&id=149126144574

Fountain County has been upgraded to a "Travel Warning" by the Department of Homeland Security. It means that you should avoid all local travel unless it's an emergency. Snow has made roads very dangerous if not impassable.

DHS: Travel Advisory

 

[Grunt]

Found it. They are talking about Indiana's department... not federal.


https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=418810331527732&id=149126144574

Why isn't INDHS protecting us against bad guys? Weathermen forecast the weather and pogue federal departments, should continue to look the other way when there are illegal alien and muslim extremists amongst us.

These pukes are a branch of the federal government.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

No, again, they are not part of the federal government. DHS is part of your state government and part of their mission is to forecast the weather.

You can see more here:

IDHS: Home

 

[DRob]

Merging duties

There has been a merging of duties, which a lot people don't understand, of DHS and Emergency Mgmt. Particularly at the state and local levels. Marion County had an excellent Emergency Management Agency until Frank Straub dismantled it and turned it into something it was never intended to be. EM's duties include preparation and response coordination for major weather events. Pre-Straub, Marion County EMA would have had their Emergency Operations Center open at least on a standby basis yesterday afternoon and probably all night last night. That's about coordinating responses to the snow event and has nothing whatsoever to do with homeland security. At the state level, those lines have been blurred for years. Naturally, this results in more-than-the-usual confusion when the news media gets involved.

As a side note, Marion County no longer has a functional EOC.

 

[foszoe]

No, again, they are not part of the federal government. DHS is part of your state government and part of their mission is to forecast the weather.

You can see more here:

IDHS: Home

It depends on how you define part.

They get a considerable amount of grant money from the federal gov't.

Where did you see that they are to forecast the weather?

That isn't part of their official line.

They can not act unless a county agency requests assistance. That is why that map had white counties...unless a county reports a snow alert/emergency etc, IDHS can not declare one.

 

[netsecurity]

I think DHS runs FEMA and FEMA works with all sorts of weather stuff, but there is little doubt DHS will takes over everything when they are done, including FDA, Immigration, ICE, etc. since even the food you eat can be a security issue--everything is a security issue in some way.

 

[Classic]

No, again, they are not part of the federal government. DHS is part of your state government and part of their mission is to forecast the weather.

You can see more here:

IDHS: Home

OK. why? We have NWS, WTHR, WRTV, etc., etc. Why DHS? How many more acronyms do we need mis-forecasting the weather?

 

[Denny347]

I think DHS runs FEMA and FEMA works with all sorts of weather stuff, but there is little doubt DHS will takes over everything when they are done, including FDA, Immigration, ICE, etc. since even the food you eat can be a security issue--everything is a security issue in some way.

Marion County Emergency Management is now part of the City's Homeland Security Division and operates out of the EOC now located at 201 N Shadeland Av, the old Eastgate Mall. Natural disasters are coordinated out of here and ANY large weather even will activate the center...just in case.

 

[Sfrandolph]

I think DHS runs FEMA and FEMA works with all sorts of weather stuff, but there is little doubt DHS will takes over everything when they are done, including FDA, Immigration, ICE, etc. since even the food you eat can be a security issue--everything is a security issue in some way.

FEMA, now there is a big joke. FEMA has never done anything right since its inception. Total waste of taxpayer money. Evidence: New Orleans, North East states after hurricane Sandy. Total waste. But then DHS is a total waste too.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

STATE level DHS. Security is about more than terrorism. Since recent history seems to indicate that more Hoosiers die from tornadoes than terrorists, seems like a logical thing for the safety agency of the state to be concerned with.

 

[DRob]

Well...........

Marion County Emergency Management is now part of the City's Homeland Security Division and operates out of the EOC now located at 201 N Shadeland Av, the old Eastgate Mall. Natural disasters are coordinated out of here and ANY large weather even will activate the center...just in case.

Well, that's the company story line. Those who have been to both the old and new EOC would say the new one is a dysfunctional family member. Last I heard, they had neither internet nor intranet access at The Rock, as it's jokingly called. Their operator's consoles are better known as folding tables. Cliff Notes version: It's a joke. A very expensive joke at that.

 

[Denny347]

Well, that's the company story line. Those who have been to both the old and new EOC would say the new one is a dysfunctional family member. Last I heard, they had neither internet nor intranet access at The Rock, as it's jokingly called. Their operator's consoles are better known as folding tables. Cliff Notes version: It's a joke. A very expensive joke at that.

Preaching to the choir brother. My roll call is in that building and I am embarrassed to say that. It is a giant POS!!!! Based on the problems that we have in our area, I have no doubts that the EOC is seriously lacking. It is a huge money pit that Straub pulled the City into and now cannot get out of. Taxpayers should be offended by the wasteful spending by the former DPS office. He did so with either NO supervision by Ballard or his blessing. Either way, totally inept leadership.

 

[DRob]

Eastgate

You have my sympathy, Denny347. Is the roof still leaking? How's the parking lot? My understanding is the long term lease requires the City to pay for any repairs or maintenance on the property. I also hear the original deal was brokered by one former IMPD officer/City Counselor/Butler Univ. PD Chief (gee, who could that be?) and a crony of his who owns the property. But, hey! It's tax dollars. Not like it's real money.

 

[Denny347]

You have my sympathy, Denny347. Is the roof still leaking? How's the parking lot? My understanding is the long term lease requires the City to pay for any repairs or maintenance on the property. I also hear the original deal was brokered by one former IMPD officer/City Counselor/Butler Univ. PD Chief (gee, who could that be?) and a crony of his who owns the property. But, hey! It's tax dollars. Not like it's real money.

No, new roof was the first thing they fixed. The owners did pave our portion of the lot but it is not striped yet. The rest of the lot is a pothole nightmare. I know Ben and I have no idea if he was involved or not. It's a giant POS.