The World split in Three!

Kia Ora,

When you look at the aftermath of the earthquakes here in Christchurch especially the one in February the city has split itself basically into three worlds.

It just happens that I live where one of them prevails & have been working or out in the other two.

First there is the world of the Eastern Suburbs. Basically because of their personal situation many out that way are now struggling to meet the basic needs in life. They feel forgotten at times. Others out there that can have picked themselves up but in reality the Eastern suburbs of Christchurch need to revert to the productive farmland it once was.

This is the world that affects people most & the damage is vastly different in most case to that of the CBD. The people who live here often at the wrong end of the food chain.

It is becoming quite evident that there are a number of fault lines running close too or under the city that no one knew about & as the cycle has started again the soil is not the right type to rebuild on.

The Prime Ministers prediction of 10,000 homes not been rebuilt from what I saw might be very light in the final count. As earthquakes are now been centred under some of the worst hit low lying areas new liquifaction is emerging which, as we have found, is very destructive or destabilizing.

Then there is the world of the CBD in particular the red zone where I am working now. The last place I saw destruction like that was in Baghdad just after arriving to work there.

Those mainly affected here are the business world.

As time has gone on I think everyone can understand their frustration especially when they look at the way Japan has got into clean up mode.

Problem here is firstly poor communication from Civil Defence.

Secondly the New Zealand mindset was never ready for this & still hasn't accepted it, so the actions Civil Defence should be taking of fast take down of most of the CBD is not happening as they try to keep everyone happy. Not going to happen & the longer it takes the more frustration & anger.

The adverse reaction to the Prime Ministers comment about 10,000 homes or the earthquake recovery ministers bulldozing all the old dungers actually show the issues Civil Defence are having to deal with. People are just falling into the third world in Christchurch with their reactions.

The third world is the one most in New Zealand would fall into. The lack of reality world which I have posted about prior to the earthquakes.

At the moment due to lack of information this includes many of those CBD business people. It also includes many of those in the West of Christchurch for which February 22nd was just a good shake & an inconvience. Many who were in the city on the day are also in this group as many went into shock or denial & still haven't come to terms with what happened.

It includes those who for what ever reason want to or try to enter the red zone putting their own & others lives at risk.

Amongst these are the residents now been led by an immature city councillor wanting to treat the area like it was a normal living area. This is a major blunder on the part of Civil Defence. No one should be living within the red zone. There can be no debate in this as hard as it is for people. It is hard enough trying to keep the area secure with so many ways to slip in without having residents thinking it is their own private backyard.

As a police officer said in reality no one not even police should be allowed inside the cordon as they work their way in securing properties. I suggested the priviso of the army's LAV's with their night vision & the fact they give some protection to the occupants from falling buildings & speed to get out over rough terrain.

Many of those who think they can go into these areas are not situationally aware.

When the 5.1 quake hit last Sunday I was standing with two people as we began to look for a vagrant we know is in the area. One had never felt an earthquake before. The other had but though their reactions were good as they ran into the road they were not situationally aware of that building. Sometimes you are just aware even if you haven't been there. But having been patrolling that area I knew that its weak point was in another direction & that another weak point was likely to fall towards the middle of the road. So I walked off at a slightly different angle more worried about my cup of tea not spilling but keeping an eye on the second weak point.

Most people in Christchurch at the time of the February quake just froze or went into denial & what I have noticed is that is becoming more evident not less as you would think it would since. It was noted by many who were situationally aware that people ran in the wrong direction, did strange things or carried on like nothing happened totally oblivious to the situation.

It is strange seeing the three worlds interact.

One woman was allegedly removed from a supermarket by staff when she started ranting about people in a badly hit suburb & how they deserved no help. Because their nearest supermarkets at the time were out of action many at that store at the time were from that suburb. In fact the person who told me this was in line behind her & is from that suburb.

Ideally to make the city one again as much as we can the Eastern suburbs need to be moved West of the present city boundaries as does the CBD returning that land to productive farmland & park. The land to the West is harder in composition & not as productive as much of the land Christchurch is presently built on.

Not only can we build a newer safer city to the West but mitigate the effect of an earthquake. Another well known person has come out in the media saying there will not be another earthquake for a long time. They said that after September, but all along the Alpine Fault is known to be overdue for a big shake alone not counting the unknown faults still coming to our attention near & under Christchurch.

Even the current West of the city is not immune after so many shakes will have weakened the buildings by all the shaking. As was shown modern building standards as much as old were not built to withstand more than one good shake. The ones that seem to have survived best are those built by the old Ministry of Works to standards that came out of the 31 Napier earthquake. Seems just like in the financial crisis we are re learning all the lessons of the past.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Misuse of Power!

Kia Ora,

Not talking about the abuse of power by the likes of the UN, US, Gaddafi or the central banks or any of the other many groups that do it in 'our' name.

What this is about is the misuse of the extreme power that Civil Defence has here in New Zealand during an emergency as has happened as a result of the Christchurch Earthquakes.

That Civil defence need these extreme powers is not in question. It is how they are used.

Biggest issue is still the communication & there was a very good article on this in the Christchurch 'Press' pointing out that just telling people something is out of bounds but at this stage they are not sure why is often enough.

Again I go back to the day of the earthquake on 22nd February 2011 when people were sent to Hagley park for information where none was forthcoming. At the part of the cordon that day were I was assisting we were able to just place people aside who came to wait for friends or relatives trapped in a building behind us where the stairwell had collapsed(not the Forsyth Barr building). Just that simple action people were very thankful for.

It is something Civil Defence have to look at for the immediate actions by its people at gathering points. They need to have their people been able to think on their feet which is not what they are doing in the initial response at present. Also in line with that the aiblity to think & use the skills that arrive to assist at the time. In the first few hours of an emergency all the hands that can be used are required.

The communication even at this point was extremely poor.

Right now the communication needs to be better & not hiding what buildings are in danger. What communication there has been is very poor also.

For example in the Christchurch 'Press' there was a map of buildings that had been red stickered. But that map was highly inaccurate in many ways. It showed sections, even roads where there are now none & haven't been for years.

As for the buildings shown as red stickered it is grossly inaccurate. In the vicinity where we are workiing at present it shows two buildings on one part of a street. In fact there are at least another 10 buildings with red stickers in that short part of the street. On one side there are three businesses with yellow stickers though it is hard to see them remaining due to damage from other buildings to their sides. They are the only premises not red stickered & one of the business owners of another premise has tried to claim that his premises were safe.

On the opposite side of the street only one building does not have a red sticker & it appears to be leaning with large cracks. In fact the one building that looks OK has red stickers all over it.

But then there is the issue of the red stickers. Many properties have two. One from USAR(Urban search & rescue)or EQC & one from the council. The council are trying to keep their little empire going by saying that USAR can not red sticker a building under the Building act. My understanding of the powers of Civil Defence (having been part of Civil Defence) is currently things like the Building act take a back seat. Safety is the overriding concern.

Again though it comes back to communication & working as a team which is not what seems to be happening. The council wasted resources by going over what had already been done. Where as if there had been better communication resources would of been better used. It also needs the likes of the Christchurch City council(that is the part that delivers the services not the elected people though some of them need a lesson in it as well) to understand the powers Civil Defence have.

You also do not need a city councillor who is living in the red zone(no one should be but that is another issue that Civil defence need to sort for the future) moaning because he can't bring friends into his place for some drinks. Shows a lack of maturity & questions whether he should be allowed to be an elected representative.

At present working in the red zone at night it is quite clear that the area is far too dangerous for general access or even restricted supervised access can be dangerous.

So Civil Defence have got that part right but their lack of communication is showing how they are misusing their power.

It led to the frustration that caused business owners to breach the cordon opposite one of the most unstable buildings in the CBD. But as they did not know that, they claimed they were safe & the cordons where not as necessary as claimed. That building certainly looks Ok, but it isn't. As police officer who asked us where it was said had just come over their radio "if it starts creaking then run like hell". Many been from out of town have no idea where they are. GPS & maps don't help fully as things change on a daily basis & what was a safe route yesterday is now fenced off it confuses the issue. That information needs to be available to the public to give them an idea with issues Civil Defence are dealing with.

I see that Civil Defence now have admitted they have a list of unstable buildings, 37 I think was the number of most concern, but they will not release what those buildings are. Poor communication. First thing that needs to be done is correct map shown of out of bounds streets within the red zone updated accurately daily(as it does change daily as more buildings become unstable)& naming of those buildings most unstable again updating on a daily basis.

Even within the red zone the information to the military, police & private security is contradictory. Each group gets different information & again it changes daily. One large building is unsafe then safe on its own right on a daily basis. Their information is often at complete odds to that been given on the Canterbury earthquake site to the public.

Right now there is only one issue. Communication, communication, communication. Give people the facts.

One rumour that has gone around is the plague of rats. Well of all those I have talked too whilst working in the red zone I am the only one who has thought they have seen a rat & it was just one. Lots of cats(many obviously pets as friendly up to a point)a possum, ducks a friendly seagull & a couple of spooked eels. Other than that little in the way of wildlife. In fact apart from a cat & a seagull there was no wildlife for days. Then a duck walked down the road also quite friendly. But rats maybe one. Now having worked around that area in the past there are usually a few water rats spotted.

As far as we can work out most of the rats have either been killed by liquifaction which is significant around the river or they have left. You can smell spoilt food but as most of that will be in fridges or freezers so rats will not be able to access it.

As I type the business grouping is saying it is going to hold another protest today. I would urge them to refrain from any breaches of the cordons as it just puts their lives & those of police & military personnel who have to remove them.

Civil Defence are not abusing their power but they are misusing it by not communitcating. If they think they are then they have to think again.

So many have done so well learnt lessons from Septembers earthquake then even more now & have adapted quickly that is except Civil Defence. In the inititial stages to best use that power they possess they need to be able to think on their feet better. In the follow up they need to co ordinate better, but most of all they need to work on their communication. Get the facts, even if they change daily & contradict, out there so everyone is on the same page.

They also have to understand the New Zealand mindset better. Unmanned fences will be breached where as they might not be in other countries.

If they use that power to good with good communication then despite the delays the population will go along with them.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

True Heroes!

Kia Ora,

As a series of disasters sweep around the world, the word hero is getting heard a lot. But who is a hero?

Before I deal with that though one issue that has been on going raised its head in the Letters to the 'Editor' of the 'Press'. A resident in the Red Zone of the Christchurch CBD was complaining about the ever changing regulations & stopping of them doing 'normal things'.

It is an issue I encountered first as a young New Zealand soldier during the 1984 Invercargill floods. Again it is a Civil Defence issue where after putting a cordon in place they allow residents to re occupy within that cordon.

It should never happen! There should be the possibility of escort to retrieve property & animals, but no one should be allowed to live inside a cordon. End of Story.

The reason they can not do 'normal' things is it is too dangerous & changing by the minute. The issue of different instructions is also due to that I menitioned in a previous post due to the poor communication coming from Civil Defence & each grouping getting a different brief.

But on to the Heroes.

When I first talked about how an Israeli woman & I went into the Christchurch Cathedral & got people out, some said we were heroes. Think not. We just did what many did in the situation that had to be done & much less than many. Yes there was some danger, but there was in Iraq too & is every day in security, policing or any of the services.

Like soldiers braving bullets I am sure the USAR(Urban Search & Rescue) don't regard themselves as heroes. Just doing what they train to do & happy just for some thanks. You know the risks, mitigate them & carry on.

Then I saw some true heroes in Japan. Facing something they can not see.

First there are the workers at the Japanese reactor who have continued to battle to get the reactors under control. They are aware of the dangers as they work with it but go back in to try to save their wider community.

But the real heroes to me were the Japanese military helicopter pilots flying in to drop water in an attempt to cool the reactors with what would be virtually little protection. Knowing that though they can not see it they are almost certainly getting more radiation exposure than any person should by their proximity to the reactor in carrying out their task.

Yet knowing military, police, fire & the likes of USAR there would of been more volunteers than positions to fill those pilots seats.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Knowledge really is Power!

Kia Ora,

Recent events have shown knowledge really is power.

How?

Well the so called experts are trying to make the 'Moon Man' Ken Ring look silly but the only people really looking silly are the experts.

They have attacked him with such a religious fervour that they actually miss some of what he has written.

Myself I just went on his site when I first heard of prediction he had made prior to the September earthquake with an open mind. I also looked deeper into what he says & it actually makes sense.

Some say you wouldn't believe him if you looked at it logically. Actually if you look at it with an open mind then logically it makes more sense than most things we are hearing from the 'experts'.

Now the first issue with Ken Rings predictions are people have built them up bigger than Ben Hur in their minds by only hearing or seeing one part of it all. That has caused panic & stress. But if you really go into it he actually says it is not precise & it is generally probablities which with current prediction backed by fact ground has been weakened around the Canterbury area.

The so called experts quote a lot of his material to show that he is wrong. Often though they are quoting material he got from their websites. That has to be worrying that they don't seem to know what is on their own sites.

Yesterday the PM's science advisor waded into the debate. He said that each day there are earthquakes many of them are very deep & not felt. As he said that I thought he was reading straight from Ken Rings website. One thing Ken has pointed out is at each Perigee of the moon there are large quakes somewhere around the world but most are very deep & not felt.

Like the alleged 8 in Cook Strait on the day of the Boxing day Tsaunami in 2004. In fact I have read small clippings or quakes such as that in Cook Strait before. They are the type of clippings I keep & most people ignore. People tend to read the headlines not the important clippings to the side.

Sir Peter Gluckman the PM's advisor also went on as many of the New Zealand experts have to say that the Christchurch earthquake had no bearing on the Japan earthquake.

Two issues here.

The first is like much of what Ken Ring says people can relate to that there are connections despite it not been proven scientifically. People can see the moon, know it affects the tides, know if you are in security or police etc that it affects people(all the crazies come out around the time of a Full moon though not specifically on the night of a full moon)& many plant crops which coincide with the phases of the moon during particular seasons. One well known fishing commentator here in New Zealand who bases much of his advice on how Maori looked to nature to provide the guides to best fishing which includes the phases of the moon.

Secondly that comment comes a day after a major article in the Christchurch 'Press' printed an article showing that geologists in the US in particular are now starting to look at the very real possibility that all these large quakes recently are connected in the same way they say one local one can put stress on other faults therefore causing more earthquakes.

A visiting US geologist had actually said that one issue in New Zealand is the small geologist community meant that no voices are raised publicly to allow debate, where as in the US there is often debate & investigation into what might be held as truths.

Still he doesn't credit the 'moon man' theories.

In doing that geologists actually do themselves a disservice. They are basically slapping down what many people feel might be right in their gut instinct. They are also saying their scientific culture is superior to many others when more often than not they are spending all their energy to finally prove what people already knew.

Everything is interconnected & many cultures have that as a central part of their belief's. In Maoridom everything is seen to have its own Mauri or life force & be interconnected, the Chinese have Chi & so it goes on.

Instead of just using so much energy just dismissing these beliefs they should be saying "there might be something in this. So if we combine what has been found over thousands of years of observations with the equipment & knowledge we have gained today we might just be able to come up with a pretty accurate way to predict earthquakes.

One worrying aspect of some claims as to what is causing the earthquakes is the that the US 'HAARP weapon' might be involved at times when natural forces like the moon & solar flares are in action. I haven't looked into it much but if mankind thinks it can use a weapon to manipulate natural phenomona that would be a real worry.

One thing that February the 22nd 2011 confirmed for me after being close to three suicide bombings is the awesome power of nature & that we can only mitigate against it.

Not control it or eliminate it.

If people don't do their homework then Ken Rings predicitons can be frightening & many do say "I don't want to hear".

Having that little extra knowledge can be powerful. It is possible that it will happen. Many are comfortable that it is not precise but are taking precautions. If it doesn't happen then great.

It is just like preparing for a patrol in the army(& the way OSH should be looked at) you prepare & mitigate for worst case scenarios, don't fret about them & get on with things.

Not helping the situation is the poor communication by the scientists & the frank admission in an interview published in the 'Press' by a geologist that the government wants them to keep quiet on the possible threat of a faultline under the Christchurch CBD. The one that rocked Christchurch on Boxing day 2010.

If you believe in the prediciton or not it is already seen as likely to increase the work loads for security & the police. As I type this it is St Patricks day which is not going to help, memorial day tomorrow then moving towards the prediction date of the 20th there are going to be varying reactions. People leave town, hunker down or go crazy aided by cheap alcohol.

The absolute worst thing you can do right now is get drunk or use drugs. People need to be clear headed so they can take it all in their stride. As was pointed out to me there is a big difference to the reaction here in Christchurch to that in Japan. Here looters, poor driving, drunkeness is high along with violence. Japan no looting although I hear some frustration over evacuation more to do with the nuclear reactor issues.

But generally it appears the Japanese are just dealing with it as these happen regularly(though of course not of this scale). New Zealand in the main seems to be not handling it or in denial despite all the good people trying too or helping.

Me, I am working. Reckon it is as good as place as any & if something does hit we have set ourselves in a good area to carryout our tasks safely & watch the awesome power of nature do its work.

Having the knowledge is a powerful tool to allow me to be comfortable with what ever happens.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Two sides of the same coin!

Kia Ora,

Just finished my rotation on security task in the red zone of the Christchurch CBD. Again my favourite punching bag at present, Civil Defence, are doing their best to make a right mess of the efforts. But they are also receiving what I would regard as unfair criticism in other areas.

There is the issue of how the cordons etc are run shows that part of Civil Defence could not run a piss up at a brewery. The police & military provide the bodies but Civil Defence are the ones saying how it is manned & all can see that within the outer cordon there is not a lot of co ordination on some inner areas.

In fact the main issue is the one that has lead to the other unfair criticism. It is the lack of information & poor communication.

The Military are getting one brief, the police briefings are different altogether & as private security we are often finding out information that neither of them are getting that might just be important.

Such as a certain building was suddenly thought likely to collapse shortly, fences were erected & someone who had a right too told one of our team that nobody was to enter that area. Only information given to the likes of police & miltary was to be aware of this building although someone was positioned to keep people out but only at one point.

To top off the poor information flow the website for all updated information keeps saying at different times that the specific area of the builidng in question is due to be opened up. Seems the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. We were told it is a no go, the police/military to be aware & the public it will opened shortly to owners/residents then the public.

This all really needs to be cleared up so everyone is on the same wavelength including police communications which is not now in Christchurch but you tend to get Auckland & they try to tell you to do things that you just can't do in the Red Zone or even Christchurch these days. One suggestion might work in normal circumstances but not in how people are reacting here at present & not what you have to do to ensure people are safe.

But as I said there is two sides to the coin in this.

Whilst it is the lack of information & poor communication that is the real cause of this issue much of the criticism is just wrong.

As a small business owner who has only just been able to get their vehicle back I understand how hard it is for those who are not able to access their premises or even worse had their premises torn down. However they are not been realistic when they, in regards to the demolition of properties, complain about how they were not told.

From those of us working inside the red zone so far I have not heard one person say that the deconstruction is too over the top. In fact the general feeling I have observed is it is been done too PC, too slow. Diggers have been used to make properties as safe as possible to allow items to be retreived if that is possible. What is needed right now is the biggest bulldozer in the world to go through the CBD & start again.

As one police officer commented when we were talking about a large building expected to topple "But every building in the CBD leaning one way or another!" As days go on more are becoming unstable.

One unofficial role we have picked up were we are basing ourselves is guides to those from out of town such as many of the police. Last night one exchange just highlighted the issues that many do not realize when wanting to get to their properties. A police vehicle stops & asks where a certain large building is which we provide directions too. "Oh have been past it!" Apparently over the radio net had come "if you hear that building start creaking run like hell!".

Just every night you see another building starting to lean a bit more. All it is likely to need is just one of the those properties to come down & the weight hitting the ground(or another building) could set off others.

Many of those buildings have looked Ok or still do unless you really look then notice just a twist or a lean. The taller the building the less of a lean it needs before it becomes a danger. On one of the buildings we are securing the walls are starting to slide ever so slightly each day from the bottom into a natural valley at that point(sorry more information would identify it & right now we can't do that).

Too many people are still placing faith in a green sticker which as shown in the CTV & PGC buildings collapse mean nothing. In fact the green sticker says property needs further independant investigation. I know of relations who were extremely uncomfortable & feeling unsafe entering one of those buildings recently. They were to re enter it the morning following the earthquake.

It would be nice to let people get as much as possible out it is just not always possible. Even to make some areas safer to allow some access parts have had to be partially deconstructed to allow safe access & this process has also upset business owners. One complaining that someone should of let them recover their tables & chairs outside. That building & the ones next to it were too dangerous to go near without partial deconstruction.

We are carrying out a 24 hour security task & on some nights you can hear windows smashing or parts falling off buildings when there are a few good aftershocks or it is windy.

Meanwhile there are still residents trying to walk around or just abuse people for not letting them go where they want, suspicious characters outside the cordon, vagrants in the area & recently a vehicle driving around abusing the outer cordon.

Civil Defence need to get their communication sorted so the flow of information is correct & the information is correct. The public should not be getting the information before those that are going to deal with it on the cordon or inside the cordon do. The information also needs to be the same across the board.

As harsh as it may be, business owners & residents of the red zone like many New Zealanders have to start facing reality. Someone commented that when out with a relation they took note that many, even in Christchurch are only three weeks on, carrying on like nothing has happened whilst others are struggling to even have the basics.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

How will it affect People?

Kia Ora,

Whilst news continues to come in in regards to the massive earthquake off the coast of Japan with the following Tsaunami it is the effect on people especially here in Christchurch that is my focus. Unlike the Japanese, New Zealanders are still not used to dealing with reality. Unless you were directly involved in the worst part of the February 22nd earthquake many even within Christchurch still think it is been overplayed.

Here in New Zealand people are still worried about the prediction for a possible very large earthquake around the Christchurch area about the 20th March 2011.

That has been the focus but the actual prediciton for February by the 'Moon man' as Ken Ring is known was for the 'Ring of fire'. The proviso was that if it hit New Zealand then the orientation of the moon means it would hit Canterbury or Marlborough & that is the same for March.

As the Perigee of the Moon approached a quake of about 6.3 happened off Chile in the same area of the previous one that resulted in a Tsaunami & deaths. Of course after Perigee Christchurch got hit by our own destructive 6.3.

Someone mentioned to me the other day that another person who uses similar information to Ken Ring had said that the Christchurch Quakes would trigger a large quake in Japan.

A few days ago a 7.1 earthquake happened off Japan resulting in a 60cm Tsaunami. This was followed by a 5 in China where at least 22 people died. Then this big one hit & whilst Hawaii was readying itself for the Tsaunami it was rocked by a 4.5 & reports of lava geysering up to 50 metres in one of the volcanoes.

Now despite the 'experts' saying there is no connection between each shake I think most people will view them as interconnected. The earthquakes in Japan may take the pressure off in this part of the world for now as the moon coming closer will impact on those areas under most stress or weakest.

As it says the predicitons are of possible earthquakes/sesmic activity. Much of it never felt. Still pays to be ready & just maybe the 'experts' can now start to combine their measurements of pressure. Of course that would be helped by proper mapping of the earth surface to find all the faults. They say it is expensive but like the poor modern building practices(as they are cheaper) in the long run it has proved more expensive in lives & economically.

Of course the 'experts' will say this is all bumkum. But that doesn't stop human emotions & reactions kicking in.

If say over the next two months as predicted for this area at least we get some more substantial earthquakes crime increases along with violence as stress gets to people. At some stage though people really start to embrace religions(end of times) or law & order starts to break down as the rules aren't seen as important with the end of the world idea gets into some peoples heads.

Others are still in denial that there might be any threat. Having seen the power of a large earthquake twice up close I would rather be ready & aware but without fretting about it.

Personally I think it is just a whole lot of cycles (financially & within the earth)coming together at the same time so find it interesting. It also brings opportunities to make the world a better place.

As back on security task tonight in the CBD red zone here in Christchurch expect there could be more trying to enter the area to commit crime. You would have to say that is no surprise that some of the looters caught(those seen) so far in Christchurch appear to be basically people who follow anarchist teachings. It fits right in with the way they think the world should be.

A bit of common sense though would tell them that it is just too dangerous. It is good to see some people at Civil Defence are finally thinking & have cancelled the planned walk through the red zone next Friday. Why? Because it is too dangerous. No s..t Sherlock! Taken them that long to decide that!

Meantime I am still expecting that the 10,000 homes to be not able to be rebuilt is light on the numbers. That is going to impact on people emotionally as well & their reactions will vary. Personally I think it is time to return those eastern suburbs that are badly hit to the farm land I am told they were in the 60's & start building to the west on harder ground. Even I remember much of Bromley was just sand dunes in the 70's where we as kids used to play when visiting friends on Linwood Avenue.

How will all this affect people? Already a lot are nervous. The fact that major earthquakes & Tsaunami's are happening around the 'Ring of fire' will not make people any more comfortable. In fact it is likely to morph into a law & order issue in particular if as predicted a large earthquake hits near Christchurch in the next week or so.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

What needs to be done to get moving again!

Kia Ora,

Many think I criticize to just see the negative. Actually I see opportunities across the board from the faults found.

Some actually are learning from their mistakes. Today EQC & the government have annouced that they do not need a claim but will visit every property in Christchurch with a quick visit then catergorize them for further visits. Brilliant & what should of happened the first time considering that the building code is only to save lives.

Next thing that needs to happen is a quick total review of the building standards. I was telling a relation, who happens to be a former master builder, what a member of the US USAR team told me about the stairways & poor building practices. He finished it off as apparently it is something the building industry has not been happy with much of the building code as it is. So he was aware of what the failure was likely to be.

I would suggest going back to the Ministry of Works standards. I haven't checked but from memory the Ministry of Works really came about during the 1930's depression & so their standards would of been brought about by the Napier earthquake. It is quite evident that those buildings built to those standards are solid in comparison to others old & new. From what I have seen in the CBD & in the Eastern suburbs as many new design buildings have suffered fatal damage as old ones.

But as happens over time with no further quakes in a city people have forgot the lessons of the past(just like with what is happening financially)& thought they knew better.

The big issue is getting businesses moving & creating new jobs. If people have jobs & cash flow then they are less likely to turn to crime or violence. Less likely to become frustrated & angry with the recovery. That is not to disrespect those that have died, but to ensure the living are taken care off or more importantly can take care of themselves.

So as much as we know people in other parts of New Zealand want to help, it is giving the jobs to local businesses where they can. I know that hasn't been happening in all situations in the security industry.

Government departments in particular but banks also have to stop looking at their little boxes to tick off. There is a package to help businesses with no income but when I look at it my business does not fit their little tick boxes. My personal situation as I discovered when dealing with ACC does not fit their little boxes. Now I have three companies(not overly successful yet but working on it) after the September earthquake the bank one of those businesses has an account with claimed they had called all their business clients once & were checking again. That is a lie. I am still waiting for that call. In fact after both major earthquakes the only government department or major corporates I have heard from are Te Puna Kokiri & Meridian Energy. Oh & the police to check me off their missing persons list even though I had gone through the required procedure to help there.

Last of all we need a huge overhaul of how Civil Defence works. It needs to change the mindset so it encourages dynamic thinkers in a fluid situation who can use resources that appear to best use them. Not stand around spouting we will save everybody & saying they don't need help. They also have to stop halting people who just want to help unless they are in danger that they are unaware off. People feel they are making a difference when helping whether paid or unpaid.

This will not make some people happy but I would say that Civil Defences actions on the day probably resulted in people dying. In the first few hours some UN approved accreditation is not important.

It is now that people with good ideas need to be supported more than those who 'fit' because those that 'fit' will just continue the system that is casuing much of the frustration & anger.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Is anyone actually learning from their mistakes?

Kia Ora,

Posts are been a bit sparse as have been working on a security task within Christchurch's CBD 'red zone' & at this stage looks like will be for a while yet.

It has been quick checks of emails & bit of banter over criticism & how it doesn't help the recovery. Actually I see it the other way. It is better to get the criticism out there for those in power otherwise if they are not reacting as I have said in previous posts since the September earthquake then the anger & frustration builds & result in large increases in crime & violence even riots. That is going on recent similar disasters. Just seems that here people are not learning the lessons from offshore or after the September earthquake.

The seeds for that type of reaciton has been sown in the poor response to some areas in the Eastern Suburbs.

Some people are still not livng in the real world trying to keep things as normal. It is not!

The government at least seems to have woken up & it will be interesting to see if their words are backed by action.

But of course there are others who are against any action.

Like the owners of the Hotel Grand Chancellor who made the statement that the Minister for the earthquake recovery, one Gerry Brownlee, can not make the decision to bring the Hotel down. Actually I am sure he can with the new powers given to him post the September earthquake as can Civil Defence. It was a point made in parliament at the time of enacting the new powers. They are very broad cutting through normal processes.

One of the issues for the recovery of the earthquake is getting the economy working again. If you can provide jobs then people can feed their families therefore less stress & less likelyhood for violence, crime or frustration leading the likes of riots. Therefore anything that can speed up that recovery process should be welcome.

But you can see where the systems are not working. Overall it is my old friends at Civil Defence who are co ordinating the effort & again it is not been well done.

Examples are the information of recovery of vehicles from within the CBD. There is talk of a system that is in process but when you do a search you can't find it. It is only today that I learned there is a process but it oculd take weeks.

So whilst working in the CBD see this tow truck & ask them the process. $60 & sign this permission form & we will get it to our yard. Quick efficient & done legally.

In the same vein is the not well communicated information that you were supposed to ring Red Cross to report that your vehicle was in the CBD but you were OK. Did this on learning that fact, but seems the left is not telling the right so more police resources were wasted when today I was rung as I was on the missing list still as vehicle had been noted in the car park. The idea of ringing Red Cross I was assured was to ensure you cleared names so the police could focus elsewhere.

Then there is the likes of a young woman who along with some friends did everything they could to help provide a service for the people of Christchurch. It went great & they felt they were doing something worthwhile until they featured on the TV news for helping out. In stepped someone from the authorities to say they are not authorized to help & closed them down. Funny thing even the military had been helping get their service into Christchurch to make a difference. From the attitude & the way it was described to me it would appear it was Civil Defence as they had expressed the same attitude to other people wanting to help.

Civil Defence have not only been poor in all areas originally they have forgot that in a disaster it is the ability to use the resources that arrive to provide the best outcome. The fact that the intrepid Bernie & I fell outside Civil Defence doing anti looting was reason we got so much information that was able to be used.

Then there is the opening of the cordon so we now have green zones & a red zone. Now the police, military & securtiy on the perimeter seem to have it all sorted except for one little issue. No one was manning the fences on the red zone(that will have changed with the change of cordons today) & so each morning tradesmen & others were opening up those fences, even though there was one check point to enter that area, so we had people trying to short cut through on push bikes or walking into very dangerous areas.

But as a police officer said the fences were not really a cordon as the police, military & security were only supplying the manpower, Civil defence were in overall charge & dictating how the manning went.

They also, as I have encountered before in emergency situations when Civil Defence have been in charge, have said these areas like the red zone are no go but then let people live in it which has also caused issues. Like the resident who decided to take his dog for a walk after tea. Or the other resident sneaking around in the dark to allegedly find a way out for his wife in the morning. They refused initially to accept that at the time she would be going to work there was only one way out.

It is a very dangerous area with bits dropping off buildings from time to time.

If we go back to the government, the Prime Minister has said up to 10,000 residences may have to be relocated. In fact what we have seen on in the Eastern suburbs that actually might be a bit light but at least it shows that just maybe someone some where is starting to see the reality.

Though in saying that I haven't meet anyone yet, especially in the red zone, who thinks Christchurch will be able to hold the Rugby World Cup games it was scheduled too. The general feeling is that resources have to be put into getting the city set back up.

But the politicians are treading carefully thinking that most people are still wanting the games to go ahead. I seriously doubt that many Christchurch residents will want to be sitting high up in the stands for a while. It you suddenly have a lot of effort & expense going into the Rugby World Cup, but people are still struggling with basics you would likely find a severe reaction to the games from certain areas.

Probably the biggest issue is going to be the day of memorial for the quake. The Walk through the CBD is a major issue. I can understand the reasoning to have people walk through & see some of the destruction. Even people I spoke today who were here for the quake but in the suburbs & have a wall about to fall down on their house still can't quite relate that to the damage & death this earthquake caused.

I know that Police rotating through from out of town have found it surreal to see the city centre as it is(compared to watching it on TV or reading it in the paper), although many still don't seem to appreciate the power when a big one hits by some of their actions.

But having so many people walking through as expected & another shock hits will just cause chaos. We just got hit by another aftershock about 30 minutes ago that was quite good. As you saw on the day people often wouldn't follow instructions initially until an aftershock hit then there were people running in panic.

It might not happen but like the New Years night in the Square it seems people are not learning the lessons. It is not in the book so it won't happen. There are times to follow the book & there are times to undertand that procedures are only ever a guide line.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Leadership lacking yet again!

Kia Ora,

As I said in my last post some people don't think I should be criticizing people around the earthquake response right now.

But it needs to be now because there are so many instances where poor leadership or organization is showing along with the lack of flexibility.

I highlighted the lack of leadership in the aftermath of the September earthquake where everyone spent all the time patting themselves on the back & learnt no lessons.

I was incredulous to hear the head of Civil Defence say that Sunday March 6th would be the first time he had been in the Eastern Suburbs since the 22nd February earthquake. Poor leadership too busy looking for the media soundbites is what one person called what has been going on.

One of the positions I held during my military career was regimental signaller(infantry battalion signals platoon) so spent times in a command post, company commanders signaller, step up & finally the commanding officers signaller.

At all levels from company up it is the lower level commanders who fought the battle whilst the commander above was in behind the scenes looking at it from the bigger picture & to exploit opportunities. A great strength of Rommel.

In this situation in Christchurch the head of Civil Defence should of been out on the ground seeing what the real damage was from the start or shortly after recce teams had reported in. It was six days after that Civil defence showed up to get on the ground information from the intrepid Bernie(& got an earful from me as well). There seemed to be no real idea of what the situation was on the ground. That has continued as decisions made do not reflect local issues.

The Mayor very aware of the lack of reaction to the situation in the suburbs on September the 4th 2010 said they had to start getting out there quite early. Problem was that was not happening in reality.

An issue that has arisen is the TV & use of the internet. Now obviously right from the start I have had power, water & the internet so all the information passed over on TV or the internet is good. It just hasn't been getting to the places out east where it is needed or targeted at.

When I accompanied Bernie on Friday I think it was(you lose track of the days), was able to pass on the information of a meeting Sunday at Cuthberts Green for those in the suburbs we were working in mainly that day. The timing given was 10am & no one had heard about this meeting. On Saturday when checking for any update to get my vehicle out of cordon noticed the time for that meeting had changed to 6pm on the website. Today it went ahead at 10am as it seems finally someone realized that people in that area had no power so could not access(if they already did as this is an area that is likely to have low access to the internet in the first place) the internet, TV & in many cases now radio as batteries go flat. Not to mention listening to the radio as I type this it keeps cutting out.

I understand from what I did get from the radio that frustration at those meetings was high.

It all looks good on the internet & on TV but the areas worst affected outside the CBD just are not getting the information.

Today it is even worse in regards to the CBD. The cordons are been reduced but there is so much confusion over the information & still how to access areas within the red zone is not sorted out. A lot of that could be sorted simply with some leadership. Yes your business, vehicle etc are OK. Be at this point at this time & you will be escorted into retrieve this. You will have this amount of time.

For Christchurch to recover needs cash flow & businesses working again. At the present time it is all been hindered. Another issue with this is local businesses are missing out as the bigger companies instead of using the locals in a subcontract role are bringing in their own people from outside the district. It is putting extra pressure on the infrastructure but again is also lessening the local cash flow so hampering any recovery. Less work for locals then more frustration & anger therefore more crime.

The different parts need to stop giving out conflicting information & start showing some leadership. With all the conflicting information & lack of information it is the police & military that are having to deal with the frustration at ground level.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Myth or Truth!

Kia Ora,

Been a few days as having been involved in a few debates on Facebook & jumped a ride back out to help Bernie in his realiable jeep.

The debates have essentially been around what is a persons truth & what should be said at this time.

The first has been a debate over Ken Ring & his predictions of possible earthquakes based mainly on astrology. Having read quite a bit of his information & watched the pattern of shakes since there is definitely something in it. As he says himself it is not precise & if geologists would combine their knowledge of pressure build up with that astrologers it would help towards an accurate method of prediction.

But each to their own, just for me it feels right as based on thousands of years of observations therefore despite claims to the contrary the method is scientific because at its base level science is all about observations.

Then there has been TVNZ & their lack of real investigation before putting items on TV News.

First there was the person who claimed to have run out of the Christchurch Cathedral & the doors jamming behind them. He could of run out but there is evidence that the doors were never jammed.

When I posted what we got up to the day of the earthquake Neil Smith posted a comment with a link. I had trouble with the link & initially all I got was the filming in the open door of the Cathedral as the quake struck. It ended with the camera on the ground & dust everywhere. Having gone back to try to watch it in full for me anyway it now starts at the camera on the ground showing feet going past so that must of been people getting out.

But the extended footage at different times(its not continious) shows the door of the Cathedral remains open right until the police were telling people to move to Hagley park. In fact the first time I saw the doors shut was when I got home after helping the police on the cordon & turned on the TV.

So that casts questions over his account.

But then next night after ringing them to question his statement TVNZ have basically called me a liar by saying security cameras saw no one in the Cathedral. The cameras would of seen nothing as the dust was so thick inside & out that when we first went in stopped at the door as I said in original post & yelled for people to come to me as couldn't see in apart from hole in roof.

Other parts I didn't put in original post was I know for sure the Israeli woman came in with me & we got about ten people moving out. I was aware of a third person coming in a bit with us & now think that was the Israeli male who was a paramedic.

When the Cathedral staff member had re entered as the people we got moving left the Israeli woman said she thought there were people under some rubble by the tower as she could hear someone. Initially tried to pass the information at the police Kiosk then a quick look at injured(all had head injuries) seeing no police went to where I could see a jacket. Bumped into St John making way in & directed them to casualities(even then there were so many people just standing around in a daze & they were having to push through).

Found a police officer by the banks unfortunately with no radio as had been on another task. When we headed back found a police officer from Kiosk trying to help get woman down from window.

Myself & the Israeli paramedic tried to help with the woman stuck upstairs but the police didn't want help It was then I went looking for something else to do & noticed people posing by damaged parts of Cathedral for photos.

This all happened very quickly.

It was whilst posting myself near the entrance to keep people away that I saw the Israeli woman re enter the Cathedral several times including once with hard hat on & very angry. At the time we thought the cries she could hear were those of the the woman in upper window. The insurance person who came with ladder to rescue the woman in window later stepped into the open door of the Cathedral twice but maintained he could not hear anyone.

During that time keeping people away spoke to two staff members from the Cathedral. The one who has come in as we were clearing people out & another younger male who came out through doors later. It was him that pointed out that not only did people need to be kept away from Cathedral entrance but side was on a lean as well. More people posing for photos.

As you can see the initial post was long enough without adding in all those bits. Those that know me will tell you one of my traits is I don't lie but are brutually honest often to my own detriment so I don't take kindly to TVNZ basically calling me a liar as it did happen the way I describe.

Where we heros?

I don't think so just did what so many people did that day & had to do whilst so many others froze or went into denial.

The Israelis with what they have experienced in their country(same would be said of many including Palestinians) like myself with military training & time spent in Iraq just were able to mentally handle it better than most New Zealanders & react.

The other thing I noticed on finally returning home was footage of what appeared to be the Israeli paramedic been led away by police. With the Israeli background they just wanted to get in & help which saves lives. A war zone can be like an earthquake zone as you don't know when the next one is coming just like the big one that has just hit as I type. It was a very good wee shake. One of only three to knock things over in my place.

Another issue where the myth is seperated from the truth is the issue of portaloos here in Christchurch. Going out again with the intrepid Bernie we were joined by a friend of his with cameras. Alex was not happy with the response overall just like many haven't been & made the point that his area had had water back on within 12 hours but has a lot of portaloos in the area which really they don't need.

Having said this, when going to get some needed supplies we noticed a lot of portaloos in an area including businesses where water was known to be back on & flushing of toilets were allowed in a limited manner. The only people near one portaloo where those in a cemetry. We also noticed in parts that Portaloos were often on the sides of what apppeared to be empty business sections whilst the other side of the road with all the residential properties had nothing for Kilometres.

Where in the areas that due to their location you know are going to be without for months they were only just starting to get one or two dotted about. This is the sort of knowledge that should be allowing the city to cope better by re allocating resources as needed.

Chemical toilets are been handed out. I have one for security tasks & have had it about two years. But straight away people have noticed the ones coming in only have a small hole & any movements have to be poked down with a stick.

Then there is the Myth the Prime Minister is promoting. Can't see him staying too long in badly hit areas as when someone pointed out it was probably his Iroquois flying slowly overhead some made motions of shooting it down they were so upset with the poor response.

People don't think I should be hitting these areas that are not working on here but it is a way to get the frustration out. It is either that or get angry like many others are.

Whilst those that appear to be in charge are telling themselves myths, the truth is things are not as good as they are saying.

It doesn't help when the Minister in charge & the Mayor are contradicitng each other over the demolition of Historic buildings. Personally I think many of them should of been dozed after the first big shake but as the mayor found once the emergency regulations are removed there is a lot of feeling in retaining the old buildings.

One has been demolished, with comments from the Mayor it was illegal demolition. A relation trying to make their way home on the 22nd February said was leaning & a police officer was trying to keep people from going in the left turning lane as it looked like the building was going to collapse. I see the demolition company says it was told to do it by the council. So the left hand does not Knowing what the right hand is doing.

Then it is announced that there will be a plan to get people into their businesses or cars, first in 48 hours then in 24 hours & when nothing is forthcoming the site with information crahses from people trying to find out. When they announce that plan it is totally contradictory to that originally announced with green & red zones where you still can't get in whilst you know other businesses are getting their vehicles out of the same building.

People can say we need to look forward or things are not happening the way I & others are seeing it. With more quite good shakes like the one about 20 minutes ago we need to get our responses in order. We need to have this overall picture better sorted. Many of those trying to do a good job are not gaining the local information of where best to deploy the resources which is causing some who have come to help just going home.

I know on several occassions when Bernie has supplied some local information we have gained it has been a surprise. Others are just collecting goods donated but not getting out & finding out what is needed in their own community. Instead expecting people to come to them when they have no idea they have these resources.

Many times people are doing well but they are only seeing what is in front of them or not seeing the bigger picture.

Today is an example. It was mentioned on TV about a week ago that the river needed to be looked at. As of yesterday the lower Avon was still full of liquifaction & right now it is pissing down with rain(which probably caused the slipping of plates causing the most recent shocks) so with water still on roads in lower areas this rain & partially blocked rivers there is likely to be flooding to add to the worries. Most of the water we came across in the lower areas contained sewerage so potentially more health issues.

We are still doing things in the same narrow minded slow response developed by bureaucrats. For those of us who worked in Iraq in 2004-2006 you saw the US military working in this fashion in response to suicide bombers to start with & by the time I left their response had speed up so to keep things moving. Instead of lock down for sometimes days(the Iraqis noticed it too & remarked on it compared to the British reaction) it changed to secure that section & cleared within hours.

As I often say we are a fourth world country. Third world trying to pretend we are first world. The response to this is like a third world country at the decision making end.

A lot of the good work going on is been provided by individuals & businesses at no charge(not to mention the emergency services, military & rescue teams) but there are some sitting back to profit from it. All the good work though is not been complimented by good leadership despite what we see on TV. It was a complaint Alex made that nothing seems to get done until it is set up for soundbites.

To top it off some international media are reporting as an aside that the IMF(International Monetary Fund) is due in New Zealand next week to downgrade New Zealands Credit rating. If that happens any currency borrowed to fund the rebuild will be more expensive therefore it will flow onto those at the bottom in particular.

Actions & decisions have to be made quicker. That is the reality not the myth others are living with. Information needs to be gained at a local level not because it ticks some box.

The Christchurch 'Press' are now reporting the same reactions I have on this blog. It is all about getting to know the community.

It needs to be better or people are going to die from disease. Others from lessons we don't seem to be learning.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

A Simple World made Complicated!

Kia Ora,

Was out all day yesterday assisting Bernie impliment the results of our night patrols & recce's for the Student Army.

Didn't quite spend as much time on the shovel as I expected I would as ended up assisting in coordinating efforts(which often meant standing on a corner redirecting people to where they were needed, ensuring those doing the digging were putting the sand where it could be cleared quickly & easily by machinery(which had not been communicated prior so there was some confusion) with a bit of hearts & minds.

There was the hope of the students thrown in with the Federated farmers practicality things progressed well. There were also people like the 15 year old who seemed old beyond his years just jumping in & helping. Another person who I often work security with like myself with no calls for work so jumping in & assisting where he could.

Interesting stories came out such as the claim that like the previous quake a tour bus had arrived in the area with cameras flashing until the locals turned it around.

Then there was the alleged incident that has allegedly seen an Australian Police officer sent home for beating a looter. There has been no confirmation but the source was pretty reliable & the reaction to the allegated incident shows the feeling around.

Personally I think if its true the officer should of got a medal & that is a view shared by many.

Today was time, with still no vehicle, to catch up share some stories with friends & family about their experiences of that day & since.

From two of them came a reaction when I said Civil Defence were useless.

One said they presented themselves as ex military with first aid training on the first day & was told "we can save everybody we don't need help" but their name was taken & they have not heard since.

The other said a family member of their's is so angry at the poor response of Civil Defence. This family member had been in Sri Lanka during the Indonesian Tsaunami but they had also been in London during the 2005 train bombings & they were not impressed with Civil Defence in New Zealand.

It is obvious that the rescue teams are of the highest level, the police & the services are putting in great efforts but yet again it is Civil Defence that is the very weak link.

One solution I have thought of is leave the permanent officials in place for civil defence & at the next emergency use the miltary to provide the headquarters at all levels.

Why try to remake a system that already works with professionals running it?

Something else that came up was the reaction of people on the day. Now the people I was mainly talking too were action people who had armed themselves with knowledge in particular following the September earthquake but they noticed that many froze or went into automatic/denial.

They say on any given day in a situation like presented here in Christchurch on Tuesday 22nd of February 2011 33% will freeze, 33% will go into denial or automatic mode & the final 33% will get stuck in or take control.

But in line with both what I saw on the day & my blogs in the past about New Zealand not been ready thinking "it will never happen here" others also noted that up to 90% seemed to freeze or go into denial mode.

The Civil Defence system seems to reflect this & the attitude experessed to one person indicated it hadn't changed from the time I was with it. Whilst the very top were good, underneath there was not enough reality or practical application.

Another issue raised by a former army mate on Facebook was how the different suburbs seemed to handle it but in the end it appears more complicated than that. Some suburbs had immediate response as those in places of influence were immediately aware of it due to their own situations. Information regarding other suburbs was not so forth coming.

It often has taken media attention to get facilities to an area. Everyone knows their are major issues in the central city but the information above that basic level is less well known to differing levels in different communities.

People generally believe that those in the poorer neighbourhoods don't try to look after themselves but that is not true. But there are enough ready to jump on the system to make that believable.

In Woolston I found out about just a group who is doing that. Partying everynight telling everyone about getting a $900 payout due the earthquake & Housing Corporation giving them three weeks rent free.

Whilst in Aranui people were not aware of the ability to get a payout & those we spoke too weren't going to take it until they had too anyway.

Then there was the brick house that looked in good shape except for one little detail. Housing Corporation had told the 83 year old living in the house it was Ok to stay in but the locals had pulled him out & would not allow him to go back.

The small detail was the way the house sloped forward into the front yard. It had a large(obviusly quite large though not as large as the Hotel Grand Chancellor)sink hole it was sliding into. Way to go the bureaucrats!

As the recovery swings into action it causes other issues. The faecal matter in the dust if not cleared quickly could cause diseases to break out but what we learned prior to setting out yesterday morning that had someone not stepped on some toes the Aranui area would not of been seen for another four days. It is likely that by that time the health issues would of multiplied. Measles are already in some areas along with diarrhoea.

There needs to be better use of volunteers in the early stages of a disaster like getting information out. Not the "we will save everyone you are not needed" syndrome. The obvious major issue was the CBD on the first day, but after the initial response where people could of been used better & bugger the danger, immediately after they need to use those resources.

I say bugger the danger because we have become too risk adverse. Rushing into to save others is what some do. It is where some shine that struggle in the everyday world. Making a difference is what some people do & it shows the real meaning of service.

The only reason cash comes into it is to survive in the world we live in. It is the oil that allows us to deliver or not deliver the services.

In saying bugger the danger there is another side to that.

There is to be an investigation into why two more modern properties collapsed. It is a point I have raised before. Stuctural engineers said along with the Mayor that the building code is only there to save lives not the buildings. That means that no property should of had just a visual check but a proper check using all the resources available or they should of been replaced. Just like a bicycle helmet after it has been used.

Some honesty would be nice right now!

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz