🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3fqr1s$q5g@ionews.io.org>, ndallen@io.org (Nigel Allen) writes:
|> Here is a press release from the Natural Disaster Coalition.
|> I downloaded the press release from the PR On-Line BBS in Maryland
|> at 410-363-0834. I do not work forr or belong to the Coalition.
|>
|>  Is America's Natural Disaster Policy a Diaster? Natural Disaster
|> Coalition Says 'Yes'
|>  To: National Desk
|>  Contact: Jack Weber, 202-783-2758, for the Natural Disaster
|>           Coalition
|>
|>    WASHINGTON, Jan. 19  -- The following was released
|> today by the Natural Disaster Coalition (NDC):
|>
|>    Tuesday's earthquake in Kobe, Japan is an omen of the types of
|> events that could happen here in America.
|>    The U.S. is far less prepared for these types of events than
|> Japan.

I found this statement quite interesting because it seems to be
in direct conflict with what observers from the California
Office of Emergency services are saying.

Specifically, I have heard several observers say that the government
response in Japan wasn't nearly as capable as everyone thought!
Specifically, the number of emergency responders in Kobe the first
48 hours was much lower than what would be fielded in CA.

Don't forget that CA has an extensive mutual aide system that
gets alot of use during the year(all those wild fires for one).
The U.S. also has a number of heavy rescue/search and rescue
units stationed thruout the U.S.(many in CA) for such work.

Now, all of this isn't near enough, but it is apparently more
than Japan had available.

My heart goes out to all of those who have suffered in Japan, I've
lived thru Loma Prietta and the 1970 San Fernando quakes myself..so
I have some idea of what big quakes feel like! I've also been
involved at different levels with local emergency responders before
and after the Loma Prietta quake, so I have an idea of how well
they reacted during the real thing.  There will be several major
lessons that I'm sure we'll need to learn from the Kobe experience,
but this posting seemed to make claims about our own prepardness that
just aren't true.

Steve Wilson