Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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September 7, 2010
Assessment of the City’s Response to the Oak Knoll and Washington Fires
Aug. 24, 2010
My name is Clark Custodio and I am a retired Deputy Fire Chief with over 35
years of service with the City of Santa Clara Fire Department. During part of my
career I was also the city’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. I have had
numerous experiences in both capacities and have attended both the National
Fire Academy and the Emergency Management Institute.
The Washington Fire was a first a grass fire that threatened the properties to the
south. The threatened properties can be considered to be high value ones and
in particular the businesses that employ a substantial number of employees. If
these businesses had been burned out similar to what happened to some of the
houses at the Oak Knoll Fire there would have been a lot of citizens without their
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livelihood and a substantial loss of tax revenue to the city. The Washington Fire
Incident Commander Fire Captain Dave Sheppard recognized this fact and the
actions he took to protect these properties were successful. The fire was
extinguished and did not spread into or among the properties that were being
protected. There were no injuries or deaths to any citizen.
Unfortunately the high and gusty winds caused the fire to spread across the
Interstate and this started a separate fire. The Washington Fire Command Staff
quickly recognized this and they quickly divided the fire situation into two
separate fire incidents, The Washington Fire and the Oak Knoll Fire. Resources
were quickly sent across the interstate and into the Oak Knoll district, and they
started operations to safely evacuate the citizens and stop the fire.
The Oak Knoll Fire management used by Fire Chief John Karns can be
characterized as having clearly stated objectives, which were to be achieved,
and highly effective coordination with the Air Operations that were part of the fire
attack. The use of the helicopters making direct water drops on the fire were a
key component for the successful extinguishments of the fire. There were no
injuries or deaths to the citizenry, and the houses destroyed by fire were confined
to those already on fire when the fire department personnel arrived on Oak Knoll
Drive.
Oak Knoll Fire Incident Commander Karns also recognized the need for many
more fire resources and they were promptly summoned. The mutual aid system
worked. 16 fire departments supplied not only engine companies but also
overhead staff for the many ICS command and management functions that were
needed for effective operations. Taking many of the administrative tasks off the
direct responsibilities of the Incident Commander greatly increases his or her
effectiveness.
It is a common occurrence that many people are drawn to a major fire either to
gawk and/or to offer assistance. The Police Department isolated the devastated
area effectively and there were not reports of any criminal activity in the Oak
Knoll area.
The Police quickly arrested the probable culprit. There is a damming statement
by the suspect and physical evidence to warrant this arrest. This quick arrest
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was beneficial at the Oak Knoll Neighborhood debriefing held on Sept. 1, 2010.
A significant number of residents were in the anger stage of grief and they
wanted someone to punish and/or from who to receive compensation for their
losses.
The water system provided all the water that was needed for fire suppression.
I am impressed how the news media have reported on the fires and its aftermath.
I am sure that much of its effectiveness can be attributed to the work of the
Public Information work done by the fire department and other city staff
members. These types of actions certainly can and do forestall wild rumors that
can result in dire consequences if they are not quickly addressed with accurate
information.
These actions included the Public Information effort to inform the public on the
latest developments. The Oak Knoll Neighborhood debriefing certainly defused
any ill founded rumors and allowed the citizens to express their gratitude,
opinions, and questions.
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Along the same vein is designating someone to be the EOC Manager in the
absence of the City Administrator. This should be someone other than the Head
of the Public Works Dept., Fire Chief, or the Police Chief. These department
heads are in charge of the departments that will most likely be heavily involved in
response operations.
One option available for the City Administrator in a disaster that does not qualify
for disaster declaration from the either the state and or federal governments is
the ability to declare a Local Emergency.
The contingency plans for streamlining the Building Permit and Inspection
processes after a disaster should be reviewed so it they can be implemented
quickly. This will be especially valuable for a recovery process involving the
downtown area. The loss of all or a significant part of this revenue generating
part of the city for an extended length of time could be catastrophic.
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o To act as a Liaison between the City Council and the Incident
Management Staff; e.g.:
♣ City Council Member Lemhouse would be a natural if the
Emergency were a police incident.
♣ City Council Member Jackson would be a natural if the
Emergency were a Hazardous Materials incident.
♣ City Council Member Voisin would be a natural for helping to
counsel victims so that they can better cope with their
losses.
If there are any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to call upon
me.
Respectfully submitted,
Clark Custodio