Disaster preparation ,4 years after 9/11 and after the London bombings and after Katrina are basically a disaster.The recent exercises with maximum

publicity and minimum personnel participating were nothing more than photo ops.There are about 10,000 first responders in Toronto yet only about 250 participated in the simulated disaster.Seems like the only kind of preparation is the cross your fingers kind.

Where's the simulation where there are 5000 casualties that have to go to the hospital? You can have all the paper plans you want but there is nothing better than doing actual simulations with sufficient numbers of people so they have the necessary experience if the time comes to implement it. There 's a reason that there weren't a lot more deaths at the WTC on 9/11. There had been plans in place for evacuations after the 1993 bombing and they were practiced.The only thing they practice here when it comes to public safety is spinning.


via jacksnewswatch.info

"What plans (exist) if B.C. has a major earthquake? What plans (are there) if a tsunami hits the East Coast?" said Granatstein, whose report into the state of Canada's part-time soldiers, sailors and pilots concluded there's no communication between army, navy or air force reserves when it comes to crisis planning.

"Can you really get equipment and people and help to us any faster than what happened in New Orleans, where the Americans have all kinds of resources?"

Granatstein stresses that the military is aware of the shortfalls, but the federal government has not put enough money into the system to make any significant impact. He said the Liberals' $13 billion allocated for rejuvenation of the military is part of a long-term plan.

"The problem is that 90 per cent of that money comes in years 4 or 5 of the plan, and a minority government making plans for 2009 and 2010 is pretending," he said.

The report's findings will be discussed at a conference of military leaders in Calgary in December."