Governor Highlights Efforts to Boost State’s Emergency Response Capabilities

CHIEF JARMAN: Well, good morning. It's my pleasure to welcome Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to America's finest city. I appreciate so much the value and support that you've given to the fire service and to public safety over the past year and that you're truly concerned for the welfare of our citizens.

At this time I'd like to recognize some of the people who have joined us today: Henry Jordan, California Regional vice president of Wal-Mart. (Applause) Don Boland, director, California Utilities Emergency Association. (Applause) Ronald Fong, president, California Grocers Association. (Applause) Peter Ohtaki, Bay Area Partnership director, Business Executives for National Security. (Applause) Assembly member Pedro Nava. (Applause) Director Matt Bettenhausen, director, California Office of Homeland Security. (Applause) Director Henry Renteria, Governor's Office of Emergency Services. (Applause) And Frank McCarton, chief deputy director, Governor's Office of Emergency Services. (Applause) I'd also like to recognize the CAL FIRE unit chief, Howard Windsor, my counterpart in the region. (Applause)

Governor, again, we appreciate the support you provide the fire service. I know the last time you were here we recognized five OES brush engines that we put into service to be better prepared for this fire season. We appreciate your ongoing support. And the citizens of this region definitely benefit from the great partnership we have with the state of California and it certainly takes partnerships, all of us working together, to be better prepared to respond to firestorms or any event we may face, natural disasters. And it takes all of us, it's that partnership that is so key.

And with that, Governor -- you were there for us, we thank you for your efforts and I'll turn the podium over to you. (Applause)

GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER: Thank you very much, Chief Jarman. I also want to say again thank you very much to Assemblyman Pedro Nava for the great work that he has done on this bill and Don Boland for the California Utilities Emergency Association and Roland Fong with the California Grocers Association. And Secretary Karen Baker, who is here with us, thank you very much -- of course she's the secretary of our Service and Volunteerism -- and also we have the director of Homeland Security with us, Matt Bettenhausen and our OES director, Henry Renteria. And there are many more that are here today, we want to thank all of them for being here today.

And I also want to just say to Chief Jarman, thank you so much -- where did the Chief go? Oh, she's right here. Thank you so much for the extraordinary work that you are doing. You were one of the great heroes last year at the fires and we appreciate it so much, the service that you provide. And I also want to congratulate you for being named the Fire Chief of the Year. (Applause) I, of course, would have named her the Fire Chief of the Decade, but -- you know, maybe you'll get that title every year now.

So anyway, it is great to be back here in San Diego. As you all know, I'm here today to talk about how we can do even a better job in protecting the people in this area and in the state of California when we have fires or any other kind of a disaster. And every time when we have a disaster like the fires last year we study afterwards very carefully what we can do to improve on the services. And of course, a great job was done last year on those fires.

Last October, as we all know, we had huge fires here in southern California and we saw half a million acres being destroyed and more than 2,000 homes were also wiped out because of the fire, 10 people have been killed and more than 320,000 people had to be evacuated.

But the good news is that there was tremendous help, not only from the firefighters and from law enforcement -- they did a great job -- but there were so many volunteers that came forward and also the private sector jumped into action and came forward. And a lot of those partners are here with us today; we want to thank them again.

And we are right now here in the middle of a warehouse of Wal-Mart, which is the place that has created some of this great action and volunteered so much. They came through with bottled water, with diapers, with baby formula and all kinds of other things that normally you never have ready when you have an emergency and you have to evacuate that many people.

I also want to thank the members of the California Grocers Association. I remember I was in Los Angeles. In the afternoon I called from my office, asking them for immediate help. By the time I came down here to Qualcomm Stadium they were already pulling in with truckloads full of goodies for the people, so we want to thank them also.

And the California Utilities Emergency Association helped manage the repair of power and water and other utilities and the Business Executives for National Security, they worked with us in state and regional emergency centers to manage even more private sector help coming in and coordinating all of those different efforts.

And now, of course, this is a special day because we have signed now a formal agreement with these great partners to make them a formal partner of our disaster response system. I think it's the first in the nation. (Applause)

As I've said, we have the world's best firefighters and great law enforcement, great coordination not only on the local level but also statewide and also on the federal level. but government alone cannot do some of those great challenges and take on those great challenges. So I directed our Office of Emergency Services, Henry Renteria, to enlist as many private sector partners as they could and to come to an agreement and those agreements that have been signed were the result of this great effort. Our partners have stepped up and are willing to be ready 24-7 in case of an emergency, so we want to thank them for making that commitment. I could not be happier with this kind of public-private partnership, because I always say that the best, the most results we always get, is when the public sector and the private sector work together.

Now, there's another thing that we have done which is really terrific and this is to improve our emergency response operation even more. I've also signed AB 38 and this is to merge the Office of Emergency Services and the Office of Homeland Security into one unit, into one agency. And there was one person that was really responsible for doing most of that work and that is Assemblyman Nava, who did great, great work on this. And so let's give him a great hand for the great work that he has done. (Applause)

AB 38 will streamline operations and make sure that we get resources and assistance to the victims as quickly as possible. California, as we all know, has had its fair share of earthquakes and mudslides and floods and fires and all of those kinds of things. but with the measures that we are spotlighting and highlighting here today, we will be even better prepared and in better shape than we were in the past. And I think, as I've said many times, public safety is our number one priority, so the better we can serve the people in case of emergencies the better it is, so I want to say thank you to all of our partners here that did the great work.

And now, of course, I would like to bring out Assemblyman Pedro Nava to come out here and to say a few words about this. Thank you very much. (Applause)

ASSEMBLYMEMBER NAVA: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger may not remember this, but we met in 2005. In my district, the 35th Assembly District, La Conchita had a horrendous slide. That was on a Monday; the Governor was out a day and a half later. And he made a promise to the people of that community that he would bring the resources of the state of California to help them and he kept his promise. We have never seen a governor that has been as dedicated to public safety, disaster and emergency response, as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. A big round of applause. (Applause)

While serving as chair of the Joint Committee on Emergency Services and Homeland Security we heard from first responders, over and over again, how they wanted to see the two agencies merge into one so that it would be stronger, it would be more nimble, it would be easier to respond to the assistance that they require. The Governor heard those requests and he mobilized his staff and we have worked on it for two years. We confronted many challenges, but I have to tell you, the Governor's staff and the two agencies, OES and OHS, worked seamlessly. They set aside any personal differences they may have had about merging the two agencies. When was the last time that you ever saw two agencies merge together? I didn't get an answer. That's exactly our point.

And so, because of that, California is now going to be better equipped to respond to disasters, to emergencies, to help protect the people of the state of California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, thank you very much for your direction, for your dedication and your commitment to the people of this state. (Applause)

This is all about partnerships. The government cannot do it alone. It is absolutely vital to harness the resources of the public sector to assist those of us in government who are trying to help people in need. Henry Jordan with Wal-Mart is one of those kinds of people who, when he was asked to please provide the help, didn't ask any questions. He just said, where do you want it, how much, how high? Mr. Jordan, please come up. (Applause)

HENRY JORDAN: Thank you, Assemblyman Nava. I really appreciate it. I'd like to welcome all of you here today. It's a privilege to be able to host such a wonderful event. Thank you, Governor Schwarzenegger, for again being here. I'd like to welcome all of you to Wal-Mart. You're all invited to go shopping once the event concludes today.

But I want to start by applauding the Governor's leadership on such an important issue that really impacts all of us at the end of the day. This agreement is an excellent example of where business and government can work together to do what's right for our customers, what's right for our consumers and what's right for the state of California.

About a year ago this month the fires impacted southern California and were devastating; making sure that the people that were displaced had everything that they needed was really everyone's top priority. The question that we frequently ask ourselves is, how do we get the basic necessities that these people need and how do we get it to them quickly? The answer was for all of us -- business, government, nonprofit and the wonderful volunteers that were mentioned, working together to do what was right for our people and for our state. Working in coordination with the Governor's Office we were all able to help thousands of our fellow neighbors, friends, associates and customers and that's something we should all be very proud of.

So again, on behalf of all 70,000 Wal-Mart associates across the great state of California, I would just tell you today that we're really proud, Governor, to be part of this MOU and this signing and Wal-Mart stands willing and ready, along with all of our partners and volunteers, to act when called upon in the future. So, thank you.

And now I'd like to introduce Don Boland, the director with California Utilities Emergency Association, to say a few words. Thank you. (Applause)

DON BOLAND: Thank you for having us, Governor and Assemblyman Nava. We in California Utility Emergency Association are the largest and the oldest emergency utility association in the state of California, formed in 1952 to assist the state and the residents. And we have gone through a lot of disasters hand-in-hand, but this is a true milestone for the state and for the utilities.

We represent power, telecommunications, pipeline companies, water, wastewater companies. We're in every one of your homes. And the fact is, you have a right to those services and we need to stand up for them. One of our issues is that we now have an MOU which will make our services transparent with OES and the other emergency agencies within the state.

A case in point was January of this year. We had 2.8 million residents out of power up in San Francisco through Lake Tahoe. We were able to get with OES and their staff, California Highway Patrol and the other state agencies and in a matter of just two hours put together an escort with California Highway Patrol for 114 of your San Diego gas and electric trucks and crews, moved them 567 miles to San Jose unimpeded, with all kinds of support and able to restore in excess of 500,000 residents and businesses three days sooner than we could have got crews on the ground. That shows the commitment by the state and the state agencies and the private utilities, of which we have 84 percent of your infrastructure, to make this a seamless transition. And we thank you for this opportunity on this historic day in signing these MOUs.

With that, I'd like to turn it over to Mr. Ronald Fong from the California Grocers. (Applause)

RONALD FONG: Well, good morning, everyone. I think it's perfectly appropriate that on the anniversary of the southern California wildfires that we're all gathered here today to sign such an historical document and partnership between the Governor's Office and the private sectors. Really, the coordinated effort between the private and the public sectors -- we all got together and helped out last year, we've been through this drill once before already -- and I think it really demonstrated how two separate entities, both with tremendous resources at our fingertips, really could partner together to effectively and efficiently help the citizens of California.

Now, California Grocers have had a long history with their neighborhoods, their communities and their customers. We have thrived as businesses in communities in San Diego and throughout California. but with a thriving business comes responsibility and the grocers take their responsibility to their community and to their customers very seriously, especially in their times of need, like last year. And hopefully it won't happen again this year, but if it does we're there for them.

So, Governor, thank you for your leadership. Assembly member Nava, thank you for your leadership. We appreciate the opportunity to partner on this historical day.

And with that I will turn it over to Peter Ohtaki, the director of the Bay Area Partnership of the Business Executives National Security. (Applause)

PETER OHTAKI: Governor Schwarzenegger, Assembly member Nava, Chief Jarman and other distinguished guests; when disaster strikes, businesses want to help, but often they don't know how. In previous disasters business-government collaboration has been ad hoc and chaotic at best. It's like random players showing up the day of the Super Bowl without a playbook or any practice ahead of time.

California is home to leading businesses in virtually every industry sector. By mobilizing and organizing the California business community in advance, we can improve disaster response and community resiliency. Government cannot respond by itself; both business and government need such partnerships to better prepare for risks we as Californians face, whether it's a catastrophic earthquake, wildfires, pandemic flu or terrorism.

BENS, a national nonprofit nonpartisan organization, has facilitated two public-private partnerships in California, one in the Bay Area and the Homeland Security Advisory Council, HSAC, which was formed by L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca. HSAC's executive director, Lauren Armistead, is with us today. Together we've recruited over 100 companies who are ready, willing and now able to assist California in times of crisis.

During the devastating wildfires one year ago we were honored to help coordinate the generous donations of businesses nationwide, such as Wal-Mart, to evacuees. By representing the private sector in the state's emergency operation centers, BENS, HSAC, the California Grocers Association and the California Utilities Emergency Association worked with state and local agencies to ensure that needs were being sourced and that food, bottled water and supplies were getting to those impacted by the fires. Businesses are not only willing to donate goods but also to lend trucks or reconfigure a facility into an emergency dispensing site for medications, for example, but have been concerned about legal liability.

We thank you, Assembly member Nava, for sponsoring and Governor Schwarzenegger for signing AB 2796, Good Samaritan legislation that encourages businesses and nonprofits to provide these needed resources. Thank you very much, Governor. (Applause)

GOVERNOR: All right. Now let's create some action and go and sign the bills.

(BILL SIGNING)

QUESTION/ANSWER:

GOVERNOR:           So, if there any questions about emergency services or any of those things, please let us know. Yes, please.

QUESTION:               (Inaudible)

GOVERNOR:           If we can have the mic?

QUESTION:               Governor, investors and Californians want to know just how serious is the state's fiscal situation, given your recent letter to the Treasury Secretary?

GOVERNOR:           Well, first of all, let me just say that on the way from the airport over here I heard the great news that the House has voted for the bill, for the $700 billion bill, which I think is extremely important not only for the state of California but also for the whole nation.

I think that the first round went down because it was marketed the wrong way. It was marketed as a bill that will bail out Wall Street, but it was not about Wall Street, it was about ordinary folks in America. When I go around the state and I talked to a restaurant owner, he was having difficulty getting loans now to pay his wages, a family that couldn't get a loan, a student loan, for their kids, a little grocery store couldn't get a loan for his business. So this affects ordinary people out there on Main Street, not Wall Street, so this is why I was very happy that it finally was passed.

I want to congratulate the House and also the Senate this week for this great leadership. I think it shows that when the country needs to come together they do come together, Democrats and Republicans alike. I want to thank them all.

And also I want to say that because of that vote -- California is not out of the woods yet. You know, we have to look for a RAN for our loan, which we always get around that time and it will be difficult. So we will be going through challenges in the future. That's why I've called for a Big Five Meeting on Monday and then the leaders -- we all will come together and we will make decisions to see how we're going to move the state forward.

So there are big challenges ahead of us, but let me tell you something, that we're going to work through those challenges no matter what, because this is what is important. That is the time when Democrats and Republicans have to come together and move through those things and protect the people and make sure that we bring our economy back and bring our fiscal crisis, turn it around and make it again the state that it ought to be.

Yes, please.

QUESTION:               The $7 billion request to the Feds, why do we need it and what happens if we don't get it?

GOVERNOR:           I think it's very clear, as I said, that we ask every year and try to get a RAN, which is a Revenue Anticipation Note, in order to tide us through the winter until more revenues come in again. So that's something that happens every year and other states do it also. The only thing is that right now, because liquidity has dried up, doesn't exist, so therefore it's very hard now to get that loan. So if we can't get that loan through the normal course we will go to the federal government and ask for help and we have already set that in motion.

QUESTION:               Governor?

GOVERNOR:           Yes, please.

QUESTION:               Have you heard back from Secretary Paulson yet on your request?

GOVERNOR:           No. We are in continuous communication with the Secretary and that's why we also did everything that we could to let the members, the California members of Congress, know that they should vote for this bill, because this is one step in the right direction. So we're all working together on this. And like I said, this was a very important step, the House passing this bill, but we're not out of the woods yet. We still have a few challenges ahead of us, but we're going to go through those challenges and we're going to solve the problems.

Thank you very much. Yeah, there's one more over here. Please.

QUESTION:               Does the passage of the bill lessen in any way the amount of money that we're asking for?

GOVERNOR:           No, this has absolutely nothing to do with what California is asking for. We know that we need anywhere between $6 and $7 billion. That's the amount that we knew that we needed two months ago, that's the amount that we know that we need now. So there's nothing new with the amount. It's just that we need that money and cash is running out by the end of the month of October, so this is why it's important that we get going right now and that we solve those problems.

QUESTION:               Governor, what if we don't get it?

GOVERNOR:           There is no such thing in my vocabulary, what is if not. It's always we will. We will and we will succeed, we will work together and we will get the loan and it's as simple as that. We all have to just work very hard to get that done.

So thank you very much. Thank you all. (Applause)