"...there are some fundamental principles we follow at DHS with respect to emergency management. These are principles grounded in the wisdom of the emergency management community and those who have spent entire careers dealing with hurricanes and other kinds of disasters. "First and foremost, we recognize that state and local governments are the primary first responders in a disaster. And there is a good reason for this. Disasters, by their very nature, occur locally - in communities far removed from federal assets. State and local responders are the first on the scene and are most attuned to the needs and concerns of local populations. This fundamental fact is not going to change and the Federal government has no interest in superseding your authority to protect and serve your citizens.... "I'd like to talk for a minute about the standard framework for managing a disaster - because the fact of the matter is that we may need to do some things differently this year, particularly in the Gulf. "By law, local government is responsible for providing for the safety and security of citizens in advance of a hurricane. That means they are in charge of developing emergency plans, determining evacuation routes, providing public transportation for those who can't self-evacuate, and setting up and stocking local shelters with relief supplies. "State government is responsible for mobilizing the National Guard, pre-positioning certain assets and supplies, and setting up the state's emergency management functions. They are also in charge of requests for Federal support though the formal disaster declaration process. "The Federal government is responsible for meeting those requests from the state - both during the disaster and in its aftermath. As we saw during Katrina, that includes logistical support for search and rescue, providing food, water and ice, establishing disaster centers and processing federal disaster claims, and participating in short- and long-term public works projects - such as debris removal and infrastructure rebuilding. This is the basic framework". (DHS, Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at the National Hurricane Conference, April 12, 2006)