Comments on: What Happens In Vegas (Might Be Less Serious If Major FEMA Nuke Attack Exercise) Stays In Vegas — Why Political/Business Pressure To Move Drill Treats Public Like Children On Terror Preparedness

By: As Secretary Napolitano Orders “No Notice, Or Limited Notice” National Preparedness Drilling Program, DHS & FEMA Should Make Sure That Public Has A Role In Exercises

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:38:27 +0000

[...] memo comes in the context of a debate in the emergency management community about drilling policy asÂ described in an article in April by the Washington Post’s Spencer Hsu: The [...]

By: Survival Time

Survival Time — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:42:37 +0000

I feel as many do, government agencies doing ‘drills’ with nuclear war scenarios have haunting resemblances to 9/11. Which was as you may not know… a “drill” involving muiltiple hijacked aircraft.

Hence the confusion, delay in reacting appropriately..as those involved believed it to be part of the exercise!

Instead agencies should be more focused on citizen-level preparedness, help the general population prepare for disasters of ANY kind, with that formal knowledge the average person can react in a manner which will lessen the impact,rather than contribute to it.

Let’s face it, barring ‘terror’ attacks, natural disasters are going to be the biggest threat to human lives, second only to financial collapse which will be momentary disruption until those poor unprepared people learn how to get along without using money as the only means to obtain goods n services they need.

Which brings me back to my original point…teach people how to stock food, water and supplies that will make them less dependent on government, thereby increasing their individual chances for survival in the face of any disaster.

My website will give most any layperson a very good head start, the time to think about preparing is NOW..not later when something happens…then it’s too late and you become dependent on the support of local/national assistance.

By: J.P. Trainor

J.P. Trainor — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:17:08 +0000

Reid is lost along with many other elected rep.s
not doing there jobs and not following reports released to them by DHS , FEMA , on NIMS.
Anyone in office now will not be relected if they are not onboard with true preparedness . We need drills and events of this nature to take place in realistic settings . Not down the street were its not going to happen in real life . If you were to practice hotel evac. or rescue you would not go to a residential section to do so . As for economic impact during a drill . More money will be spent at those gaming tables before and after the drills than if the drills were not held in Vegas at all. You will listen to first responders
and the departments that oversee them or your political careers will be over. First responders put there lives on the line to save ours . So if they
request main street so be it.

By: Jimmy Jazz

Jimmy Jazz — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:20:07 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly with Bill on this one. This is less the public not being able to stomach disaster scenarios, and more public officials infantilizing the public by not letting them even think about disaster scenarios.

As you’ve noted before, the public by and large wants more information about what would happen during a disaster, specifically about how the government would respond, so the desire is there. We continue, though, to pat the public on the head and tell them to go back to the kiddie table while Mommy and Daddy discuss big people subjects.

It’s horrifying how little we trust the public to act, counter to everything we know about how the public acts in disaster situations. Shameful.

-Jimmy

By: William R. Cumming

William R. Cumming — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:34:51 +0000

INteresting how we the citizenry now know that the 921 Nevada nuclear tests poisoned more than a little of the water supply of Nevada. Guess Reid would not want that “Secret”to get out either.

Nevada does not yet have a sustainable economy IMO as more and more Indian Casinos dig into its revenues.

But hey the full-mop gear exercises for Flag Ranks at Nevada Test Site a good one to make believers of those who think fighting wars in a nuclear environment NO PROBLEMO!

By: Bill Salvin

Bill Salvin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:37:12 +0000

This is spot on! The public CAN handle an emergency response drill like adults. Read Amanda Ripley’s book “Unthinkable-Who Survives when disaster strikes and why” It is a brilliant read and proves that what you’ve written here is correct. Not only can we handle it, we usually do pretty well.

Great post.