Fire State Government

Fire Weather IX – Lies, Damned Lies, and AIR SUPPORT

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Now that the weather forecasters are predicting a whole new set of Santa Ana winds
to kick up this week, perhaps it’s a good time to look at what we’ve learned from last month’s Santa Ana-driven fire storms.

According to a worrisome investigation that the AP released over the weekend, the answer appears to be: Nothing good.

After earlier investigations by the AP and others triggered a flood of criticism over the state’s allocation of air support and other firefighting resources, Governor Schwarzenegger and California fire officials angrily informed the press (and anyone else who’d listen) that the coordination between state, federal and local resources was “seamless.” And that any delays in getting the much-needed firefighting planes and helicopters to the blazes had mostly to do with high winds—plus, in a few cases, the unavoidable shortage of what are called “fire spotters,” specially-trained individuals who ride in the plane with the pilot and coordinate air drops.

Now, using the Public Records Act, the AP has gotten documents that show the governor and the relevant state officials are….what’s the word I’m looking for?….Oh, yeah…lying.

Yes, pilots were “hampered by strong winds,” reports the AP.
But the brave, dedicated fire flyers went up anyway. They got a dozen air tankers and five state helicopters into the air to make more than 70 hours worth of firefighting missions the first day of the firestorm. Oct. 21.

Unfortunately, reports the AP, the planes that flew were only about half
the tankers and helicopters that could have been fighting fires that day.

Twenty-eight of 52 aircraft the state was tracking for firefighting efforts remained grounded, and high winds were not listed as the reason. Rather, state officials had not requested them or they were being kept in other parts of the state in case fires broke out there.


This is not at all how it’s supposed to work.
According to Sam Padilla, an LA County spokesman I spoke to a few weeks ago, the accepted protocol is to throw everything you have at a big fire to knock it down early. Then, if a second, a third and a fourth fire break out—as they did last month—you start passing resources around as urgency, and threat to structures, demands.

And, indeed, that’s what Los Angeles did on a county-wide level. The state, however, did not.

But, wait. It gets worse.



Not only did California fail to utilize many planes in its own air fleet until raging fires
had already consumed hundreds of homes, but the auxiliary air fleet provided by the federal government—some planes from the National Guard, some from the Marines—didn’t take off on time either. State officials swore this had to do with those same pesky high winds.

Paperwork that the AP has acquired shows otherwise:

Tower logs and reports from helicopter crews show that on Oct. 22, the Monday after the wildfires flared up, the helicopters could have flown if state fire spotters had arrived earlier.

Three National Guard helicopter crews were ready and waiting to takeoff by 8:30 that morning, but the spotters didn’t show up until 11:30 a.m.

Once they did arrive, the officials waited another hour
before receiving orders to take off. By the time the spotters were ready to fly, high winds had kicked up and grounded the aircraft. None of the helicopters would lift off until the following morning.

The AP estimates that as many as fifteen planes and ‘copters were grounded through this kind of bureaucratic ineptness. (By the way, the Canadians, who are champ fire fighters, don’t require spotters, nor do many of America’s other fire-threatened states, like Florida.)

After the disastrous Cedar Fire and Paradise fires of 2003,
a Blue Ribbon Committee was convened to assess the state’s fire plans. The committee recommended in very clear terms that the state better get its act together so that all possible state and federal planes could be up in the air within minutes of the onset of the big fire—since it was determined that hitting a fire early and hard with air drops can make all the difference.

Apparently the state out was having its nails done when that report was issued.


Earlier this month, the San Diego Union ran its own investigative report
that outlined in stark terms high-level bungling that kept so many of the much-needed helicopters grounded.

“At the highest level of the state, this system has broken down
– for the second time,” said [San Diego]county Supervisor Ron Roberts, who served as the county’s spokesman during the fires and was among dozens of officials who attended daily strategy sessions at the county’s Emergency Operations Center.


It’s time for a full investigation into what went wrong.
And what we can do to set it right…… for the fire next time.

24 Comments

  • Keep it simple. Just, blame Bush!

    I keep saying that government is often the problem rather than the solution. In this case, it acted just like the bureaucracy that it is. Why be surprised or expect anything else? That’s like wondering why the snake bit you. Because it’s a snake!

    This doesn’t need an investigation. It needs a major modification.

    As much as you guys hate them, I suspect that Halliburton or another private company could have been contracted to handle the fires better, just like they are contracted for services in other parts of the world. Private companies are more effective at most things (other than war), but they are often often opposed unless they’re represented by a union, which, then, only drags them down to the government level. (See Airport Security Screeners)

    In the meantime, until the government changes (meaning never), I would clear the brush away from the house and install a water system that will spray the house and the area in the event of fires. Oh, and have a safe place so that you can remain with the house, because the government stops residents from returning home until the looters are finished.

    Don’t ask government to do something that you can have handled better yourself.

  • They have private fire companies in Atlanta? And re Halliburton. You’re kidding, right? Seen the mountain of claims made that the boys from Cheney’s old firm have been ripping us off right and left. Where or where has the $( billion gone?

    I’ll stick with the National Guard and the working class heros of the Fire Departments. I suspect most homeowners will as well. But feel free to call Halliburton if your house catches fire!

  • Working class heroes of the Fire Departments can’t be heroes if government withholds equipment from them and keeps them grounded.

    However, let’s not confuse real fire heroes with the Clinton labor lackies in the NYC FD, who say that they are going to “swift boat” Giuliani.

    Remember that Benjamin Franklin created a private fire department in Philadelphia as part of his fire insurance company before citiies took over that duty. There’s no reason that the current employees couldn’t be shifted to private employment and better management than that offered by politicians.

    Given a choice of Halliburton responding or government not responding, I’d trust Halliburton.

  • However, let’s not confuse real fire heroes with the Clinton labor lackies in the NYC FD, who say that they are going to “swift boat” Giuliani.

    Rudy Giuliani’s administration failed to replace radios that did not work in 1993 during the bombing of the WTC – when he ws mayor. He put the city’s emergency command headquarters in a vulnerable spot at 7 World Trade Center. It’s not swift-boating – it’s the truth and he deserves the blame.

    If he had done what he should have done I might not have to see the memorial to Sergio Villanueva, a firefighter, former cop, Argentine immigrant and resident of my community every morning when I walk to the subway or the memorial plaques on so many of the firehouses in my city.

  • From SignOnSan Diego ……
    Getting military helicopters into the air during a firestorm became a top priority for San Diego County leaders after the 2003 Cedar and Paradise fires.

    The priority of San Diego County leader, should be to establish a San Diego County fire department. San Diego County needs to have their fire personnel and air resources at the ready, and NOT expect military aircraft to be available to them. Military aircraft can be deployed and moved at any time.

    Even after the fire disaster in 2003 and all the talk of a new county fire department – Still Nothing. San Diego County just needs to look at L.A. County fire department as an example.

    http://sandiegohealth.org/emergency/eptf.pdf

  • “Swiftboating” was the term used by the fire union officials themselves. I just used it because they did.

    However, the term “swiftboating” in the presidential election was accurate and showed a personal responsibility. In Kerry’s case, there is a direct link to him, for which he blusters a lot but still refuses to Sign Form 180, as he promised, to open his files completely.

    In Giuliani’s case, you say that it was his “administration” that failed to replace some radios–an issue for which Giuliani could not have personally been aware or involved. However, his administation also did a lot of things right, something that left-wingeers would fail to notice or admit.

    In the case of the L.A. fires and the air support, there should be a discussion of what could be improved. However, that discussion should also admit to what worked to give credit.

  • In Giuliani’s case, you say that it was his “administration” that failed to replace some radios–an issue for which Giuliani could not have personally been aware or involved.

    Not true. The issue was brought up time and again to Giuliani and Thomas Essen, his fire commissioner. Indeed, it would be helpful for you to know that Giuliani was able to implement many of his appointments without approval from anyone. That’s how he was able to appoint a cop, Bernard Kerik, with 6 years experience on the force who had been his chauffer and no college degree, police commissioner or a college dropout, Russell Harding with zero administrative experience head of the NYC Housing Development Corp., whose sole requirement for the job was his being the son of Giuliani’s political mentor, Raymond Harding.

    The former has just been indicted for tax evasion and the latter pleaded guilty to, among other things, embezzlement of over $400,000 from the agency he managed and possessing child porn. he’s now serving time.

    The one constant I have found in those who praise Giuliani from outside NYC is how precious little they know about him.

  • So, you participate in character assassination by association. Not surprised.

    I find it hard to beleive that a mayor of millions would be involved in operational details as low as which radios to use in the fire department.

    If there is honest information on Giuliani, I’m willing to listen–but, I don’t trust unions and Democrats, so the source needs to be credible.

    Let’s have the same level of digging into the decisions Hillary Clinton and her husband–if they will ever authorize release of their White House communications.

    I still think that someone will find a way to blame Bush and Cheney for the take-off delays of the fire fighting helicopters.

  • Woody to know Rudy is to loath him. You may not like it but the fact is in NYC he is about as popular as anthrax. Bloomberg cleans his clock in polls and Hillary has a 20 point lead for the electoral votes in NY State.

    Course the Marist people and Gallup are just Commie/Dem shills, I know . . .

  • So, you participate in character assassination by association. Not surprised.

    Poppycock. Those are facts. There was no basis to appoint Russell Harding on the merits of his professional experience to the head of an agency that issues millions of dollars in bonds other than his being the son of a friend. The taxpayers are now paying the price for this.

    Kerik was cut from the same cloth. More than half of Giuliani’s cabinet opposed his appointment as police commissioner. Indeed, since 1985, from the rank of captain and above was required to have a college degree. Giuliani appointed Kerik to this role regardless of this fact.

    Those are the facts, Woody. Giuliani chose to associate himself with these people. By your standards, the buck doesn’t stop to catch its breath as it whizzes by Giuliani’s desk.

  • I will say this Randy. It would be nice if the jerks at MSNBC (“Lil Rus” and Tweety) started giving Guiliani the same attention that they do Hillary.

    It is scandelous that he’s given “America’s Mayor” bs by those who should know better.

  • Nothing weak about it. Giuliani has placed a premium on loyalty over competence. He refuses to share credit for accomplishments. Ask Bill Bratton if you have any doubts.

    I did appreciate Giuliani’s ,a href=”http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDD133AF933A25755C0A962958260″>stand on immigration in NYC:

    “Some of the hardest-working and most productive people in this city are undocumented aliens,” Mr. Giuliani said. “If you come here and you work hard and you happen to be in an undocumented status, you’re one of the people who we want in this city. You’re somebody that we want to protect, and we want you to get out from under what is often a life of being like a fugitive, which is really unfair.”

    I also appreciate the fact that he supported Cuomo against Pataki in the 1994 election. I happen to have been following Giuliani since 1981. There are more flip-flops in his career thn in a Havainas factory.

  • But not as many flip-flops in either of the Kerry and H. Clinton campaigns. Giuliani is no less competent and no more weaselly than most who run for president.

  • Just to be clear, no one has anything but praise for the incredible California firefighters, and those who came in to help them from out of state. They are our heroes. The issue is whether the bureaucrats gave them the tools that they wanted and needed.

    As for the matter NYFD radios, this is a true heartbreaker of an issue that will bite Giuliani in the butt bigtime should he get the nomination.

    Just to grab a random example of the reporting in the issue, here’re some clips from Salon:

    http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/03/13/swiftboat_rudy/

    The city’s firefighters were sent into the towers without the basic ability to send or receive maydays. The buck stops with Rudy, who knew that the same radios had faltered when the World Trade Center was first bombed by terrorists in 1993, the year he was elected mayor.

    [snip]

    Giuliani has also said that firefighters remained in doomed towers because they, as a breed, are wired to their bones and sinews to stand their ground. But firefighters are also part of a quasi-military chain of command and are wired to obey orders during a crisis — if they can hear them. Tellingly, Giuliani’s Republican successor, Michael Bloomberg, who took office in January 2002, had little difficulty outfitting the FDNY with reliable radios, which they now carry with them into harm’s way.

    [snip]

    “He has alienated pretty much everybody in the 8,000-member fire department — by and large, we all resent him,” said New York City Fire Capt. Michael Gala, citing the city’s response on 9/11, the very day upon which Giuliani’s presidential hopes will rise or fall. “We don’t forget. That’s the big thing — we don’t forget.” ,

    There’s a lot that can potentially sink Rudy. But nothing that is so emotionally damning as the firefighters radios.

  • I think it already is. He is now down to number three in NH and he’s a non-factor in Iowa which is now a Romney-Huckabee race. I think the last straw may be the Judith Regan lawsuit that sort of brings all the sleaze together in a very digestable package. What a threesome!

    Rudy, Judy and Bernie and lovenests at ground zero. The DAILY NEWS is loving it!

    Of course Chris “Tweety” Matthews couldn’t understand what the fuss was all about on “Soft” Ball but some of his guests clued him in. Its got to hurt that his “Manly” man has a croney problem. And Rudy vs. the Firefighters – well it ain’t a fair fight!

  • I think it’s also important to know what a micromanager Giuliani was as mayor of NYC. He mandated that crosswalks be moved on 6th Avenue in midtown. His threatening the Brooklyn Museum because he didn’t like an exhibition.

    It is incomprehensible to anyone who lived in NYC during his time in office that he would not have known about something as important as equipment for New York’s Bravest.

  • Take a poll of mayors and ask them if they are familiar with various equipment of firemen. How many could name the types of radios, understand the de-fib units, etc.? A mayor is not expected to know those details.

  • Woody,

    He knew when it became an issue and was brought up to him after the 1993 WTC bombing. He ignored the problem and lives could have been saved.

    I know what I’m talking about.

  • A point of clarification. This statement by me:

    Rudy Giuliani’s administration failed to replace radios that did not work in 1993 during the bombing of the WTC – when he ws mayor.

    was wrong, but only in this sense: Giuliani was not yet mayor when the WTC was bombed in 1993.

  • Some more background on the situation with the radios is here:

    http://tinyurl.com/37faz4

    Some key points:

    A six-month examination by The Times found that the rescuers’ ability to save themselves and others was hobbled by technical difficulties, a history of tribal feuding and management lapses that have been part of the emergency response culture in New York City and other regions for years.

    *When the firefighters needed to communicate, their radio system failed, just as it had in those same buildings eight years earlier, during the response to the 1993 bombing at the trade center. No other agency lost communications on Sept. 11 as broadly, or to such devastating effect, as the Fire Department.

    *Throughout the crisis, the two largest emergency departments, Police and Fire, barely spoke to coordinate strategy or to share intelligence about building conditions.

    *During those final minutes, most firefighters inside the north tower did not know the other building had crumbled, and how urgent it was for them to get out. Instead, dozens of firefighters were catching their breath on the 19th floor of the tower, witnesses say. Others were awaiting orders in the lobby. Still others were evacuating the disabled and the frightened.

    *To this day, the Fire Department cannot say just how many firefighters were sent into the towers, and where they died. It lost track of them, in part because some companies did not check in with chiefs. Individual firefighters jumped on overcrowded trucks, against policy. Others, ordered off the fire trucks, grabbed rides in cars.

    *The city’s intricate network of safety coverage showed signs of unraveling that morning because of the headlong rush to Lower Manhattan. Police officers left their posts, senior police officials said. A chief with the Emergency Medical Service said they had no ambulances for more than 400 calls. The region’s bridges, tunnels, and ports were drained of protection, said the chief of the Port Authority police.

    *Although Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani created the Office of Emergency Management in 1996 and spent nearly $25 million to coordinate emergency response, trade center officials said the agency had not conducted an emergency exercise there that included the Fire Department, the police and the Port Authority’s emergency staff.

    Another key point:

    More than eight years earlier, hundreds of firefighters came to the World Trade Center after terrorists tried to bomb one of the towers off its foundation. ”Communications were a serious problem from the outset,” Anthony L. Fusco, then chief of the department, had warned in a 1994 federal report on the Fire Department’s response to that attack. They had lost touch with firefighters trying to extinguish the smoldering bomb crater underground, and with others who had climbed clear to the top of the towers.

    Simply put, if Giuliani did not mandate an improvement in the equipment after the first attack – the problems with which were spelled out in a federal report when he was mayor – then he deserves every bit of criticism aimed his way as a result of said failure to take action.

  • I don’t know where else to comment on this, so….Did anyone see the final season’s episode of Weeds? It managed to incorporate not only real footage of the fires as they descended on their filming location, but managed to incorporate the fires integrally into the plot. From a writing point of view, I thought it was bold and kind of amazing. The best part, I guess, was Kevin Nealon buzzing thru the evacuation center, playing his banjo and apparently ad libbing his song, while peddling (or at least advertising for) weed.

    This was an exceedingly grim season for Nancy and the Botwin family. The producers and writers have taken what initially seemed to be a light-hearted, naughty cable comedy and have imbued it with Dostoevskian dread. Well done.

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