If one lesson was learned from the Hurricane Katrina disaster, it is that part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) needs to be able to maneuver independently of the oversized Homeland Security Department.
The other part of FEMA should stay with DHS.
The way that it should be set up is when a natural disaster strikes, the independent arm of FEMA is in charge. If it's a 9/11-scale terrorist hit OR a military/law enforcement situation, then the FEMA arm under DHS is in charge.
Under this model, the independent arm of FEMA would have dealt with Katrina first; they would be there before, during and after the hurricane hit. If security was needed to restore law and order in New Orleans, then the DHS-FEMA would have gone in with federal troops and take charge of the situation until it stabilized. The independent arm would have then resumed control of the mission after that happened.
If this sounds complicated, it really isn't.
An independent arm would be quicker to respond than the DHS operation did for Katrina.
I'm not proposing two FEMAs: it would be the same agency, but part of it would be the quick response team and the other part would be the muscle team.
Above all, FEMA needs flexibility so that it can respond quickly to fast-changing situations.
Taking these steps will resolve many issues that appeared during the 2005 hurricane season.
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