Well, I’m back. I actually have been working on 2 different pieces, but figured I better write this one, since it deals with current events and once again I was getting tired of reading post by people who have no idea what they are talking about. So, I need to say this first, before I continue writing. If you have never planned, practiced and been involved in real life emergency response, you need to shut the fuck up. Keep your fat mouth shut, read more, and only open your mouth when you want to ask a question to learn more about a subject. Then you can say anything you want.
I’ve been involved in emergency response planning, preparation and response at the school district level, State level and Federal Government level. I don’t claim to know everything, but I do know more about it than those posting on Facebook (FB) & Donald Trump. Unfortunately, the folks who have been posting inaccurate information, false statements, and basically lies, have no idea about emergency response. Yet, they find it necessary to be critics during a time when we should all be trying to help in the best way we can. But, since I know who those folks support, praise and follow, I shouldn’t expect anything else.
The one thing I learned, in all my years, that drives how I supported emergency response, and how I approach it to this day, is that all emergencies are LOCAL. I promise you every emergency responder at the Local, State & Federal level will tell you the same. What that means, is that the local authorities are responsible for emergency response in their area, IF and only IF they need additional support and ask for it, is when the larger agency support responds. I’ll explain more about this later.
When I was working for the State of Delaware, Department of Education, I was the DOEd representative to school districts and the State for emergency response. I helped school districts establish response plans, practice response drills, and respond to emergencies for a multitude of events, Ranging from natural to manmade. I also worked closely with the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), planning response to natural disasters like hurricanes and snow storms. We used schools as shelters.
There is a reason why all responses are local. You see when there is an event, everyone, and mean everyone will show up, whether you like it or not, whether you asked them to or not. The important part of emergency response planning is how you deal with all those who show up. During a school crisis, the police will show up, the fire company may show up, ambulances will show up, parents, the media and those who want to watch others (voyeurs, Schadenfreude). Your plan needs to account for all of them. School emergency response plans had different locations or places for parents, media and others. Because the more people that show up, unannounced, the more fucked up things can get. As much as you think you are trying to help, you are actually getting in the way. Not always, but in large scale emergency response, yes. This reminds me of an event about 2 ½ years ago.
I was working for a property management company as their Director of Operations. I received a call at 2:00 in the morning from our maintenance mechanic who was on on-call duty that evening. He proceeds to tell me there is a fire alarm going off in a building that we manage. I immediately call the Property Manager for that site and relay the information (knowing that if it is a real fire, then the fire company is responding). The Property Manager calls the chief custodian for the site and asks him to respond and see what the issue is. In my opinion, that is the way the information should have flowed and with the knowledge that if it was a real fire, the fire company would respond and they take charge of the event, no matter who the hell the Director of Operations is, who works for the property management company that manages the building. Unfortunately, it was a real fire, the out building did not survive, but no one was hurt or killed, and further property damage was avoided.
A few days later in a staff meeting someone asks me why I didn’t respond to the site when I received the call. I said, because ALL EMERGENCY RESPONSES ARE LOCAL. The fire company was there, the fire company was in control of the event, custodial staff was there and I did not need to gum up the flow of things. I also didn’t feel like telling the fire chief (or lead responder) who I was, for them to say great, nice to meet you, get out of the fucking way. Staying back made me more effective at providing support by scheduling personnel, equipment or contracted support from my home or the office the next day. I know, I didn’t really need to tell you all that info for me to make my point. Maybe I did.
The last position I held in the Air Force Reserve was as an Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (EPLO). I worked for Air Force National Security Emergency Preparedness (AFNSEP). Part of Air Force Northern Command (AFNORTH) and US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). The link to an explanation of AFNSEP is below. You can look up the others.
Our job as EPLOs was to coordinate DOD support to FEMA and Local/State authorities. Our operational mantra “Last in, First out”. Our job was not to take over emergency response from State/Local authorities. It was to provide support to them when requested. FEMA operates in the same manner. FEMA does not come rushing in, when there is an emergency, unless called on by State/Local authorities. FEMA will preposition personnel, supplies & equipment close enough to a potential event when they have the notice, so it reduces their response time. They do not & should not position people/equipment in the disaster area prior, because then they become part of the disaster. In the case of hurricanes, State/Local authorities have agreements with surrounding States, State National Guards, businesses & contractors in their area to respond to emergencies. Once they feel they have exhausted those resources, that is when they typically call on FEMA. There is one story I like to tell about this love/hate relationship between Federal emergency response organizations & State/Local authorities.
At the time I was the Air Force EPLO to Delaware. I had also worked emergency response with FEMA in DC. I held the rank of Colonel at the time. I was having a conversation with my counterpart in the Delaware National Guard. We were talking about the support FEMA wanted to provide in an upcoming hurricane we were tracking. I told my counterpart FEMA was preparing to send a number of tractor trailers of supplies & related equipment. I asked where he would like us to stage everything. He politely told me you can bring anything you want into Dover AFB (Federal land). He proceeded to tell me, we could then close the gate, and he would post 2 guards outside to make sure we didn’t enter his State. He said, you don’t come into my State unless I ask. So, imagine, I’m trying to make sure FEMA is ready to provide needed support (to save lives and mitigating property damage), as quickly as possible when requested, but I am also being told, we don’t need your help, and will call if we do. FEMA is in a difficult position in times of emergency response. They get blamed for not getting there fast enough (when they really want to), and they get blamed for wasted commodities that don’t get used (but needed to be pre-positioned and ready when requested). It felt like a no-win situation at times.
So many people, with no knowledge of emergency response at either the State or Federal level have been posting things on FB. Someone posted that Trump raised millions of dollars for hurricane relief. That isn’t such a great thing. Anyone can do that. And, if folks wanted to donate money to disaster relief efforts, why didn’t they do that on their own. Sounds like they can’t do anything on their own, without the direction of Donald Trump. They posted that he also worked with Elon Musk (another power grabbing shit head) to bring StarLink for cell service to destroyed areas. If Donald Trump was such a great American, why doesn’t he donate some of his own money to help victims. I mean any citizen can do that. And if Elon Musk is such a great individual, how come he didn’t donate some of his money to relief efforts. No, nope, he donates a piece of equipment that if all works out, he can make money from in the future. Oh God Bless America! By the way, where was Donald when Puerto Rico was hit with a hurricane? He didn’t donate money nor did he raise money for them. Why? Because Puerto Rico doesn’t vote for President. He didn’t care if they received the help they needed. But he had his photo op throwing paper towels to those in need. What a guy. What an ass! But he was quick to input his two cents into the disaster relief for NC & Florida. Oh, yea that’s right, they vote for president. Once again showing you that Trump only cares when it matters to Donald Trump. Why didn’t folks who support him complain when he redirected millions of dollars in funding from, and used it to build holding pens and buildings for immigrants crossing the border.
If you want to be effective and help with emergency response, then get off your ass and join an organization that does. If not, then like I said earlier, keep your fucking mouth shut, because spreading lies and misinformation hurts people and hinders true response efforts. If you want to open your mouth, then ask questions so you can learn something and be more helpful and productive in the future.