Evacuate the City? Ha!
The recent events in New Orleans and Texas, the articles we cited about geological activity out west, and the comments about the commander of 016 being transferred to update a supposedly non-existent evacuation plan for the city lead to this post.
Do you have an evacuation plan? In the event of a full blown emergency/accident/terror attack, do you have a plan to get your family out of the city? Now before we are accused of being some whacked out militia survivalists (which we might be), we live in one of the larger target rich environments of the country. Chicago is a major rail & airline hub, financial center and cultural touchstone of the USA. If something happened, could your family get out? We're assuming, of course, that in the event of a full blown mobilization, we would be staying at our posts (it IS our job after all), but there isn't any need for the spouse and kids to stick around.
What do you pack? What do you take? We're not talking "end of days - the rapture" type events (we're agnostic), but just getting out of the Superdome and above the floodwaters for a week or so - a localized event. If it isn't something you've discussed with your family, maybe you should, because the city sure isn't. Food, spare cash, water are obvious - what else? We're just provoking thought and conversation on a slow news day.
Otherwise, we have a humorous post or two on tap for this weekend. We plan on watching New Orleans flood again after the multiple levee breaks and recall how mayor nagin wanted to put 1/3 of his population back into the "Big Easy" 5 days ago.
UPDATE: Blackhawks lose 5-4 to St. Louis - hissssssssss
Do you have an evacuation plan? In the event of a full blown emergency/accident/terror attack, do you have a plan to get your family out of the city? Now before we are accused of being some whacked out militia survivalists (which we might be), we live in one of the larger target rich environments of the country. Chicago is a major rail & airline hub, financial center and cultural touchstone of the USA. If something happened, could your family get out? We're assuming, of course, that in the event of a full blown mobilization, we would be staying at our posts (it IS our job after all), but there isn't any need for the spouse and kids to stick around.
What do you pack? What do you take? We're not talking "end of days - the rapture" type events (we're agnostic), but just getting out of the Superdome and above the floodwaters for a week or so - a localized event. If it isn't something you've discussed with your family, maybe you should, because the city sure isn't. Food, spare cash, water are obvious - what else? We're just provoking thought and conversation on a slow news day.
Otherwise, we have a humorous post or two on tap for this weekend. We plan on watching New Orleans flood again after the multiple levee breaks and recall how mayor nagin wanted to put 1/3 of his population back into the "Big Easy" 5 days ago.
UPDATE: Blackhawks lose 5-4 to St. Louis - hissssssssss
posted by SCC at 4:30 PM
27 Comments:
Remember a few years ago when a nitwit in a Coke truck stopped the Damn Ryan for hours on a Friday afternoon and about 500,000 people were stuck. You don't have to say anymore. Get out of the city.......Right
Any evacuation plan for Chicago should include using all vessels available, including barges, to transport evacuees across the lake to the State of Michigan.
Interstate traffic in all other directions would be absolute gridlock, particularly on short notice.
I think they should start with mass and rapid localized evacuations. Using everything, including redeployed mass transit resources and (duh!) reverse lanes.
I'd agree that the entire city would be a nightmare to evacuate, but start with the baby steps.
Come up with a flexible plan with consistent elements. Such as, who is in charge, who calls for the evacuation, how do we coordinate the CFD and CPD, where do you stage resources, where do you find resources, how do you determine what resources are needed and who makes this determination...
When do you call in outside resources, including suburban, County, State, National Guard, or others?
And who are the key personnel at any time of the day, any day of the week, any week of the year. Someone should be ready for something like this 24/7/365, and I honestly doubt that anyone in Chicago really is.
Martial law suggestion: No automobile should be allowed on the highways with less than 4 occupants during an emergency. ??
Why do I read everywhere about disaster and Martial Law? Do you even know what Martial Law is? Martial Law is the system of rules that takes effect (usually after a formal declaration) when a military authority takes control of the normal administration of justice. Martial Law does not give the power to the police, but to the military.
Martial law is instituted most often when it becomes necessary to favor the activity of military authorities and organizations, usually for urgent unforeseen needs, and when the normal institutions of justice either cannot function or could be deemed too slow or too weak for the situation.
The Posse Comitatus Act forbids military action in law enforcement without congressional approval. Do you really think congress will declare Martial Law? As a former active duty Army officer I can tell you that the military takes Posse Comitatus very seriously and wants absolutely NOTHING to do with domestic law enforcement.
If Martial Law was ever to be declared, our role as civilian police officers(yes, we are civilians) would be greatly reduced. We would become a support agency for the military and subject to most of the rules imposed on the rest of the population. So put away your little Wyatt Earp fantasies and deal with the situation for what it is. If the shit hit the fan in Chicago, what would you do to protect your family and what would your obligation to the CPD be? If these separate priorities collided, where would you compromise?
Evacuate the City? R U KIDDING!!!! I seem to remember the County bldg fire 2 yrs ago. The CFD and Emergency response could not even evacuate a building. How many left to die again? And u think this city can evacuate itself??? NO WAY>>>>>
6:10: put the encyclopedia away
6:10, meet 5:25. I'm the same one who writes the (overly) lengthy diatribes on the other threads.
You ever seen martial law? It ain't used too often. I guess maybe in Louisiana they called it a "State of Emergency". Regardless of what you call it, there have been numerous incidents in the country where emergency procedures were imposed on everyone.
I'm not sure that Martial Law has even been declared in LA, but nobody is in court asking even the visiting POs to refrain from kicking in the doors of private homes.
Emergency is emergency.
Your post makes me sort of laugh though, as it sort of highlights one of my points. Who makes decisions? In a land as lacking in leadership as Chicago, who wouldn't expect government to stand damn-near paralyzed while political police bosses squabbled with political fire bosses. And why would we expect Blago to perform better than Blanco?
Nope, paralysis by incompetence and squabbling. In this city why wouldn't a former active-duty military officer desert his post for his family? Why wouldn't a former active-duty military officer fiddle over whether a response can be called "Martial Law" as Wrigleyville burns?
Can you feel it? Its the training. Its the culture. Its the distrust of this system that almost all of us feel. Its asking sarcastic and irrelevant questions before the plan is even announced.
If you are truly worried about your family and friends, the only relevant question for the moment is "What is the plan?".
We can debate its merits once anyone, and I mean ANYONE in charge in this city, can show even the slightest bit of competence at tackling a challenge as big as this. No matter how many reasons they have for addressing this situation, I simply cannot fathom that any of these clowns are competent to think at this level.
In this city, in an emergency, I fully expect them to be squabbling about such things as the meaning and feasibility of "martial law".
No encyclopedia smarty, just a product of a Jesuit education Kind-grad school.
You're an idiot to even ask about the plan. Unless of course you're baiting for the obvious answer. There is no plan.
>>You're an idiot to even ask about the plan. Unless of course you're baiting for the obvious answer. There is no plan. <<
Who you talking to?
Did you see the Mayor's chief of Staff, Ron Huberman on Chicago Tonight on the 6th of September. He was saying, in essence that they do not train the first responding officers because they do not want the terrorists to know our plans. How's that for inspiring confidence in our leaders. It looks like they already have written us off.
I always keep a pack of Magnum condoms, case of beer, bottle of KY lube for emergencies.
Came in handy in Washington DC a few years back when the CPD was deployed there and we were "trapped" in our hotel room by wild GIRLS GONE WILD female cops from CPD!
Woooo Hooooooooooooo!
Always plan a "head"
The city purchased many "Beam me up Scottie" electronic relocaters from Daley Star Trek Inc.
Only 2.5 millions dollars each.
to 3:01---
magnum condoms? how many knots did you have to tie in them before they actually fit? you're an idiot. stop lying.
HEY 3:01:32
So you could make water balloons, get drunk and jerk-off? Strange response to an emergency. To each his own I guess.
5:25 again.
Lo and behold, the New York Times covers the topic today, currently on the front page of the website
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/national/nationalspecial/25evacuation.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5094&en=dd86b7779263e6b4&hp&ex=1127620800&partner=homepage
There is a pretty funny contrast between numerous other cities who cite their plans, and Velazquez who is "reluctant" to release details. Yup, I'll bet our plan is a great plan. The best.
Even funnier is to contrast our guy with the Northwestern guy who says that a plan is useless if people don't know it in advance.
Mmm hmm, we got the best plan. Its a great plan. Its all in my head because I don't want Osama to know the plan, but its a freakin beeyootiful plan!
This city is the laughing stock of America. No wonder its losing population.
Ask Barabara Mcdonald's Manchurian Candidate about our plan. Truth is we don't have one.
Who would be the police department's first responders...001, 012, 018 and 021. Guess how much training and equippment they have; NONE. Maybe Peter Karl can put together a streaming video on how we should respond.
Maybe the job of SOS will be to rescue the first responders after taking an hour to get there - that is if their "special equippment" is not expired or even with them.
Let's purchase $10,000 more worth of gas masks which are not certified and never pass them out (that was a McDonald/Cortez move).
Let's have the TMA direct traffic out of the loop, because they do such a good job as it is now.
How does the TMA have the authority to direct traffic on city streets - I can understand park district property, but now they are being hired by construction companies near worksites.
Here's the plan; we'll fly by the seat of our pants and hope for the best.
Historically and geographically, the possibility of Chicago being subject to catastrophic natural disasters such as earthquakes (I am aware of the New Madrid, Missouri fault), volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, floods, forest fires, mudslides, drought, etc. is virtually non-existent.
Potential problems posed by blizzards, seiches, intense heat waves, power blackouts and tornadoes would NOT require a full-scale evacuation of the area.
Aside from Armageddon itself, the possibility of a TERRORIST ATTACK looms as the only actual threat that would prompt a mass evacuation. However, there would be insufficient time to evacuate. Aside from biological weapons, the worst case scenario would involve the detonation of a nuclear device, most probably in a densely populated area (CPD Districts 001, 018 and/or a venue for the gathering of large crowds.
The inference that Chicago has a "secret plan" for a mass evacuation is preposterous.
I submit that there are NO specific plans for a mass evacuation from Chicago.
The most pragmatic approach in this post 9/11 era is constant vigilance for any and all signs of possible terrorist activity.
The "secret plan" thing is supposed to be a humorous reference, not a conspiracy theory.
Our guys get asked questions that every other major city in this country are now getting asked after Katrina, and which places like Chicago SHOULD have been asking after 9/11 (you remember pictures of crowds walking across bridges).
So they get around to asking our guy, and being the quick-witted political geniuses that they are, they say "its a secret, but its adaptive, constantly under review, and awesome baby". And the reporters probe no further.
Even as (now, in the NYT), numerous other commentators pointedly note that a plan is useless unless people know about it before hand.
Anyway, to get back to the first line of this, of course there is not a plan.
While I agree with you also about vigilance (I've always been an advocate of Suspicious Person calls), I disagree insofar as you minimize the value of an evacuation plan. There are a lot of things that could happen that would cause a concentraded large-scale evacuation (or wores, a general unconcentrated large-scale evacuation).
Know your enemy before you discount the danger!
Most of the 9/11 money coming from D.C. should be spent on post-terrorist attack scenarios. Maybe, on a PLAN! The logistics needed to support it, training for officers that support the plan, storage for prepositioned equipment, etc. I'd love to know what the dept. has done with the money besides the initial purchase of black uniforms and the $80,000 SUV for Cortez Trotter. I'm sure the current plan is the same one from 1963. Kids should sit under their school desks and report to your local police station with the fallout shelter sign clearly posted by the front door.
Does anyone remember the "old' plan for protecting the city,(downtown). Raise all the bridges and over-turn boxcars in front of the viaducts. If there is an "attack", just do the same. Keep "Dick" and his cronnies in 001. Since "HE" destroyed Meigs, they can't even fly out.
Here is the plan, bend over and kiss your ass Goodbye!
We are left to the designs of Daley, Velazquez, and Huberman! The trifecta of incompetence! OEMC's current push is cameras everywhere. Alot of good it did London. At least we can see who did it. The footage on the news should distract everyone to the point where we may forget there was no respone plan in place. The reason Andrew Velazquez III cannot comment on a plan is because one hasn't even been considered.The current regime is too busy trying to stay out of jail, a plan would be a waste of thier time. Have you seen Huberman lately. His hair has turned gray and he's aged 20 years. He's more worried about keeping Ritchie out of the slammer than about how we're going to respond to an emergency. The only evacuation plan likely involves how to save Millenium Pork, Walsh Construction, and the HDO. We are on our own.
"Bend over and kiss your ass good-bye."
This first sentence by the last poster reminds of the consensus reaction to a long rescinded CPD General Order entitled "Department Procedure In the Event of a Nuclear Detonation".
"Embracing the Gulf"
The Chicago Police Department has joined forces with the
Orland Hills Police Department in an effort to assist law enforcement officers in the Mississippi Gulf area along with their families.
The purpose of the drive is to help the officers who have lost everything to Hurricane Katrina.
As fellow officers, it is important that we pull together and take this opportunity to give clothing and other police related
equipment that is clean and in usable condition (no torn, dirty
or extremely worn items please.)
Remember, in most cases officers and their families don’t even have running water.
Collection of these items will be held two days only- Tuesday
27 September and Wednesday 28 September from 0700 hours until
1800 hours at U.S. Cellular Field parking lot C- located at 332 West 35th Street, Chicago IL.
(Just set up a cardboard box or three on/behind the desk or in Neighborhood Relations and maybe someone can find the time to drop it off over by “Cominsky” Tuesday or Wednesday)
Items Needed-
POLICE ITEMS:
Uniform Pants (not wool!)
Uniform Shirts (patches removed)
Belts
Shoes
Flex Cuffs/handcuffs
Rain Gear
Boots
Latex Gloves
Watches
T-Shirts
New Socks
New Underwear
PERSONAL TOILETRIES:
Deodorant
Toothpaste/Brushes
Toilet Paper
Soap/Body Wash
Lotion
Band-Aids
Razor blades
Sun-Screen
Hand Cleaner
Baby Wipes
Paper Towels
Mouth Wash
Combs/Brushes
Hair Products
Shaving Products
Feminine Hygiene Products
OTHER ITEMS:
Clothing for Men & Women & Children
(all ages and sizes)
Water
Antiseptics
Batteries
Towels
Sheets
Waterless Hand Sanitizer
Insect Repellant
Aspirin
* * * * *
Thank you in advance for making this happen- your assistance can make so many working police and their families feel so much better!
(THANKS TO THE “BRIDGEPORT BRAWLER”, The OTHER Hurricane "T" & Miss Lill FOR GETTING THIS OUT! ;-> )
Our FOP site has the Gulf Aid donation info posted too- salute! Good Job!
If we have a terrorist attack, people will be collecting that sort of stuff to send to us. Do we have dust masks, gloves, hard hats, drinking water, first aid supplies!?! How do we fuel our cars if the power goes out?!? We may have to greak into stores to get that stuff, so know where they are. Try to avoid the appearence of looting, if someone is taping it, hand them a mask and gogles, that'll make you a hero.
Since you all need to know my plan here it is:
1. Place the Mayor and a cat into an escape rocket so they can ruturn 30 years later and hold the city for ransom for $1,000,000.
2. Take myself to Boy's Town for one last gangbang.
Signed, R.H.
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