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Office of Emergency Services (OES) is a JOKE in San Francisco
I attended the Office of Emergency Services (OES) June 5, 2006 with all the SF Heads of Departments and even the Clerk of the Board - Gloria Young present. Ross Mirkarimi was there and a host of other City Attorneys and others. There were some members of the public - I remember very well Kim Crossman. I was there to give some input during Public Comment by our slick Mayor Gavin Newsom with intent saw that I could not speak. I suppose the same could be said of Kim Crossman who also wanted to speak.
The Office of Emergency Services (OES) in San Francisco is a mess. What the Public should know and be very cognizant of is the farce that is displayed when the Office of Emergency Services meets in Room 201 at City Hall to discuss Disaster Preparedness.
All the SF Heads of Departments, including the Chief of Police, the Chief of the Fire Department, the head of DPW, other City Officials sit down and listen to the diatribe of Mayor Gavin Newsom and AnneMarie Conroy and some others. In this case we had Dr. Katz trying to expalin what would happen if we had a scenerio like the Avain Flu in San Francisco.
While I do understand San Francisco should be ready for the Avian Flu we should be ready for the Big One and we are not.
I have addressed this topic before and fore most what comes to my mind is the role of the Army and the Reserves.
In previous times when ever there was a major disaster we alway had the Army on hand. The Army, the Corps of Engineers, the Reserves have the ability to work as a team and with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to deliver.
We have over 900 miles of Sewer Pipes and over 1900 miles of Clean Drinking Water all over 75 years and leaking. If the Big One strikes we will have to deal with this very serious issue.
In order to fully understand what I am saying let me explain a few fundamental and neccessary elements or factors that the City and County must have ready access to:
1. Do we have helicopters to airlift those that are injured?
2. Do we have an inventory of heavy duty equipment to lift huge obstacles?
3. Do we have in place a working communication system in the field among the rescuers?
4. Do we have in place a communication system that works among the SFFD and the SFPD?
5. Do we have in place a SOP to deal with leaking sewer pipes and clean drinking pipes?
6. Do we have hospital facilities to deal with over 60,000 who will be injured?
7. Do we have facilities to deal with over 3000 dead?
8. Do we have Point of Contacts in each neighborhood with plans and leadership?
9. Do we have sufficient people that live in the City that will be available to deal with the fiasco?
10. How many large exercises have we held with independent evaluation?
As you can see to all of the above we are NOT prepared lack critical evaluation.
Our Mayor loves Spin and the Media. At this particular meeting on the iagenda there was time for Public Comment.
The Mayor announced Public Comment but when the time came for Public Comment the way he got around it - was by making a general statement " any comments beyond this table". That statement could have meant anything.
At no time did he announce clearly - time for Public Comment.
The Mayor saw me and knew from my eye contact that I wanted to speak. I stood up and yet the Mayor continued to close this OES meeting fearing that I would address some of the above mentioned factors and expose the loop holes in the diatribe and hot air that he often participates in.
I worked for the Army and understand Emergency Operations better then those that talk the talk but cannot walk the walk.
AnnMarie Conroy knows next to nothing about Emergency Services - she was annointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom just like he loves to annoint others that are inept and ignorant on issues. She made a mess of Treasure Island and today continue to make a mess of OES.
AnnMarie is now studying at Fort Ord to address Emergency Issues and intitially was studying at tax payers money.
You do not annoint folks that are ignorant and then condone unethical actions when they study at tax payers expense to perform a job for which they have to qualified for in the first place.
Anyway Kim Crossman too wanted to speak during Public Comment and so he will file a complaint and I will join him.
We want to know why is Mayor Gavin Newsom afraid of Public Comment? We want to know if this City is really prepared for the Big One? We want to know who really has the balls to lead this City when the Big One strikes?
Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy
All the SF Heads of Departments, including the Chief of Police, the Chief of the Fire Department, the head of DPW, other City Officials sit down and listen to the diatribe of Mayor Gavin Newsom and AnneMarie Conroy and some others. In this case we had Dr. Katz trying to expalin what would happen if we had a scenerio like the Avain Flu in San Francisco.
While I do understand San Francisco should be ready for the Avian Flu we should be ready for the Big One and we are not.
I have addressed this topic before and fore most what comes to my mind is the role of the Army and the Reserves.
In previous times when ever there was a major disaster we alway had the Army on hand. The Army, the Corps of Engineers, the Reserves have the ability to work as a team and with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to deliver.
We have over 900 miles of Sewer Pipes and over 1900 miles of Clean Drinking Water all over 75 years and leaking. If the Big One strikes we will have to deal with this very serious issue.
In order to fully understand what I am saying let me explain a few fundamental and neccessary elements or factors that the City and County must have ready access to:
1. Do we have helicopters to airlift those that are injured?
2. Do we have an inventory of heavy duty equipment to lift huge obstacles?
3. Do we have in place a working communication system in the field among the rescuers?
4. Do we have in place a communication system that works among the SFFD and the SFPD?
5. Do we have in place a SOP to deal with leaking sewer pipes and clean drinking pipes?
6. Do we have hospital facilities to deal with over 60,000 who will be injured?
7. Do we have facilities to deal with over 3000 dead?
8. Do we have Point of Contacts in each neighborhood with plans and leadership?
9. Do we have sufficient people that live in the City that will be available to deal with the fiasco?
10. How many large exercises have we held with independent evaluation?
As you can see to all of the above we are NOT prepared lack critical evaluation.
Our Mayor loves Spin and the Media. At this particular meeting on the iagenda there was time for Public Comment.
The Mayor announced Public Comment but when the time came for Public Comment the way he got around it - was by making a general statement " any comments beyond this table". That statement could have meant anything.
At no time did he announce clearly - time for Public Comment.
The Mayor saw me and knew from my eye contact that I wanted to speak. I stood up and yet the Mayor continued to close this OES meeting fearing that I would address some of the above mentioned factors and expose the loop holes in the diatribe and hot air that he often participates in.
I worked for the Army and understand Emergency Operations better then those that talk the talk but cannot walk the walk.
AnnMarie Conroy knows next to nothing about Emergency Services - she was annointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom just like he loves to annoint others that are inept and ignorant on issues. She made a mess of Treasure Island and today continue to make a mess of OES.
AnnMarie is now studying at Fort Ord to address Emergency Issues and intitially was studying at tax payers money.
You do not annoint folks that are ignorant and then condone unethical actions when they study at tax payers expense to perform a job for which they have to qualified for in the first place.
Anyway Kim Crossman too wanted to speak during Public Comment and so he will file a complaint and I will join him.
We want to know why is Mayor Gavin Newsom afraid of Public Comment? We want to know if this City is really prepared for the Big One? We want to know who really has the balls to lead this City when the Big One strikes?
Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy
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