SecurityNZ

Recognized Security Training or Not?

2012-02-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

Kia Ora,

Been a while. Have been focusing on another business venture with a view to including true security in the much bigger goal.

This first blog back was going to be about an on going issue within the New Zealand security industry, but another has come to light that is connected & also on going.

That is the issue of Security Training in New Zealand.

News out yesterday was of a unrecognized Security Training establishment. That is unrecognized by the powers that be although it appears at first glance they were using the information to teach from two recognized training groups.

We know that because it was shown(TVNZ)they were using paper work from those two groups based on NZQA requirements.

All well & good but is this non recognized training establishment any worse than those who are recognized? On the face of it it would appear so.

Probably not though & it is very likely they could actually be better.

The students of this course were paying $100's of dollars to attend & get a certificate.

Recognized courses cost $1000's usually requiring a student loan.

However most of those coming out of recognized courses actually don't know anything about security.

They, certainly in the case of people of a Christchurch course, don't know the basics like Trespass Act or how to carryout a bed down(in fact they have never heard of one. They think it is a lock down which is something quite different).

Then there are the training establishments which are alleged to have taught whole courses of students who could never of been in the industry at present time because of criminal records or even having come straight from Jail.

So essentially the training establishments are committing fraud, just as the unrecognized group appear to be doing, if this is true. What is worse is it is government sanctioned fraud & they have been informed several times by a number of people that it is going on.

A properly run course could teach the students more in three weeks than what they get in over a year's teaching now.

It seems to be more about getting the students in debt, providing cash flow to the training establishments but not providing the correct training.

A few of us were joking that the only thing the course in Christchurch seemed to teach was how not to do security, how to sleep on the job & how to use drugs or argue that drug use is Ok in the Security Industry.

Working around these people tends to drag your own standards down after a while & so I am quite happy to focus in other areas, recharge the batteries & observe to see if there is any improvement in the industry.

That is not to say I won't carry out security work, just right now the focus will be elsewhere.

There are some training establishments though that do aim to improve standards. I was aware of one in Auckland that was operating to give the much higher standard of SIA(British Security Industry) & was run by people with extremely high standards.

Another is in the process of getting of the ground I believe in Rotorua again with trainers focussed on international standards & extremely high standards in comparison that offered around New Zealand in general at present.

When looking at the information available on this issue, it was noted it was very thin & not widely reported. In fact most of the stories were about fake qualifications immigrants were trying to use to get jobs in New Zealand.

Seems though NZQA does a better job of looking into people coming from overseas than what training organizations are actually offering or providing here.

I know that if I or others applied overseas for work & relied on where we did our courses we would also be seen as probably trying to offer fake qualifications.

The reason been is though that training establishment is still in operation, allegedly prior to change of owners a few years ago all our documentaion was lost. So there is no record of us having ever been there.

We do have our NZQA records. Though when people see the standard coming out now from most NZQA recognized training providers, they wouldn't even consider us based on that. But they would consider me based on my much higher standard of NZ military training.

The poor security training though leads into the subject of the next blog. The subject that has been raised before & has been bubbling away since an incident last year.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

To Protect & Serve!

2011-11-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-09-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

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

The Dumbing down of Society!

2011-07-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Kia Ora,

When looking for the footage to add to my previous blog of the ape with the AK-47 after I was sent a copy, another clip came up.

Initially I thought it might be a spoof until talking to someone with more knowledge about this area than I who bascially said apes are a lot brighter than we give them credit for. They even said look up Bonobo as they are the smartest of the apes.

In recent years many people including myself have remarked about how society appears to be getting dumbed down by our education system.

Dr Dolf de Roos remarks about it in a fashion when giving his life story about how he arrived at decision to do an engineering degree. Basically he looked at medicine he didn't like blood so when looking at most other avenues & they were you had to follow a set path. Then he looked at engineering which was problem solving. Totally different type of thinking all together. In fact he maintains that helped him as an investor because been an investor is looking at problems & then finding a solution.

A good investor looks for problems.

We are seeing the same issue arising in the security industry here in New Zealand. The proposed new mandatory regulations will basically have as we are getting a team of little robots who don't or can't think outside the square & are actually trained in everything but security.

As I have said previously on leaving the military I completed a security course. Thing is the instructors were people who strived for excellence. Two of them being ex military taught in a military fashion so a lot of hands on training, red herrings thrown in(by a person often referred to in the army as Mr Red Herring) so people had to think.

Still meet people off those courses who say again & again how it was often the best training they have ever done. Not only that you can see those who come off a course with similar type of training are streets ahead of most graduates of security courses in New Zealand.

Having the requirements for a qualification written down on paper & taught in a classroom still does not qualify someone for the job on the ground. Neither does spending four hours in a gym a day. That sort of work out is only what most guards are able to dream about once they are on the workface.

Just yesterday in a financial newsletter I receive was this comment which I thinks sum it up nicely "Degrees & qualifications are important in organizations that don't actually produce anything". Good security will do its utmost to protect people & property so saving a business costs in the long run.

Most security if they stick to what is taught currently are just a presence no more no less who don't really care.

But then that is what the likes of CBD Business owner are used too & that is what they expect. They don't expect security to think for themselves.

We are following the US system but New Zealand has taken it a step further & it alone is destroying our ability to ever again compete on a world stage in business.

I have noticed a debate on Linkedin talking about what is great about New Zealand. Most of the points I have seen are now myths. That New Zealand no longer exists.

We still do have people with great ideas but as people keep discovering they usually have to go offshore for them to succeed. Or as the couple who started 42 Below said in their book "Every Bastard says No" to succeed in New Zealand you almost have to succeed offshore first.

Personally still plan to succeed here first, but the biggest hurdle is the New Zealand small mindedness as shown by the CBD Business owner. So have had to think of other ways of achieving it.

New Zealanders(generally ex military) are some of the top security people in the world but those people are only recognized outside New Zealand.

Now had they come to a good New Zealand security entity(there are some of us) then a solution to effectively secure(nothing is ever 100% secure but it would be a hell of a lot more secure than has been or currently is) the Christchurch CBD red zone would of been found.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

How it all comes together!

2011-07-18T00:54:00.000-07:00

Kia Ora,

Well I was going to put post up I have written on proactive security. First though came the comment from the CBD business owner. Couldn't really work out why a Christchurch CBD business owner would be upset with the exposing of how insecure the cordon really is.

That was not until another security professional suggested it is likely to be a security company. That would explain the small mindedness, lack of security knowledge & supposed outrage.

The first role of any security professional is to educate even it means exposing how badly run things are.

Though I am hard on the industry I see around me it is not all that bad. There are some good operators in a New Zealand context like the company I often do sub contract work for. Standards are so much higher than the norm you find in the industry. Then there are those that have brought high standards from the likes of Britain who like me get frustrated with the lack of recognition of higher standards & low standards that clients like to have provided for them. They base their security decisions on cost not on ability.

A reliable source tells me that the standards set for security by the likes of standards New Zealand are sufficient to be off an international standard. The problem is most running the training starting with ETITO(EIEIO) do not understand the standards fully. I would say they don't understand them period. At present many we are getting from courses seem to be have been taught three things.

How to sleep on duty(everyone gets tired & many whiplash at one time or another) but going to sleep an hour or so into your shift during the day is not on.

How to not carryout security.

How to argue you should be able to use drugs in the security industry or just use them.

As I finished the last post in reply to the comments from the CBD Business owner I received an email in regards to the second round of submissions for the new mandatory training requirements for the security industry.

It looks like nothing has been learnt & the same old, same old is about to be put in place with the same low standards.

Then I received an email from a highly experienced international security operator that to me puts it in a highly amusing light.

Even though it would appear to be a fake it shows one thing. At present most of those instructing in security in New Zealand are represented by the soldiers & the students by the Chimp. Monkey see Monkey do. Like what we are encountering some of the students like the Chimp are brighter than the current instructors.

It is all part of the dumbing down of society people are seeing. Lately I have had the privilege to also work with people with a bit of life experience but no qualifications apart from on the job training. No contest they beat the ones from the current courses hands down. The ability to think is been taught out of people in the current slavery system on which the education system is based.

I don't think anyone disagrees that some sort of training is required. Most of it though needs to be on the work face than on a little tick in the box course.

What there needs to be is a base security course for all areas but taught by those with a view to teaching to a higher level. It also requires recognition of experience & previous higher level training. Add in courses for specific areas after some experience is gained but again most training needs to happen in the industry as each area or site is different.

All the system they propose is, is a rort for someone to make a lot of cash to carryout a course which has no real relevance to the industry or how it operates.

At present the industry is viewed poorly & much of it comes back to the poor training provided. One police officer made the comment that in Auckland 50% of those they arrest in Auckland at present are actually in the security industry. Some of their comrades seemed to bring that attitude to Christchurch & led to issues leading up to our wrongful arrest.

The other issue that goes hand in hand with the training is the requirement to have regulations providing a formula on the number of security needed for events & for health & safety reasons. Currently it is left to the client to dictate that leaving security open to assaults(as winessed the other night) or worse(as experienced at times).

This is part of the education of our society. I have lost count of how many times in last few years I have been asked by members of the public if it is bodyarmour/stab vest I am wearing which upon confirmation I am, to be told that you "don't need that in New Zealand" or Christchurch. It just shows how out of touch the New Zealand public are with their communities.

As one Christchurch police officer said about a year ago. Virtually every person they now arrest has a knife on them without a lawful purpose.

Having at times confronted people with iron bars, knives, pieces of wood, had firearms discharged in our direction on at least two occassions it seems the Christchurch I live in is quite different than those who bury their head in the sand.

One last point to the CBD Business owner is obviously they also don't understand the use of social media in marketing a business. It pays to be contraversial & its even better as in my case when the facts back your assertions.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

CBD Business owner lacks Security Knowledge!

2011-07-15T23:50:00.000-07:00

Kia Ora,

Well I have received a very upset un named reply to my last post so it will not be published since they know they are wrong by not publishing their name.

But I will quickly refute their false accusations.

First they claim that the fence was only ever there for a controlled worksite not for security. Totally incorrect. Fence was erected to aid security. By having a fence up it allows individuals to be arrested immediately as they are in a fenced/enclosed area.

Not only that the CERA webstie tells you how secure the CBD is in particular due to the fences & other aids. In fact the answer by authorities to information we supplied about breaches(from sub contract work in the CBD Red Zone) was to erect more fences but that doesn't work by itself. It is obvious the CBD business owner hasn't looked if they have been inside the cordon as too where fences were erected. If they had, they would of asked why? They certainly aren't there for a controlled worksite.

Criticizes the company as not been good enough. Fact: The reason I first got my individual licence then formed two companies as was informed that was my best option since my standards were too high for security in New Zealand. Just because they are used to extremely low standards is not my fault.

They claim it would need actual security expertise to make the place secure.

Funny have that expertise from been in the military(highest level of security-used to give lessons on this form of security) & PSD in Iraq (second highest level of security). Not my fault NZ doesn't practice good security & doesn't like good security yet.

As many of those I have worked with in the military & Iraq have said to me. Look NZ is just not ready for real security yet. Keep it humming along & when it happens they will not have a clue what to do so you & others will be in a position to step up.

It is not just me either someone with a lot more international experience in high levels of security including as a consultant in dangerous areas, yet when back here for a break his experience is ignored & gets offered work as a guard only.

CBD business owner shows their lack of knowledge of real security where the likes of myself practice it. Many even more highly skilled security operators than myself have returned to NZ to again head offshore because of the lack of recognition of real security experience & knowledge.

I had warned that NZ was not ready for a terrorist attack(still isn't it needs to start practising proactive security again to counter terrorist attacks) or in that matter as has shown a large natural disaster. We practice procedures that are just not relevant in a real large emergency situation but can't get out of that mindset.

CBD business owner claims I miss the point. It is definitely the other way around. Effective security could be provided & not at the cost they are looking at. Yes it would cost but it is right now. Having been part of the military involved in emergencies, I know that any use of the military has to be paid for. Yes someone is billed for the military providing manpower(surprised me too when I first learned of it during an emergency).

Private security would cost less in the long run. That is why PSD's are used so much in Iraq & Afghanistan. Why the UN is considering using PSD's for intervention. As they free the military up from some tasks & though well paid actually cost less than having a standing army. It is what NZ will have to look at with recent military cutbacks.

It is quite evident from their rant that the only big mouth with a small mind(their words) is this CBD business owner. The cordon is not a controlled worksite but a security cordon. Typical New Zealand small minded thinking here. I know they will be under stress having a business there but they need to deal with the facts not the myth put out there.

Just because they have never been exposed to real security is no reason to try to shoot the messenger.

As stated & again they miss the point, my last post did not show any weaknesses in the system not already known. In fact it was breached again today but the person was not removed or seen by the volunteers or police but by a worker in the Red Zone. Before they comment they need to learn to read.

The point is their business like everyone elses is not secure. Despite the assurances given they are.

If you are not prepared to put your name to a comment it will not be published especially if a rant based on myth not facts.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

How secure is the Christchurch CBD Red Zone really?

2011-07-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-07-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

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

Ban the Burqa?

2011-07-10T03:35:00.000-07:00

Kia Ora,

Extremely busy at present but aim to have regular posts again.

One issue that has come up in the last week is that of the wearing of a Burqa or at least face veils by Muslim women in New Zealand.

Some points raised have been farcical.

It transpires that two bus drivers in Auckland refused to allow Burqa wearing women onto their buses.

In my opinion the bus company involved has been so Politically Correct they have issued the drivers a written warning which isn't really warranted.

At the same time though they have taken the unions suggestion & are going to introduce a security module to driver training prior to the Rugby World Cup.

Really it shows out of touch New Zealand is with the wider world. But some security person here will offer a module. First part of any security module should be drivers being allowed to refuse people getting on a bus where they don't feel safe.

As a secular country & in the interests of security like everyone else who covers their face, those with face veils should have to remove them on boarding a bus, catching a Taxi, entering any commercial premises or dealing with anyone in authority such as police or even security.

That just fits with been in New Zealand.

Whilst in say Kuwait the use of a Burqa is common place & if visiting we must accept it as part of life.

In fact whilst in Kuwait awaiting a flight out one woman in a Burqa made a very deliberate flirting gesture which you couldn't do in normal western dress. So it is not always so bad. Just had to do a quick look for the cameras as being the foreigner in the equation I would of been arrested since it wouldn't of happened if I had not been there or so the reasoning goes.

This security module for bus drivers though is what concerns me. Apart from the points above what are they going to teach?

Just seeing a face doesn't stop them being a suicide bomber. I believe I have mentioned it before in these posts that whilst working in Iraq we were made aware of a website set up for applications to be a suicide bomber over half the applicants were young boys & women.

The only security solution for a suicide bomber is a bullet between the eyes.

In the US city of Newwark, New Jersey they have ordered an armed security guard to be at all restaurants after a drive by shooting. In New Zealand we would organize a group hug.

For real security for the Rugby World Cup, New Zealand needs to come into the real world.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Poor start to New Security licensing Regime!

2011-06-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-05-04T02:33:00.000-07:00

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

Who can you Trust?

2011-04-23T02:24:00.000-07:00

Kia Ora,

Over the last few years New Zealand government departments have been embarrassed by people in high positions being exposed for having falsified their CV's.

A recent investigation made the comment that basic procedures had not been followed.

Probably the biggest issue though is bureaucrats sticking to a system that has been shown to be flawed. That is the use of referees. Government departments stick to this like glue, but in reality it is so easy to manipulate.

Several years ago whilst at a seminar a leading member of the recruitment industry made just this point. Your referee is always someone who is going to say the best about you & easy to set up someone who will actually be in on any lies you put in your CV.

Personally if I am required to provide referees I use ex army mates as I know they will give honest answers even if that means I might miss out on something. A CV & most referees can never actually tell you how someone will be in the position.

A good point the person from the recruitment industry made was see if you know the businesses in the CV & ring them or someone in that industry. Get a warts & all appraisal.

It is that warts & all that any security style check needs to know. Not what courses you can put on paper.

Have said it before there are many coming out of courses who have little actual knowledge of security or any other industry. The education system is dumbing people down so any paper work is worthless when looking at what a person can provide for the employer.
The Essential Guide to Recruitment: How to Conduct Great Interviews and Select the Best Employees
For the security industry it should be the ability to think for yourself, honesty & lack of drug use. It is an industry where experience will teach you more after an initial base training.

Government departments it should be how efficient you are, how you can think for yourself & again how honest you are.

In the latest high profile situation the actual work face members of that department(the military)should of had a greater say than they obviously did in the employment of this particular individual.

Due to a yearly exchange of personnel across the ranks structure, exercises & other commitments the New Zealand Military has a lot of contacts within the British Military system that should of exposed this person as a fraud a lot sooner.
Recruiting with Social Media: Social Media's Impact on Recruitment and HR
That information would of been coming from people they trust. It is obvious now that any referees must of been in on the scam because it was nothing else but a scam.

Despite all this on going problems with recruiting in particular offshore qualifications & experience government departments are still going down the 'referee' road when it quite obviously is open to major abuse. This creates security issues that need to be sorted.

You know how much you can trust someone you actually know. As opposed to a nameless person on the end of the phone or these days computer.

How do you know that the person you are talking too is not the person applying?

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Corruption is Rife!

2011-04-21T00:51:00.000-07:00

Kia Ora,

Well work inside the Christchurch CBD Red Zone is finished & it got too busy to keep up the blog & since then a little task as well as finding a new premises then moving(still in progress).

One thing the earthquakes in Christchurch have exposed corrupt practices are rife in New Zealand.

Before writing a previous post commenting on corruption I searched it on the internet as the dictionary I had seemed to have a narrow view. What came back in the first two searches showed that nine out of ten definitions hardly alluded to money if at all but more were words like "make things worse" or "lack of integrity". A third search without changing the search words suddenly only referred to money until the second page. I tend to go with the first two searches.

In a recent debate people kept insisting on a set definition but that allows those in charge to then carryout corrupt practices that frustrate but for some reason fall into gray areas that don't require them to answer for their actions.

The reason though I am moving is due to what I consider a corrupt practice making the place I reside unsafe although it appears to only have about 25 superficial cracks on the outside with one large crack in the warehouse.

After the September 4th 2010 Earthquake it was noticed there was sand come up out front. The owners said "oh yes it has sand infill".

Would of never signed the lease had I been aware of that having been part of civil defence & knowing that liquifaction was likely when sand base is under your property.

But it gets worse. Whilst working recently we had the luck to work along side a structural engineer.

What they highlighted has also been recently highlighted by Far North Mayor & engineer Wayne Brown. He said he was shocked by the poor building standards in residential houses in Christchurch, which mirrored the comment by the US USAR team member to me about our high rises.

In the 'Press' article highlighting comments from Brown the Department of Building & Housing commented the quake had highlighted some bad buildign practices peculiar to Christchurch such as unreinforced concrete slabs under residential houses.

When I said sand infill the engineer raised his eyes & said "so what else has happened?" or words to that effect. Basically when the big crack appeared the rear wall became concave as floor sloped down that side with wall in at the top. Few weeks later there was a thump & on inspection a second crack had appeared at right angles to the major one & wall straightened itself fully over the next week.

As the saying goes there is more & this is where you start to see the corruption.

Allegedly many years ago the City council tried to stop Developers from using sand infill. The theory is sand under your concrete slab makes it stronger so you don't have to use as much reinforcing or as comments from department no reinforcing.

Since the Council didn't have the resources to fight the developers in court so I am told they come up with a compromise where it would only be allowed to be used in single story residential premises.

Two issues there. Sand becomes a form of liquifaction during the pressure from an earthquake & you could see that in the warehouseas cracked area had risen above the rest of the floor. What we have noticed around Christchurch is when liquifaction occurs somewhere it leaves what becomes a sink hole as the shaking causes the light soil like silt or sand to move to one spot leaving a gap where the light soil was prior to the shake.

Secondly is that the property I had leased for my business was an apartment/office/warehouse which is two stories. So somewhere along the line this dodgy practice has morphed into been Ok for commercial two stories.

The article refers to several other questionable practices in residential housing with no accounting of the bad practices in commercial or high rise premises.

Some very new buildings such as the IRD building or CBS areana have stood up well from anecdotal comment. The other significantly have been from anecdotal comment those built by the Ministry of Works which was criticised for over engineering anything it built but would of been using the lessons of the 1931 Napier earthquake.

Everything else in between I would be very suspicious off until a full check has been done. Thats a proper check not the Mickey mouse ones we have been getting on direction from the Body corporate. It also seems from what we have seen in the Red Zone that is an engineer has a vested interest then the report on a building is vastly different to that of an independant engineer.

Seems we quickly forget the lessons then corruptly short cut everything we can whick in the long run proves more expensive in lives. Funny thing is it is claimed these bad practices were a result that earthquakes were unlikely in Christchurch. Civil Defence though had maps & projections (shown to us when you joined back in 90's not to mention the 1996 documentary)of likely damage to Christchurch in the event of the big quake expected on the Alpine fault or a Tsaunami.

As bad as Civil Defences response has been to the Canterbury earthquakes they did try to minimize effects but were given not much teeth or credence. They had to fight to keep the sand dunes at 5 metres when first lowered from 8 metres as people wanted them taken down completely to improve property prices.

Didn't help that many of their own people didn't take it seriously & still don't.

In the vein of making things worse that seems to be the one thing Civil Defence are doing well. There is no leadership & frustrations are growing. One thing everyone does in Christchurch is talk about the quake.

From a professional point of view I point out that this slow response is now the norm for diaster recovery around the world & tends to result in riots. Most are now saying they can see that happening here shortly unless the truth is put out there & real progress is made.

That is not the reaction you expect to get here. Prior to the February 22nd earthquake if you mentioned that was a possibility the stock answer would of been "not in Christchurch" or "not in New Zealand", someone actually said "New Zealand was now too PC for it to happen as everyone would be worried that they would upset someone".

Well that has all changed now. I have stayed on message it is just others response to it has changed & all due to corruption.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Hail the Black Sheep!

2011-04-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

Kia Ora,

Pretty full on at present with tasks resulting from the February earthquake. So will also be publishing posts written when an upcoming task was not going to allow me to blog.

It might seem strange for a blog about security & security related issues but I am all in support of a families Black Sheep. Better known these days as Peter Freedom the person who has successfully(whilst travelling the world) for two years de frauded our Social Welfare department exposing it as corrupt & incompetent.

As someone who once was on a benefit as a back up(as it is supposed to be) it was always galling to see all those that didn't help themselves getting a hand out whilst those of us who tried to help ourselves got no help at all. In fact our names got passed from case manager to case manager to make them look good. You either help all or none equally otherwise you just encourage people to give up.

Now there has been an article in the 'Press' where the CEO of WINZ tries to defend the department handing out cash to a 'charity' run by an overstayer. Seems they have not learnt the lessons.

Many in the US think they are now a socialist state. They have no idea but in saying that some things the government needs to pick up especially in a small country where the population just isn't big enough to provide everything.

Recently Public service chiefs were said to be angered over the publicity of how much they earn. Tough! When they are earning up to $380,000 more than most workers they are answerable when they are not providing the services they are expected too.

Being on Welfare is soul destroying but that doesn't mean that people can't be provided with actual assistance that some might just need to kick start. Right at this moment the government is looking to trim people of these benefits which is great except the system is set up to penalize them if they try. There is no incentive to get off really apart from personal. Most try initially but give up after so many knock backs.
From Poor Law to Welfare State, 6th Edition: A History of Social Welfare in America
Also there are just not the jobs out there in the current economic climate & are less likely to be as the financial crisis worsens. Problem here is successive governments have spent years dumbing everybody down giving them 'financial education' that isn't that very few can see the best route out is to start a business for themselves. Of course governments, in particular New Zealand ones have made the requirements to be in certain businesses so onerous in the wrong ways that people find it hard to start.

When I say onverous in the wrong ways I mean we do, despite some sections in society saying otherwise, need good regulations to ensure people get the best. The market does not actually offer that as claimed by some because to compete means everyone will lower themselves to lowest common denominator to stay in business. There needs to be a good mix of both.

More often than not though the regulations cause the opposite to happen. They tend to be written by those with no practical knowledge of an industry or a role.
Transformation of the Welfare State: The Silent Surrender of Public Responsibility
So I hail the Black Sheep of his family for exposing at least some of the poor systems, corruption & incompetence in our civil service.

Really if they want to get people back to work & cut crime the best option is for the government to provide policies that allow businesses to start & flourish. As an Australian said when moving here to start a business "easy to set one up here but after that it is just apathy".

An efficient, competent civil service could help there. But ours tends to make the comedies 'Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister' look like reality TV.
Just another slave of the welfare state - Bumper Sticker
They can't say it is not continuing as I know it is. Last year I had a flat mate move in before I threw him out two weeks later who was & is a con man as well as appearing to be a gambler.

So far I am the only one he hasn't been able to rip off from my knowledge. Correction next place he moved into threw him out in one week.

But recently I have begun receiving mail for him from our welfare department which I have returned saying gone no address & he was only here for two weeks a year ago.
Just another slave of the welfare state Long Sleeve T-shirt Large White
Having dealt with this type of thing before I can envisage what has happened. He has recently needed an address so has given this one. They are sending out mail whilst he rips them off. They will not stop as he has to change the address even if you tell them he is no longer there. The other option is He got a loan from them back then & only now are they chasing it up. Either way despite them been told at some stage a debt collector or PI will show up on the door.

Funny thing is all the fingers, in particular from the department, are been pointed at the Black Sheep. Their own faults are the problem.

If he returns to New Zealand he is to be prosecuted for defruading the department. I hope they are lining up the case manager & the CEO to stand along side him. Their corruption is what allowed this to happen.

Go the Black Sheep!

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

The World split in Three!

2011-03-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-03-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-03-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-03-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-03-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

Kia Ora,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

How will it affect People?

2011-03-11T17:18:00.000-08:00

Kia Ora,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

What needs to be done to get moving again!

2011-03-10T16:57:00.000-08:00

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?

2011-03-10T00:55:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-03-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

Kia Ora,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Myth or Truth!

2011-03-05T00:23:00.000-08:00

Kia Ora,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So that casts questions over his account.

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

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

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

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

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

This all happened very quickly.

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

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

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

Where we heros?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

A Simple World made Complicated!

2011-03-01T02:27:00.000-08:00

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