TX: Governor issues deadline

[owlcreekok]

An excerpt from an article published in the Houston Chronicle:

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Local county judges and mayors have less than a month to select a single operational commander to coordinate evacuations and emergency response during the Houston area's next large-scale natural disaster, Gov. Rick Perry ordered Tuesday.
The order, a result of Perry's efforts to improve upon last year's massive and troubled evacuation ahead of Hurricane Rita, seeks to better coordinate command and communications among numerous governmental agencies with often competing interests.
The county judges and mayors within each of 24 "councils of government"
in Texas must establish a command structure by April 18 and name an incident commander by April 20. (The local region, known as the Houston-Galveston Area Council, encompasses Harris and 12 surrounding
counties.)

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Without posting a long page of verbiage, this full article and other related information I have gotten through the EmComm circles, it looks as though the "leaders" are scrambling. I noted in one report that of the 130 something deaths attributed to Hurricane Rita in this area, "MOST" were a result of the evacuation.

This is a noble act on the part of Gov. Perry's office. However, the Incident Command System is not designed for a rigid selection of a Commander. What I fear is the political operatives will be friggin around trying to get their selected commander in place while the incident is unfolding. Theoretically, the ICS, by design, prevents this. Politics, inherently contradicts this.

I won't comment i this forum what I think of the political posturing I think is taking place here. I am not even going to concentrate on it. I have enough to think about with making sure me and mine are ready for a disaster and being at the ready to offer communications assistance after the fact.

tick tick tick tick (the West coast of Africa heats up) tick tick tick tick

[Da Nerd]

We dont have an evacuation plan. When you live in PARADISE you dont need one.:bow:

[Deltaten]

I've said (asked) it before, and I'll say it again...

Bring back/whatever happened to the old CD system?

Way back when; we had it covered, plugged, comm'd and secured. Hail, storm, flood, natural or man-made...it was ALL-L-L-L "good".

Talk about reinventing the wheel???

Paul

[owlcreekok]

I ain't believin' you said that, Paul ! :eek:

I was in an informal round table conversation on HF one night last year. (before Rita - Katrina) I made some comparisons to what we COULD be doing and what a LOT of folks did back when the Civil Defense practices were all the rage. One guy out of the group was old enough to have had put some of that old school practice into place. The rest were only aware of it and poo-poo-ed me as a relic. I was quickly given the short list of why THAT is "outdated". One of my retorts was something like "Since when does havin' a drink of water, a mouthful of rations and a place to take a dump get outdated?"

I try not to even refer to "off color" things on the ham bands, but those whippersnappers opened the can they damn selves . :skull:

[Deltaten]

Well, Owl;
This rung a bell,'cause they was jabberin' on the radio this a.m. 'bout inspecting the "relic" and "museum" shelters from the '60's. Seems someone's been checking the qualityof the canned water and survival crackers..
Ya can still eat 'em; and they STILL taste like s&*t! ;)


CD was a legacy of the Greatest Generation. Thos e who *knew* what could happen, and were willing to endure ridicule, privation and personal cost to keep America ready.
The *ME* generation, or it's predecessors saw to it that it was no longer necessary.

Damm'd shame,
Best,
Paul

[Fallschirmjager]

Deltaten and Owlcreekok are dead on. Many years ago I was with emergency services in our county as a communications officer. We went through Radiological Monitoring classes for radiation issues from nuke blast to nuke leaks from local power plants. It is astounding that we have fallen so far behind even 2nd world counties in terms of preparations for the civil population. Of course we have billions spent on the politician's saftey. And don't even get me started on how disposable they treat the rest of the population that isn't part of the power sturcture. We are screwed, blued, and tatooed when it comes to preparations.

The one country that has the most outstanding CD plan is Switzerland. They have a place and supplies for every citizen ! No exceptions. And we as the most influental nation on earth have diddily for the population. Switzerland has maintained their CD program and actually kept it up dated. So I say, where did my tax money go? To the politicans and their family is where. I'll tell you that if America gets bitch slapped by some terrorist group and the citizens left over should kick out every politician from their refuge and hang them from the nearest lamp post because of their disregard of the population. (figuratively speeking of course).

The Swiss have done the math and figure that the cost of maintaing shelters and supplies as opposed to rebuilding after disaster is far cheaper. So they take the most economic route. Their forsightedness has also kept them out of wars for over 700 years, along with holding the world's largest gold reserves (who wants irradiated gold bullioin?). Our 'leaders' (can't help but laugh at them) should take an entire chapter from the Swiss. But they won't. They are too busy trying to cover their backsides to do squat for those who put them in power.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

Pardon me while it take a tranqualizer so I don't stroke out. Politicians :fal:

[Da Nerd]

I lived in Switzerland for 2 years.. loved the place...too bad it is now over ran with Arabs and every other scum of the earth..