Chertoff touts Coast Guard changes, new FEMA warning system | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Chertoff touts Coast Guard changes, new FEMA warning system | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "raising the Coast Guard's daring rescues of Katrina flood victims, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff said Tuesday that new initiatives, including text-messaged warnings, will make responders even more effective in a future major disaster. Chertoff also said a realignment of the Coast Guard will make other homeland security efforts stronger. On the eve of the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which wrecked and flooded New Orleans and left much of coastal Mississippi in ruins, Chertoff spoke to dozens of Coast Guard aviators and flight crew members who led the Katrina rescue efforts in the hours after the storm. 'As we reflect back on the events of two years ago, we reflect on how difficult and dangerous the missions were, flying in the dark, around hazards like light poles in confined spaces to rescue people from rooftops and attic windows,' he said."