| San Diego County, CA (October 30, 2007) -- It's | | | | Schwarzenegger offered this explanation of the |
| no secret that California is a hotbed for disasters. | | | | importance of his personal response. |
| The potential for major emergencies like wildfires, | | | | "The most important thing is you jump into action |
| earthquakes, floods and mudslides is high, perhaps | | | | as quickly as possible," he said. The public needs |
| higher than any other state in the nation. But | | | | to see "that you are a hands-on governor," that |
| other states experience serious natural disasters | | | | you "take care of the firefighters" and feel the |
| as well, and with the exception of Florida few are | | | | pain of people who have lost their homes. |
| able to ride the wave without wiping out. | | | | (Time.com) |
| Some of my colleagues say that California was | | | | The Question of Early Aircraft Intervention |
| just lucky this time around. I say no way, | | | | In an earlier report I made note of criticism |
| because when the Santa Anas blow hard and the | | | | leveled against Schwarzenegger by Chief Chip |
| vegetation is tinder dry, it's like joining in on a crap | | | | Prather, the boss of the very large Orange |
| game in which no one's brought the dice. There is | | | | County Fire Authority. Chief Prather, a well-known |
| no luck. | | | | national fire administrator, chastised the Governor |
| So why is the Left Coast better prepared to deal | | | | and the state for banning firefighting aircraft from |
| with Mother Nature's nasty side? In a word - | | | | the skies during the early stages of the fire. |
| planning. Starting from the Governor's office down | | | | Of course pilots and fire officials agreed that |
| to the smallest volunteer fire brigade, the state | | | | sending flight crews on low level sorties, buffeted |
| has developed contingencies for large-scale | | | | by hurricane force winds, would have been a |
| disasters. | | | | suicide mission. My suggestion at the time was |
| Statewide Coordination and Cooperation | | | | that perhaps Prather was exhausted, and didn't |
| The state's Office of Emergency Services serves | | | | realize that he was speaking to a hastily |
| as the Governor's direct connection to all | | | | assembled press conference - rather than his |
| emergency services in California. When it came to | | | | chiefs and crews at the command post. As it |
| this week's wildfire disaster, OES is what FEMA | | | | turned out, that was partially the case. |
| wishes it could be -- an agency that is on the | | | | By Wednesday, reports, Prather had nothing but |
| street within hours of a disaster, and | | | | accolades for Schwarzenegger. |
| well-organized under a common Incident | | | | His "personal attention" to firefighters battling the |
| Command System. | | | | blazes "is inspiring - knowing the guy at the top is |
| The response to the 2007 Firestorm wasn't a | | | | there with them," Prather said at a news |
| knee-slap reaction but rather the implementation | | | | conference near Los Angeles. |
| of a long-established plan that has long been | | | | FEMA goes 0 for 6. |
| administered by Cal OES. It's a dynamic plan, one | | | | On Thursday, the situation was still very serious, |
| that is updated as each disaster is critiqued and | | | | but sunlight was beginning to peak through the |
| recommendations made. | | | | constant haze of chocking smoke. With the Santa |
| The current working plan was ordered by the | | | | Anas dying down, and tankers dousing the flames, |
| Governor back in the Spring. Signed on May 9, | | | | firefighters were making remarkable progress. |
| 2007, Schwarzenegger's Executive Order S-07-07 | | | | Many evacuees were permitted to return to their |
| essentially instructed agencies like the OES, Cal | | | | neighborhoods, and for those families who lost |
| Fire, the CDC and the National Guard to beef up | | | | their homes, the process of re-establishing their |
| their response capabilities. According to the order, | | | | lives was beginning. |
| additional OES strike teams were to be created, | | | | Following the Katrina debacle, FEMA's David |
| Cal Fire staffing was to be increased, better | | | | Paulison promised better and more immediate |
| coordination between state agencies and the | | | | response to large-scale disasters. His plan did, in |
| military was mandated, and a reciprocal firefighting | | | | fact, take place. The agency immediately |
| arrangement was to be established with Mexico | | | | deployed the Federal Incident Response Team |
| The order also reaffirmed how the state's | | | | (FIRST) out of Atlanta aboard a Coast Guard |
| automatic mutual aid system would function under | | | | C-130. The advance team hit the ground running |
| the California Fire Assistance Agreement. S-07-07 | | | | and began to coordinate emergency support for |
| was presented in such detail that the Governor | | | | the thousands of evacuees at the Qualcomm |
| even indicated a minimum staffing level for fire | | | | shelter. |
| engines. (1) | | | | However, a quick visit to FEMA's website reveals |
| Take Charge Governor | | | | that the agency was taking credit for the hard |
| When the situation went from bad to worse, | | | | work of others. The website suggests that FEMA |
| Schwarzenegger made certain that he was front | | | | had been coordinating the military response to |
| and center. While flying to speak at a conference | | | | San Diego County, which is far from the truth. |
| in Long Beach, he learned that a major evacuation | | | | The military is a major presence in San Diego |
| was taking place in San Diego County. He diverted | | | | County, with some 300,000 of its personnel and |
| his helicopter directly to the firefront, where he | | | | dependants living there. Like any good neighbor |
| took command as if he were a 30-year | | | | would do, the NAVY, Marines, Reserves and |
| firefighting salt. (If it counts, he did play the role of | | | | National Guard stepped up to assist state |
| a firefighter in a 2002 motion picture.) | | | | government in the early stages, while FEMA was |
| Schwarzenegger launched each press conference | | | | still watching the disaster play out on CNN. |
| by crediting the state's firefighters, always making | | | | Then there was FEMA's fake press conference. |
| note of the dangerous conditions under which | | | | Yes - like a parody from The Colbert Report, |
| they were working. While agency directors tended | | | | America's favorite federal agency staged a phony |
| to hour-to-hour operations, much of the | | | | briefing on Tuesday with FEMA employees posing |
| Governor's focus this past week was on the | | | | as legitimate members of the press. Real-life |
| plight of the evacuees, saying he didn't want | | | | reporters were given just 15 minutes notice of |
| anyone to feel abandoned. He personally toured | | | | the press conference, however for those who |
| evacuation centers like Qualcom, where he | | | | weren't able to make it, the agency offered a |
| conducted his own assessments, some of which | | | | toll-free 800 listen-only line. |
| dealt with the nitty-gritty. | | | | It's an unfortunate situation for FEMA. The good |
| "Do we have enough toilet paper, do we have | | | | work that Paulison accomplished in the early |
| enough toilets?" Schwarzenegger said at a press | | | | stages of this disaster will never be remembered. |
| conference after his tour. "Do we have | | | | The 5th Estate will scrutinize everything that the |
| everything we need for the people here so they | | | | agency does from this moment on, regardless of |
| can stay overnight?" | | | | its merit. And David Paulison, a good man with |
| So, without any ceremony, the title of Master of | | | | fine intentions, will take the fall and likely lose his |
| Disaster was quietly handed over this week from | | | | position. |
| former New York City Mayor Rudy Guliani to | | | | Lessons Learned |
| Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The California | | | | The campaign in California is still in disaster mode, |
| governor's handling of the 2007 Firestorm, and | | | | so it's a bit early to be critiquing the operation. But |
| the state's largest evacuation ever has brought | | | | there is one thing that I'd like to share. In my |
| him praise from around the World. Even | | | | mind there are two ways to fix FEMA. |
| ultra-liberals offered admiring remarks. | | | | Immediately turn the agency over to the US |
| "How about Schwarzenegger…he was | | | | Coast Guard -- or sub-contract national disaster |
| certainly in control this week," said HBO's Bill Maher | | | | response to Governor Schwarzenegger's Office |
| on his Friday night broadcast. "It's a shame that | | | | of Emergency Services. |
| he can't run for president,' Maher added, | | | | Sources: |
| "…he'd probably have my vote!" | | | | (1) OES |
| During a satellite feed beamed to the participants | | | | (2) Time. |
| of the conference that he was unable to attend, | | | | |