CBP brings a lot to the fight
in response to Hurricane Ian.
We have all CBP components that are here,
regarding this response.
First and foremost, our resources
are being utilized to check on our employees and their families.
That's what's most important.
It's the first priority we have
in the aftermath of a hurricane,
an accounting for our employees and their families,
and then getting them what they need.
CBP as an agency has responded to many events
and many disasters in the past.
We've taken lessons learned from previous events
as far back as Hurricane Katrina,
and we've learned that our primary
and principal consideration is the welfare
and safety of our CBP officers and agents.
All of our personnel across the board,
regardless of where they are,
is our primary mission to ensure that they remain safe
and are able to recover from a disaster or a localized event.
We've maintained that we have a local leadership construct
that is referred to as a lead field coordinator
that works with component leadership,
executive leadership in the field,
and they identified Deputy Lead Field Coordinators
to ensure a full response from CBP
and its capabilities that are brought to the fight
for the recovery and the safety of the individuals.
Secondary to that is the recovery of CBP operations,
making certain that CBP as an agency
is capable of recovering
from an event and standing up operations anew.
We need to make certain that we're able, as an agency,
to continue operations
for the whole of the federal government
and for the whole of the people in the United States.
CBP is one of the most, if not
the most valuable agencies
when it comes to business resumption.
When it comes to, you know, the search and rescue,
loss of life is what we're here to help
prevent with our other federal agencies.
But second to that, a close second to that,
as we close those ports down
with our other agencies,
we do the reverse as the storm passes
and we try and get those ports up
and running as quickly as possible
so that we get the much needed goods and services
into those local communities that have been impacted.