I guess some people have nothing better to do than complain

While doing my typical tour of the city, erasing graffiti and emptying bus stop garbage cans, I had something happen that totally caught me off guard.  I had someone complain to me for having my flashers on.

Since 2005, Through Pacific Partnerships, I have emptied the garbage cans at 8 of the bus stops in Pacific.  This is for the “Adopt a Stop” program that METRO has.  In exchange for this service, the City of Pacific gets about 600 one day Bus Passes each year that we distribute through the Senior and Youth programs, the Court and occasionally through police and fire.  It is a nice win/win partnership.  When I am parked on the shoulder of the road I turn my flashers on for safety.

When I do my weekly drives through town looking for graffiti, I will also turn my flashers on both when I stop, but also to signal to other drivers that I may be driving slower than normal, looking for graffiti.  Again this is for safety.

Today, believe it or not, a former City Council member actually stopped me and complained about me having my flashers on.  I guess that some people have nothing better to do than complain.

So if you happen to drive by and see me on the side of the road emptying trash or scrubbing graffiti, understand that my flashers are on for safety.

We have accomplished alot, but still have much to do

Since taking office as the Mayor of Pacific, we have accomplished many things and scored many victories however there is unfinished business I still wish to accomplish. It is because of this unfinished business that I have decided to run for another term.  It is my hope that over this next four years you will see the ground work that we have already made come to fruition.

When I first took office in January of 2004 the City of Pacific was a much different place. Our City had Millions of dollars of debt, one park and a growing crime problem that was chiefly caused by drug and gang activity.  We worked together, the city, our business community and our citizens to find a new way of getting things done.  I am proud of that accomplishment.  Now seven years later and in spite of the greatest recession in decades, our community is much stronger.  We have paid off most of that debt and adopted new policies that require the city to be fiscally responsible.  We now have dozens of smaller parks scattered throughout the community and adding to our overall quality of life.  We have taken that crime problem head on and now made the City of Pacific one of the safer communities in our nation.  We aggressively combat graffiti and gang activity.  We have a zero tolerance for drugs and aggressively pursue those who wish to manufacture or distribute in or near our city limits.  Because of actions we took in 2004 to correct the direction of this city we now have a better place to live today.  I want those corrections to continue.

I am proud of what we have accomplished in making our community better prepared for disasters. In 2004 we had a ¼ page, boilerplate emergency plan that had as much relevance to Pacific as protecting Walruses did in the BP Gulf Oil Spill program.  We now have a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan that is realistic, proactive and cutting edge.  Our new volunteer management plan that we will be adopting this spring will be state of the art in our nation and continues our philosophy of finding better ways of accomplishing the essential roles government needs to fill.  I am proud of the training that I myself have taken and the fact that this training and our actions have received national attention including a “Risk Innovator Award” from Risk and Insurance Magazine.  We are a small city, with limited resources but that does not mean we need to limit ourselves to hand me down plans and hand outs from other governments.  We can help set our own destiny.

I am proud of what we have created with Pacific Partnerships and the White River Valley Lions Club.  I have long believed that government typically looks at a community backwards.  They look at a community as a glass half empty and then try to create programs to fill that glass.  This is the philosophy that has hampered government now that costs are rising far faster than revenues.  Instead, I believe it is important to look at a community as a glass half full and if we work as Facilitators, developing and bringing together the resources and power already present in our community that glass fills itself.  This is exactly what has happened with Pacific Partnerships and the WRV Lions.  One of the best things I have ever accomplished as Mayor was to help with the birth of these great organizations and then get out of the way to let them do their jobs.  To be honest, if I had not gotten out of the way, I would most likely have foot prints running up and down my back as they have far surpassed anything I would have imagined at the beginning.  I believe you empower citizens and business to make positive change in your community and you do not interfere with their ability to do so.

We still have unfinished business though.  Over this next year we will be looking at including the option of building Mixed Use in some of our current Highway Commercial zoned areas.  In these tough economic times it is critical that we develop every tool we can to help attract good businesses and good jobs to our area.  With Mixed Use we not only will address the need of safe and affordable housing but we will attract new retail and keep some of the sales tax we are currently spending in our own city.  This goes back to my goal of 70% of our revenues should be provided by attracting more business. This takes the pressure off of local property taxes.  It also makes our city more self sufficient and secure.

We have unfinished business in finding long term solutions to flooding in and around the White River.  Although we will never return to the days of wholesale dredging and mining of the gravel, we can create maintenance programs that at least help keep the problems from getting worse.  Over this past year, recommendations coming from the Executive Task Force working in Pierce County include realistic maintenance and removal of excessive gravel bars and debris.  We can work with nature, improve salmon habitat and make our rivers safer for our valley communities.

I talked about the cutting edge volunteer plan that we are proposing this year.  Included in this plan will be creating training and exercise programs for not just city staff and responders, but also volunteers including our businesses.  We are creating a tiered system of volunteers that will create documented training programs for citizens to take leadership in their community during times of disaster.  In keeping with our philosophy of empowerment of citizens and business this too will be largely managed by partnering between all sectors of our community.

I am excited about our future.  Just as I am proud of how far we have come over these past few years, we are just getting started.  In terms of population the City of Pacific is the 99^th largest city in the State of Washington.  In terms of what our

New Years .... Time to reflect and resolve

As we get ready for the start of the New Year it is important to look back on the past year and reflect.  To look at the accomplishments you have made and to look at those issues you have regrets about. The New Year’s is a time to set aside old wounds, make amends and start fresh with new challenges and goals.  2010 was a year of both growth and of failure.  For 2011, I make it one of my resolutions to continue the growth and to work to change the failures into accomplishments.

I am proud of what I have accomplished in both emergency management and in teaching.  Continuing the Master Trainer Program at EMI, I have made a lot of progress on a class that I am writing. FEMA has paid for me to fly to EMI in Maryland to learn how to write training programs for Emergency Management.  I am using this training to write a class to teach other small town elected officials how to develop EM programs for their jurisdictions.  I see this as one of the big gaps we have in our nation’s overall preparedness and who better to write the program than someone who has been there.  In addition what I have brought back to our city has been invaluable.  First it has moved us forward in our own Emergency Operations planning and second it has qualified us for Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funds.  We are currently contracting with a consultant, using EMPG funds, to write our “Volunteer / Emergency Worker Plan” to be adopted with our next round of updates to our CEMP (Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan).  Although this has cost me over $35,000 to date in lost wages, as I plan on continuing in Emergency Management after I retire as an Electrician and Elected Official I look at this as an investment in my future. Over this past year, DHS also flew me to Alabama to attend school in Weapons of Mass Destruction awareness and to earn my Instructor Training Certificate.  FEMA and DHS fund various training programs around the country known as the training consortium.  (http://training.dps.mo.gov/trainingwebsite.nsf/LinksView/A87440DDFF5D4CB9862574F900080E11?Opendocument )

I have taken advantage of these programs to improve our city’s capabilities in planning for, responding to, recovering from and mitigating against disasters. Since taking office as Mayor in 2004, I have completed 10 weeklong programs at EMI and 4 at the CDP.  I have classes already scheduled for next year at EMI and TEEX.  I have also submitted bids to teach 3 classes at EMI.  In addition I have taken multiple online programs including AWR 160 (WMD Standard Awareness) from CTOS, WMD AWR 201 (Introduction to SNS and Mass Prophylaxis) and WMD PER303 (Emergency Management) from TEEX; four courses from Louisiana State University’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training – Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education, 276 - Prevention and Deterrence of Terrorist Acts: An Overview for All Disciplines, 615 - Disaster Mental Health Considerations During a Weapons of Mass Destruction/Terrorist Incident, 275 - Law Enforcement Prevention and Deterrence of Terrorist Acts, 610 - Foundational Awareness of WMD/Terrorism.  In 2011 I will also be taking classes from American Military University to complete my Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management.  I enrolled in 2010 but was unable to attend classes due to finances.

So what are the issues I wish to make amends for? As Mayor, one thing I have discovered there will always be someone who gets upset, feels slighted by or otherwise dislikes your actions.  This year there are three that I want to clear up and see resolved in 2011.

First is the ongoing tension between a local business owner and myself. Although this person has made claims that the city is picking on him and/or that I am out to get him for supporting my opponent in 2008, I want to state here and now “I have nothing against this person or his businesses”.  If he was to walk in my office today, he will be given the same consideration as any other person.  Although we may have differences on permitted land use issues (As Mayor, I have to support the law), I would love to settle our differences in 2011 and move on.

Second, is the ongoing feud between the City and the former 501 C 3 that worked with our Community Service programs.  I do not wish anyone involved ill will nor do I wish to see anyone feel they are not welcome to come to our centers.  I would like to see this issue settled and put behind us and will always be open to sitting down and talking.

Finally is the tension between the city and its bargaining unit members (Unionized Employees).  I know we will not always see eye to eye on issues.  I know that some of you feel the city has been less than truthful with you. But I would like for you to look at this from a different perspective for a minute.

As Mayor, I must protect the interest of the city at all times.  This means being fiscally responsible, making sacrifices and sometimes making tough choices.  Our City, like the rest of the nation has just gone through one of the toughest economic times in history.  Many jurisdictions, similar in size and revenues as Pacific saw drastic cuts, some as much as 60%.  We cut 20%, partially because you were willing to work with us.  When I took office in 2004 we had little carry over in revenues, a lot of debt and some of the lowest paid Police Officers in the State of Washington.  I asked you to work with me and together we turned this city around.  By 2006 we had built the general fund reserves back to what is considered sound (2-3 months); both bargaining units received new contracts with competitive wages, and we were looking forward to a bright future and a strong economy.  This past few years has been anything but a strong economy or a bright future.  Those reserves are all but gone now as we juggled the budget around to keep from having to lay off any of our employees.  As those reserves dwindled, so did some of the trust we had between us.

This is what my plan is over this next year both fiscally and to rebuild that trust.  We will hold quarterly Labor / Management meetings where we will include discussions over where the city is financially.  Things are getting better, but our first priority is to rebuild that reserve that cushioned us from this past recession.  This is not just something we want but is required as sound fiscal management and by law.  I will also make myself available to meet as a group at your meetings to answer questions and to start building that trust back.  And as always my door is open at any time if you wish to talk.

How to live Christmas All Year Long

I had a great time on Black Friday spending some quality time with good friends doing something that really put me in the holiday spirit, waving a sign, holding a fire boot and collecting money for Jerry’s Kids.  I spent a few hours out with members of the Valley Professional Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 1352 on a “Fill the Boot for MDA” drive.  This is the second I have participated in this year. It never ceases to amaze me the spirit of our citizens in giving to a worthy cause. 

While standing out there I came to a realization of why I was having so much fun.  It was because I was doing something, not for my benefit, but to help others who need it.  Now I do a lot of volunteer work.  I also do a lot of other work behind the scenes, but I never really thought about why it is so important to me.  Because doing this type of volunteer work allows me to enjoy the Christmas Spirit all year long.

I have always lived by the biblical adage “As you do to the least of my children, you do to me also”.  I have always accepted that as a personal responsibility for me to keep.  Over the years I have supported many groups with my labor and donated thousands of hours. But the joy I get from knowing I helped make someone’s life better has made it more than worthwhile.  It allows me to celebrate Christmas All Year Long.

I believe this is what also drives me as Mayor.  I know our government can do better in meeting the needs of our community.  Not that government needs to provide those services, but they do need to help facilitate and develop the resources and then get out of the way.  I love working with Pacific Partnerships, and the Lions, or Veterans Groups or any other group whose goal is to make the lives of those they serve better.  And together it is amazing what we get done.

Politics and a Revised Pledge to te Voters

At every level of government, citizens have shown they are tired of the “Politics as Usual”, yet more of the same seems to be all we get.  At the Federal level one party claims to have a mandate by the election two weeks ago as the other party looks stunned and confused as to why they lost control of the House.  Neither party understands what the voters of this nation really said.  They are tired of the shouting and discord that has dominated political and governmental commentary.  They are fed up with both sides saying they are going to turn this nation around and wisely spend our tax dollars.  They fact is it is not this Nation that needs to turn around, it is the attitude of our elected leaders.  And that is at all levels.

When I first ran for Mayor, I promised the citizens of this city that I would put an end to the small town politics that has haunted this city in the past.  As hard as I may have tried this latest blow up between the City of Pacific’s Community Services Program and the 501 c 3 non profit board that used to be a part of it got me caught up in those old politics.  For this I apologize to our voters.  Although I was acting in what I saw was the best interest of the city, I did not do a good job of managing the situation without it slipping into a battle of egos.  As we move on from this issue, I will attempt to always do better.

After the election in 2007, I was convinced that I would not be seeking a third term as Mayor.  Although I love the governance and providing service to our citizens, I was worn out from the politics of it.  Since that time the politics of it only has appeared to get worse.  A month ago I was informed that the same person who had financed my opponent’s campaign in 2007 had recruited a Council member to run against me in 2011.  I was also informed that this person was willing to invest whatever it took to get me out of office.  I know that he had invested tens of thousands into the last race.  From all appearances, the Mayor’s race for 2011 may end up dirtier and more costly than ever before in history.  All because a certain business owner is not getting his way in the city ignoring his violations of zoning and the law.  As much as I hate the “Politics of it all” I am not willing to let this person buy the Mayor’s office.

I have gone back and forth over the last few years as to if I would run again or not.  Originally my plan was to hold office for a few years as Mayor and move on to higher office.  But with a growing disenchantment in partisan politics and my growing interest in emergency preparedness I changed my mind.  I now see my future in helping prepare this city, this state and this nation to face disaster, respond and recover quickly and be stronger because of it.  I believe that this is my ultimate calling.  But I have work to do here in Pacific still.

If I was to leave office at the end of this term, I would most likely split my time between teaching emergency management and my regular job as an electrician.  In a few years I plan on retiring after 25 years in the trade and most likely move on to teaching full time.  I could do this while staying in office or not.  But we would lose some ground in the meantime.

Because of the training I have received from FEMA, the courses I am still taking and my position on the Washington State Emergency Management Council our City has remained in the focus of King County, the State and the Army Corps of Engineers for providing both short term and long term mitigation for the flooding of 2009.  We are actively working regionally in both King and Pierce County on long term mitigation for flooding of the White River. If I were to not run for reelection we would lose some of that clout and the position on the EMC.   Although I would get many of my evenings back, our city would lose some of our momentum in preparedness.

I believe we could also go backwards in Economic Development.  As we emerge from this recession, we have many new businesses now moving into Pacific. We are seen as a progressive city that is willing to find solutions rather than obstacles.  That is with the exception of turning a blind eye to businesses breaking the law.  When I first took office we were near collapse economically.  We had massive debt and no reserves to cover our day to day cost.  Under my watch we paid off debt, built a reserve fund of almost $800,000 and were moving forward when the downturn in our economy hit.  Although we have used most of our reserves, we kept the city going without mortgaging our future with new debt.  Keeping with sound fiscal policy, we should recover over this next year stronger than ever.

After looking at the prospect of a harsh campaign in 2011, what our city might lose and what I hope our city can achieve I have decided that I will run for reelection in November 2011.  I will make a more formal announcment in December. I know this may mean a nasty campaign will be waged against me but I feel the voters deserve someone who will stand above that.  As I promised the voters before, I will stand above the small town pettiness that has plagued this city in the past.  I wish my opponent and his financer well, but I will not stoop to dirty campaigning, no matter how much they throw at me.  I promise instead to talk about solutions, to talk about our future and what we can accomplish and most of all I will talk about Pacific being a government that actually does listen to and understand what the voters are saying.

"We want a government that is lean, effective and accountable to the people".

All I will say as to how we have been treated by politicians at other levels is

“ We deserve better!”

Hope for our Nation

For the first time in 25 years I was out of town on Election Day.  And being out of town I had the opportunity to see a completely different side of what is important for our nation and what is not.

First, I should say that I was not at all surprised by election night.  I expected the GOP to make gains in both the House and the Senate and about the only think that I did not see was the GOP taking 64 seats.  I expected them to gain about 40.  As many people I talked to in San Antonio agreed, the Democrats over this past few years had not tried to govern, but to push an agenda regardless of what the public wanted or what the consequence might be.  But a word of warning to those on the Right, I do not see anything different from the GOP.  Anouther item that was agreed upon, this was not a mandate against the Democrats or for the GOP.  It was a Mandate that the public is tired of politics and wants you to just do your jobs.

But to get back to what I see as Hope for our Nation.  I was out of town attending the International Association of Emergency Managers. I had the opportunity to meet with and talk to some of the brightest minds in America concerning Emergency Management and see some of the great new applications of technology to improve overall public safety in our nation.  When you put politics aside, America still has some of the most dedicated and talented professionals in the world.  Not one person attending was in it for themselves.  Everyone there was talking about how they could contribute to making our country stronger.  Maybe Congress should learn a bit from emergency managers.  Do more with what we have, provide better service to our customers and get the job done.  America deserves that.

Tired of coworkers who lack integrity

I am proud to be a union member and proud to be an electrician by trade.  But when I am hired by an employer to do a job, I believe it is my duty to perform that job to the best of my ability.  It makes me sick to see anyone milking the system or doing “just enough to get by”.  That puts more pressure on the rest of us.

I am currently working on a very high pressure / many hours of overtime project at Seatac Airport.  We are working 7 days a week and each week I have worked over 60 hours.  The crew I am on has some very good wiremen and a few that well let me say are in it only for the money.  In fact, when one of them made a statement that he was there on overtime and that no one was there to direct him what to do.  I told him that he should just go home, but he would rather just sit around and collect the money.  The day prior, three of my coworkers were caught sitting around (on Double Time) for over 3 hours.  The one fact that they did not count on is that at the airport it is almost certain that someone will have it on video camera.  Sure enough TSA did.

I am all for making money and this is a job to make lots of money on.  Because of the time crunch they manned this job up (27 workers) and we have been working 7 days a week.  But if an employer cannot count on you having the integrity to at least give them an honest day’s work then I have little use for you.  There are plenty of good wiremen still in the hall that would jump at the opportunity to work the job that some people just want to milk.

My message for those workers who I am talking about is this.  I have no use for you or for your lack of integrity.  You give our union a bad name by your actions and you increase the workload on your brothers and sisters.  If that is the best you can do it is time you quit and found another line of work.  I do not want you on my job site, I do not want you in my union.

Putting public interest and trust first.

Over this past month, to examples that stress the importance of doing things right have come up.  Unfortunately in both examples, controversy has erupted because of the city’s insistence on others following the law and in one case their own procedures.

The first issue involves the Pacific Algona Community Services Non Profit Board.  This board was created in 2006 to work with both cities to improve services provide to both our seniors and our youth.  They formed under the laws of the State of Washington and the IRS as a 501 C3 nonprofit and created bylaws to govern their actions.  Over this past year certain issues have been brought to the attention of the city that created concern.  Among these issues were gifting $500 to a City of Pacific Employee (This gift was reported to have been returned after this was brought up), use of funds raised for programs to pay for the education of a board member’s family to write grants (at a cost above what it would cost otherwise) , not  conducting annual audits, not keeping records up to date (both issues required by their own bylaws) and then the two most recent issues, the President of the Board submitting a Change of Address to the Post Office (in violation of the bylaws) and moving the location of a meeting to prevent certain members of the community from attending (a violation of the Open Public Meetings Act).

The City of Pacific has no interest in micromanaging this organization nor interfering with its operations.  We do have the need however that it follow the laws and procedures it is legally required to follow.  When it is out of compliance with those laws we must take appropriate action.  Personally It is my hope that the board sees the issues that have caused concern and make the appropriate corrections.  If it does not then as Mayor it is my duty to protect the interest of the City and the integrity of the community services programs and sever our ties.

The second issue involves a local business, enforcement action by the city and actions of a few council members.  The City of Pacific has current enforcement action against a local business that is conducting certain activities that are outside of its current permitted use. (The reason I say current permitted use is because a conditional use permit is currently being processed by the City).  This business was warned a number of times against this activity, was cited by the city and found guilty of violations in a court of law.  This business still conducts some of this activity on a regular basis in continued violation.  The City has documented many of these instances and will forward them to the Court for determination. But this is not where my concerns were really raised.

Last weekend, the owner of this business met with or attempted to contact individual members of the City Council.  Some of those members of the City Council then attempted to make changes to an ordinance concerning land use that would benefit this owner. These changes would have changed allowed use in zoning and constitute a land use action.  Although these attempts failed, they may be a violation of the “Appearance of Fairness Doctrine” and constitute Ex Parte Communications, both violations of the law.

The city has no wish to harass any business or group.  We wish all of our businesses well and desire to see them be successful.  However, we must follow the laws and guidelines that govern our society.  To not follow that spirit is a violation of the trust to our citizens.  People can complain all they want, I will always put the public trust first.

neighborhood BBQ's

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending an impromptu neighborhood barbeque at Beaver Meadows.  One of the residents went door to door yesterday, invited the neighbors for a get to know each other event and then invited me to attend as well. Beaver Meadows is a sub division that is still under construction and contains Pacific’s newest residents.  I appreciated the invite (and the Brats) and enjoyed meeting these new citizens to our city.

One thing on the invite though that I need to comment on.  Mike, the resident who invited me included the following in his e-mail, “This was planned just as an opportunity for all of us to meet each other. No agenda, no ambush for you, but thought you might like the chance to press the flesh a little.”  I appreciated his candor, but I believe that any elected official who is afraid of meeting with his (or her) citizens probably should not be in office.  Although I will admit things do not always go the way I would like them to be, I have no problem standing behind decisions I have made or actions I have taken.

I would love to see more citizens have these little informal gatherings.  It is a great way to meet your neighbors and find issues that you might all have in common.  Inviting elected officials to them is also a great idea as it provides a bit more of a one on one opportunity for neighbors to voice concerns and for electeds to see firsthand the issues that citizens need addressed.

Why Adam Smith has earned my support

It is easy to sit in an office or sit back in Washington DC and tell people what they want to hear. But it is another thing to look a person in the eye, tell them that you understand their issue and that you will do everything you can to meet there concerns.  Adam Smith did that following the flood of 1001 homes and 15 businesses in the City of Pacific in January 2009.

Adam came to Pacific in person and walked the flooded area talking to its victims.  He dedicated staff members to work with the city and these victims to help them through the FEMA process and other needs.  But it did not stop there. 

Understanding that it will take years for mitigation projects to be finished he worked with the Corps of Engineers and others to secure temporary flood protection by means of a HESCO wall from our City Park to the County Line. He heard the fears of families and children that this flooding might happen again before more permanent fixes could be made.

So why do I support Adam Smith for reelection to Congress, because when it mattered most, Adam came to my city, listened to our citizens fears and needs and then found a way to get the job done.

A very tough budget year.

This is by far the most difficult budget I have had to produce yet.  Even with expenses cut down to bare bones, we still have additional cuts to make for the 2011 budget. This year’s revenue forecast is almost $400,000 less than 2010.  To balance the budget it will take a combination of reductions in hours for some staff members, furlough days and still a strong possibility of layoffs.  The problem is that these cuts will also impact efficiency.

Since taking office I have stressed conservative spending and sound financial practices in our city.  I understand in times like these, no one has the ability to absorb more taxation.  I have long believed the best way to increase revenues generated in our city is to attract new businesses and to help our existing businesses do better. These principles helped us pay of millions of dollars in debt and to build a reserve fund that has sustained us these past two years.  But those reserves are now to low to be of help.

I see positive signs our economy is turning around.  New businesses are looking to locate here; other businesses are tooling up preparing for new opportunities. Being in construction myself, I have seen many of these changes occurring over this past month as construction companies are again hiring and new permits are being issued.  I have little doubt that if we make it through this budget cycle we will see improvement over this next year.

Last July, many of Pacific’s residents participated in an online survey that helped the City insure our priorities were consistent with yours.  As much as possible we will use those priorities, while keeping an eye on what our city will need as we recover from this recession.  If we make a cut today that saves us a dollar, yet cost us $5 next year then we continue to slide backwards instead of progressing. 

I will be submitting my recommendations and my proposed budget on Monday October 18^th at the Pacific City Council meeting. It will not be pretty.  It will be painful. But it will represent what I see as the best options for the city to emerge stronger as our economy recovers.

COBRA Training Facility

Some people may wonder why a person would voluntarily dress out in a Type C Chemical Suit and go into a room filled with Gx (aka Sarin Nerve Gas). For me, it was to better understand what our responders might face in having to deal with a CBRNE attack.

I recently traveled to the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston Alabama for what is known as TERT or Technical Emergency Response Training for CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive) events.  This was my third trip to the CDP and my second to include time in the COBRAtf (Chemical Ordinance, Biological, and Radiological training facility) Although this is something I will never need to suit up and respond for, it has given me a better understanding of what our responders face.

We may never again see a Terrorist attack such as we saw on September 11^th 2001.  I believe we will always be in danger of attack, but there are many other weaknesses our Nation has that terrorist can exploit.  To prepare our Nation, we must prepare our cities to respond to, recover from and mitgate against all types of disaster.  That includes CBRNE attacks from Domestic or International Terrorist.  Even the small City of Pacific has many vulnerabilities that could impact our City and citizens.  We must take appropriate steps to prepare for and defend against these types of attacks.

As I previously stated, I have some background in CBRNE events from other classes I have taken.  However day one consisted of 10 hours of lecture aka “Death by PowerPoint.” All aspects of the threat were discussed as well as the impacts each type of weapon could have on a community.  Also discussed was the impact on the responder including stress management and the impact on the family.  Some of this information was review from other classes, but it never hurts to go back over so you don’t forget important points.  Day two and three were more hands on although they still made for long days. But Day two starts with a blood test.

Days two and three were what the CDP calls Lanes training.  There are four areas or lanes that responders must train in; operations and decon in a contaminated environment, survey and monitoring of contaminants, triage of victims and recognition of devices.  My first morning was spent suiting up in a Tyvec suit, using SCBA (self contained air) and performing cut out and gross decon of victims.  Although this was a simulation, the stress and the heat build up inside the suit is real.  We then downgraded to what is known as Type C protection in which we replace the Air tank with an air purifying respirator.  We then went through what is known as Technical Decon that is to remove any contamination the responder may have received treating victims inside the hot or warm zones.  As the temperature that day was a record 98 degrees, spending an hour and ½ in these suits was torture. But at least we were the first group to go through it; later groups got most of the heat.  That afternoon we again dressed out in type C to practice survey and monitoring of both victims and the incident scene.  We practiced on utilizing many different electronic monitors as well as M256A1 kits and M8 paper.  By this time though I was getting use to the heat of the protective suits.   

The third day we did not have to dress out.  The first part was on the rapid assessment of an incident site and triage of victims.  As operation inside of a contaminated area is time limited, responders must be able to quickly and accurately sort and remove viable victims from the scene and get them into the hands of medical personnel. That afternoon was what many of the students call Mad Bomber 101.  We got the opportunity to learn about IEDs, how they are used and how difficult they can be to spot.  We then went into two different mock scenarios with fake bombs and booby traps.  Each device used was a non functioning copy of real explosives used in terrorist and criminal cases in the US.  I left both impressed and concerned at how creative someone can be in creating an IED.

The last day was putting it all together for real.  The COBRAtf, left over from the Fort McClellan Chemical Depot days, is the only toxic agent facility in the US that is available for Civilian use.  As this is where all of our old Chemical Munitions have been sent for incineration as well as holding the live agent facility you can imagine this place has very tight security.  Leaving our dorm area at 5:45 am we made it to the training facility. 3 ID checks later, along with 2 locked gates a host of armed guards and a metal detector we made it into the COBRA classroom for orientation and a safety briefing. Following the first of our medical checks we started assembling our gear.  As everything that enters the Toxic area stays in the toxic area they issue a complete change of clothing along with all of the gear for both the outdoor and indoor exercises.

We start out dressing in Type B gear (Tyvec Suit and SCBA) and participating in what is called the Northville Exercise.  The Scenario is that Terrorist have attacked and derailed a train carrying multiple cars containing chemicals. An large area is contaminated and multiple victims with direct injuries from the derailment to those only effected by Cx (Phosgene Gas).  My job was to transport those victims from the edge of the hot zone, cut off all clothing and run them through Gross Decon.  A second crew then took those victims, ran them through a decontamination line and transported them to medical help in the cold zone.  As this is a terrorist event, we also need to deal with evidence preservation and maintain chain of custody for all evidence including the clothing we cut off. 

After taking a short break, we downgraded to Type C PPE’s and continued our day doing survey and monitoring.  After going through Decon we left Northville hot and tired and made it back into the dressing room.  Next we changed into a Charcoal lined Chemical suit (often called a marshmallow suit) and prepared to go into the toxic agent facility.  Now the first rule of the facility is that nothing is left to chance.  Everything is checked, double checked and then tested again just to be sure.  Where OSHA requires a fit test of 50 on a mask/respirator,  COBRAtf requires a fit test of over 3000.  My particular mask finished with a fit of over 25,000. Every piece of clothing is designed for a tight fit so once inside the toxic facility; participants can feel secure that they will be insulated from any toxic agent.  For one final check we step into a room where we are check one last time using Banana Oil.  This vary fragrant substance will find any gap in our mask and let us know if we have any leaks. Finally we are ready to go inside.

The COBRAtf is broken into 7 smaller rooms, all coming off a common area.  Before moving into any portion of the facility, Operations is called and permission is granted to enter into one of the rooms.  In the first room we enter what looks to be a loading dock or industrial facility.  Under the close watch of instructors, a small amount of a substance is placed onto chilled plates and our adventure begins.  First using M-8 paper and our M256 kits we perform initial test to determine the substance. Initial reports test positive for a G type Nerve Gas and it is noted that Gb is present not only in liquid form on the dish, but also in gas form in the air.  The M256 kits are placed on the outside walls of the room and left to work through the process.  Other testing equipment is then used to test the samples and it is proven that Sarin Gas (Gb) is present.  The M256 kits also confirm the results.  Each dish is then neutralized using bleach.  Prior to leaving this room each person decontaminates their gloves and is given a quick eye test to check for possible exposure. (One of the initial symptoms of exposure is pin pointing of the pupils).

After receiving permission to travel into the second room we enter a much different type layout. This room is a simulation of a homemade lab for the manufacture of chemical weapons.  As the agent is applied we discover with our testing that the toxic agent is Vx, , however this substance is more persistent and does not off gas so the only positive sampling we received is from close contact of monitoring and the M8 paper.  Between the two rooms, it was shown why multiple forms of testing are required to accurately determine what you are dealing with.

The final room we entered inside the toxic facility is a simulation of an incident on main street USA.  In this simulation multiple victims are down, a responder vehicle is included and to top it all off multiple Pipe bombs or IEDs were dispersed to get additional victims.  We had to quickly size up the scene, evacuate victims and plan our initial response.  Sirens, shouts and other noise added to the reality of the situation.

One part of this whole experience that I was impressed with was the procedures that were maintained to ensure our safety.  Going through Decontamination from exposure to live agent is no different.  Being careful to not transfer any contamination we work in teams to unhook and remove our gear.  First to unhook, unzip and untie our coats which are passed on to a safety team.  Then unhook our heavy bunker gear type pants and prepare to remove our pants and boots at the same time.  As we remove these items we carefully turn our body so that no part of our body touches anything or anyone that is in the contamination area.  We then remove our gloves with the help of our safety team and separate into male and female decon areas. (In my group there were 6 men and 4 ladies plus a male and female instructor).  Hear we removed our shorts and socks leaving our t-shirts and mask as the only things we still have on.  Pulling our arms out of the sleeves and then removing the mask using our t-shirts we exit to what is erroneously called the Hot Shower.  This shower contains the coldest water they could get directly off a Siberian glacier.  This cold water is to quickly close all of your pores to prevent any residual contamination from being able to soak into your skin.  Luckily the next stop is a traditional warm shower where you can warm back up.

After dressing back into our street clothes we gather back together for a debrief and to receive our COBRA pins.  As this is my second time through this facility this year (I attended an Incident Command Course that included a trip through COBRA) I received a special Cobra pin signifying I have been in more than once.  Following the final medical exam we prepared to come back home.  Our final step was a 5 am blood test to verify we did not get exposed and off to the airport.

Since Fort McClellan was closed and the facility transferred to DHS, more than 70,000 people have entered the Toxic facility.  Out of those 70,000 trips not one accident has occurred.  I am just glad that my group did not break that record.  I know I will attend more classes at the CDP as they are 100% funded by DHS.  I most likely will enter the COBRA facility again as well. As long as I continue to learn things that I can bring back to our area to improve our planning and preparedness I have no problem with the training.  And I have gained a lot of experience to better protect my city and our citizens.

Budget Cuts

How do you make large cuts in an already tight budget?  You do it by taking little steps, by doing the little things that individually might not seem like a lot of money, by transferring some of the load off of the general fund and by making strategic investments.  Although we are seeing many positive signs that our economy is turning around, at least in our city, we are not there yet. We need to maintain fiscal responsibility and be 100 percent accountable to how we spend your tax dollars. I believe that at least from my position, the City of Pacific is attempting to do that.

I have stated before that I look at this recession as more than a time of cutting back and tight budgets.  I look at this as an opportunity for our city to position itself to take advantage of our recovery.  We need to be creative in keeping our city moving forward in a positive direction, but do so without large tax increases. We need to not only keep our infrastructure from falling apart, but make strategic investments that provide additional benefits for our future.  The investment we made last year of extending lines down West Valley Highway is now starting to pay dividends as we are seeing new businesses start the process of locating there.  The investment we made then, on something that needed to be done anyway will now generate new revenues that will quickly exceed what we spent.

We also have issues where we need to make investment to keep infrastructure from falling apart.  A road project recently rejected by your City Council is an example of that.  This proposal included the shifting some of the burden for road repairs over to utility accounts that have had impact on the road condition (IE: A water or sewer line break has caused partial failure of a road or repairs have resulted in only a patch repair.) It also included an investment of approximately $100.000 that would be in the form of an Interfund loan from utilities to pay for the balance of some critical repairs.  This Interfund loan would be made in place of borrowing the money from the revolving trust account that would otherwise fund these types of repairs.  It was decided in 2005 that it made more sense to loan ourselves the money instead of paying the interest back to other interest outside our city.  It should also be clear that this is not an Interfund loan used to just balance the budget, a practice I fought hard to stop when I first took office.

Council voted this down at an extended meeting on September 20^th.  I expect this measure to be brought back at tomorrow night’s meeting and I want any Council member who votes against this tell our citizens how it can be done better.  To not make these repairs is not an option.  One of the areas that would be included is the road directly in front of our Fire Station. If the road fails here does it only affect those who use 3^rd ave or does it impact our entire city?  Tune in tomorrow night to find out what your council decides to do.

This next month I will be presenting my proposed budget for 2011.  This budget will be built on current revenue forecast, a slight increase in taxes (1% increase in total property tax value is allowed under State Law) and will be the tightest budget I have had to produce.  Its balance will reflect the priorities that citizens developed with the survey in July and will include creative ways of keeping important programs from collapsing.  It will also, as all of my previous budget proposals have been, be 100% accountable to the citizens of this city.  We will have to see how the political dynamics on our council comes up with as alternatives.

Should we have Firearms Safety Education in our Schools?

Every time there is a tragic accidental shooting, it can be certain that the debate over gun rights and gun safety will reemerge. The latest shootings triggered another debate, at least on KOMO radio’s “the Commentators”.   Should Gun Safety be taught in the schools?

The National Rifle Association does have a decent program that is aimed at younger children.  The Eddie Eagle safety program teaches children in pre-K through third grade four important steps to take if they find a gun. These steps are presented by the program's mascot, Eddie Eagle^®, in an easy-to-remember format consisting of the following simple rules:

If you see a gun:

STOP!
Don't Touch.
Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult.

The purpose of the Eddie Eagle Program isn't to teach whether guns are good or bad, but rather to promote the protection and safety of children. The program makes no value judgments about firearms, and no firearms are ever used in the program. Like swimming pools, electrical outlets, matchbooks and household poison, they're treated simply as a fact of everyday life. With firearms found in about half of all American households, it's a stance that makes sense.
Eddie Eagle is never shown touching a firearm, and he does not promote firearm ownership or use. The program prohibits the use of Eddie Eagle mascots anywhere that guns are present. The Eddie Eagle Program has no agenda other than accident prevention -- ensuring that children stay safe should they encounter a gun. The program never mentions the NRA. Nor does it encourage children to buy guns or to become NRA members. The NRA does not receive any appropriations from Congress, nor is it a trade organization. It is not affiliated with any firearm or ammunition manufacturers or with any businesses that deal in guns and ammunition.
But is that the answer?

I grew up in a time where this question would not have even come up.  I grew up in a time when many of our Nation’s high schools not only had discussions on Firearms Safety, but had a rifle team that shot competition matches and was a lettering sport.  When I was 8 years old I took and passed the National Rifle Association Firearms Safety Course that was required of all hunters.  As my father was the coach for the Wilson High School Rifle Team, I was exposed to firearms relatively early.  I would go shoot with the Wilson High Team on Saturday mornings upstairs at the old Point Defiance Boathouse. I quickly became a marksman with small bore rifles.
Saturday was not my only day to go shooting.  I joined the McCord Sportsmen Rifle Club which had practice on Tuesday and Thursday and the Fort Lewis Rod and Gun Club which practiced on Wednesday. By age 14, I was a seasoned competitor in match competition and had earned the rank of Distinguished Expert, which required the ability to, on a regular basis shoot a near perfect score. 
I bring this up for a point.  I grew up around firearms and even had my target rifle stored under my bed.  I often had over 5000 rounds of 22 ammo (since that is how we purchased it) also stored nearby.  I knew the danger of firearms and that they were not toys.  There was never any thought of accidental shootings and gun storage.
Somewhere in the mid 70’s it seemed many of the Tacoma schools dropped their rifle teams.  I heard a rumor (since I had moved to California by this time) that the debate centered on these rifle teams were teaching our children about guns and was too militaristic. I do not know if that is true, but I have heard similar statements from many different people.  I spent more than 8 years involved in competition and rifle clubs and did not seem to grow up too out of control.  I also choose to look at other options than the military, so it did not seem to indoctrinate me.
I believe that our children today are constantly exposed to guns, but not always in a healthy way.  Video games, television and exposure to violence all teach our children something about guns.  But the debate is whether we should teach simple gun safety in schools?  I would think that this is the first thing we would do is to try to counter all of the hype and misinformation children gather from video games and movies. I would even take it a step further and bring back the rifle teams.  In all of my years, I have never heard of a member of a youth rifle team accidently shooting anyone.  We know that rifle was a toll for us to use and compete with, not a toy and not something to carelessly handle.

Tax Cuts, The Economy and political games

I had an interesting conversation with a person that, well let’s say, is far more conservative than I am.  He was commenting on how President Obama had destroyed our economy and how Republicans (and by that he means Tea Party Republicans) were going to take over and reverse everything that President Obama and Congress has done.  All I am going to say about that is let’s pray that does not happen.

Now I do not mean that everything is perfect or that Democrats have displayed great leadership.  I believe that Democrats have made as many mistakes trying to get us out of this mess as both sides made in getting us into it. I do not claim to be an expert at economic theory or how to restore our economy, but there are many ideas that would have done a better job.

First, neither President Obama’s actions nor those of Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid got us into this mess.  This mess was caused by greed, by poor regulatory oversight and by inaction by both President Bush and by Congress.  It cannot be blamed on Republicans or Democrats, each must take equal responsibility.   Forest Gump could have told you that selling a $400,000 home to someone working part time at 7-11 was not a good business practice.  The deregulation of the market that allowed those contracts to be sold and traded on the open market was even less intelligent.  Congress and the President stood by and did nothing to address this issue when it was brought up more than five years ago that we were heading for a cliff.  The people selling these contracts, and pushing for even looser regulations were in this solely for the profit and did not care what damage it would leave in its wake.

Secondly, the stimulus package pushed by both President Bush and President Obama was the right idea; however it was not the right method. I do not disagree that if we allowed more banks to fail that the hole we are in now would have been deeper.  I believe that you would see fewer banks and more of a stranglehold on our economy by monetary power brokers. I do not however believe that the way things were done were effective or were the best choice at that time.  First with the bank bailout, I believe that government dealt with it the same way they typically do, just threw money at the problem.  Much of the problem, after you get past the greed, was that banks now held paper on homes that were sold to people who never should have bought, at least at that level of purchase.  Foreclosures, upside down mortgages that resulted from plummeting prices and the spiraling effect of money tightening up because of that was the issue that needed to be addressed. Just bailing the banks out without addressing what the issue was is like telling a drunk driver to not drink and drive and then filling up his gas tank. Although I think these new ideas being floated at now starting to address this issue, the damage done to local communities will take years to recover from.  If instead the government had somehow purchased the bad contracts and then either refinanced them or as I would have loved to see, establish them a benefit for our deserving Veterans it would have made more sense.

I am also someone who believes in strategic investments and in the carrot and stick approach to fiscal accountability.  If you invest in what makes our nation strong you invest in its future.  Investments in transportation, communication, power generation and in our greatest asset our citizens would have paid much higher dividends and would have resulted in jobs then and in our future. Conservatives are right when they say that government does not produce jobs.  But government strategically working with business does. One of the reasons we saw such a strong economy in the late 90’s was because of the investment made into and by business.  Tax breaks for purchasing of computer systems, modernization of manufacturing processes and in this little known thing that was called the internet all contributed.  As businesses built up it created jobs to meet the needs of the modernization, when completed it allowed businesses to be more profitable which resulted in more jobs as business expanded.  The same concepts are now being debated in Congress, but these ideas should have been the focus two years ago.

Finally, I want to talk about the debate to extend the Bush Tax cuts.  This was one of the most remarkably brilliant moves by the Republican Party to put this into play nearly a decade ago.  The strategy to make the tax cuts temporary was not just to get the votes at the time, but to set up a long term strategy that they could manipulate as the expiration date approached. Now, going into a midterm election they can claim that Democrats are trying to raise your taxes.

As I have stated in other post, I am not a big fan of taxation to begin with.  I feel the best way to increase revenues is to grow the economy.  If these tax cuts were such a great idea then, why they were not made permanent then?  If reducing the taxes on those making over $250,000 would result in those people reinvesting it back into the economy why didn’t those people do that?  The economic theory of lower taxes on wealth and business helping grow the economy only works if those who have the money do not sit on it.  If you apply the carrot and stick approach then those who do reinvest in our communities can do so in partnership and those who only want to sit on their hands can pay the higher taxes.  As for the idea that failure to extend the Bush Tax Cuts is raising taxes is political manipulation.  I saw in the newspaper today the headline “GOP to Battle Democrats on Tax Hike”.  Again that is something that Forest Gump would even think is idiotic.  You work to block any bill and the Bush Tax cuts expire.  You work together to make the Bush Tax cuts actually work as they were intended.

Taxes too high or is Trust in Government too low?

When it comes to taxes there are two things that will always be constant. The only fair tax is one that someone else pays and no matter what the tax rate is or how frugal government is taxes will always be too high. Those people who know me understand I am not a big government kind of guy. I believe that Government should only be as large as is needed to get the job done. I also do not believe that government always needs to provide all of the services it does, at least not by itself.


There are certain important functions in all levels of government. On the Federal Side there is of course the Military Defense and Homeland Security of our Nation. I do believe that Congress should pass laws based on the Constitution of the United States and work for the common good. I believe that at the Federal level issues like foreign trade, an Interstate Highway system and ensuring that everyone has access to the tools to make them successful.

At the State level, economic development, protection of the environment (laws can be federal, enforcement needs to be in touch with the local area) and issues of common good for the citizens of a state. I believe that the power of government does and should rest in the local government role. Local governments are the service providers. They see firsthand how the application of laws effect the citizens. They see firsthand the needs of their community and how best to meet those needs.

Now this gets to my second point in this matter, how those services are provided. 200 years ago communities had to be self sufficient. If someone got sick, some of those person’s duties were picked up by other community members and that persons needs were met, often by the Church. People who were refused to carry their weight were often made outcast or suffered the consequences of their actions. It was not perfect, but it did work. As government stepped into the fray, providing services for the sick and infirm it took the burden off of communities, however the way the government’s services were provided often left much to be desired. Attempts to reform this part of the system has been partially responsible for where we are at today.

I once read that government typically looks at a community backwards. They look at it as a glass half empty and then design government programs to fill that glass. This is typical of how many of the services that I agree we need are currently provided by government. Instead if government looks at a community as a glass half full. Looks for and develops the resources all ready in that community that glass can fill itself. It also helps build a stronger community by empowerment of community and promoting more self reliance. This is the model of government that we need to promote in our society.

Now I know that community cannot meet all needs. I know that for some groups, some individuals that government assistance will always be needed. I do not have a problem with providing those services. I also do not have a problem with government making strategic investments that can pay off increased benefits in the future. I support making investments in the critical infrastructure that makes our nation strong. Education and training programs so our workforce is always able to compete on a global scale. I support making investments in communication and power generation, not only so our economy can benefit from efficient power and communication but so we are constantly looking to make our systems even better. Government should make Investments in roads and other critical infrastructure that can attract new businesses and build stronger local economies.

We need to build our communities up by empowering citizens to take an active role in their own governance. Although sometimes government needs to provide some guidance, pushing for more citizen involvement at least allows those citizens to see from the inside how government functions. I believe that our real problem is not really that people think their taxes are too high. I think the problem is they believe their trust in government is too low. That is the first issue we need to address as government. And that is true at all levels.

Why Emergency Management Training is so important to me

Some people have asked why Emergency Management and Homeland Security issues are so important to me as an elected official. First and foremost is because I will always care for the people and businesses of this city and will do whatever I can to help protect them from harm. Now that being said let me explain why I feel some of the courses I take are relevant.


Some of the first courses I took were the IEMC or Integrated Emergency Management courses at the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). These courses combine lecture and theory with hand on exercises in a simulation lab. I have taken three of these classes; All Hazards Planning and Response, All Hazards Recovery and Mitigation, and Hazardous Materials Planning and Response. With these courses I learned where our city and where my knowledge needed to be in preparing our city. EMI, located in Emmitsburg Maryland has some of the best programs in the Country for this and my classes and travel cost were funded by FEMA. Although I do not get reimbursed for lost wages from my job as a Union Electrician, I have decided that when I retire it would be nice to go back and teach other elected officials some of what I have learned. I have an application in for a contract instructor for the IEMC courses.

Some of the gaps I realized by taking the IEMC courses were our cities ability to meet requirements set in place by the National Incident Management System (NIMS), our Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP)and the training and testing of staff. First with the COOP Planning I was able to find a class being taught in Richland Washington. This class, along with knowledge I learned from many other resources including extensive online training allowed me to create our draft Emergency Planning Documents. After convincing the Course Manager that I was serious about building a strong training and exercise program for our city, I was accepted into the Master Exercise Practioner program at EMI. This program included three weeklong classes in Maryland along with considerable course work in between the classes. During this time I wrote a Table Top and a Functional Exercise as well as certified in writing, conducting and evaluating disaster exercises. When I graduated in 2009, I was the first elected official to earn a MEP and still am the only person who held office at the time to graduate from the program. Since that time I am happy to say that one of my classmates won a seat on his City Council in Pennsylvania.

A big part of the NIMS requirements is for training in the Incident Command System (ICS). Taking classes both online (ICS 100, 200, 700 and 800) and at Pierce County EOC (ICS 300, and 400) I became the first person in our city to meet the NIMS requirements and kept our city qualified for certain federal funding. Since that time Police Chief John Calkins, Lt. Edwin Massey, and Community Development Director Jay Bennett have all reached those same requirements. Our Emergency Plan requires all City Council members to have completed ICS 100 by next month and to complete up to 300 next year. The Council President and Mayor Pro Tempe, because they need to be able to take over for the Mayor in their absence will need to also take ICS 400. Other city employees and volunteers who might staff certain positions during times of disaster are required to take at least ICS 100.

In January 2010 (not the warmest time of the year to be on the East coast) I returned to EMI to take the ICS Training the Trainer. This allows me to teach ICS 100 – 400 (ICS 700 and 800 are online programs dealing more with the NIMs Structure and the National Response Framework). Last Spring we offered our first ICS 100 class to the public and next week we have our first ICS 200 class. The plan is to offer these at least once per year. ICS 300 and 400 are available only in the classroom format and require multiple instructors to teach. I am on the list as an instructor with the State of Washington, Pierce County and King County EOC’s.

With these classes and a host of online programs I continued to refine our emergency planning documents. Last year we had a great intern who worked with staff and me and completed our COOP Plan. Jay Bennett, our Community Development Director and Deputy Emergency Management Director wrote our Hazard Mitigation Plan and I developed a multiyear training and exercise plan. Last spring we conducted our first stand alone exercise. We have another scheduled for the end of this month. In addition we have participated as an independent participant in the Statewide Sound Shake 08 exercise as well as worked with the VRFA in a drill on that same scenario. All of these documents were then included in our Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan that was adopted by City Council last year.

One of the issues I discovered from taking these classes is a big gap exist nationwide in classes specifically focused at the Policy role. An elected official, although their role is critical in the success of any program is typically not directly involved in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) most of the training programs developed have been towards the operational side and not specifically on the critical thinking and impacts of policy in the planning for, responding to, recovering from and mitigating against disasters. Because of this I am now writing a Plan of Instruction for a new class; The Policy Role in Incident Command and Emergency Management as part of the Master Trainer Program at EMI. I will be teaching a six hour version of this program this November in cooperation with Pierce County DEM and the Association of Washington Cities. The final version will be a 24 hour class that like most successful Adult education programs combine lecture with hands on application through exercises.

Another gap that I noticed was in my personal education. Disasters are not always natural or accidental. As we saw on September 11, 2001, disasters sometimes are purposeful and acts of terrorism. None of my training had been specific to these types of disasters. Although I do not expect to see a terrorist explode a dirty bomb at city hall or someone to release a chemical weapon during Pacific days, as a policy leader I need to understand the realities of these types of events. Next Sunday, I will be leaving for the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) to take my third class in awareness of and management of WMD type events. Both my last class and the one I am attending this month include hands on training inside the COBRA Training Facility, the only live agent training facility in the United States that is available to civilian training programs. Suiting up in a chemical suit and monitoring levels of real VX and Sarin Gas has given me a much more realistic conception of what it takes to operate in a WMD type environment. It was as exciting as suiting up in bunker gear and going into a training fire.

Also I have been accepted to attend a program offered at Texas A&M University on Advanced Unified Command by the Texas Engineering and Extension Service. Like EMI and the CDP, this program at TEEX is funded by FEMA and DHS.

So that gets down to what I plan on doing with this training. First, I want to make sure that our city is prepared to face any disaster. I want to make sure that we have in place both the planning and the training that even after I retire as Mayor that Pacific’s citizens and businesses will always be protected. Second, I want to help prepare our region. Many of my mentors, Sarah Miller of Auburn Emergency Preparedness, Dominick Marzano of Kent and staff of Washington State Emergency Management have given so much to me that I want to give back to others. That is why I am writing this policy training program, I have been given a rare opportunity to combine what I have learned in emergency management with what I have learned is important as Mayor. I will use these skills in any way I can to help our region become better prepared. Finally I want to help our Nation. If the class I write can be used nationally, I want to make it available. I see my future will most likely be involved in emergency management. This is still a few years off as I will not retire as an electrician for a few more years. My father raised me to believe that when you see a problem that needs to be corrected, you do not just wait around for others to do the work, you roll up your sleeves and figure out how to do it yourself. That is what I am doing with emergency management. That is why it is so important to me.