This is from todays Austin Statesman, page 1; "Austin medics in New
Orleans say disorganization, lack of communication hindered response"
http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...0322000c0.html
"Members of the Austin response team say they experienced other
problems. Rescuers in boats plucking people from rooftops had no way
to talk directly to helicopter pilots to tell them where to pick up
evacuees. Initially, Austin medics also had no way of talking to state
police to ask them to clear blocked roads for ambulances.

At one point, Bergh said, he and other frustrated Austin officials
drove to a Federal Emergency Management Agency command post on the
outskirts of New Orleans and offered to link themselves to the
agency's communication system.

Bergh and two other high-ranking Austin emergency workers said federal
officials refused to surrender their frequencies, citing security.

"This was a time to serve the community, and your strength is in the
ability to cooperate and communicate," Bergh said.

FEMA officials have acknowledged that their response to the disaster
was hindered by an inability to communicate. The storm toppled
cell-phone and broadcast towers, though Bergh said groups could have
still communicated with each other and FEMA by radio had authorities
provided them the same frequencies.

A FEMA spokesman said this week that without names of specific agency
representatives Bergh and his group spoke with, he could not comment
on why they might have refused access to their frequencies."