SunHerald.com : FEMA beefed up, improved, officer says

SunHerald.com : FEMA beefed up, improved, officer says: "FEMA officials have made many changessince Katrina, Russo said.

'The success or failure of these changes depends on our relationship with you,' he said. 'It's no secret that all disasters are local. The people in this room will always be first-responders, but it is our job to support you.'

R. David Paulison, the director of FEMA, reviewed all the agency's policies and developed priorities after Katrina, Russo said. The agency has hired more employees to work with local governments to identify problems so they can be fixed before a disaster.

Agency workers also have improved the way resources are distributed after a disaster.

Russo said it took an event like Katrina to make FEMA understand its flaws and know what changes were needed.

'We didn't have the policies in place to deal with that type of event,' he said. 'Now we're ready to move things faster and people faster. You really are the partners for us.'"