The Governor has made it clear the public will not have a chance to question State Civil Defense officials about the communication failures of Earthquake Sunday, October 15, 2006. She says it’s all about the future now, not the past:
“We are now focused on a statewide education program to better prepare for the future,” she wrote in her on-line chat on Wednesday. Translation: “Forget about what went wrong on October 15th. We’ve done our in-house review and have everything handled. Trust us to do what’s best.”
Just last Sunday, the Governor’s senior communications advisor wrote a long column for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that touted the Administration’s restoration of “trust and confidence in government through greater transparency and accountability.”
You’re heard the phrase, “Don’t pay attention to what politicians say. Pay attention to what politicians do.” Here’s something State Civil Defense – and therefore, the politicians to whom they report -- did that we need to pay attention to. We’ve written about this before, but it deserves another visit:
On October 29th, the Star-Bulletin reported on emergency siren “gap areas” – 148 communities around the state not adequately covered by an emergency siren. That itself was remarkable news since we’re told the sirens would be critical in alerting the public in future emergencies.
Enforcing Accountability
The most amazing part of the story, however, was that “officials would not disclose the individual communities not covered by the system,” according to the newspaper.
How’s that for clear thinking within the agency we’re supposed to rely on for public safety information? It took a public information request by the Star-Bulletin before SCD would inform citizens living in these gaps that they’re unprotected by the sirens.
It’s obvious our government’s “transparency and accountability” still need work through greater public oversight, and it may come in a measure soon to be considered at the Legislature. Stay tuned here and in the media for information about legislative initiatives, including H.B. 1006.
When one branch of government shuts out citizen input, we have to turn to another. Now's the time.
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MISSION: To Ensure the Lahaina Fire Tragedy Will Be the Last Time Hawaii Emergency Management so Poorly Serves the Public
The cause of the August 2023 wildfire that destroyed Lahaina, Maui and killed at least 101 residents is still unknown at this writing. What ...
there were no communication failures after the Oct 15 earthquakes.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I was jolted awake. I then grabbed a few bags I already have packed for such an emergency, got in my car and drove to high ground. I dug my NOAA weather radio out of my pack and in a few minutes I heard the bulletin issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center that no tsunami was generated. I drove home and was back in bed with 20 minutes of the first earthquake. When I woke up there was still no electricity, so I dined on one of the many cans of food I keep around for such emergency.
The only people claiming that .gov didnt do enough are idiot sheeple who made no preparations and never bothered to learn what to do.
"Anonymous" is unique in believing there were no communications failures after the earthquake. The Governor-appointed panel drawn up to investigate them concluded they existed, which was obvious to anyone who turned on a standard, off-the-shelf portable radio. "Anonymous" wisely keeps a NOAA weather radio packed away, along with maybe one percent group of the population. For the rest of us, turning on the radio and finding recorded programs for nearly an hour adds up to a "communications failure" -- no question about it.
ReplyDelete"For the rest of us, turning on the radio and finding recorded programs for nearly an hour adds up to a "communications failure"
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have a weather radio, that's a personal problem.
The NOAA All-hazards SAME/FIPS radio system was implemented to provide information to citizens during emergencies. It is designed to be totally independent from commercial broadcast so it will still operate when commercial broadcast goes down like it did on Oct 15.
I can't believe how many people expect .gov to show up at their house, give them a situation briefing, lead them to safety and provide them with food, water and a hug.
The people who waited around huddled in the dark for an hour wondering if a tsunami was comming were RETARDS. Why not just get in your car and drive away? Or walk?
Why would anyone sit around near the ocean after a strong earthquake waiting for some government beaurocrat to tell them what to do?
All the sheeple who complain that .gov didn't do enough, I ask you what did YOU do to prepare? Did you have a plan? Did you have equipment and supplies ready to go? Did you pratice your plan and have contingencies? Did you learn what to do beforehand?
As I was evacuating to high ground, everyone in the neighborhood was just milling around in the street wondering what to do. Most had cell phones out and were tying up the phone lines trying to call 911 or their families to ask them what to do.
When I returned home 20 minutes later beacause I recieved the "all clear" from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center on my weather radio, all the sheeple were still milling around in the street wondering what to do.
Even if I didn't have a weather radio what's the big deal?
I would have stayed up the hill, brushed my teeth, shaved, ate breakfast.
(I have all that stuff with me in my pack), wait 2 hours for the tsunami threat to pass, then go home and go back to sleep.
I have to chuckle at Anonymous's creative license. Nothing's been said here at the CHORE site about people expecting the government "to show up at their house, give them a situation briefing, lead them to safety and provide them with food, water and a hug." We do think it appropriate for government to operate efficiently and professionally in using the communications channels that have been designated for emergency communications use. We applaud Anonymous for his reliance on NOAA weather radio. Good for him or her. Short of everyone going out and buying one, the rest of us should be able to rely on the government officials we pay to be expert communicators to use the public airwaves that are licensed to broadcasters to operate in the public interest. It's not a wild expectation, Anonymous. It's what is minimally required, and we hope they all do a better job next time.
ReplyDelete