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Opinion
The following is presented as part of The Columbian’s Opinion content, which offers a point of view in order to provoke thought and debate of civic issues. Opinions represent the viewpoint of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus opinion of The Columbian’s editorial board, which operates independently of the news department.
News / Opinion / Letters to the Editor

Letter: Incompetence is costly

By Steven Craig, Centralia
Published: January 15, 2025, 6:00am

I’m tired of seeing unqualified personnel selected to lead emergency management programs and tired of ineffective responses due to poor planning.

In August 2023, wildfires near Lahaina, Maui, killed more than 100 people and damaged or destroyed more than 2,200 structures, most of them residential. A retired planner for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, quoted in a news article, questioned the director’s lack of experience in handling disasters. As he put it: “It’s a good ol’ boy network. This time, it cost lives.”

The New Orleans terrorist attack on Jan. 1 has already highlighted a glaring shortfall in planning — or at the very least, in reviewing existing plans. The primary issue was the lack of bollards to prevent vehicles from entering the area. When informed that the city had bollards in storage, the police chief incredulously stated, “I didn’t know that.”

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles wildfires are wreaking havoc on the local population, destroying hundreds of homes and displacing thousands. Preliminary reports indicate that a lack of water severely hindered an effective fire response. Reducing the fire department’s funding by $17 million didn’t help.

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