By Guy Page
When thinking about federal government flood response, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms probably isn’t the first federal agency that comes to mind.
Regardless, ATF has been in Vermont as part of the federal team following the July 10-11 flood. Two days ago, ATF issued a Facebook post explaining Emergency Support Function [ESF] #13 – in a nutshell, providing protection for search and rescue teams:
“In the aftermath of extreme weather systems and flooding, ATF’s ESF #13 personnel are managing force protection for Urban Search and Rescue teams in severely damaged areas of Vermont. ESF #13 personnel have established an incident command post and are coordinating search and rescue operations of Quick Response Teams comprised of ATF Special Agents and USAR Massachusetts Task Force I and New York Task Force I. “The federal government’s disaster response includes 15 various Emergency Support Functions. ESF #13, which ATF manages on behalf of the Department of Justice, coordinates the federal law enforcement response to any disaster requiring a FEMA response.
“More than 40 different federal law enforcement agencies participate in the program. When deployed, these teams of federal law enforcement officers set aside their agency’s organic mission and provide security and support to other responding ESFs or, when requested, local and state law enforcement. Learn more about ESF #13.”
ATF’s presence prompted several skeptical comments on a Vermont pro-2A Facebook page, including:
- “WTF do we need ATF for Vermont flood recovery. Can they run excavators? Dozers?”
- “Government is always the problem and not the solution. I’m not sure how search and rescue fits into ATF training. More like search and seizure.”
And this tongue-in-cheek response to an imagined ATF inquiry:
- “Sorry. Lost all my firearms in the flood.”
Categories: Weather
Not only does this seem absurd, but, to back up a giant step, the whole idea of a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is insane! No other country would do this. Might as well create a government Bureau of LSD & Chainsaws….who would think to lump these things together except someone not in their right mind, or in the back pocket of corporate interests.
Speaks to the swollen state of too many Federal agencies…………….
This is just creating an excuse to expand these 3-letter agencies “because they helped” so they can be used against citizens in the future. They are not helpful.
I don’t dare make a statement least they kill my wife and child, and burn my house.
Rand Paul refers Fauci to Dept of Injustice, Rand Paul’s office torched. Pure coincidence.
Protection?! So, we’re admitting the ATF is a military force now?
Dry run for gun confiscation. VT = test market. Natural flood disaster, send in the clowns, gauge response, refine methods. When the real SHTF, lure people out of homes with ‘biological emergency’, mandatory evacuation. Emergency! Goons go through homes, confiscate, rob. Blame ‘looters’.
Just kidding, of course.
Maybe due to the floods, there may have been traffickers who needed to flee for various reasons, such as their drug inventory was discovered or their human inventory went running for help. And this gave the agency an opportunity to locate some perps. Not all underground commerce hides out in coastal cities.
“ESF #13 provides a mechanism for coordinating and providing Federal-to-Federal support; Federal support to State, tribal, and local authorities; and/or support to other ESFs, consisting
of law enforcement, public safety, and security capabilities and resources during potential or actual incidents requiring a coordinated Federal response. ESF #13 capabilities support incident management requirements including, but not limited to,force and critical infrastructure protection, security planning and technical assistance,technology support, and general law enforcement assistance in both preincident and postincident situations. ESF #13 is activated in situations requiring extensive public safety and security and where State, tribal, and local government resources are overwhelmed or are inadequate, or for Federal-to-Federal support or in preincident or postincident situations that require protective solutions or capabilities unique to the Federal Government.”
Appears to me that they are here to protect innocent people from Vigilantes, looters and other criminals who take advantage of situations like this.
Got a problem with this??
That is exactly true. I don’t have any problem with it.
Real Vermonters dont need federal jackboots to protect us from looters, criminals and other imminent threats…
Working Vermonters don’t have the luxury of sitting in our houses and cars all day. You all complain about all the rampant crime yet whine when someone actually tries to protect us. You’re a true card carrying member of the George & Crime-Junkie crowd.
Then what is the National Guard for?
In these times there may be increased risk of violence being done to responders.
Maybe Lalonde and Baruth requested that Biden send them to prevent any of that “you loot, we shoot” mentality from taking hold?
The Feds of all stripes are here because Vermont is unable and incapable of handling any type of emergency or disaster – unable to manage anything from what we witness daily. Remember, the DOJ is here to ensure DEI is forcibly shoved down our throats and any opposition is hate speech, off the to gulag with you! The reality is Vermont is captured territory and occupied by belligerent, foreign and criminal funded despots. A State like Florida, albeit larger in size and population, can respond and fund their own emergencies because they created a plan to leave the Feds out unless asked to assist. Here, the Feds are set up and operate from the Fed buildings peppered throughout the State. Many don’t know that, but it is the Truth. Without the Feds, Vermont couldn’t operate a pencil sharpner.
Never saw any of the ATF after Hurricane Ian in Florida. Sheriff loved the sign on my flooded home, “Looters will be shot dead”. Vermont has become a progressive, leftist disaster.