To Protect & Serve!

Kia Ora,

Since Wednesday the 13th April 2011 the amount of posts I have made through this blog have been limited. The reason behind this was the incident that occurred that night.

It was requested we not blog on this incident & therefore we sought other avenues to resolve the issues arising from the incident. Especially when one person involved wanted to go to the media as some of the issues continued.

As time has gone on though nothing has been resolved & in fact the NZ Police hierachy have chosen to deal with it by not dealing with it. In fact we have seen senior Police officers issue statements in direct contradiction of what we know to be true.

This has resulted in frustration & in my case led to a lack of motivation. So after consultation with a person involved with assisting people stressed following the earthquakes, it was decided the blog was the best way to deal with it.

This is not meant to be a slamming of the police as a whole. Whom in my experience are people aiming to make a difference, putting up with shitty & dangerous situations & a lot of criticism.

In the first week & a bit post the February 22nd Earthquake I assisted on a voluntery basis out in the east of the city. Then I received a call to carryout some subcontract work for security of three buildings within the CBD red zone.

Arrived in the area after obtaining the appropriate pass to find Police dogs searching for cadavers, bricks falling from buildings during aftershocks. We also found that we had to mainly cycle around the outside of the area we were to protect(therefore outside the areas we were allocated by the council on our pass) as an inner cordon defined by fences due to a large building in danger of collapse was in place(within the red zone there were several inner cordons & having since worked alongside the structural engineer for that building in another role I know it was despite looks, very much on verge of collapse at the time).

The area we had to travel became larger as first a street we used for direct access was cordoned off due to danger of further building collapses. Then thanks to our observations a bridge also had to be cordoned off further extending the area we needed to travel to watch over our assigned tasks.

Initially our relations with the Police were great & you could define Police by districts. Christchurch Police just awesome, probably because they had gone through the same things as us. South Island Police were also good & many were initial responders to assist. Northland-the ones we met were hardcase & usually lost. Country cops always practical & good to deal with. Wellington & Hamilton generally good. Counties Manakau were great. For most of New Zealand we probably look on them as having a hard beat but I think from what they see day to day gave them empathy with what was going on.

One area not only provided some of the best Police, especially early on, but also by far the worst & the ones who where all the issues arose from. Auckland.

A few across the board had atitudes on first arrival but the attitude adjusters (Christchurch Shallow quakes) soon sorted those out in early days.

An adhoc task we sort of ended up with was guiding lost police patrols as to way out or back to central. GPS & comms detailing to you don't work when streets are fenced off.

Big issue we noted was lack of communicaton within the police, between police & Civil Defence(it took five days for police to get a message we were given first by a council engineer who got it from a civil defence engineer, so initially they said what we were told to pass on & enforce did not apply to them).

Information was just not getting passed on. Our understanding from what we were told was each rotation was briefed that no one was working inside the CBD at night, this despite a minimum of 40 & up to an estimated 100 people working in there on any given night early on.

Anyway after four weeks we were asked to leave, but were back within days as one of buildings we were protecting was looted. Apparently the looters came up the river.

Just prior to the fourth week(I thought it was the fifth, but everthing was running together & we were doing 84 hours a week so all a bit blurred at times back then) we noticed(as did the rest of the city from criminals through to a Dr I was talking to recently) a hardening of attitude by some police. On our return this was very noticeable by a section of police from Auckland.

Up until then including those from Auckland had just wanted to help. Many didn't want to be in the CBD red zone, but out East helping people.

On the night of the 13/14th April 2011 we were wrongfully arrested for breach of the cordon after working in there for six weeks & having the correct passes. There has been no apology. They didn't even have the courtesy to tell us they were withdrawing the charges.

In the last week & bit we were in there we had to endure the following & until now have kept relatively quiet about it.

Harrassment:

A good Auckland Police officer we assisted early on made reference to fact that in Auckland 50% of those they arrest are in the Security Industry.

Seems some of the Auckland cops brought that attitude here, despite three security companies catching more looters/people breaching the cordon, than police had at that stage. We were actually kicking out more than we ever reported because Police response was either non existant or to slow.

Through the grapevine it is alledged another security person was threatened with arrest for doing their job.

I am aware of two security personnel working at night in process of supplying their details yet again to police when alledgedly they spotted a looter in the middle of the street with a backpack on, whom the police ignored when alerted to them & continued to take the security personnel's details.

Seems you got greater scrutiny if you were working in red zone than actual looters.

Racism:

This was blatant. It continued alledgedly after our arrest during days & was witnessed by aghast members of the Christchurch public.

As someone of Ngai Tahu descent, therefore whiteish in complexion, it is something I take note off.

Years before Christchurch Police were accussed of racism, but what I noticed working alongside them was their actions were based on whether a conviction would proceed. Rich white kids in the main would yell "Dad will get a lawyer & go for a jury trial" which meant the charge would never get to trial. Cops would be told to withdraw it by hierachy. Those from poorer backgrounds whom tended to live by motto "do the crime do the time" therefore figured higher in arrests. That meant they tended to be Maori & Pacific Islanders.

That all changed once Police were told arrest them in a crack down on crime in the CBD. As a police officer commented at the time "We knew these were the real figures(82% rich & white). Christchurch Police also know that you just can't tell by skin colour in the South who is Maori.

The attitude in the CBD red zone though was blatant racism. The way patrols spoke to my darker complexioned offsider compared to me was disgusting.

Though the two officers who charged us were firm but fair, it was hard not to notice the officer taking my details reaction to the question "Are you Maori?" he seemed shocked to my "yes" answer.

Its even worse when the new Police commissioner states there is no racism in the Police.

The Police is like the military or any other organization, so the reflect society. Therefore there will always be racism within their ranks.

It just shouldn't be so blatantly obvious or allowed to cloud their judgement.

Breach of Human Rights:

This happened after our arrest. We were wearing protective equipment.

A Civil Defence Emergency is the closest thing you get to a war situation.

In war after taking Prisoners, you search them, then if still in an area that is considered dangerous you return their protective equipment.

Police patrols had spoke to us of a pillar in the police station having moved a metre. One officer when asked "Don't you guys get a briefing?" "Not sure. We just grab the radios & get out because we don't want to be in that building" or words to that effect.

On that premise our Protective equipment - Helmet, Fluro jacket-so they can find your body easier is reason given you wear them in the red zone, & boots minimum.

Police Looting:

We were first alerted to this by a third party whom had alledgedly witnessed police placing alcohol into the boot of a marked Police car.

On mentioning this to a Police officer later on in the cordon, they stated "yeah, heard its going on, just don't know how they can do it then arrest someone for burglary" or words to that effect.

Other officers have acknowledged the have heard its been going on & in fact encouraged us to complain about the whole thing as it reflects badly on the rest.

At this stage are going to complain, but it is the system investigating the system.

The other possible looting by police occurred the night before we were arrested.

We had been asked to stop cycling around one side of the area we were covering by a couple of police trying to do a good job.

This meant having to walk in between two buildings in an inner cordon to keep eyes on one of the buildings we were there to protect. Initially we had our Fluro Jackets on, but Police patrols rushing past at Warp Factor 9, side lights blazing kept giving us away. So we took to using a dark outer for the person in that position.

Police then stopped using their sidelights when passing that particular position & the night prior to our arrest we could distinctly see a person standing at an intersection highlighted in the headlights of a patrol car.

The patrol car then made a short stop as if talking to that person then carried on. Shortly after, that person was seen with a torch periodically searching a bank which seemed strange for a police OP(observation point) to be doing.

When later that night we had a run in with a police patrol from new rotation it was mentioned.

They reply was "We have no one there, why didn't you call us?" "Because one it appears to be police & two we usually get Auckland who have no idea what we are talking about & even Christchurch have no idea of what is going on in the red zone."

We noticed that on leaving they did not go & investigate.

These issues were not & are not from what I have seen endemic Police wide. Its a hard shitty job with liitle thanks just like security(everyone forgets they are both offshoots of the oldest profession "the Profession of Arms").

Most of them I thank & I am sure most of Christchurch thanks for their suppport & efforts.

Just one small part though has let the rest down & that extends to the hierachy who refuse to acknowledge their mistake in our wrongful arrest or offer an apology.

I am also not happy with my own Iwi(Ngai Tahu) whom we turned too, to assist us in resolving this issue. They seemed interested in helping at first, but suddenly there was no contact & would not return our emails.

Some will be angry for me posting this, but I have had to do what is best for myself. It has been like a noose hanging around your neck dragging you down. It would of been nice to resolve this with the Police without having to go public, but they choose a path that makes that not possible.

Well that explains things a little!

Kia Ora,

Haven't been blogging because blogs were getting blocked & this post the text was removed whilst in draft. Having just reread it I note there are some subtle changes to what I wrote but essentially the story is the same. One sentence in particular is missing.

News item in last few days has been about the possibilty of Israeli Mossad agents been in Christchurch, New Zealand at the time of the February 22nd earthquake. One report also says there was an Israeli Search & Rescue team in the city at the time.

Now how would a Search & Rescue team be there in advance of a disaster unless the claims of the alleged HAARP weapon to cause natural disasters were correct?

As I wrote of my experience of the day that along with an Israeli woman we went into the Christchurch Cathedral & we got people moving out. Footage then surfaced of a Japanese tourist filming in the doorway as the Earthquake hit with the camera later on the ground showing shoes running past. I remember him receiving first aid treatment from a member of the public as we went in the door.

Behind us on reflection was another person whom I believe was the Israeli paramedic. He later went to help, along with myself & others, the police get a woman down from one of the windows in the Cathedral. We were not required & on later TV footage I noticed a police officer escorting him away. Which seemed strange considering he had the expeirence/training & just appeared to be trying to help.

Did I think that they were a search & rescue team? Or Mossad?

No. What I did think was that whilst the majority of New Zealanders were loosing their heads around us, those of us who have been in similar situations (me army training & security work in Iraq, them just living in Israel) we were reacting to help as best we could.

That they might of had the skills of a search & rescue team(I know the young woman was very frustrated with the poor NZ response & stormed off, got a hard hat & re-entered the Cathedral to check if people were still there as she thought-I know the film footage on the internet showed no one under the roof area as it collapsed) but then you would expect that of someone having lived in Israel.

In fact we saw the same at times in Iraq where the Iraqi people just got in & helped, not worry about what certificate you had. They like many in the Middle East were just used to these situations. New Zealanders aren't.

But it does explain the stories on the TV news didn't add up to what we witnessed. Like foccussing on the person who claimed the doors jammed shut behind them as they run out of the Cathedral. I remember talking to that person after the doors had been locked/shut after a staff member swept through to ensure no one was left inside probably 10 minutes after the initial shock whilst we were trying to keep people back from the Cathedral. This person was trying to find out what was going on.

TVNZ kept running that story even though they were rung twice to inform them it was incorrect. Now they trot out the failed so called expert to waffle about what they see is behind the situation.

It might also explain why the interview we did with the 'Press' whilst keeping people back never seen the light of day. I thought it was because there were obviously much more dramatic stories though some they printed were no different from ours.

Obviously what has come out would suggest anything involving the Israelis was been withheld as the SIS & Police were conducting investigations.

The other security side of this is the claims that the NZ police computer was safe & our security systems are safe.

Funny that. We have the potential to be but the big claim to fame, the catching of the French agents(or two of them) responsible for the act of terrorism in Auckland Harbour was more as a result of the proactive actions of a forestry worker than good security.

It also flies in the face that when Sir Robert Muldoon was kicking out Soviet spies it was because it was known New Zealand security is so slack that the KGB used NZ as a training ground. No reason Mossad might not do the same because despite some improvements the move away from proactive security & policing means if anything it is now easier to penetrate NZ national security.

New Zealand government departments tend to be 10 years behind in the IT region. They must be, even I seem to know more than them in that field & that is a worry.

So did we have a conspiracy on the 22nd February or is it a media beat up? I go for media beat up.

Is our security up to a standard required to stop international agents? No. We just change things to give the impression of improvement as the Romans found 2000 years ago.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

How secure is the Christchurch CBD Red Zone really?

Kia Ora,

In short its not & never really has been apart from first week or so whilst people gathered themselves.

We entered the Red Zone about a week & a half after the February 22nd wee shake to carryout a security task.

First few days we were there the police were everywhere soldiers manned most of the fences & yet still we could see people breaching the cordon. Over the first two weeks we caught or spotted about ten breaches at night & the day shift just lost count.

One issue was as more & more fences become unmanned people just pulled them aside or climbed them(one day 8 trucks & people were seen to enter retrieve their goods from businesses & residence in a drop zone, nothing was initially done even though police were informed).

One that was manned the soldiers thought the cars flicking their lights on full were looking for the girls who used to occupy that street. They were quickly put right in that what the cars were doing was the same tactic as the looters in the residential areas out east were doing. Trying to see if anyone was manning the gate or sleeping so they could breach. Out east they were trying to see if people were home.

As time went on especially after the bridge near us was closed we saw less & less police down our end & they withdrew the officer at a post nearby where we were going on our patrols to report anything we seen.

With the street next to us, which we had to travel to check some of the three buildings we were there to keep an eye on, suddenly closed off due to likelihood of falling material then the bridge the other side due to our checks becoming closed off we suddenly had to range quite wide to keep up the security. It did mean travelling outside our designated area but the police were always informed why we were doing that when stopped. Not that it was much use as out of town police they had no idea of the areas on the Maps detailing your area of work.

After four weeks we were withdrawn but were back shortly after as one of those buildings was looted. The looters came up the river by boat. But then we had been telling people we had seen tracks of someone walking up the river bank. One guy was even caught by our team who had been told by authorities to walk up the river bank(though he obviously wasn't supposed to get as far as he did).

During the day contractors who have too, due to heavy machinery or trucks not been able to turn around, open the cordon fences. Because those fences are not manned as much as they have been it is common for cars to follow trucks in.

Not to mention that those on the check points got slack & were more interested on what is on their Ipod or MP3 than getting out of their deck chairs to stop people from entering even on foot as one person told me they did one night. Another woman was able to walk the length of the red zone to her place of work during the day.

In the last two weeks a group of tourists have been caught by someone working inside the redzone walking around. In exchange for not calling the police they had the tourists take them back to where they got in. Fence was pulled up & everyone was crawling under it within 100 metres of a check point. It is actually a common point people are gaining access.

Sources tell me one burglar only got caught because it was so easy to get in & avoid poice patrols he went back a third time only to be caught by a patrol not roving around with their lights on full going at warp factor 9(which was unusual).

Just recently whilst in the vicinity of the cordon someone asked how to get to an intersection they shouldn't be able too, to get into the red zone to recover items. They had no pass, no helmet or high viz. The intersection is nomally on the edge of the cordon but not a point of entry. So obviously someone had found a breach & they were going to enter to retrieve their goods. All we told them was they had to go to the Art Gallery to get a pass. But on talking to someone else working on the edge of the cordon it seemed the directions to that corner was often asked.

Like a regular highway into the Red Zone it seems & everybody knows about it.

It was actually the same area where tourists breached & the two I caught when going to visit someone. No one acted on the information we gave previously to stop breaches so waste of time telling anyone.

It was obvious though the older police officers understood what we were doing in the way of proactive security, since we could not actually patrol the buildings we were looking after, that many police now don't understand the nature of been proactive. Driving around at speed with your headlights on full(especially in fog) & sidelights blazing is not proactive. Its nothing.

Apparently there are a number of postings on Youtube of business owners & residences getting in to get their goods avoiding police easily.

Then there is the new volunteer force to patrol the outer perimeter of the CBD. From observations passed to me pretty much what I expected.

Next to Useless!

Much what you get with the community watch programme. Some very good people & most who have no idea what suspicious activity is. There used to be a crew out Hornby way that were very very good but they left for same reasons for my comment above.

They haven't as yet picked up the breaches in the fences others have seen as they go past. It is really a feel good patrol not a security patrol.

Overall the security situation inside the red zone is extremely poor. A tagger had even left their mark on the fourth story of a badly damaged & dangerous building. One large tag was obviously after the September earthquake, the other next to it though referred to the February shake.

One reason some people have said that we were wrongfully arrested in there was by our proactive security actions were showing up the police as we dominated our area & the locals in the red zone were noticing it(& telling us about it).

We certainly weren't perfect & restrictions initially meant we could not patrol around the most vulnerable building.Therefore we did proactive patrolling on bikes around the edges. We had to ignore those restrictions & enter a major drop zone after a good police patrol who were trying to do their utmost to keep the place secure asked us to stop patrolling one area. Our only option was to take a walk into a drop zone.

Putting up fences all over the place & not manning them doesn't provide security in New Zealand either.

The best option in future disasters in cities in New Zealand is put in good local security patrols(yes there are alot of poor security but it is usually known who are the good security) to patrol say on bikes or on foot in designated areas co ordinated by one group. Not just give it to one company & let them bring in out of town guards. Use security too to man the fences. Again it free up resources.

One thing is locals tend to know the local problems & likely routes in. End of the day it frees up police to concentrate on other tasks. Yes there will be bad eggs but there are in any organization. I know one other security organization had similar problems after catching some looters early on they suddenly become the enemy/suspects. It was we are meant to be here & are helping you. At times it has seemed even now there is more emphasis on those legitimately working there than actual looters.

Another issue that freeing up police will take care off is what was observed in this disaster. They came to help but many of them had never experienced an earthquake little lone the ones Christchurch is getting & like many they were shocked when a good one hit. In fact we called later shakes the attitude adjusters. For many locals it was "here we go again so lets get it over with".

None of this information will help those breaching anymore as it is generally known in Christchurch that claims the cordon is working are not true. In fact when we returned to the red zone after the looting it was the locals who were able to tell us how it happened & which building had been looted. Others in the wider Christchurch community have also been able to tell us details when we had been told to keep quiet about it.

So the red zone secure? Not likely!

It is no wonder so much looting has been discovered. Claims that much of it probably happened in the first few weeks or is mainly by workers are wide of the mark from what I or others have observed.

The easy pickings early on were out in the eastern suburbs.

As one Maori Warden informed us the inner city was more targeted inititially everytime the cordon was reduced. Looters were hitting those premises in the newly opened area, he was catching them making them drop their goods then letting the next police patrol know where the goods were. That also allowed them to start getting eyes on the CBD & where the weaknesses were.

It seems that virtually everyone that wants to knows how insecure the cordon really is except Civil Defence now CERA, the police, the military, Operation Suburb & the new volunteers. It really is a circus!

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

So is it Fraud or sheer incompetence by Government Department?

Kia Ora,

Well in follow up to a recent post about the new security licensing regime here in New Zealand have noticed something else that are in the process of bringing to authorities attention.

Whilst everyone is heated up over the poor renewal process, overlooked has been the fees area.

Now the first part that appears could be fraudulent is the issue of transfer fees. Most would say but we have always had to pay transfer fees.

Yes there have always been transfer fees to transfer a COA(Certificate of Approval) from one license holder to another. Under the new regime though the COA belongs to the guard so therefore there is no one to transfer the COA too.

The other issue that appears to be fraud by double dipping is the fee licence holders are to pay for the number of COA's working for them.

It actually flies in the face of how security works in New Zealand especially in the crowd control area.

To have enough work people need to in the New Zealand Security industry work for several companies at the same time.

Now if you were licensed under the old system with a COA you needed to ask permission of the license holder to do so & in the crowd control area you didn't need to have a COA at all.

Crowd control has been until now a core group who have security as their livelihood & a lot of on call people for bigger events. When short it has been use recruitment agencies to supply what are effectively labourers, or groups such as martial arts clubs or sports clubs as way of fund raising. None of whom really know what they are doing in sometimes potentially quite dangerous situations.

Under the new system the guard holds the COA & therefore could be working (as I was in the early days with my own individual licence as opposed to a COA) as an employee for up to six companies. So when the Ministry of Justice wants a return of those working for a license holder the Ministry could be collecting the same fee six times over for one person. Effectively committing a form of fraud called double dipping.

Removal of the ability to work for several companies at a time would cause major issues as it would effectively mean many events would not be able to go ahead. New Zealand already operates in the security sphere well below par & this would just drive it down even further.

If they want revenue gathering ideas they are better to look at the training regime.

First point is get ETITO(better known as EIEIO because they are a joke) out of security industry involvement. They don't know anything about security or training.

Next remove the minimum four month course for funding requirements. Put in an effective system for recognition of prior learning &/or experience. That is much better than present system where those with less experience or training are often assessing those with more.

That would allow a three week base security course to be set up using military system of training (BHL/BHE) as it works for a practical industry. In fact I have seen it used in current system & those who come from courses using it are much higher in level of competency.

Following the three week basic course it would then be followed by the courses in areas you wish to work in. Some courses would only be one to two days.

Each new area can be endorsed on your records since the actual COA is no longer a card but a certificate. The photo ID has a number which police etc could check through the computer system.

Overall recent issues show the lack of real consultation or understanding of the industry by those who put the legislation together or are trying to implement it.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Poor start to New Security licensing Regime!

Kia Ora,

It has been a while firstly due to long hours in security task within the Christchurch CBD red zone, the wrongful arrest of myself & my offsider, then of late work mainly back in the red zone as Safety officer has meant little time to catch up.

At present the issues & subsequent issues surrounding our wrongful arrest are been worked through to hopefully involve police in getting issues sorted.

But in the meantime will aim for at least a post a week to share views on security.

First in the limelight is the new 'Private Security Personnel Act 2010'.

The best use of the bill proposing this act was as toilet paper & that has now been shown to be pretty much just that. It was supposed to look 35 years into the future(based on fact it had taken about 35 years to change since previous one was introduced) but instead in reality goes 40 years backwards.

Not to mention the fact that going on the adverts for renewal or new licences in the newspaper(which you don't have to do under the new act) many never received the letter outlining part of the process(promised second letter to outline finalized process is like Xmas. Its coming.) I

n fact I know this to be true as I had two security company licences & a COA. Previously, typical bureaucratic waste, all three entities have got a letter. This time only one letter was received for the company without a COA attached to its name.

Process of renewing your company licence in particular has been a shambles to put it nicely.

You no longer get transferred to the person(Lucy) who mainly dealt with the issues & knew what was going on, but just get through to a Ministry of Justice Call Centre.

Operators there have no idea what they are talking about & have quoted at me the previous act, the bill, but never the new act as it actually stands.

They have contradicted themselves, given totally incorrect information & told of how the process works(as it is also detailed when carrying it out online) then in mid process the office have tried to change that process.

That was in part because one half of the process required you to do it online & the other part to send in a paper portion. You can't mix the two & expect it to be a good system. NZTA(NZ Transport Authority) use a similar system now to change ownership of a vehicle & that has just been shown to be equally a failure.

Issue has been the process & advice given on the phone after several calls are that those with only one company officer(Director CEO, CFO etc) only had to fill in the online form. Now they are wanting the paper form filled in mid process.

Its a shambles.

Then an issue arose when we were wrongfully arrested. Under the previous act you were required too call the office & say if there had arisen circumstances where your COA(Certificate of Approval) or licence might be suspended. On this occassion we were told that since remanded at large with charges almost certainly to be withdrawn(they were but with no apology or even meeting to clear things up, so the issues that led to arrests are continuing) we didn't have too.

However I decided to call out of courtesy anyway. The Call Centre would not put me through to the new office to which they got the reply "look I want to talk to the organ grinder not the monkey".

I then went back over the new act & can not find the requirement to inform the PSPLA (Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority) of any such situation. It maybe there but I could not find it.

A few days later I was rung by the supervisor of the Call centre as mine was 5th complaint they had had that day to find out what the issues were. Outlined them then raised the last issue.

"Oh but it is a requirement on the website" "I don't care whats on the website. That was requirement under the previous act, but unable to find it in the new one so we don't have to inform the office" or words to that effect.

It has now been raised with the Prime Ministers Office as last quick look showed something in the region of 300 company licences on hold & about as many again only just started to be processed. I would say it is mainly due to same issue. That is just talking to a few in same situation around here alone.

Funny thing they are holding up company licences but giving out COA's to druggies or those who promote drug use amongst security industry. Also to quote one Auckland police officer we meet in the CBD red zone "over half the arrests they make in Auckland at present involve those in the security industry".

So where is the proper scrutiny?

This is what happens when poor consultation is carried out & bureaucrats are allowed to drive a process.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Corruption is Rife Part 2!

Kia Ora,

Posts have been a little sparse of late due to the work in the red zone of the Christchurch CBD, moving due to a damaged property & generally getting things sorted to allow us to build for the future.

So it has meant putting on hold those posts that keep coming to mind. With the likelyhood of more sustained tasks posts will be when we are able to get them out.

Back to the title & the word corruption again it equates to the meanings that have appeared most often when googling previously. That is makes things worse & lacks integrity.

Further to the last post on this subject has been those instances that have arisen through the media such as the example(one of many) of an insurance company assessor saying it is going to cost $300,000 to repair their house only to have that countered by EQC wtih an assessment of $35,000. That is a huge difference, it is understandable it is causing frustration & anger.

Then there are the properties written off after the September wee shake that are been assessed again post the February Earthquake. As someone said "maybe they reckon the shake, shook it all Ok again". Nine months down the track that is not acceptable especially when someone then tells you about the anecdotal experience of a friend during the Kobe earthquake. Cleaned up in a month & rebuilt in eight months.

Add to that the friends & family who tell us a variety of nightmares. Such as the one tells how after the first visit they were told their house was likely to come down. Next person told them only some rebuild & some leveling cemment. When someone shows up to fix their house first they are told it is worse than they were told & it needs reassessment. Whilst waiting for that someone shows to fix other areas telling them parts of the house they were told were to be fixed are not covered.

Now if all that sounds confusing imgaine how householders feel & that is if they have been even visited.

Of course there are the mild mannered businsses people at the end of their wits trying to retrieve items to allow their business to continue with no real plan in place to help them & insurance issues now raising their ugly heads as insurance companies start to collapse meaning many are no longer covered.

Speaking of businesses there are those whose workers are waiting to carryout their professions but find the work has gone to those from out of town. Again it is causing frustration & anger.

Add in bureaucrats who say that the estimated 70,000 who left Christchurch following the February wee shake is actually only 8,000. How did they come to that number? By using statistics following some diasters overseas. They also point out those most likely to stay in their area are the better off.

So they haven't actually got out on the ground to find out. Many in the low income areas are still there because they just can't afford to leave. Though in the same token almost street after street in some suburbs are empty. They also have not taken into account the different mindset here as I have often pointed out this is New Zealand where people just think this doesn't happen to us.

Ends up the numbers they come up with affects their funding. If less have left more funding, not the actual numbers or likely issues.

Finally is the admission in both the 'Press' & on TV by the head of Civil Defence that been from the military he applied a military process which whilst good in the immediate aftermath of the disaster did not seem to fit the recovery process so much.

He also pointed out that one issue he found was been from the military he was used to people getting out & getting things down, whilst in Civil Defence below the top tier was a lot of well meaning enthusiastic volunteers & things didn't quite happen as fast or as was envisaged as he would expect.

These have been the issues I have had with Civil Defence from the start.

I agree that a military approach is very good in the first part of an emergency due to the training & ability to think on your feet. Unfortunately on the day it was those ex military & police in particular who were a big part of helping make a difference assisting the emergency services, not Civil Defence.

It also can be very good if applied correctly for the recovery.

The limiting issue has been the well meaning volunteers. Some are great for example the person who I saw took control in September. The only thing was that it took nearly a day & a half after the first shake before they were asked to show up. In the meantime those on site had been spending all their time so I was told deciding on how the table should be set up. It then meandered along until that person returned for their shift & got things organized. True it was a satellite position but they all need to be up & running as at any moment their role could change during a disaster.

What though seems to be the biggest issue is why I left Civil Defence in the first place. It has a process but whilst some were trying to run it along those lines, allowing people to use their initiative as long as the information was passed up & down the line. Others were using the old boy system, short cutting the system(nothing wrong there) but then not passing it up or down the line so everyone was in the know. Hence in so many instances the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

In one instance it took five days for information to get to the police(except via us & some police thought we were overstepping our role) that we as on site security were told direct.

Another meant that for nine weeks a demolition company was abused & threatened for knocking down a church illegally, which probably thousands of people saw on the day as about to fall down, only for Civil Defence finally admit it had given the order for it to be pulled down.

On yet another items were put out to the public via the internet or in the paper such as opening of new areas of cordon or allowing of business owners to access certain areas but not passed on to those on the ground. Again it caused anger & frustration. Not to mention the lack of communication to those with no internet or power for TV.

The new entity Cera has now taken over & right now there seems to be an urgency to get some things that have been causing frustration & anger completed. It remains to see whether things will now pick up.

Civil Defence needs to look hard at the way it operates especially here in Canterbury. Volunteers are great & we need them but it has to be done by people who can think on their feet but ensure the information still flows in the right directions quickly & correctly.

Some country area Police officers who responded to help told us of how the local civil defence had been caught out years before, had learnt their lessons & incorporated those lessons into both their training & set up.

It is not something I have seen either from my short time with Canterbury Civil Defence or the on going issues from the major earthquakes & their effects on Christchurch except at the top.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

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

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

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

Living in the Quake Zone part 2!

Kia Ora,

For each person of course it has been different. On this side of town(West & South West unless by Halswell) there has been little damage this time apart from fact we still have to boil water & initially not flush the toilet. We are now allowed short showers & if you have running water to flush the toilet sparingly in part to allow them to find where the damage is.

That is in total contrast to what we are finding on our anti looting/welfare/recce for the student army patrols.

First there as I said in previous post a lot of empty houses & it is quite obvious. I have just heard one way looters are checking properties out is drving in with dimmed lights then shining their lights into a house to see if anybody is home.

Another comment on TV this morning was about 15 houses looted in one street.

Now one vehicle might not be able to do much & it is more about a presence on the street as eyes & ears for the police. Last night we ended up in the area centred around Hampshire Street. Now mention Hampshire street to people in Christchurch & immediately it comes under the umbrella of a no go area. Known for crime & gang connections. But they are people.

For many we were the first or second people from outside the area they had seen in five days. They knew the CBD was pretty bad but other than that there was no real information. Some had been into other suburbs near by & seen the portaloos but they had nothing. They were saying there was a lot of looting in the area. I wouldn't want to be one of those looters if the gangs get hold of them.

We were trying to get the Student Volunteer Army into that area in the next 48 hours based on the information we gathered. With my offsider assisting them with the information we have gathered & my vehicle still within the cordon I am trying to access a 4WD to continue what we are doing.

Many have been to the welfare centres & have come back more frustrated & angry. They are saying they are disorganized there are arguments & they are better off in their damaged homes looking after their street.

On the quiet we were told by one resident a person set up to receive all the food etc coming into one area was not handing it out to the people who were his neighbours but disappearing with it & coming back empty. The details were passed to the police.

In another area it was heartwarming to see an ex soldier had organized the area & now the police & army were delivering the food etc coming in from the likes of Rangiora to his house. It was just a big open home & the atmosphere was quite different to the areas where they felt they were just been ignored.

If anything this disaster has shown that many want to help no matter their personal situation. It means the response needs to be better organized right from the start. That means thinking on their feet whilst the systems are given the time to set up. Those systems also need to be flexible.

It is the frustration with the Civil defence system that means the likes of the Student army are so popular & getting things done.

One sour note was I was not actually not supposed to be out with Bernie last night as was rung to carryout security work for a large company since their contracted company had not got back to them as to whether they could provide a guard. So arrive courtesy of Bernie with pushbike in tow. Then the contracted company arrogantly showed up said here is your guard. The client was embarrassed & so I called Bernie to come back & collect me.

Might not of been making any cash last night but it was more rewarding especially with the good reception we got as amongst the first people to visit area around Hampshire street. It would be nice to have the cash flow to allow this to happen on a larger scale in situations like this. That has always been the plan but so far it has just not quite clicked.

There have been more good stories though.

Like the car load of Brazillians here on holiday looking to help. Then there was the 35 year old woman(that is how it was relayed to us) who had driven with a car load of food from Auckland to a street near Hampshire street, handed out the food then drove straight back. Until we arrived she was the only person that street had seen apart from locals & looters/suspicious vehicles.

I see on Quake map there have still been a few earthquakes in Christchurch but I haven't felt any for a while. Spoke too soon. A wee shimmy then. Unlike many I have been having good sleeps if short.

The media coverage is showing a good recovery effort but on the ground it is not what people are feeling or seeing. Most people seems sorted with food & water but are lacking portaloos & most of all information. When there is little or no information, even when they know others are much worse off, it starts to feel like they have yet again been forgotten. The frustration & anger was quite apparent.

If there is one thing people do have in common is the power of the shake. It is hard to forget the amazing immense power & how insignificant all that man can make is in comparison.

Still you can mitigate the effects & that is where the New Zealand mindset has to change. The health & safety teaching as I was told is you eliminate the risk. Since you can't eliminate things like this then New Zealand seems to just switch off. Like if we don't think about it it won't happen. Well it does & you just have to mitigate the risks.

At this stage it is looking like a pushbike patrol again to an area closer to home. Even the 4WD hire company seems to be affected.

If people haven't left the city(one territorial soldier we spoke to last night said it seemed about half of Christchurch is in Timaru & not coming back) they are out helping or resting from helping. I am aware of people now setting up in Oamaru, Nelson, Amberely virutally any place but Christchurch. Some are only staying to prevent looting. Family has gone, just the men in the main left to guard the home front. But not so many of them either & the Scum know it.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz