AROUND IT. NIGEL FARAJ WILL BE HERE ON THAT
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. WE BEGIN WITH LIEUTENANT GENERAL
TODD SEMITE.
TODD SEMITE. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
CHIEF.
CHIEF. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
HERE. YOU ARE DOING INCREDIBLE JOB
ACROSS THE CON TRUE BUILDING
THESE FACILITIES.
THESE FACILITIES. TELL US WHAT’S GOING ON IN NEW
YORK AND HOW MANY BUILDINGS
BESIDES THE JAVITS CENTER YOU
ANTICIPATE YOU MIGHT NEED THERE?
>> MARTHA, THANK YOU FOR HAVING
US ON TONIGHT AND THE DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE ALL OF OUR THOUGHTS
AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO ALL OF
THESE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS
TERRIBLE VIRUS.
TERRIBLE VIRUS. A LOT OF HEROES BEING MADE LAST
COUPLE WEEKS.
COUPLE WEEKS. I WAS IN NEW YORK CITY THE LAST
COUPLE NIGHTS STREETS EMPTY.
STILL SAW THE COPS AND NURSES
AND MEDICAL PEOPLE.
PEOPLE STEPPING UP TO HELP BE
ABLE TO TRY TO MITIGATE.
THIS TO BE ABLE TO FRAME THIS,
WE KNEW AND GOVERNOR CUOMO
CALLED US TWO WEEKS AGO.
HE SAID HEY, I NEED TO BE ABLE
TO HAVE SOME HELP IN NEW YORK
CITY.
CITY. SECRETARY ESPER ASKED ME TO GO
UP ON BEHALF OF FEMA TO FIGURE
OUT HOW CAN WE COME UP WITH SOME
TYPE OF A PLAN TO HELP NEW YORK
CITY.
CITY. WE BASICALLY CREATED A STANDARD
DESIGN.
DESIGN. WE MADE THIS VERY, VERY SIMPLE.
YOU HEARD IN THE CLIP EARLIER.
WE HAVE GOT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE
THIS EXCEPTIONALLY
THIS EXCEPTIONALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
STRAIGHTFORWARD. WE NEED SOME FACILITIES THAT ARE
COVID AND OTHER FACILITIES
NON-COVID AND LOOKED ACROSS THE
ARRAY OF FACILITIES ALREADY
EXISTING.
EXISTING. WE CAN’T START AND BUILD A
HOSPITAL FROM SCRATCH IN THREE
WEEKS.
WEEKS. WE SAID LET’S GO FIND SOMETHING
ALREADY TO CODE.
ALREADY HAS ELECTRICITY.
ALREADY HAS FIRE AND WATER.
SO WE KIND OF PUT THESE IN TWO
DIFFERENT BINS.
DIFFERENT BINS. SOMETHING LIKE A HOTEL OR A
COLLEGE DORMITORY OR PERHAPS A
LARGE AREA LIKE A CONVENTION
CENTER OR A SPORTS ARENA.
SO, WHEN I WAS WITH THE GOVERNOR
HE SAID WHAT CAN DIE RIGHT AWAY
TO GET YOU STARTED.
I SAID WE NEED TO HAVE A
BUILDING LIKE TONIGHT.
WE NEED TO HAVE THREE MORE
BUILDINGS BY TOMORROW NIGHT.
WE NEED TO HAVE YOUR LIST OF
PROJECTS, GOVERNOR, WHERE YOU
WANT US TO GET STARTED.
HE TURNED US ONTO THE JAVITS
CENTER FIRST.
CENTER FIRST. AND THAT’S WHERE WE ARE WORKING
WITH THE ENTIRE TEAM.
THIS IS NOT THE CORPS OF
ENGINEERS.
ENGINEERS. THIS IS FEMA, HHS.
UNBELIEVABLY TALENTED TEAM IN
THE JAVITS CENTER.
THE GOVERNOR, THE MAYOR WHO HAS
BEEN AMAZING IN THIS.
EVERYBODY PULLING TOGETHER TO
BASICALLY TAKE A FEMA HOSPITAL,
A SERIES OF HOSPITALS AND PUT
THEM INSIDE A CONVENTION CENTER.
ORIGINALLY WHAT CAME OUT OF A
BOX AND ONLY ABOUT 500 BEDS.
WE WERE ABLE TO EXPAND TO ABOUT
3,000 BEDS AND THAT’S UP AND
RUNNING TODAY.
RUNNING TODAY. >> Martha: YEAH.
IT REALLY IS REMARKABLE.
I’M SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE
HIGHLIGHTING ALL OF THESE
DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE
WORKING TOGETHER.
WORKING TOGETHER. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO IT
ON SUCH A SHORT TIME FRAME AND
WOULD IT HAVE BEEN -- OBVIOUSLY
IT’S ALWAYS HOPEFUL IF YOU HAVE
MORE TIME.
MORE TIME. DO YOU WISH TO YOU WOULD HAVE
BEEN TOLD TO START THIS 2 OR 3
WEEKS AGO?
WEEKS AGO? A MONTH AGO?
>> WELL, I THINK THIS IS --
AGAIN, THIS IS A CITY AND STATE
RESPONSIBILITY.
RESPONSIBILITY. IT’S ACTUALLY GETTING READY TO
DO A PRESS BRIEFING IN THE
PENTAGON LAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
DR. ESPER CALLED ME ON MY CELL
PHONE AND SAID WHAT ELSE DO YOU
NEED GENERAL SEMONITE TO MAKE
THIS HAPPEN.
THIS HAPPEN. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ANTICIPATE
WHERE THE REQUIREMENT WAS AND
MAYBE SOMEBODY COULD SAY WE
COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING
EARLIER ON.
EARLIER ON. WHEN WE KNEW THAT NEED WE WENT
IN AND DID IT.
HERE IS THE POWER OF THE IDEA.
IT’S NOT TO SET DOWN AND TRY TO
DESIGN SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF
FACILITIES.
FACILITIES. FRIDAY AFTERNOON BRIEFED IN THE
PENTAGON WE HAD 114 IDENTIFIED.
TODAY WE HAVE 341 IDENTIFIED.
WE HAVE GOT ABOUT 8 GIGANTIC
CONTRACTS GOING IN RIGHT NOW
TONIGHT ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES, ABOUT 8500 ROOMS.
IN THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS WE WILL
WRITE SEVEN MORE BIG CONTRACTS
ABOUT ANOTHER 3,000.
IT’S THE ABILITY TO HAVE A
STANDARD DESIGN AND THEN PASS
THAT BACK OUT TO MAYORS AND
GOVERNORS AND SAY THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN
SANCTIONED THROUGH HHS AND FEMA.
DELEGATE IT BACK DOWN.
YOU CAN BUILD IT.
WE CAN BUILD IT.
BUT THEN TAKE THE PASSION OF THE
IDEA AND PUT IT INTO THE GROUND.
AND THAT’S WHAT WE ARE SEEING,
MARTHA IS REALLY TAKING OFF IS
THIS IS BEGINNING TO GROW IN
LITTLE CITIES, LITTLE TOWNS, BIG
CONVENTION CENTERS TO BE ABLE TO
FIND A WAY OF CUTTING THIS
DELTA.
DELTA. >> Martha: UNDERSTOOD.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A
MISSION AND YOU ARE WORKING
REALLY HARD TO CARRY IT OUT AT A
REALLY BLISTERING PACE.
WHAT ABOUT CHICAGO?
ARE YOU BUILDING ONE OF THESE AT
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION CENTER?
IN NEW ORLEANS WILL WE SEE ONE
OF THESE AT THE SUPERDOME?
>> SO EVERY GOVERNOR HAS A LIST
OF PROJECTS.
OF PROJECTS. IT’S PREMATURE TO SAY EXACTLY
WHICH ONES ARE ON THEIR LIST.
SOME GOVERNORS HAVE MADE
DECISIONS THAT KIND OF TOLD YOU
THERE IS ABOUT 15 OF THE BIG
ONES THAT WE ACTUALLY GOT
APPROVAL FROM FEMA.
WE HAVE WRITTEN THE CONTRACT.
GOVERNORS HAVE MADE
ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THEIR STATES
AND WE ARE IN THE GROUND.
THERE IS OTHER ONES WHERE THE
GOVERNOR WANT TO KEEP WORKING
THROUGH THAT AND WE WANT TO
APPRECIATE THE GOVERNOR’S ROLE
IN THIS.
IN THIS. CHICAGO IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF
ANOTHER BIG DIMENSION WE HAVE
TAKEN ON HERE.
IN JAVITS, IT’S NON-COVID.
AS YOU SAID IN THE LEAD-IN.
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE JUST LIKE
THE COMFORT, TO DISPLACE PEOPLE
THAT ARE NOT COVID, TAKE THEM
OUT OF HOSPITALS AND PUT THEM IN
ANOTHER FACILITY.
ANOTHER FACILITY. THAT IS KIND OF WHAT JAVITS IS.
IN CHICAGO, WE ARE DOING EXACTLY
THE OPPOSITE.
THE OPPOSITE. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE
MCCORMICK CONVENTION CENTER AND
STAND UP ABOUT 3,000 COVID BEDS.
THREE DIFFERENT SECTIONS, SOME
WILL HAVE DINNER TYPES OF DIFFER
CAPABILITY.
CAPABILITY. WE EXPECT TO HAVE THE FIRST 500
OF THEM DONE BY THE END OF THE
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND. WE WANT TO GO VERY, VERY
AGGRESSIVELY.
AGGRESSIVELY. WE HAVE A VERY GOOD CONTRACTOR
ON THE GROUND.
AGAIN, WORKING WITH THIS
INTEGRATED TEAM TO BE ABLE TO BE
RUTHLESS IN EXECUTION.
WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DO THE
PERFECT SOLUTION.
PERFECT SOLUTION. WE HAVE GOT TO DO
MISSION-ESSENTIAL.
MISSION-ESSENTIAL. WHATEVER YOU WOULD WANT TO DO TO
MAKE SURE YOUR LOVED ONE IS
TAKEN CARE OF.
THAT’S WHERE WE ARE GOING TO
DRAW THE LINE.
>> Martha: QUICKLY IF YOU CAN
AND I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FOR
YOU.
YOU. IN TERMS OF THE MILITARY
PARTICIPATION WITH HEALTHCARE
PROVIDERS, BECAUSE ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT
ALL THESE FACILITIES IS THAT
THERE JUST AREN’T THE MEDICAL
PROFESSIONALS TO MAN ALL OF
THESE THINGS ONCE THEY ARE
BUILT.
BUILT. HOW MUCH OF A ROLE IS THE
MILITARY GOING TO PLAY AND WILL
THERE BE ENOUGH DOCTORS TO
SERVICE ALL OF THESE FACILITIES?
>> SO MARTHA, I’M A GOOD
SOLDIER.
SOLDIER. I STAY IN MY LEG.
THIS IS ASTAY IN MY LINE.YOU HAV
YOU HAVE SEEN A LOT OF
DISCUSSION ON ALL THE DIFFERENT
SUPPLIES ARE IN THERE.
NUMBER THREE YOU HAVE TO HAVE
THE STAFF.
THE STAFF. WE ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON THE
SITE.
SITE. THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IS
EXTREMELY FOCUSED ON TAKING
WHATEVER THEY HAVE AND PUSHING
THEM OUT.
THEM OUT. IN JAVITS TODAY THERE ARE ARMY
FIELD HOSPITALS THAT ARE DOING
THE JOB JUST LIKE THE COMFORT IS
UP THERE TO BE ABLE TO AUGMENT
AND DR. ESPER IS LOOKING AT
OTHER PLACES TO BE ABLE TO
CONTINUE TO AUGMENT EXISTING
CAPABILITIES WITH WHAT DODD HAS.
>> YOU ARE GOING TO FIND THAT AT
THE END OF THE DAY THE SITES ARE
NOT GOING, THE STAFFER ARE GOING
TO BE THE MOST CRITICAL DEMAND
IN A COUPLE WEEKS FROM NOW.
>> Martha: AS I SAY GOODBYE TO
YOU I WANT TO PUT SOMETHING UP
ON THE SCREEN.
THIS IS A POSTER THAT SAYS YOU
GIVE US THE ARMOR AND WE WILL
GIVE IT HELL.
AND IT’S NEXT TO ONE FROM WORLD
WAR II WITH A PILOT.
YOU GIVE US THE FIRE AND WE WILL
GIVE THEM HELL AND YOU CAN SEE
AS YOU SAID THAT THE FRONT LINES
IN THIS FIGHT AS WORLD WAR II.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS DOCTOR’S
DAY IN AMERICA.
QUICK THOUGHT ON THAT BEFORE I
LET YOU GO, SIR?
>> WE ARE PROUD TO BE PART OF
THIS FEDERAL TEAM FROM THE
PRESIDENT, THE VICE PRESIDENT,
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, EVERYBODY
SAID WHEREVER WE NEED TO STEP UP
AND HELP THE CITIES AND THE
STATES, WE ARE ALL IN.
SO, JUST PROUD TO BE PART OF A
VERY, VERY HISTORIC TEAM.
BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
WE CAN’T TAKE OUR EYE OFF THE
BALL.
BALL. WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN
FAST.
FAST. >> Martha: WELL, I KNOW YOU ARE
WORKING AS HARD AS YOU CAN.
AND YOU ARE VERY STRONG
PROPONENT OF THE WORK THAT YOU
ALL ARE CARRYING OUT.