I will not appologize for supporting workers

I am not Anti-Business, I am pro worker.

It is sad that a few narrow minded people have complained about my Facebook Posts concerning my support of the striking Teamsters 117 members at United Natural Foods Incorporated (UNFI).  All I am going to say is I will never apologize for standing up for a working person, nor will I be intimidated by you saying you are going to unfriend me.  I am proud of the fact that because of my moderate views and the fact I look pragmatically at issues I have many friends who are, let’s say, more conservative than many.  I am proud of the fact that I have always tried to look at issues from all sides and yes, when a business is right on an issue I support them as well.  Labor is not going to always be right.

I am not going to go into the battle between UNFI and Teamsters 117.  All I am going to say is ALL workers deserve to be treated with respect unless they prove they do not deserve it.  Standing up for your rights to withhold labor as the UNFI workers did does not give you the right to attempt to permanently replace anyone.  I have no doubt how the Unfair Labor Practice charges will turn out in this case and UNFI will lose even more than they have already by not being willing to follow the law.

I recognize that not all of my Facebook Friends or even all of the people who read this blog are pro-union.  Unions will not always be right and I have seen situations where the union demands were not reasonable for the times or the situation.  I do not expect everyone to share my opinion on issues; I even support your right to have opinions opposite of mine.  As such I do ask that you respect my right to believe as I do.  I am proud of being a member of labor and I am proud that I am willing to stand with someone who is only asking to be treated fairly and with respect. That is why I spent a few hours Christmas Morning on the line (to allow UNFI employees time to spend with their families) and why I have been down walking the line 5 times over this past two weeks. 

I am proud to stand up for what I believe in and if that causes you to unfriend me then that is not my problem but yours. I recognize that businesses must do what they think necessary to stay in business and I respect that; but I also believe that you will find that if you work to build a partnership based on mutual respect with your workers you will find it much more effective.

The following was an Assignment for my Homeland Security Organizations Class.  I am proud to say I received a 100% for this Critique and some very nice comments from my instructor.

 

A CRITIQUE OF JOURNAL ARTICLE

“PATHOGEN’S FOR KNUCKLEHEADS”:

INVISIBLE AND INFECTIOUS

 

 

Richard G. Hildreth

HLSS 301 Homeland Security Organization

Professor Michael Thornal – Instructor

December 18, 2012

 

As Christina Flowers stated in her article “Pathogen’s for Knuckleheads” Invisible and Infectious ¹, “the Nation’s collective ignorance of Pathogen 101 basics can no longer be acceptable.”  Many gaps exist in our nation’s ability to recognize, respond to and mitigate against a natural or terrorist caused biological incident. The gaps in training of our first responders and of policy leaders about pathogens and the bio terrorism threat could lead to confusion, slow response and unnecessary loss of life.

Many articles in the November 2012 edition of DomPrep Journal (Domestic Preparedness Journal) addressed the current level of Bio-preparedness in the United States and where we need to improve.  Christina M Flowers, MPH (Master of Public Health) describes how little training and information is available to our responders and the gaps in our national preparedness this issue creates. Her intent of this article is not to point fingers at first responders or an unwillingness to learn but to point out this complex topic is very frustrating to prepare for and deal with.

First responders in the United States are often well versed and trained in dealing with incidents involving Chemical, Radiological and Nuclear weapons.  Awareness Level Trainings often include information on IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices), WMD’s (Weapons of Mass Destruction) and TIC’s (Toxic Industrial Chemicals); the author contends that training should also include information on pathogens, recognition of Bio-Terrorism and the unique response and  communication challenges that bio-terrorism events create. The threat from pathogens is complicated by the fact it is invisible to the human eye, has the ability to modify itself; adapting to both the host (patient or victim) and response attempts (becoming drug resistant). Additionally, because of the time required for incubation periods, responders are often not aware of the threat for days after the outbreak or release of potentially dangerous substances has occurred.  By the time the threat is recognized it is more difficult to properly isolate the victims or control its spread. This is why it is so critical that Public Health Officials and the CDC (Center for Disease Control) be integrated into local emergency planning, training and exercises.

In her description of what a pathogen is, the author defines the word as “an infectious agent that results in and causes disease. “ Its roots are from the Greek words “gen” which means “giving birth to” and “pathos” which means “suffering”. Pathogens are often living organisms themselves or at least derived from organic processes. Because of this, pathogens often have well defined habitats and life cycles that can tip off responders if they know what to look for.  Although the natural defense of the human immune system does limit infection of some traditional pathogens, less typical pathogens might require specialized antibiotics such as Cipro (ciprofloxacin) or streptomycin.  The author notes that some biological toxins such as Ricin, developed from castor beans, currently have no known antitoxins.

The article then goes on to discuss the different processes used to transmit infectious pathogens. Pathogens can be transmitted by contamination of food or water (ingestion), airborne droplets (inhalation) or trans-dermally (absorption).  As we learned with viruses such as AIDS (Acute Immune Deficiency Syndrome) some are transmitted by bodily fluids such as blood or saliva.  Some pathogens such as Staph naturally occur in the host body but become dangerous when something happens to upset the natural balance.  The variety of methods of transmission only makes the subject of pathogens more complex.

Bioterrorism has been used or attempted many times throughout history. The author points out that corpses infected with the plague were catapulted over the walls by the Tartars in their siege of Crimea.  One of the most well-known instances of a bioterrorism attack inside the United States was a 1984 attack by followers of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. In this attack these followers sprayed salmonella on the salad bars of Dalles, Oregon area restaurants. The intent was to sicken area voters so they could take control of local elections.  Another example of an attack inside the US was the 2001 Anthrax laced letters that were mailed to Members of Congress and members of the press.  The author points out that many of these pathogens are easily obtained on the open market and as living organisms can be easily replicated or grown by terrorist.

Ms. Flowers then defines the differences between the three categories of pathogens defined by the CDC. “Category A” agents such as anthrax, smallpox, plague and botulism pose a significant risk to national security because of their ease of transmission and how rapidly an outbreak could spread creating a large number of casualties. “Category B” pathogens including salmonella and ricin are still easy to spread; however they result in more moderate illness and a reduced death rate than Category A agents.  “Category C” are emergent diseases that as of yet have not been classified as A or B.

There are many challenges in identification or recognition of a Bio-Terrorism attack. In addition to the complexities of technologies required to accurately identify specific pathogens, the incubation time required between exposure to a pathogen and visible signs of disease delay response. This is where an understanding of public health monitoring is needed. Unexpected spikes in flu like symptoms, high fever, rash and gastrointestinal illness are closely watched and evaluated by epidemiologists. In the event of an outbreak these spikes might be the earliest warning that an attack has happened.  Unfortunately, it is often days or weeks after the attack was actually made and the terrorist have long since left the area.

After identification of a pathogen has been made there are several methods for response.  Although specific response plans might be different depending on the type of pathogen, the first task is to limit the spread of disease. This might include quarantine for a pathogen that can easily spread person to person or social distancing measures such as closing of schools, daycares and public gathering locations. Responders need to be not only aware of what PPE’s (Personal Protective Equipment) is needed but also what the limitations of those PPE’s are.

The final challenge the author describes is public communication.  In the event of a potentially deadly pathogen, it is critical that responders provide the public with accurate and reliable information.  These communications need to be simple, straightforward and include specific instructions as to what to watch for and where to find additional information.  These communications need to be repeated on a regular basis and be structured so they inform the public with the seriousness of the incident without creating undue alarm of fear.  Effective communications will not only help in mitigating fears and restoring confidence; they may also benefit by providing responders with additional information that might assist in tracking or investigating an incident.

Although I find the topic and thesis of this article of critical importance, I am not sure the author really showed a complete or scholarly review of information or presented her findings in a unique way.  I agree that our first responders need better training on awareness and response to biological pathogens; however I found the article rushed, disjointed and lacking in originality.  I have also identified areas that were not addressed.  I feel that adding these issues would add to the value of this article.

One of the most obvious points I feel was overlooked is how we can address this issue.  I have long been a supporter of cross training between responder disciplines and would have liked to see comments on both existing programs available and training programs that should be developed for the future.  Louisiana State University operates the National Center of Biomedical Research and Training (NCBRT) ² which is an existing DHS training partner providing awareness and responder level training to emergency responders.  Training is available online and field delivered classrooms and is 100% funded by the Department of Homeland Security. This is an effective way for local government agencies to build the capacity needed and address some of the gaps presented in the author’s thesis.

I also believe there should be more distinction between the challenges of facing a naturally occurring outbreak and one caused or aggravated by an act of terrorism.  Although many of the preventative and response measures might be similar; in the response to a terrorist event evidence preservation and law enforcement also play a role.

 I know that many health departments and healthcare facilities have well developed planning guides for various pathogens and threats.  The author could have at least referred the reader to guides or plans that represent best practices.  One example that I have found is an exceptionally well written and complete plan that would have supported the thesis by addressing the gaps is the 2002 California Hospital Bioterrorism Response Guide ³. Although it was designed for the Healthcare industry it visually describes the extent of the threat and provides best practice response tactics for Bioterrorism as a whole and for individual pathogens. 

A final area that I felt should have been at least broached was the legal and policy impacts of Quarantine and Social Distancing Measures.  Although  responders themselves might not need to understand these impacts, it does provide them information they might need to pass on in order to gain policy support for training.  As a practitioner the more information that the author can provide me to use in convincing my superiors of the need and value of training the more value it has for me.

 

As a whole, I did not find that the article was poorly written, it just didn’t include new information that was of value to me as a practitioner. I know that the author might have been constrained by a word limit; however elimination of some more irrelevant information (at least as to supporting her thesis) and inclusion of the information that I referred to would have, in my opinion, made it a much stronger article.  I agree that the gaps the author identified in our responder’s ability to respond to Bio-events are valid concerns.  I know some communities and individual responders have worked to close this gap themselves, but they seem to be the exception and not the rule. The author missed a great opportunity to reach out to emergency management/ homeland security professionals and promote what I feel is an important point.

 

1-     Flowers, Christina M. "Pathogens for Knuckleheads: Invisible and Infectious."
Domestic Preparedness Journal 6, no. 11 (November 2010).

 

2-     National Center of Biomedical Research and Training. http://www.ncbrt.lsu.edu/.

 

3-     Department of Health Services. California Hospital Bioterrorism Response Guide.
N.p.: California Department of Health Services, 2002.
Can be found at http://www.emsa.ca.gov/disaster/files/ca_hosp_guide.pdf

The Emperor Has No Clothes

The Emperor Has No Clothes

 

Like the Emperor in the famous Danish Fairy Tale by Hans Christian Anderson, Pacific Mayor Cy Sun must surround himself with people who tell him that he is doing what only a very few wise men can see is right.  It’s time for the citizens of Pacific to stand up and let him know that the Emperor Has No Clothes.

I originally gave Mayor Sun the benefit of the doubt and believed that once he took office he would discover that all of the lies he was encouraged to spread during the election were false and that he would apologize to the voters for misleading them.  The problem is, if you only surround yourself with people who either share the same delusions or are manipulating your delusions for their benefit, you will never recognize the truth.  You will figuratively walk around in the nude believing you are wearing clothes made of the finest material. You not only are unable to see your delusions, but you are unable to see the impact you are having on the city you claim to care about.

I love this great city of Pacific.  It pains me to see the struggles it’s going through currently and I do fear it might be in its death throes. It pains me to see us go from a city that was well respected regionally, was able to fight for and win very competitive transportation funding to fix its roads and was recognized nationally for its efforts to protect its citizens to a city that is ready to fold.  Even those people who have always stated that “elections have their consequences” would be amazed at how dramatically Mayor Sun has destroyed this community. The City’s Insurance Company made it very clear; there will be no insurance as long as Cy Sun remains in office.  Without his immediate resignation the city will not have coverage as of January 1.

Some people that are behind Cy Sun have claimed our city is better off disincorporated.

Those people may find they shot themselves in the foot as losing our city will most likely result in higher property taxes, a reduction in services and no representation.  You will not see less government with disincorporation; you will only see the loss of local control and of leaders who live right in our community and put our citizens first.

It is amazing how much our city has lost in less than a year.  Millions of dollars that we had secured in 2011 for widening Stewart Road, sidewalks on Milwaukee Blvd. and other projects seem to have disappeared because of Mayor Sun’s lack of leadership.  Some great staff members that put our citizens first and helped us efficiently move our city forward have now left and have gone to work for other entities.  When Mayor Sun took over we were a city that not only had a balanced budget but was able to build more than $500,000 in reserves at the same time other governments were still drastically cutting personnel.  We followed a philosophy of sound fiscal management that built budgets around very conservative revenue estimates and constantly looked for ways to provide better service for less money. We now are a city that has fewer services but has to increase taxes to present a balanced budget; that does not sound like fiscal sanity to me.  Most of all we have gone from a city that was respected for what we had accomplished or what we were doing, to one that is a laughing stock not only regionally but across this nation.  You can no longer blame the City Council or others for the crisis our city is in.  The Insurance Company made it very clear that this is on your shoulders. Mr. Mayor YOU HAVE NO CLOTHES. It is time for you to resign.

Calling All Video Gamers

Calling all Video Gamers

By Rich Hildreth

 

With the release of Call to Duty – Black Ops II today I started thinking about what an Emergency Management video game might look like. I realize it might not be as exciting as shooting terrorist and shooting down enemy drones; however as a tool to educate people in what it takes to be an emergency manager it might prove valuable.

Our game would start out with the player gaining a situational awareness of the resources and vulnerabilities of their jurisdiction.  Multiple landscapes could be included so players could choose between hurricane risk, earthquakes, tornados, floods or any other type of disaster.  Different types of landscapes could also be used for different levels of the game. Once the player gains situational awareness they then could establish their emergency operations plan by use of a drop down menu.

Actual play would of course be the approach of a storm or the onset of a disaster.  What decisions would you need to make and what consequences might occur as a result.  As an example with the approach of a Cat 4 Hurricane that is 36 hours out from a resort town you might consider mandatory evacuations.  You could have businesses argue with you that they will lose money and threaten to sue and have your public works people voicing concern over the ability to provide services after the storm.  Variables could be tossed in such as questions over where the storm might make landfall or the availability of safe locations for shelters. If you choose to order evacuations you could have clogged roads, gas shortages and break ins of vacant homes pop up, if you choose to only make evacuations advisory you might have people trapped in homes when the storm hits. As professionals we know that in any disaster there will never be clear concise answers, we can only make choices based on the best information we have at the time.

Figuring you survive the storm as a player the next phase could be how you respond. Based on the resources you previously identified, how do you deploy them for effective response and recovery?  You could have resource request coming in and have to scramble to find ways to fill them.  You could have power outages where you planned to set up a shelter or a staging area that is now inaccessible.  There are plenty of realistic variables that could be tossed in.  You could have politicians and citizens both making demands that you direct resources in one area when you know they are better used in another. You can have the media covering the house on the beach where the residents threw a hurricane party and are now trapped in a partially collapsed home and surrounded by water and debris, while ignoring the efforts to find shelter locations and supplies to take care of those people who did evacuate.  I know as professionals you recognize these variables are realistic, but wouldn’t it be fun to see how gamers might react?

At the end of each level you could have participants put together an after action conference and refine their emergency plans accordingly.  They could compete for mitigation projects and the building of additional capacity and resources.  You could have players and elected leaders debating why they should fund emergency management programs instead of building a park.  Players could have to convince their bosses why it is important for them to gain training in Incident Command or why attending an emergency management conference is important. I recognize this might not seem to be the most exciting part of the game, but as professionals, we know the impact this portion can have on the next disaster.

I do not have the skills to create a video game like this, but I think it would be interesting.  Most people do not recognize that emergency management is not just the response to a disaster.  As Call of Duty and other games have become so realistic and interactive that people swear it is just like real war; maybe the same thing can be done with disaster. It might not be as glamorous however I feel it is just as important for people to gain a sense of realism of what pressures impact disasters.  Maybe then people will be a little more proactive in being prepared themselves.

 

Elected Leaders Need Training - Their Citizens Deserve it

In the wake of Hurricane / Super storm Sandy, I know that some of the comments I hear being made by small town mayors and other elected officials blasting the FEMA response are being made out of frustration.  I have experienced firsthand the citizens and community you serve and truly care about suffering from the devastation of a disaster. However I must again remind these officials and all elected officials in our nation how the system works; All Disasters are Local.

Disasters are a true test of the leadership and preparedness of an elected official.  Especially in a small community or in a community that lacks dedicated emergency management personnel (separate from Police and Fire), citizens deserve elected leaders who take the time and do what is necessary to gain the skills, awareness and knowledge that might be needed when a disaster strikes.  Many of those officials are not aware that programs exist where they can gain this insight for little or no cost.  I hope that this article can inspire some of those officials to take advantage of these great programs and do what they were elected to do, protect their communities.

DHS/ FEMA operates a series of training programs that are open to and are of benefit to elected and other policy leaders.  Among these is the Integrated Emergency Management Program (IEMC) that is available at the Emergency Management Institute located in Emmitsburg Maryland.  In the IEMC classroom, participants not only learn about the emergency management process, but they also have the opportunity to apply what they learn in realistic disaster scenarios and functional exercises.  Participants assume a similar role to what they play in real life and learn new skills and concepts needed in all phases of emergencies.  The best part is these classes are free.

Applications are now being accepted for 2013 classes at http://training.fema.gov/EMICourses/ .  FEMA covers the cost of training, transportation from the airport, housing on the campus of the National Emergency Training Center (where EMI is housed) and reimburses the cost of transportation to the DC area.  The only cost to the participant is the time to take the class (typically 1 week) and the cost of the food ticket (typically around $100).

I encourage you to look at this and other programs that are available and encourage your elected leaders to take advantage of these programs.  The skills they gain might just make the difference during the next disaster.  The life they save might be someone you care about.

Richard Hildreth

Former Mayor, City of Pacific Washington

richhildreth@aol.com

And there are still people who are fooled

The following is a Facebook E-mail I received today.  This is why I have to keep posting corrections to the lies that Cy Sun and others have spread (and are still spreading).  I will not include this person’s name, however there are still a lot of people who have not figured out they were lied to in last year’s election.

“I see you're suing the city for half a million dollars. Why sink our city further? You already got a second career off of our money.”

Over the past few days people have called me a money grubber, just dog piling on the mayor and that I am out to destroy the city.  I personally wish I did not have to take this step and have done so only as a last resort.  As the Mayor continues to lie to the citizens in spite of the facts presented and his unfettered access to those facts he has continued his accusations and stated some new ones.  The US Supreme Court might allow candidates to say whatever they want to get elected, but he is no longer a candidate, nor am I an elected official.  The intent of my lawsuit is not the money but is to clear my name and let our citizens know the truth.

I responded to this latest with two responses. The first:

I could care less about the Money; I want Mayor Sun to quit claiming corruption and tell the citizens the truth. His lies have already cost me at least one job just from the questions.

 

And the second:

Also, you should know that #1, I am in the same career I have been the past 25 years (Electrician). 2nd you should check the facts of how my training was paid for (most cost not reimbursed by FEMA was covered by local business). I ate the lost wages for time I was away at these training's, and as a result of my efforts our city had a State Approved Emergency Management Plan and was receiving a little over $12,500 per year (for 4 years) to help build up preparedness in our city. Even if the taxpayers had funded 100% of the cost it was still far cheaper than highering a consultant to write our plan would have been and less than what we received as a result of our plan in EMPG grants.

Just thought you might want to have your facts strait.

Have a nice day

Rich

 

I don’t care to go back and blame anyone for my losing the election.  As we have now seen, elections have consequences and Pacific’s citizens are now seeing the impacts.  It is unfortunate that so many people fell for the lies of Mayor Sun’s campaign and the Anybodybutrich campaign put on by a disgruntled businessman, but that is life.  Hopefully people will now do a little research before voting and recognize when they are being lied to.  They facts are out there for anyone to see.  They are in this blog, the State Auditor’s Office (and website), The Public Disclosure Commission and Pacific City Records. If you do not want to believe me you can go look at the facts yourself.

Why I was forced to file a lawsuit.

As many of you might now know, I have filed a $500,000 claim for damages against the City of Pacific for the actions and statements of Mayor Sun that impact me.  I personally wish that the suit could be against him personally and leave the city out of it, however as his actions were taken in his official capacity the city is involved.  It is not about the money, it is about the truth, getting the facts out there and clearing my name.

During the election, then candidate Sun made statements claiming that I was corrupt and was illegally using the city credit card for personal gain.  Unfortunately, the US Supreme Court has ruled that candidates do not have to tell the truth in their advertising nor do they have to tell the truth about their opponents.  Candidate Sun could have claimed I was an ax murderer and I could not have legally prevented him from making the claim.  However he is no longer a candidate and I am no longer his opponent.

There was no corruption in City Hall and as investigations and the facts have shown, I did not illegally use the credit card for personal gain.  But his continued claims that I did so to avoid telling the people he lied to them and his blog (that he also advertised in the city water bill) of September 9^th claiming additional proof of his claims have crossed the line.  I am now turning to the only option I have left to clear my name.  If he has this proof of my corruption then he needs to file a criminal complaint, not make accusations to make him feel better.

In his September 9^th post he has made wild accusations that lead a reasonable reader to believe that as the past Mayor I committed fraud, theft of city funds and was part of a conspiracy with others to hide evidence of this corruption.  This accusation amounts to defamation of my character, loss of professional reputation and has resulted in physical and emotional stress and may have resulted in the loss of at least one job I had applied for.

As a result of this I am asking for the following action to be taken:

·         An immediate Cease and Desist Order be issued for any accusations except as submitted to a Court of Law.

·         Payment for a complete investigation of accusations made by a reputable and neutral party complete with an audit of City of Pacific finances with full reporting to the Citizens of the City of Pacific, not funneled through any source that could be deemed as bias.

·         Payment of All Attorney Fees

·         Financial Damages in the amount of $500,000

I care for and love this city that I spent the past decade serving.  I hold no grudges against the mayor, the council (for they have a role to play in this as well for their actions in 2011) or the citizens who may have voted him into office.  That is politics and I never have believed that politics is fair.  I do however believe that it is wrong to continue to lie to the citizens, especially if it damages the good name of others. I worked hard for this city and when I left office it was fiscally and operationally in good shape.  I am proud of what we had accomplished even with the limited resources we had and the fiscal restraints of an international depression.  This claim for damages was the last thing I ever wanted to do, and some people will (as was claimed in another blog) say I am dog piling on the City before it goes under.  I would much rather have my name and reputation intact and the citizens of this great town all knowing the truth about corruption. It appears that this claim and lawsuit is the only way that is going to happen.

One last time ..... THERE WAS NO CORRUPTION

In spite of numerous explanations, facts showing there was no corruption in my office and the resulting disastrous consequences of last year’s election there are still some people who what to hold on to mistaken beliefs. They will believe what they want to believe but to me they have the credibility of birthers or those who believe that 9-11 was a hoax to give President Bush a reason to attack Iraq. I have moved on from the election, but I do grow weary of the twisted facts, outright lies and in the case of one blog, comments such as “like past Mayor’s comments, the Prosecutor declining charges does not prove innocence.” But weary as I am about this; let’s go over this one more time.

Following my announcement in January of 2011 that I was going to run for a third term as Mayor of the City of Pacific a series of things started to occur. First was the appearance of www.anybodybut rich.com, a website funded by a local business owner who was upset that my administration would not turn away from violations he was making of zoning laws, permitted uses under his business license and environmental standards. It was not that we were against what he wanted to do, it was that he refused to follow the same process everyone else was required to use. He was upset we would not give him special treatment. This is the same person who tried to recruit City Council Members to run against me and who paid for papers and campaign workers to deliver them in the last weeks of the 2011 campaign. This is the same person who still has a lawsuit against me because of the already disproven allegations that my travels for training and conferences were outside of the scope of my job as Mayor and illegally funded by taxpayers. It is funny that even though the current Mayor’s actions have required him to hire an outside attorney because he was outside of scope, I am still covered by the City Insurance Company because even their investigation showed I did nothing improper.

Following a meeting with members of the council and this business owner, questions about my use of the city credit card were raised by the City Council. Although I will admit I could have handled this situation a little more calmly than I did, I asked the Insurance Company to do an investigation into the allegations if nothing else to show due diligence and that there was no attempt to cover up anything. The investigator looked at my travel, the types of training I took and if the training was consistent with my role as Mayor and in the public interest. That report by Canfield and Associates is included elsewhere in this blog. The only question that the investigator could not confirm was an incident in 2007 where my wife accompanied me to a conference in New Orleans.

That conference, sponsored by FEMA and ICMA (International City Management Association), was “Restoration 2007”. I not only attended this conference, in spite of being a “Strong Mayor” and not part of a Council / Manager form of government, I helped organize and plan for this event as well as being one of the workshop speakers. For my efforts in organizing the event, my conference costs were picked up by the host. When I purchased the airline tickets from Orbitz.com they would not allow for split billing. When I talked to the Finance Director at that time, I was instructed to pay the city for my wife’s ticket (which was done prior to the purchase), and then purchase the tickets together on the city credit card. This was consistent with what had been done the previous year when the Community Service Director and her husband traveled to Anaheim for the All American City Award. This was disclosed to the council at the time of purchase and In August was discussed with the Washington State Auditor’s office as part of the 2006 audit. It was decided that although not technically illegal it was not a best practice. We then internally changed the practice of how spousal travel would be dealt with to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

As for other travel to and from training programs sponsored by FEMA and/or DHS there are two important facts confirmed by the investigations and by documentation that has been provided. First the types of training taken are consistent for Governmental Administration including elected officials. In fact in the IEMC classes I shared the governmental role with three Texas Judges (comparable with a County Administrator) and a City Council member. Although it is admittedly unusual for a Mayor to take these classes, the information was brought back and directly applied for Public Benefit in our emergency plans and were all concerning information that is important to the Policy role of government. Secondly the investigation showed and verified that this travel was accomplished at little or no cost to Pacific residents or taxpayers. Local businesses such as Gordon Trucking, Valley Truck and Equipment and Commercial Metals made donations to what was a line item in the city budget as “Mayor’s Travel”. These donations were to cover travel expenses not reimbursed or otherwise covered by DHS/FEMA. As traveling to EMI in Emmitsburg Maryland was complicated by cross country flights and specific times that FEMA provided buses picked up students at the airports there was a choice. Fly out at midnight our time on Saturday night and not make it to sleep until 8 pm Sunday night and be a zombie all day Monday or fly in on Saturday day, stay overnight in Washington DC or Baltimore and arrive refreshed at EMI on Sunday. Again these trips were all booked on Orbitz.com with a typical cost of $75-$100 a night. Although Mayor Sun’s blog might claim that I was gallivanting around the country staying in 5 star hotels, it was a dramatically reduced cost and for justifiable reasons. Even though the cost was covered by donations, I constantly looked for ways to keep cost as low as possible. Cost of Airfare to EMI was always covered by a reimbursement by FEMA to me and then deposited into the City Accounts as a line item in the Mayor’s travel.

FEMA’s reimbursement policy at EMI (Emergency Management Institute) was not something that I or any other student had control over. They were required by Federal Policy to reimburse the student and could not legally issue a check or payment to the city, regardless of how the travel cost were originally funded. Approximately 6 weeks after a class they would electronically transfer a reimbursement for airline cost and baggage fees to my account. Upon receipt I would write a check to the city or deposit the funds in cash back to the city. These items were also listed in the Mayor’s travel fund line item and typically were flagged as FEMA reimbursement. During the investigation we did find a few cases where the deposit was mislabeled and deposited in the wrong fund; however in no case was it ever shown that funds were not immediately turned over to the city. After the turmoil started in the Council, a reimbursement for a class in January was used to partially fund travel to a class in June, however that was partially because the travel in January was partially funded by an airline voucher for being bumped from a flight. When the reimbursement for the June class was received it was immediately turned over to the city.

Not all of my travel was to EMI; I also traveled to DHS funded training at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston Alabama, TEEX in College Station Texas and CHDS in Monterey California. In these courses Governmental contractors would book the flight themselves and the only cost would be an occasional meal and/or baggage fees. Again these would be covered by donations and/ or reimbursements by the Federal Government. Although some people might question if the training had a public benefit (and this question was brought up by opponents and by council members) both the investigation by the insurance company and the fact that information brought back was immediately included in our CEMP and /or training and exercise that was provided to staff and to citizens.

I have tried to stay out of the controversy over Mayor Sun and the efforts to recall him. I personally wish that he had been outstandingly successful in running the city in spite of the fact that I know there was not corruption, an out of control budget or employees making outrageous salaries. I do not find any glee in seeing our city become the laughing stock of the nation or a poster boy for dysfunctional government; I fought too hard to bring us back from that when I took over as Mayor in 2004. My only issue in this at all is I am tired of people, including the mayor, continuing to mislead the people of this great city. So one final time; there was no corruption in city hall under my watch, I did not illegally use the city credit card to fund a future career (although if the city wants to they can pay for some of my student loans) and local taxpayers did not fund out of control travel, vacations in 5 star hotels for me and my wife and fancy meals at expensive restaurants. If you don’t believe me the facts are here in this blog and you can verify my figures in the public record.

FACTS DO NOT LIE.

 

The following is the introduction for one of my classes at AMU.  It describes why I got so involved in emergency management and the classes I have taken.  This class (Coll200) is to apply prior experiance, knowledge and training to gain credit twords my BA degree in Emergency and Disaster Management.  The training I took as Mayor and experiance I gained is only a small part of my future career.  From time to time I will share some of my classwork in this blog as I expand my horizons.

I hope this helps explain a few of my motivations.
Rich

I come to AMU and this class with a different background than most.  I have spent the past 35+ years in construction (25 as a Commercial Electrician) but also served as the Mayor of the City of Pacific from 2004 to 2011.  It was during this time that I developed a passion and understanding for Emergency Management and Homeland Security.  As I am now 53 years old and my productive years performing as an electrician are waning, I am pursuing a BA degree in Emergency and Disaster Management with the intent of working another 20 years in this field.

Following Hurricane Katrina I looked at how my city was prepared and what would have happened if similar type events had happened in the Pacific Northwest.  As my community is small we did not have the resources to develop a functional emergency operations plan with existing resources.  The options were to hire additional staffing, move existing staffing to emergency management (and get them trained) or pursue the training myself.  I chose that later and now have extensive prior learning and experience that I hope to apply in this class.

My first step in writing our emergency plan was attending “Restoration 2006” a FEMA / ICMA conference in New Orleans.  At this conference I took a 16 hour pre-conference workshop on Continuity of Operations.  Based on information gained at this training and applying state and local resources for reference I wrote our initial plan. As a result of this experience and the success of the initial plan (it was tested by flooding in November of 2006), I was invited to speak at Restoration 2007 the following year.  While at this conference in 2007 I learned about a training program provided by FEMA at the Emergency Management Institute (EMI).  My first trip to EMI was that August taking the Integrated Emergency Management Course .

The more I learned from classes, the more I realized what was needed to fully develop our program.  An emergency plan is much more than a printed document that describes what to do in an emergency; it is an ongoing project that includes planning, gap analysis, developing capacity and training and exercise.  Again, to leverage the limited resources we had as a community, I took it upon myself to take the classes and bring the information back and apply it to our program.  As a result I have earned credentials as an Incident Command Systems (ICS) instructor, Master Exercise Practioner (MEP) and all classwork for the Master Trainer Program (MTP).  I have taught multiple classes in ICS, COOP Planning, General Preparedness and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).  I have also written, performed and evaluated four table top exercises that tested portions of Pacific’s emergency plan.  In addition, as Mayor, my city successfully responded in five Presidentially Declared Disasters.

Outside of EMI I have taken classes at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston Alabama and Texas Engineering and Extension Service (TEEX).  I have been though the COBRA training facility now four times learning what it is like to operate in a contaminated environment.  In the COBRAtf, I suited up in level B and then Level C hazmat suits and operated in rooms contaminated with GX and VX nerve agents.  This experience gave me a whole new perspective on Hazmat response.

In 2010 I was accepted into the Executive Leaders Program at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS.us) located at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey California.  This program, one of the most competitive to gain acceptance into in the country, was less training than teaching participants how to apply critical thinking to their jobs.  In this program I further learned how interdependent and linked the world of Homeland Security is with not only emergency management, but with everyday aspects of our lives and our environment.

I could ramble on and on about the experiences I have been provided and how they can be applied in life and this course, however there will be plenty of time to do this in following weeks.  I look forward to the challenges of this program and how I can apply prior learning to my chosen degree program. In putting together professional quality portfolios applying prior knowledge to course work I hope that I will not only re-experience what I have learned, but actually expand that base of knowledge through additional application.  I also look forward to sharing these experiences with the class as well as learning from you through your experiences. In closing all I can add is wishing everyone the best of luck on their portfolios and in their academic and professional careers.

Preparing our City is not Corruption.

During last year’s campaign a lot of campaign fodder was made about the training in emergency management that I took while I was Mayor.  Although it is true that I developed a passion for this topic and for some people it might have seemed excessive, the motivation was always to increase the preparedness of our community and develop a strong emergency management program for our city.  For the fact that much of this preparedness and planning has been ignored by Mayor Sun and many of the staff members that were trained no longer work for the city, it now appears we are back to square one, or are we?

The reason I took so much training and did so much of the work myself is to leverage the resources we had in our city. When we send staff members to training we not only pay their wages, we pay all cost related to the travel and training. We would also be impacted by taking them away from their regular duties either by a drop in production or in paying overtime.  It was much cheaper for me to go to the training and bring the information back for application.  As FEMA reimbursements and business donations covered much of the cost it was done at little cost (if any) to our city.  As a result we gained a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, a training and exercise plan, staff and citizen training, compliance with Federal and State requirements and qualified for a $12,500 per year Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG).  The first two years of this EMPG grant were used to expand the CEMP, start the development volunteer plans and cover cost of citizen training. The grants already awarded for 2012 and 2013 may now need to be paid back as the city has not followed through with the requirements of the grant money.

All of my training and related travel was paid for out of a line item in each year’s budget known as the Mayor’s travel fund.  Most years we included a place holder in the expense side of the budget of up to $5000 with a corresponding entry in the revenue side that balanced this expense out.  Donations made by local businesses were deposited with the city in this account as well as reimbursements made by FEMA for travel cost.  This was done so everything was right out front, completely transparent and subject to audit by the State Auditor’s office.  Contrary to claims made for political reasons during the campaign and now continued by the current Mayor and his supporters, this was not corruption but efforts to make sure there was an open and transparent process and paper trail.

As for claims that I plan on using this training for a new career, it is true that I plan on retiring soon as an electrician and pursuing a new career in this field.  It is also true that I have been paid by FEMA to teach classes that took as Mayor.  But my new career will be a result of my going back to school to unite some of this training I have taken under a professional degree.  My training taken while I was Mayor inspired me and allowed me to develop a passion for the subject; it was not abuse of public resources or evidence of corruption. 

For many people around this nation, including many of those working as emergency management professionals my dedication for gaining the knowledge to move our city forward was inspirational.  FEMA itself included my story in their blog as well as we received national recognition in professional and civic journals and magazines.  This was something that many people in our city looked at a source of pride.  It is a shame that politics was allowed to tarnish the progress we made and call into question the benefits of what we were accomplishing.

Why I am not really interested in running for Mayor again.

 

With all of the controversy surrounding current Pacific Mayor Cy Sun, many people have encouraged me to run again for Mayor.  They remember what we accomplished under my administration and they know that the allegations of corruption made by Mayor Sun were exaggerations, twisting of facts or in some cases outright lies.  They remember when our city was respected as a regional partner on many issues and a leader in development of emergency and preparedness plans.  Although I appreciate their comments and understand their wishes, I really do not have much interest in running for Mayor again.

I still love this city and will always be willing to do what is needed to help our city recover from the problems created by the current Mayor; however I have never believed that I am the only person who can move this city forward.  When asked, I am more than willing to step forward and help in any way I can, but that does not require holding elective office.  What we accomplished when I was Mayor was not solely because of me, but was an example of empowering others to act and an attitude of servant leadership.

I will admit I am somewhat hurt and disappointed that so many people were fooled by the lies of Mayor Sun.  It is unfortunate that Supreme Court decisions allow a candidate to lie to the voters without the ability to hold them accountable for their falsehoods.  During the campaign the facts were easily available for anyone to see, however too many people decided to fall for the claims of corruption and a smear campaign funded by a local businessman who did not like having to follow zoning laws.  What is amazing is that some people still believe the lies that were told and that Mayor Sun has continued lying to the citizens.  This unfortunately is going to cost our city millions of dollars in lawsuits and other losses.

Another reason I do not plan on running for Mayor again is I have moved on with my life and do not really have the time.  Many people do not realize that I used to put in 20-30 hours per week in my role as Mayor on top of my regular job as an electrician.  From meeting with staff, citizens, businesses and regional committees to volunteering, picking up trash or scrubbing graffiti I dedicated a lot more time to the job than was expected.  This does not include work on our emergency plan, teaching classes for our citizens or writing disaster exercises to test our plan and our staff.  In place of the time I dedicated to the city I have gone back to school and am currently taking 16+ credits a quarter.  With work, school and my volunteer work I already have 80+ hours a week committed.

Although I do not plan on running for office, I will help whomever takes over when Mayor Sun resigns or is thrown out of office.  I know that little has been done on the required updates of our emergency plan nor have any of the conditions and requirements for our EMPG (Emergency Management Preparedness Grants) been completed.  As emergency preparedness is a passion, I am willing to donate my time to get our city back on track.

In closing I want to thank everyone for the support they have given me over these past few years.  You are what makes this community work and what makes Pacific a great place to live.  We will make it through these troubling times, one way or anouther.

 

Pacific's response to the Snow/Ice Storm

The performance of Pacific City Council President Leanne Guier during the recent snow and ice storm deserves applause.  She stepped up to the plate, took charge and worked to meet the needs of the Citizens of Pacific.  This is what an elected official is supposed to do.

Like the Captain of the Costa Concordia, an elected official must put the needs of those in their care ahead of their own.  Unlike the captain of that ill-fated cruise ship she did not abandon her post and took charge, opened the Senior Center as a warming shelter and checked on vulnerable citizens who were still without power.  This demonstration of her putting the citizens first deserves applause and appreciation.

When an emergency occurs, it is easy for many people to just take care of their own needs, maybe those of their neighbors and if possible some vulnerable citizens they may know.  Elected Officials must look at emergencies on a much different scale.  They have legal and moral obligations to take all appropriate steps to protect lives and property, prevent or limit damage to the environment and to preserve the economic viability of local business.  A Declaration of Emergency is often required to authorize the extraordinary assistance and work of city staff and emergency personnel.  Although the City of Pacific’s response is under the Incident Command System, elected leadership is required for overall direction, legal authority and to make sure the needs of all citizens are met.  As policy leaders are the only group that deals with all aspects of an emergency (Police, Fire, Public Works, Administration, Citizens), they need to realize the importance of their actions.  Every example of a failure in emergency and disaster response is a result of a failure of policy leaders to do their job.

There were some issues that the city will need to address as they go through the After Action Review / Improvement Plan (AAR/IP) process.  The key is to identify where these issues were, identify the cause of the problems and then fix these gaps with a proactive improvement plan.  The key to this process is not to assign blame but to fix problems.  The training gaps, logistical issues and resource problems can all be addressed in this process.  No amount of planning will deal with every issue during an emergency.  A strong situational awareness and the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstance are important. But if you adopt the philosophy of constantly looking to improve, the citizens of this city and of this nation will always be better off.

Bak's Sandpile and River Management

Per Bak, the Danish Physicist who described the concept of complex and organized instability by use of sand could have also used the White River and river management.  Bak described how if you dropped sand, one grain at a time from the same location that a cone would form as each grain was added to the pile.  At indeterminable intervals, the cone would reach a degree of slope that was not sustainable and a small avalanche would occur.  It could come from the adding of one grain, or it could come from adding a thousand grains, because of the many other factors that came into play.  As the grains of sand piled up, the cone would form organized instability, where it may look stable and predictable but in fact be purely unpredictable and unstable. Glen Held, a scientist working for IBM in New York’s Watson Research Center duplicated this concept and discovered another constant in this theory, and that is even duplicating the manufacture of the sandpiles exactly, because of the complex factors that come into play, no two piles would act the same.

Applying this concept to the issues on the White River in Washington State we have a river that we know transports an extremely high amount of gravel (estimated by USGS to be over 750,000 tons of sand and gravel each year) we can understand why in spite of millions of dollars being spent on modeling and studies to address flooding on the lower White River, the flood threat continues to increase. With the myriad of forces that come into play on any river system, I really question the ability to really accurately model the impact of mitigation efforts with accuracy.  A flood on the White River is so complex and has so many factors that you could release the exact amount of water a thousand times and see different results every time.

Among this multitude of external factors that can impact flooding is ground water saturation, tributary inflow, how much debris is currently moving down the river and where it settles.  Applying Bak’s hypothesis to the White River explains why the water released in January 2009 that was expected to create only nuisance flooding actually flooded 101 homes and 15 businesses, many of whom were outside of the 500 year flood plain.  Much of the same way of thinking that was used looking at the capacity of the river in 2009 is being used to create the modeling of mitigation efforts today.

In a previous blog post I discussed how we need to reexamine the flood plain management principles that have failed us over the past 20 years.  Adding the fact that the river systems are not just simple models that can be predicted, it further shows why our river management policies should be closely reviewed and modified.  What we are doing is not working and applying Bak’s concepts to the river system add even more uncertainty, at least in my mind, that it ever will.  We need to realistically look at removal of at least part of that 750,000 tons of debris that are clogging our rivers and really be good stewards of our environment.  It goes back to the question, 30 years ago we did do regular maintenance of our rivers and we had plentiful fish runs.  Through a myriad of factors we saw those runs reduced to dangerous levels and stopped the regular maintenance.  Since that time we have seen limited evidence that our practices are helping salmon recovery and plenty of evidence that our practices are putting lives, property and the overall environmental heath in jeopardy.   It is time to try something differently.

My Motivation

A Church that I drove by today has a saying on their billboard; “Ask if it is for your fellow man or is it financial”.  That inspired a conversation about motivations of people.  Many people are motivated by money or power; I have always been motivated by doing something because it is the right thing to do.  That is why I choose not to go negative during my reelection campaign and that is why I continue to do give back to my community. 

I have been blessed with skills that allow me to make good money.  As a Union Electrician I make over $40.00 per hour plus good benefits.  During the time I was Mayor, I constantly took time off or passed on overtime work because of commitments I made to our citizens.  I have no regrets for that as my years of service to the Citizens of Pacific will always hold a place in my heart.  As I move on I look to other ways of serving my fellow man and giving back to my community.

In spite of some opponents claiming my training in emergency management was self-serving and evidence of corruption, I will never make more money than I make now in that field.  But that is not the purpose.  Since leaving office I have spent many hours working on the update of the CEMP for our city, not because I had to, not because of money, but because of a promise I made to our citizens.  As I pass this updated CEMP to the City Council for passage, I was glad to spend the time because it protects the interest of our citizens.  But now it is time for someone else to step up in this area.

Chapter 118-30 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC 118-30) requires jurisdictions like the City of Pacific to plan for emergencies.  The work we have done in planning, training staff and conducting exercises is required, not optional.  With tight budgets, instead of hiring a full time emergency manager, I took on many of those duties of writing the plan, creating training programs for staff and writing and conducting exercises.  Now that I have moved on, someone else is going to have to step up and do this work.

As for me, I will continue to teach classes.  The Emergency Management Preparedness Grant the City currently has requires some public education classes to be provided.  One way or another I will make sure these classes are provided.  Not just so the city can keep the grant money, but because it is the right thing to do.  The Volunteer Emergency Worker Plan we have developed is our community’s best chance of being able to survive a large scale disaster.  We do not have the staff or resources to deal with a large scale disaster that will have not only our community, but all of our neighboring jurisdictions overwhelmed.  We will be on our own for a while.

Long term, I plan on working to close a gap that I have seen firsthand in our Nation’s preparedness.  Too many of our Elected Officials do not realize the critical importance of being engaged in preparedness.  Over this past decade we have seen what happens when elected officials are unprepared to deal with a disaster.  Failures at all levels of government following Hurricane Katrina can be traced back to failures of policy leaders.  This has been the focus of much of my work over this past year and is something I plan on continuing to work on.  Not because I will see financial gain, because in fact I am more likely to see financial loss in my efforts.  I am motivated to do this because it is the right thing to do.  It is to help my fellow man and not only give back to this community but our Nation as a whole.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=118-30-060