If it sounds like I’m angry at the City of Santa Clarita for its reaction to Sunday night’s “mass casualty” event (and yes, that’s what this was), it’s because I have high expectations of them.
And my high expectations are reasonable. Consider how high they’ve set the crisis management bar in the past: They won recognition for their rapid response to the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. They were the go-to source for fire news in 2003 and 2007, when massive wildfires threatened Stevenson Ranch and Canyon Country. They’ve coordinated effectively with local, state and national firefighting resources multiple times, letting firefighters make camp at Central Park and speaking with one voice to the media. And in 2007, when a massive semi truck pileup in the tunnel on the 5 freeway resulted in four deaths and the closure of Interstate 5 and the Newhall Pass, an Assistant City manager was there, on scene, coordinating the City’s emergency response and handling public relations. I lived through each of these things and have been proud of how professional, timely, and prepared they were.
But they were obviously not prepared for a situation like Sunday night. “But Jeff, the fireworks show has been held at that location for 15 years, and never once did something like this happen,” you say.
To which I reply that past performance is not an indicator of future performance, one of the cardinal rules of risk management. And when you stuff 25,000 people into a finite area, shoot off fireworks, and leave 50 mph roads open, you have to think of risk management.
Monday morning quarterbacking maybe. But their response since the mass casualty incident has been equally deplorable. They’ve been almost completely silent, caught off-guard and unprepared. There hasn’t been a single statement from City Hall or our elected City Council people, not even a statement of condolence for the victims (apart from a small quote in the Signal). The Sheriff’s Station has been way more forthcoming than City Hall, appearing on camera to local media outlets and talking to the press. But all we get from the City is a sentence or two in The Signal even though this was their fireworks show, their event and their responsibility.
Can you imagine the Mayor of Los Angeles hiding out after something like this? Should we give a pass to our City just because it’s smaller?
It’s a shame, and we’re all going to pay the price when this goes to court and the plaintiffs’ attorney asks City officials what they did before and after the event.
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