What happens when dem's and envirowhacks, are in control
(Firefighters die)
Posted on 10/24/2007 8:54:16 AM PDT by AuntB
SAN DIEGO – For four years San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts has been trying to make sure the red tape didn't keep the military aircraft from jumping into action during the next local disaster.
During the 2003 Cedar fire, military aircraft at Miramar Marine Corps airfield sat idle while in full sight of the flames devastating nearby Scripps Ranch. Bureaucratic controversies kept military resources from at first joining the battle against what became the worst fire in state history.
Now a full four days after the latest wildfires began, military helicopters will be flying to the rescue, officials announced Tuesday night.
The word came at a news conference Tuesday featuring Roberts and representatives from San Diego's congressional delegation. They said that up to 19 military helicopters will be fighting the spreading flames by Wednesday morning.
“It shouldn't take an act of Congress – but it did,” Roberts said.
The lack of airpower has hurt efforts to beat back the wildfires, officials said, because both high winds and a lack of specially trained pilots kept vital air resources grounded.
U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter said he and Rep. Darrell Issa wrested the necessary waivers from the U.S. Marine Corps and Cal Fire to allow military aircraft into the fight.
Hunter, R-Alpine, credited Issa, R-Vista, along with the full county congressional delegation for taking part in the negotiations, including representatives from Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer.
“Here we are facing one of the greatest fires in the history of this state. We're sending (military) pilots into war and we won't let them drop water?” said a frustrated Roberts. “The offense to common sense is staggering.”
Hunter would not detail how testy negotiations got, saying only, “What's important is that we had a firm conversation and the end of it the answer was yes.”
Hunter blamed state fire officials for delaying Marine helicopters at Miramar from helping fight the fires menacing San Diego County.
But California Fire Marshal Kate Dargan said Tuesday night that officials at Cal Fire were following procedures worked out with the military after serious problems with air coordination during the 2003 wildfires.
Hunter had said the choppers couldn't get into the air until Cal Fire spotters were in position. He said the military knows how to do these operations on its own and should have been allowed to do so.
Dargan, during a fire briefing teleconference, noted that there is now a plan in place to work out air space and coordination issues with the Marines. If Hunter is saying the copter pilots should have freelanced and tossed the plan out the window, she said, “That may be a different story.”
Asked pointedly about whether overall federal firefighting resources were slow in coming, Dargan and other state officials defended the feds. Aaron McLear, a spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said the governor 'is getting everything he needs from the federal government.'
Always on the job.
More here:( Why wasn’t Arnie gettin’ it done???)
Navy & Marine Helicopters to Assist with S.D. Fires
The San Diego congressional delegation tonight announced the deployment of Navy and Marine helicopters to fight the San Diego County wildfires.
Reps. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, Brian Bilbray, R-Carlsbad, and Darrell Issa, R-Chula Vista, announced tonight an agreement with the head of the California Department of Forestry, also known as Cal-Fire, that will allow airships to take to the skies without the presence of a fire spotter.
Cal-Fire had balked at allowing the military to send helicopters and planes up to fight the fires with retardant and water, Hunter said.
The congressmen had been led to believe that arrangements were being made to send airships up once the winds died down but no such contract was in place, said San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts.
Following the press briefing, Roberts said the Department of Forestry has dragged its feet since the 2003 Cedar and Paradise fires.
“There has been resistance for the last four years,” Roberts said. “A cultural resistance between Cal-Fire and the county.”
Now that the Cal-Fire head has agreed to waive the spotter requirement, “we’re going to get them up tomorrow,” Hunter said.
“The key is to get them full of retardant.”
There will be four military helicopters dropping water on the fires tomorrow and four planes dropping fire retardant, Roberts said.
A call has been put out for every available fire bucket in the country to hold the water, said Hunter, and a batch of retardant is being prepared.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/local;id=9965
“
Meanwhile, the California wildfires have taken a longshot Republican hopeful off the trail.
Congressman Duncan Hunter represents one area ravaged by the flames.
Hunter said, “Our spirit is: We rebuild. I’m here with a lot of folks that have now lost their homes here in the north part of my district.”
http://www.kjrh.com/content/news/decision/story.aspx?content_id=df8365cc-3f77-4e55-86d0-cca81b86c1f8
Welcome back my FRIEND! Thank you for an excellent posting.
Thank you Sweetness!
More:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ — San Diego County Representatives
Duncan Hunter, Brian Bilbray, and Darrell Issa will attend a Congressional
briefing tonight detailing efforts to fight San Diego County wildfires and
aid evacuees. Representatives from the offices of Rep. Bob Filner, Rep.
Susan Davis, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and Sen. Barbara Boxer are also
scheduled to attend.
Reps. Hunter, Bilbray, and Issa will have a media availability
following the briefing.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-23-2007/0004688492&EDATE=
When will the usual suspects in congress drag out the Katrina/New Orleans disaster response as compared to the California fires? There are several weeks of Bush bashing for the MSM here.
And as for you, Mr. Issaquahking... As I told you before, CA is being "Greeced" with these fires!!!
Getting the job done : )
Duncan Hunter is the man!!
Yep. He’s very good at his job. I wish he had a bit more charisma, thats the only thing holding him back in the primaries.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1915688/posts
California Congressman Duncan Hunter Says Dems Are Playing Politics with The California Wildfires
He’s got plenty of charisma, Badeye. The media and GOP globalists are picking our candidates, as usual. I don’t know about you, but I’m a little tired of that.
but but but State Sovereignty..
http://sosdfireblog.blogspot.com/2007_10_21_archive.html
Military choppers ready to go
Posted @ 9:54 AM
Congressman Duncan Hunter said Wednesday morning that 14 military water-dropping helicopters will be ready to fly today to assist in the battle against the county’s wildfires.
Cal Fire officials have agreed to let the choppers fly with a lead plane carrying one of Cal Fire’s spotters, Hunter said.
Previously, officials would not allow the helicopters to assist unless a Cal Fire official flew in each aircraft, Hunter said.
The fleet includes six Marine helicopters, six from the National Guard and two from the Navy. They will be staging at North Island Naval Air Station and should be ready to go this afternoon, Hunter said.
I’m not familiar with this first hand, but it sounds like a matter of bureaucratic infighting and turf preservation on the part of CalFire. Maybe a bit of union influence as well?
Certainly, they’ll blame it on Bush, but Hunter is a conservative, and it looks as if it took a conservative to intervene. The liberals were too busy defending their turf and nervous about crossing bureaucratic allies. That would go for Arnold, too.
Just speculation, but that seems to be what the article implies.
‘He’s got plenty of charisma, Badeye. The media and GOP globalists are picking our candidates, as usual. I don’t know about you, but I’m a little tired of that.’
Not enough to break through, however.
As you know, I’ve been pretty dissatisfied with both the GOP overall, and the MSM for quite a while now.
Wouldn’t mind seeing him as a VP nominee. He’s got a great head on his shoulders...and maybe four or eight years of visability would allow for a legitimate run for President.
So,you're saying 20 plus years experience isn't enough? How about only 6 years as a totally ineffective senator? Why is that enough?
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