Understanding the Process!

Kia Ora,

It was not good news yesterday when a second explosion occurred at the mine on the Coast.

Officially there is no expectation of finding anyone alive, though how explosions work in reality is often a lot different to the way they should. Seen that both during training in the army & whilst working in Iraq, where you seen people walk away when you expected no one too.

But the chances are extremely slim that anyone has survived when you add in the gas situation even less so.

Right from the start I have thought the process is wrong & one expert has now come out & said the window to get in was the first four hours after the first explosion as the old time miners have always said(science confirming what we already know again). But there was always a risk of a further explosion. It also took two hours before anyone was aware as no one was knew until the two survivors walked out. So the time was cut down to just two hours for best likely time to conduct a rescue.

A lot of questions have been raised as to why the police were in charge. These days as pointed out they run search & rescue situations, that they took it seriously was shown by the rank of the person in charge.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Disaster Preparedness
Once that process was in place Superintendent Gary Knowles did a very good & difficult job. Anyone who says otherwise is as a reporter who questioned his credentials was described a 'tosspot'.

What people have to realize is why the police now seem to take so long to do things.

In the past police have relied on gut feeling, instinct & SOP's as guidelines(as they are) & have been hammered when they have made mistakes as you will.

So their whole processes in major undertakings (even vehicle accidents of a serious nature are now treated as a crime scene) has shifted too far the other way. This results in a culture where people treat SOP's as something set in concrete.
Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival
It is now endemic throughout New Zealand not just in the police force. You even get it when you ring for emergency services especially suspicious activity. Any reason not to respond unless something is actually happening of a serious nature. Yet experience & gut feeling tell you when someone is up to no good. By the time something is actually happening it is often too late to ring.

So in light of that the Superintendent did very well. Knowing he was dammed if he did or if he didn't. Put yourself in his shoes & think of the decisions he had to make. Despite all the advice he still is the one who has to make a decision. Not as easy as people think when lives are at stake.

What the powers that be have forgot is people with the training will go in to a situation knowing the dangers to save their mates or make a difference. Had a team been able to go in in first few hours after initial explosion & confirm that say everyone was dead, there would of been a lot less frustration/anger build up. It is the not knowing & lack of action that is the biggest issue.
Facing the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness and Response in the United States (<i>Natural Hazards and Disasters: Reducing Loss and Building Sustainability in a Hazardous World</i>: A Series)
We have seen it with successive governments where they would not commit military to Peace keeping or peace making situations for around 30 years worried about what would happen if someone got killed.

Soldiers will go as long as they have good background knowledge & are aware of the dangers. They also value their mates above all else. Probably the biggest fear never talked about is not letting your mates down not the fact you may die.

No different to miners. They know the danger but to help their mates they will go in.

In fact no different to Police officers on the beat.

It is the system & the process that is the issue & it could come back to bite us very hard should terrorists decide to hit New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz