Gunpowder Chronicle posted on September 9, 2007 12:51 AM | Rating:
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It turns out that Runaround Sue-- aside from being a "recognized" expert in flourescent light condoms and ultra-violet light -- is now an expert in crisis management.
RS has now taken to task the handling of the "crane incident" at the Salisbury WasteWater Treatment Plant this week, criticizing how he and the press were "unkindly" pushed off the property and the parking lot outside of it, and how all employees were sent home. To listen to RS tell it, the most shocking thing was that everyone was absolutely forbidden from taking any pictures.
It probably never entered the enfeedbled, shrunken brain of Runaround Sue that the first responsibility of the on-scene incident commander (who, until the arrive of a higher authority, would be the senior manager present at the WWTP) is to secure the facility and personnel of said facility. Given the potential risk of a leak from any number of chemicals stored and used at that facility -- or of further damage from the crane -- I would consider it willful negligence if the incident commander did not immediately order an evacuation until the severity of, and risk associated with, the incident could be determined and addressed.
It is NOT the immeidate responsibility of the incident commander to wash the testicles of the press or any bloggers present. Employees of a facility -- or a contractor of said facility -- have zilch rights to do squat at that point as well. Once an emergency has been declared -- and I am sure it was about 5 seconds after everyone crapped their pants -- the incident commander will traditionally have ABSOLUTE power due to the potential immediacy of risk and harm.
From what I have been told, the on scene manager did everything right and by the book once the incident occurred. How the crane broke is another story. But I will relate a maxim that my father -- a licensed Stationary Engineer in this state for at least 30 years -- has often reminded me of: things that move break. Big things that move bigger things break worse.
Once again, Runaround Sue uses hype and speculation to raise a straw-man argument that burns up under a little sunlight.