"I'd like to talk for a minute about the standard framework for managing a disaster... "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)