News/Commentary

This is one of those stories about government agencies in which none knows who’s on first and, at the same time, another government agency has been performing very well.

This really appears to be one of those stories about government agencies in which they are so out of touch with what is going on you kind of are glad they are.  Except that can’t go on forever. They actually have duties we need performed.

The CDC understands there is a pandemic and has been hard at work for months.

The Chamber of Commerce has offered guidance for businesses so that they can develop individual company pandemic plans to help keep their businesses functioning months ago.

Schools have been closed, re-opened and closed again because of the pandemic.

This story, which was re-read five times to be sure it said what it seemed to say the first time, quotes the General Accounting Office talking about “if” there is a pandemic. It says Homeland Security does not have a plan even though it is in charge of communications in a national emergency. (Note: The president just declared one, folks. He will be asking what your plan is. It is scramble time.)

Love to be all wrong here. Love to discover that this was an old draft of a now-brilliant report just issued. Cross your fingers. We can hope.

• This Washington Post story says, “The Government Accountability Office reported earlier this week if the flu reaches a pandemic, a surge in telecommuting and children accessing video files and games at home could bog down local networks.” (Emphasis added)

• This is not reassuring. The people assessing the challenges of telecommuting if there is a pandemic don’t appear to know that the whole world already has pandemic flu. (Emphasis added)

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is in charge of communications networks in times of national emergency. Words fail. These people speak in color codes. (Emphasis added)

• Homeland Security, says this Post story, does not have a strategy to deal with overloaded networks. This will be no surprise to those of us who live here in Washington, D.C. (Emphasis added)

• Homeland Security, says this Post story, has not coordinated with the Federal Communications Commission (or other agencies) to create guidelines for internet providers to minimize congestion. (Emphasis added)

• One more time, the GAO signals it has not been paying attention to the outside world. The ensuing confusion caused by this lack of coordination “would increase the risk that the federal government would not be able to respond rapidly or effectively if a pandemic quickly emerges,” the GAO reported. (Emphasis added)

• Note to GAO: The pandemic has emerged. It did not emerge quickly. You, Homeland Security, the Federal Communications Commission and every licensed internet provider has had full notice when the pandemic was declared last spring here and abroad.

• This story also does not mention any coordination or communication with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We wonder if the GAO, FCC, DHS and the internet provider companies know about the CDC and what it can tell them about the pandemic, which, let us say one more time, is already here.

The Washington Post

“As the spread of the H1N1 flu keeps more Americans away from work and school, a federal report warns that all those people logging on to the Web from home could overwhelm Internet networks. (Emphasis added)

“The Government Accountability Office reported earlier this week that if the flu reaches a pandemic, a surge in telecommuting and children accessing video files and games at home could bog down local networks.

And if that were to happen, it is not clear whether the federal government is prepared to deal with the problem, the GAO said.

The Department of Homeland Security is in charge of communications networks during times of national emergency. But it doesn’t have a strategy to deal with overloaded Internet networks — an essential resource to keep the economy humming, and residents informed and connected during a pandemic, the GAO said. Furthermore, the DHS hasn’t coordinated with agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission to create guidelines for how telecom, cable and satellite providers can minimize congestion.

Such confusion “would increase the risk that the federal government will not be able to respond rapidly or effectively if a pandemic quickly emerges,” the GAO reported.

Source: Washington Post, October 28, 2009