Another day another disaster!

Kia Ora,

What a day & night it has been. Carried out another job I am doing on a part time basis then headed into Christchurch city centre for an interview over the new Security Personnel & Private Investigators Act 2010. Was going to take the bus but decided to take my vehicle which is now stranded in the centre of the city.

If you are not sure what the situation is Christchurch New Zealand was struck by a second large earthquake in six months but this time it has led to fatalities.

What I will be writing about is my experience of the day so it will be a long post with some comments on my observations. Also based on comments from others during the day.

When the quake struck was about to use an ATM(since they are all down now it would of been nice to get in two minutes earlier but sh.t happens). Instantly you knew it was a big one coming, but as several others have commented many though froze or ran into the most dangerous areas. Right from the start some people took charge by virtually ordering people to do things or they were doing nothing. Managed to get some people moving in direction I was towards square. Luckily not too fast as part of Cathedral collapsed in front of us.

Joined the first really good person I met on the day. Young Israeli woman who obviously had a bit of experience in rescue type situations. I stopped at the door to the Cathedral, as you just could not see due to dust & there was a worry about the rest of the roof coming down. So initially yelled for people to come towards us. Young Israeli woman says no we will have to go in so we went in yelling, as any firemen will tell you, as the dust cleared we started to notice people in all sorts of place & had to basically order people out. As we got the last of about ten people out a staff member arrived & says to stop yelling.

But as I say you through out the day virutally had to order a lot of people as they went on auto pilot or in shock so you needed to get them moving.

Shortly after that it was noticed despite the situation that people were walking or posing for photos beside the leaning parts of the Cathedral. So with another good person who appeared that day, a young guy from City Care, who managed to find a bull horn we assisted the police to first keep people back from the Cathedral then move them out of the city centre.

The police were awesome there just weren't enough of them. Once the Square was clear we were asked to leave as well, but when we got to the outer edge of the cordon we found the police trying to move on large numbers of people who were trying to get back in or refusing to move further. Together we helped move them back over the bridge then joined the police on the cordon.

Again police were awesome as were the fire service who with no water to fight fires with took to checking out buildings were empty. Of course the Ambulance service were covering what they could, but also police cars were used as makeshift ambulances.

But at the cordon we began to have to deal with the anger. Now previously I have posted about the building anger & frustration which at recent earthquakes overseas has boiled over in riots, violence & crime quicker due to deaths.

There are a number of images that come to mind.

First in the Square just the amount of stunned looks & crying. Then when first on the cordon, after we had pushed everyone back & directed them to Hagley park processing centre or the Art Gallery if they wanted to help, a guy coming up on seeing the damage to the Cathedral down the street just burst into tears & couldn't stop.

Then the two angry guys. Well there were three but one was an idiot.

The first was an angry husband who was threatening to get in anyway he could to find his wife. Like many others they were coming back from where us & the police were told to direct them to to get information to say there was no information.

Next was the young boy on a bike angry at been sent here there & everywhere who could not find his parents. Unfortunately at the time we were dealing again with a lot of people trying to get through so cound't afford him much time but to turn him back.

Then the idiot. drunk turned away several times who wanted to get his car. In the end the police had to remove him, but they didn't want to clog up the cells so had to take him home in the country.

Oh forgot the other idiot. The one who in the middle of all this pulled a pistol on someone in another part of the city so police had to arm up & go find this w....r.

An elderly couple decided they needed to go to the toilet so decided to try to use a damaged empty building & also had to be ordered out by the police.

Finally we got the highly experienced helpers(not to mention the groups of well meaning helpers usually with shovels who were also frustrated), like a group of cavers, who just had enough of waiting to help & came like many others to the cordon to see if they could help were frustrated & angry over the disorganization.

It appears of all the groups involved the one that didn't learn much from the previous earthquake were Civil Defence. Having been part of Civil Defence & seeing them operate during the last earthquake there are too many people that don't want to make decisions.

Personally I think it is time to maybe scrap civil defence & use the army in its place. On a previous emergency whilst part of the army just a little military tip helped streamline a civil defence response. The difference is the military use this system all the time & can be set up quickly to provide effective command control & most of all effective use of resources. Though Civil Defence search & rescue teams were well drilled.

Once the police didn't require our services anymore had to walk home in the rain but that is a minor discomfort compared to what has happened. But some of the idiotic driving seen on the way home was beyond belief. Then a young guy named Mike stopped & gave me a lift home. He was on the way to comfort his ex girlfriend as she had rung very upset & not handling it. He was one of those good people who made a little difference.

Why do some people get in & do things when others stop or are in shock? I know in my case it is just what you do & that great training from the New Zealand army helps big time. But it is also experiences like working in Iraq.

In fact when a reporter asked myself & the young Israeli woman why we went in & then was it a worry. "Not really worked in Iraq & this young lady is from Israel so to us it is just like another day".

Experience counts but there are also others who just naturally just get stuck in & help as best they can.

One of those recently called themself a loser. He is not a loser, he gives his all to help others. That is the type of person whom we identify with as a real Kiwi. A person that will get on & make the best of what gets thrown at him.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz