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FEMA apologizes for fake briefing on fires

Californians who have lost their homes to wildfires wait in a FEMA line for assistance at a disaster relief center in Fallbrook, California, on Friday. PHOTO: AFP

The US government's main disaster-response agency apologized on Friday for staging a phony news conference about assistance to victims of wildfires in California, with its employees posing as reporters.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), still struggling to restore its image after the bungled handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, issued the apology after the Washington Post reported details of the Tuesday briefing.

"We can and must do better, and apologize for this error in judgment," FEMA Deputy Administrator Harvey Johnson, who conducted the briefing, said in a statement. "Our intent was to provide useful information."

No actual reporter attended the news conference, agency spokesman Aaron Walker said.

A spokeswoman for Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has authority over FEMA, called the incident "inexcusable and offensive to the secretary."

"We have made it clear that stunts such as this will not be tolerated or repeated," spokeswoman Laura Keehner said.

The agency had called the briefing with about 15 minutes notice as federal officials headed for southern California to oversee and assist in firefighting and rescue efforts. Reporters were given a telephone number to listen in on, but could not ask questions.

With a video camera providing a feed carried live by some television networks, FEMA employees asked Johnson questions.

The questions were soft and gratuitous, including: "Are you happy with FEMA's response so far?"

The Washington Post said Johnson replied that he was "very happy with FEMA's response so far."

He also said the agency had the benefit of "good leadership" not "present at Katrina."

In response to the incident, the White House scolded FEMA, saying it was not appropriate that questions were posed by staffers.

Also see California wildfires dying down, but hardships remain
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