Governor Schwarzenegger in ceremonial feast Honoring President Reagan signature Bill

Wednesday, 07/28/2010   Print Version |

Good morning. I would like to extend a special welcome from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library to our many friends here this morning, especially members of the California State legislature and our local elected officials from Simi Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Ventura County and Santa Barbara. My name is Stewart McLaurin and I'm the executive director of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration.On behalf of the board of trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, welcome to this morning's event where Governor Schwarzenegger will join Mrs. Reagan and sign two California state bills, which together create an annual Ronald Reagan Day on February the 6th every year and also establishes a state commission charged with honoring President Reagan on his 100th birthday throughout 2011. Authored by Senator George Runner, Senate Bill 944 officially designates February 6th of each year as Ronald Reagan Day. Assembly Bill 1911, authored by Assemblyman Martin Garrick, establishes the Ronald Reagan California Centennial Commission. You will also be interested to know that today in Washington D.C. the federal commission held its very first meetings.This morning we are honored to have as our special guest Mr. Theodore F. Craver Jr., chairman and CEO of Edison International, a leading national electric power company headquartered in Rosemead, California and today we will announce that Edison International has been named cosponsor of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration with a $1.5 million charitable gift to the Reagan Foundation. (Applause)This significant financial support from Edison will be used for two very important aspects of President Reagan's centennial:First, Edison will sponsor the Governor of California Gallery in the newly renovated Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum. The museum is scheduled to unveil a major renovation on President Reagan's 100th birthday, which is February 6th, 2011. It will be a centerpiece of the year's Centennial Celebration. The renovations, which are currently underway, will transform the Reagan Museum into an exciting hands-on, immersive experience maqui berry does it work for the millions of visitors that we will welcome in the next few years and who will enjoy a terrific educational experience dedicated to the 40th president of the United States.The second important aspect of the Edison gift will be a part of the Centennial Legacy Campaign. Two hundred Edison Bus Transportation Scholarships will allow over 12,000 low-income, at-risk students, over the next five years to experience the Air Force One Discovery Center and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The Discovery Center, located just behind us, is a presidential decision-making simulation that allows students in grades 5 through 8 to play historic figures from the Reagan Administration and engage in high-level decision making, debate and problem solving.This February 6th will mark President Reagan's 100th birthday and a wide array of plans are underway here at the library in Simi Valley, across the nation and in fact around the world. These plans are continually updated and information is available on the foundation's Centennial website, which is http://dl5.activatedirect.com/fs/d:l/yvcee9xanplikz/z0p53b2uas0j9z/2. I encourage you to check there for opportunities to become involved here and across the country in this historic celebration.We're also pleased to have with us here today several leaders who share our respect and our enthusiasm for President Reagan. We are joined by members of the California State legislature. From the Senate we welcome Dennis Hollingsworth and Tony Strickland and from the Assembly with us today are Martin Garrick, Jean Fuller, Dan Gilmore, Curt Hagman, Cameron Smyth, Chris Norby and Audra Strickland.Also here today is Paul Miner, representing our centennial presenting sponsor, GE. And we are honored to have accompanying Mr. Craver senior executives from Edison International Polly Gault, Barbara Parsky, Ambassador Gaddi Vasquez, John Finneran and Steven Eisenberg.And now it is indeed my great privilege and pleasure to welcome Mrs. Nancy Reagan, escorted by the governor of California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Assemblyman Martin Garrick, Senator Dennis Hollingsworth and Edison Chairman and CEO Ted Craven. (Applause)All right, we did it. (Applause)Ladies and gentlemen, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Applause)Well, thank you very much for this long introduction. It's really terrific. (Laughter) Unbelievable. What a buildup. Thank you. I'm going to hire you as my publicist. (Laughter)But anyway, it's nice to be here today. First of all, I want to say thank you to Nancy Reagan for being here today with us and Senator Hollingsworth, Assemblyman Garrick, then Duke Blackwood, the director of the Reagan Library, Ted Craver, the CEO of Edison and then Stewart McLaurin, the executive director of the Reagan Centennial Celebration and all the leaders, legislators and city officials that are here today with us. So thank you very much, all of you, for being here today.It is an honor to be here. And Nancy, I just want to say thank you very much for your great friendship always and what a privilege it is to call you my friend. And you remain a great, great example to all of us, of course, because when you walk around the library here I think it is very clear, the love and affection and the respect that you have for President Reagan.It's incredible when you see the kind of displays in here. As a matter of fact, I was just sitting on my Terminator motorcycle. We have a huge display here at the Reagan Library of motorcycles. I don't know if most people know but it was President Reagan that really helped Harley-Davidson to get back on its feet. But he didn't do it the way that some always do it, which is through a bailout. But he was a big believer -- he was a big believer in teaching people how to fish rather than give them a fish and that's exactly what he has done. He has created better trade relationships with Japan, more fair trade relationships and gave Harley-Davidson a great, great chance to be on an equal level. And Harley-Davidson came back like gangbusters and became now one of the top motorcycle companies in the world, all because of Ronald Reagan. And that's why we are celebrating here at the Reagan Library motorcycles and his great work in that area alone.But I also want to just say to Duke Blackwood, thank you for your great leadership here, because unlike any other library this changes all the time so people can come out here many times a year and always see new displays. And the repeat customers, as I said to you, is the important thing. So I think it is great and this is what makes this the top library in the country and in the world, so it's great to be here.But today, of course, we are celebrating also legislation, two pieces of legislation that we have just signed here. These are:Senate Bill 944 by Senator Runner and it is designating February 6th of each year as Ronald Reagan Day. This will be a day on which our schools can teach our kids about Ronald Reagan's extraordinary work for this state and for this country that he loved so much. It will be a day also on which all Californians can reflect on and remember with great affection his quick wit and, of course, his charm and his unwavering optimism. And it will also be a day on which generations to come can pause and honor the life and the legacy of California's favorite son, Ronald Reagan.Now, the other piece of legislation is Assembly Bill 1911 by Assemblyman Garrick. This bill creates the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission. As we all know, February 6th of next year is Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday and, of course, for something like that you've got to celebrate. We've got to celebrate really big. So this is why we created the commission, which will help plan events and determine the best and most appropriate ways to celebrate this special day. Maybe we'll throw a huge parade or name a college after him or a mountain range after him, or maybe a lake we will name after him. I don't know.But the least thing we can do is we can start building a great statue of Ronald Reagan up there at the State Capitol, because he has done such extraordinary work for the state of California -- and I know that Assemblyman Garrick agrees with me on that one. Yeah, absolutely.Of course, for me personally, I do not need a special day to honor President Reagan because I honor President Reagan every day in the way I lead my life and in the way I govern the great state of California. Few if any figures have had such a profound influence on me as Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan is my hero. I have a bust of him in my office; I have pictures of him in my office. As a matter of fact, the Cabinet Room is named after him, the Ronald Reagan Cabinet Room. And, of course, when we make decisions we always think first about what would Ronnie have done with this problem.I remember that he was the first president that I voted for as a citizen. I was motivated to become a citizen of the United States so I can vote for him, so in 1983 I became an American citizen and in 1984 then I could vote for Ronald Reagan when he ran for his second term.The power of his ideas and the strength of his leadership inspire me. President Reagan spoke a language that everyone understood; the language of freedom. When America was down he replaced fear with hope, uncertainty with resolve and doubt with confidence. As California's governor he renewed the promise of our Golden State and as the nation's president he revived the American Dream.And his leadership affected not just our nation but nations around the world. Because of President Reagan the world is safer, more free and more prosperous today. He once said, "In this springtime of hope some lights seem eternal; America's is." So with this legislation we will help ensure that Ronald Reagan's light too shines eternal.Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause) And now I would like to bring out a great leader in the Assembly -- we're talking here about Assemblyman Garrick. Thank you very much. (Applause)Thank you, Governor. And Mrs. Reagan, it's almost surreal for me to be here standing so close to you on this special day to honor one of my heroes. It's truly an honor to share this stage with you. And thank you to the people from the Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library for all that you do. This is a magnificent place. And to all of my friends and fellow Reaganites, I want to say it's been too long and we need to do this more often.I spoke at a graduation ceremony last month for the Army-Navy Academy in my district. As I prepared to address the group of cadets and their families I thought about the first time I heard Ronald Reagan speak in person. It was at the Marlborough High School graduation in Los Angeles in 1974, the last year he was governor.In the speech "the great communicator" spoke of the price of freedom in America. He spoke of the golden hope of mankind and he spoke of American exceptionalism in the face of socialism and communism. He reminded the graduating students that his generation had gone from a horse and buggy all the way to the moon. He also noted that he, then at the age of 63, had already lived 10 years longer than his life expectancy and that this was a source of great aggravation in certain circles.Governor Reagan's speech left quite a mark on me as a young man, then only 21 years old and on the rest of the audience that day. Little did we know at that time just how much the great leader would achieve both for our state, our nation and in his lifetime. Six years after that speech I was fortunate enough to join with some of the faces I see today here in the crowd to work on the president's 1980 election in his White House Transition Team and in his administration.Today I am deeply honored to be able to play a role in honoring Ronald Reagan's legacy as a Californian and an American. As you know, President Reagan was California's first movie start governor. He starred in 53 films during his career. Now, how many have you starred in, Governor? (Laughter) I think it's 30, isn't it? You've got some catching up to do, I think.But he did more than just conquer Hollywood. He was the first and only person to serve as governor of California and president of the United States. He handed over the Horseshoe to Jerry Brown and the Oval Office he took back from Jimmy Carter. Even though his political opponents set a low bar he far exceeded any and all expectations.President Reagan inherited a country stuck in stagnation and unleashed the greatest peacetime economic expansion in America's history. He dared to dream not only of a peaceful end to the Cold War but also of the destruction of the evil empire and he accomplished both.Within a year of leaving office the Berlin Wall fell and Soviet communism crumbled. President Reagan restored pride and power to our military and he once again made our nation a beacon of hope, freedom and optimism for all of the world.February 6th, 2011 will mark the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth. Assembly Bill 1911, with the Governor's signature, creates California's Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission. It will celebrate and honor one of the most influential Californians and Americans in history. And in keeping with President Reagan's distrust of big government we made sure that his bill won't use any taxpayers' dollars and won't grow the bureaucracy.Just as Ronald Reagan taught the next generation about the greatness of America, I look forward to helping to teach future generations about Ronald Reagan's character, his optimism, his ideals and his enduring legacy. This commission and the celebration of his 100th birthday will help us ensure President Reagan's proper role in history.Thank you very much. (Applause) Now it's my pleasure to introduce Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth. (Applause)Thank you, Martin. Good morning, everyone. Martin, it's a pleasure being here with you. It is indeed an honor to be on this stage with all of our panelists, most especially the First Lady Mrs. Reagan, Governor, our panelists Mr. Craver and Mr. McLaurin. It is also an honor to be here to represent the Senate Republicans, representing many of you in Sacramento. And they are like so many others who were inspired, either in whole or in part, by Ronald Reagan to engage in the political process. And it's also an honor to be here on behalf of Senator Runner, the author of SB 944, which was signed today.We, as Californians, are fortunate that he looked west to that place where opportunity presents itself more boldly than anywhere else in the union, in the country that presents opportunity more boldly than anywhere else in the world. As Americans we were fortunate that when he became president he took those ideals of rugged individualism and self-reliance and implemented them, leading the greatest economic expansion in peacetime in history.The world is grateful that he took that audacity to say that the moral virtue of the ideals of America were superior to what he found around the world under a system that was keeping millions under tyranny and with a clear sense of purpose and that push towards moral superiority of American values, American virtues and the American ideal, led to the unshackling of millions of people around the world today so that they could enjoy the blessings of liberty.That is a fascinating -- that is a legacy to be celebrated and to be passed on. And I thank the Governor for signing these measures and the authors for bringing them forward so that future generations of Californians, Americans and indeed people all over the world, can come to California, not just to this place next year but all throughout the future and learn about the legacy of President Ronald Reagan.Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce our next panelist, Mr. Ted Craver, chairman and CEO of Edison International. (Applause)Thank you very much, Senator Hollingsworth. And welcome to all of you. Mrs. Reagan, Governor Schwarzenegger, Assemblyman Garrick and Senator Hollingsworth, it's really a pleasure for me to be here this morning and to be with you as part of this historic event. Edison International is proud to be a participant in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation's Centennial Celebration.President Reagan is one of our country's most beloved and iconic figures. He was a renowned international leader, a superb president, an innovative champion of California and he sealed his incomparable legacy.One of his most admirable qualities, I feel, though, is one that's instructive for us today and that was his skill, his ability to bridge differences, to craft compromises and to generate bipartisan support for important programs and legislation.I'm delighted to announce today that Edison International is making a $1.5 million charitable gift to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. (Applause) Thank you. This is something we were very excited about. It will support two important initiatives:The first is we will sponsor the Governor of California Gallery here at the Library and this will be highlighting the innovative solutions and then-Governor Reagan brought to California. The newly renovated museum will be unveiled on Ronald Reagan Day, February 6th, which will then be the 100th birthday of the late president.Secondly, a portion of the $1.5 million gift will be to support transportation scholarships and field trips allowing thousands of schoolchildren, grades 5 through 8, to come to this Library, to come to the Discovery Center and to learn about leadership and this pivotal point in history that Governor and President Ronald Reagan brought to our country.Today Ronald Reagan's spirit of innovation and foresight live on. His support helped pioneer innovative energy technologies. Some of you may know this, some of you may not but Ronald Reagan was very much a supporter of nuclear power and responsible for creating a number of the nuclear programs that we have in the state of California.We see that same spirit of innovation, actually, with Governor Schwarzenegger. For instance, his Million Solar Rooftop Initiative was a similar innovative approach.So, on behalf of Edison International, I want to extend our appreciation to everyone whose tireless efforts contributed to this noteworthy tribute to one of the most revered national figures in our country, President Ronald Reagan. Thank you. (Applause)Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our program for this morning. We would like to thank our special guests Mrs. Reagan, Governor Schwarzenegger, Senator Hollingsworth, Assemblyman Garrick and Mr. Craver for being with us today for this very important and exciting announcement. We'd like to invite all of you to stay and enjoy our wonderful museum while you're here for this event.And I'd like to ask you to please remain seated while Mrs. Reagan and Governor Schwarzenegger exit. Thank you so much. (Applause)

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The Best Healthy Alcoholic Drinks

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Governor Schwarzenegger is opened for the first-in-the-Nation Disaster Corps

Friday, 06/25/2010   Print Version |

Good morning. We've got good volume this morning. The Los Angeles Fire Department welcomes you to the launch of the California Disaster Volunteer Corps.I'd like to acknowledge a few of the attendees today who are here to support the California Disaster Volunteer Corps. First, I'd like to acknowledge the governor of the great state of California, the Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Applause) Secondly, I'd like to acknowledge the California Secretary of Service and Volunteering, Ms. Karen Baker. (Applause) Also, I'd like to acknowledge the Secretary of the Emergency Management Agency, also known as Cal EMA, Mr. Matt Bettenhausen. (Applause)Now from our local family, one of the first people I'd like to acknowledge is our chief of police, Chief Charlie Beck. (Applause) Also, I don't see -- oh, there she is -- I'd like to acknowledge our deputy mayor of homeland security and public safety, representing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Ms. Eileen Decker. (Applause) Also I'd like to invite our director of the Emergency Management Department, Jim Featherstone -- would you come up? (Applause) And a person who has made this event possible and the volunteer corps -- his people have worked very closely with the state -- from Deloitte, Mr. Jim Moffatt. (Applause) And representing Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman from the Los Angeles County Fire Department we have Chief Deputy John Tripp. (Applause)It is exciting to be part of and to support Governor Schwarzenegger's initiative to create opportunities for everyone to volunteer their time, effort and passion in all phases of emergency management. Volunteering is a noble calling. In every major disaster volunteers emerge to do initial search, rescue and first aid. We all must prepare to be self-reliant for the first 72 hours immediately following a disaster. The California Volunteer Disaster Corps members you see before you have taken volunteering and preparedness to the next level. California Volunteer Disaster Corps members have committed to becoming fully integrated into the state's emergency management system. Through standardized training and certification these volunteers will serve as a valuable resource that can be called upon to collaborate with fire service, law enforcement, emergency managers and the business community to support California's mitigation, response and recovery efforts.While the fundamental responsibility for preparedness lies with every individual, it is important for the community and government to work together to increase our response capability. Programs such as Los Angeles's internationally recognized Community Emergency Response Team, CERT and now the California Disaster Volunteer Corps, a first of its kind, will ensure California is disaster ready.So the Los Angeles Fire Department applauds the volunteer spirit and encourages everyone to take action and volunteer.Now I'd like to invite to the podium our governor. (Applause)It's not often that I have to pull the mike down after I get to the podium. God. But anyway, it's great to be here today and I want to say thank you to you for your wonderful words and also for your nice introduction. And I also want to say thank you to Secretary Karen Baker and Secretary Matt Bettenhausen. And Sheriff Baca is supposed to be here -- is he here already? Oh, he's coming, he's on his way. He got stuck in traffic. We've got to build more roads. (Laughter) Then Fire Chief Peaks, of course, we want to thank him again and L.A. Police Chief Beck and then Chief Tripp from the L.A. County Fire. And then Jim Moffat from Deloitte, thank you -- it's a great example of the public-private partnerships we have. And Chief Hutchinson from Cal Fire and Jim Featherstone, who is a great, great leader in this area and a big believer in volunteers. So there are a lot of people and there are a lot of people that are not on my card here.And,  of course, the volunteers out here and the fire officials, firefighters, law enforcement, sheriff, everyone that is here today behind me and in front of me and the media, for coming out here because they are very important in sending this message to the people. And I also want to thank all the people that have displayed out there all the different things that they are doing and what this is all about. And I want to thank also the actors who did such a great job in acting out their wounds (Applause) and their injuries and their sufferings and everything. I heard them moaning and groaning and all kinds of things over there. I said to myself, "That takes me back to my acting days," (Laughter) with all the special effects and stuff like that. So that was really, really great. Exactly, exactly.But anyway, the bottom line here is -- and they gave me a speech and I'm not going to even use the speech, because I think that the bottom line here is this: We have in California more volunteers than any state in the nation. (Applause) And that automatically means the most in the world, because whatever is the best in the nation automatically -- since we are the number one nation and the most powerful nation and the richest nation -- we're number one in the world. And that's what makes California so unique, that we are number one in so many different areas. I mean, if you think about that there are seven million -- to be exact, 7.1 million volunteers in California. Now, just to show you how big that is -- (Applause) the county that I was born in, Austria and that I grew up in, has a seven million population. So this country of Austria, the amount of population they have, that's how many volunteers we have in this state. So it's really extraordinary, when you think about it.But what I did was, when I came into office, was not that we expanded this. But I always was a fanatic about coordinating and perfecting, because we have great things in California but there are some things that are not functioning as well as they should. And I felt that when we have 7 million coordinated, that's power, that's unbelievable power. And this is why I was the first one, the first governor to create an office, especially within my office, that is for volunteering and service and I was the first governor to appoint a secretary of volunteering and service. (Applause) Now other states are following.And the mission was, of course, for Karen Baker, our secretary, to go and to start coordinating and to create a website, because we knew there are more than 5,000 organizations, volunteer organizations, more than 5,000. But I said, "Do they talk to each other?"I found out no, there is sometimes a turf war; this is my organization, this is my area, don't come into here, into my territory. Well, that's not how you win battles, when you fight within. So I said, "Let us all create a website where we have all of those organizations on there and they start talking to each other and coordinating, because that is where the power is." And this is exactly what Karen Baker has done.And we wanted to do this because throughout the years since I have become governor I have recognized the enormous power that they have and the great service that our volunteers do. But after every disaster, if it is a fire or if it's an earthquake or a mudslide or whatever it may be, we immediately analyze afterwards, what was the work that was done and how can we do better?And one of the things we recognized right away was that we need to train certain volunteers for specific things. Like we had an oil spill -- you all remember that. Secretary Bettenhausen was right there, we went to the Bay Area where the oil spill was. A ship ran into a bridge, oil was spilling out. And we found out that 4,000 volunteers turned out within hours and wanted to clean the oil spill, wanted to clean the beaches -- 4,000. But they were all turned away, with the exception of a few and we found out that it was because they were not trained to clean the oil spill. They didn't have the gear, they didn't have the gloves, they didn’t have anything, so therefore they couldn't help.So we said, "Well, this is the last time that ever is going to happen." So we trained a certain amount of people to be experts in cleaning up oil spills. But then we said, "Well, wait a minute, that was just an oil spill. What about if there is a fire? Do we have the right people, do we have them trained so they can really assist the fire department?" And then we started training them. And then with earthquakes, we started training people in that. Emergency services of all kinds, we started training people for that. And this is what we saw here today, the creation of 1,000 members of this California Volunteer Disaster Corps. That's what we wanted to do. We wanted to pull together, because that is power.And it was so wonderful for me to walk through here and to see that the firefighters, the professionals -- which by the way, we have the best firefighters in the world, without any doubt. (Applause) So they were totally comfortable to have a body lying underneath this wooden beam and volunteers were jacking up the wood, that beam, so they can rescue that person underneath. They feel totally comfortable with them. I watched their eyes and I watched their movements and everything and it was this great coordination.That's exactly what we want to do, because when there is a major disaster we are not going to have enough firefighters. We're going to have to rely on volunteers to help when there is an earthquake or whatever it may be. So we want to be -- this state, because we are disaster prone, we want to immediately jump into action. Not what you see in the Gulf with the oil spill but immediate action in solving the problem. That is where the action is. And as you have heard the fire chief just say earlier, the first 72 hours, or the first 24 hours, the first 48 hours, what do you do during those times? How can the community come together?So this is what this is about. This is training, training, training, because I believe in mileage, I believe in reps. I come from sports; it's all about the more often you do something the better you get. And I believe in a slogan that came from the British army and then was adopted by the marines, the seven Ps; Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance. (Laughter, applause) The seven Ps, remember the seven Ps. That's where the action is.So I am happy that today I saw all of this proper prior planning. And it's going to pay off, ladies and gentlemen. So thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause)And next I want to have come out Secretary Karen Baker, who is doing a fantastic job, to say a few words. Thank you. (Applause)Thank you so much, Governor. I don't have seven Ps, so let me just begin with that. I really am honored to stand here today. From day one, Governor, both you and First Lady Maria Shriver really recognized this unbelievable resource in California -- volunteers. This is a group, as you see before you and around you, of passionate, committed, caring, trained, talented folks that want to make a difference. They want to be there for California and they're here for you. Thanks for bringing it above the radar. Thank you so much. (Applause)I will never forget the day that you called me into your office after the Southern California fires and the Cosco Busan oil spill and you basically said, "Karen, we need a trained army of volunteers for disasters." And being the man of action that you are, you added, "So go create this." (Laughter) "Go out there. We're going to be the most disaster prepared state in the nation. Go do it. And by the way, there's no money for that. But get creative, you know?"And what I am here today to announce is that, Governor, it's arrived. It's here. I want you to look around. It's here. It's us. We are here. These are men and women that are ready to help our state. They are here to help our first responders during a disaster. This is the first-in-the-nation Disaster Corps. Big round. (Applause)And to each of you members of Disaster Corps, I just really want to thank you for your time, for your energy, for your dedication and commitment to this cause.Today we are officially launching the Disaster Corps, a cadre of 1,000 government-affiliated trained volunteers that meet these stringent training, typing, security background guidelines. In 2007, when the Governor first turned to me and it was time for our team to develop this program, we recognized that we needed the field of volunteers and local government to weigh in; this was not going to be a solution that was just cooked in Sacramento. So we went out and we had over 30 meetings throughout the state with all of you to help get your design ideas. It was truly incredible.And then we looked to the private sector and we said, "What company truly cares about disasters and volunteering and has the bench to help us develop a framework, the right framework, for this ground-breaking program?" And all the arrows pointed to Deloitte. We approached them and they responded with a resounding yes. And today I have to acknowledge the group from Deloitte. Jim Moffatt. (Applause) This is the first guy I spoke with and he bought in and he's like, "These are the kinds of initiatives we want to be a part of." Evan Hochberg, an incredible leader, a nation-leading president of their foundation and a very dear friend. (Applause) Dave Porges, a great commissioner of California Volunteers, has been very active in this. (Applause) And finally, I do have to shout out Julie Quinn. She was the lead for the Deloitte team. She was fantastic, worked with us hand in hand. So thank you, Julie. (Applause)So the Governor, as you may know, is a big fan and rightly so, of these public-private partnerships. And so with this three quarters of a million dollar commitment, of pro bono consulting from Deloitte, the great Home Depot Foundation, who I also want to do a shout out to, who said, "We're here for you to provide all the volunteer equipment you need," because that has to be able to be there. Let's give a round to Home Depot. (Applause) We were able to put this together and it's why we're here today.But we were lacking one other ingredient and that was strong leadership in emergency management. There are a lot of strong leaders in emergency management -- I didn't mean to say that. But I mean the strong investment, you know, frankly, at the top, for someone who would believe in the power of volunteerism, who understood their capabilities. And he answered the call. I'd like to acknowledge my friend and colleague, Secretary Matt Bettenhausen. Thank you so much. (Applause)Matt, I cannot thank you and the entire Cal EMA team -- and there are many people here that I want to thank -- for being engaged and visible through this process. You were at our side at every one of those 30 stakeholder meetings. Now, this is not typical, to have two Sacramento secretaries out in the field listening to California about how should this be built. I think that was an important and critical message to the field that we really did care. And we incorporated all of their ideas. That's why this is going to work.You also partnered with us so that volunteers were integrated into our state emergency plan. This is critical for the cementing of this idea. It's got to be in the plan. Without this type of extraordinary leadership this historic, nation-leading effort would have never gotten off the ground.And then it all got down to five counties, that were trailblazing counties that have always been believers in volunteerism, who said, "We're going to be the place where you start Disaster Corps in California. We're going to bring it statewide and you're going to start with our counties. We're in; we believe." I'm going to shout out -- and please cheer if you're from this county -- L.A. (Applause) (Inaudible) And there's a lot more of them than is represented but San Francisco. (Applause) And then our friends from Riverside who couldn't make it today but they are with us, they are (Inaudible) (Applause) So here we have -- oh there, I'm live -- here we have these five counties that are each going to be providing 200 volunteers. They're going to be part of this elite Navy SEALs of volunteerism. They're going to be trusted, they're professional, they're trained. They're going to be deployable.It's just an incredible day for us. I couldn't be more excited. And I do want to again thank the Governor for this vision. This is big thinking, this is out of the box. We're leading the nation once again. Thank you, Governor. (Applause)And now I'm going to turn the mike over to our advisor and our friend, Jim Moffat from Deloitte. (Applause)I'm glad the microphone came back, because I don't have the energy of Karen to yell like that. Good morning, I'm Jim Moffatt, National Managing Director for Deloitte Consulting. I’m very pleased to join as we celebrate the launch of California's new Disaster Corps. On behalf of the 5,000 people in California and the 45,000 people we have nationally and as a member of the Deloitte Board of Directors, I'd like to congratulate Governor Schwarzenegger, Secretary Baker, Secretary Bettenhausen, for this significant achievement on this wonderful occasion.Now, more than two years ago I met with Karen and her team in the San Francisco office and I tell you, the passion, the energy, the enthusiasm, is what sucked me in. It was exactly as she said. (Laughter) This is something we want to be part of. This is powerful; it's going to have a great impact. And we knew we had a unique chance to help create something that was vital to the people of California. I’m a native Californian; I understand how important being able to respond to these kind of disasters really is.We also knew that, if we got the design right, this was a model that could be used for the rest of the nation. We talked about it in that initial meeting. The launch of the California Disaster Corps is really a powerful demonstration of what can happen and be achieved through innovative collaboration.Now, at Deloitte, one of the things that we focus on is trying to leverage the skills and talents of our people to help nonprofits increase their effectiveness and their capacity. This is why we announced a three-year, $50 million program to provide pro bono services to nonprofit organizations that are addressing the most pressing issues facing our communities. (Applause)And Disaster Corps is the highest example of that commitment. It's a creative solution that, for the first time, fully integrates the efficient and effective power of volunteerism into the state's emergency management.Now, this integration could not have been possible without the broad support of the California Emergency Management Agency. To talk more about Cal EMA's support I'm pleased to introduce Cal EMA Secretary Matt Bettenhausen. But before I turn it over to Matt I'd like to once again thank the Governor for his vision and Karen and her incredible staff for all their energy, enthusiasm and everything that they brought to make today happen. Thank you. Matt? (Applause)Oh, come on, we've got to be more fired up than that. Good morning!That's what I like to hear. Secretary Baker, what a friend, what a partner. What a great day this is, so thank you for all that you have done and the work that we're going to do and have done together. And to my team at Cal EMA, the team at Cal Volunteers, I want to thank you all. This has been a great effort. No holds barred, Governor, as we worked through to get these things done and so thank you very much for your leadership and support. (Applause)Governor, I want to thank you for your leadership and your support in helping not only creating the first secretary of Citizen Service and Volunteerism in the nation in a cabinet secretary level, it's your support that you've had for preparedness. Unfortunately, we've been through too many disasters together. But one of the rewarding things for both of us when we go around to these disasters is to see all of you. When we were here at the Station Fire to see the CERT teams and the thousands of volunteers who were out there supporting our first responders, doing work from doing traffic control, radio interoperability, feeding, housing, sheltering. In the winter storms, Home Depot and all of you coming to the assistance of your neighbors and friends who had their homes damaged and needed help to be dug out. That's very rewarding, to see that. And then to be a part of this today, to lead the nation in the creation of the California Disaster Corps -- it really has been an honor and a privilege.I do have to admit my father just retired from 57 years in the volunteer service to the fire department -- he was a volunteer fire chief and fire marshal -- and my mom has volunteered, my uncles -- so my butt would be kicked if I wasn't supporting volunteers, wholeheartedly, by both mom and dad. So I get it, I understand it. And I love the work that you do, as you all know, as we've gone across the state, seeing you at disasters, seeing you at planning.How many of you come to our annual CERT Training Conference in Sacramento where we do the exercise? Let's hear it, come on. How many have been up there? (Applause)More Northern Californians, I think.We've going to have you all up there. But I want to thank the Governor for his leadership in looking at the entire picture of prevention, protection, preparedness, response and recovery. The Governor gets it, that not only do we have to "Exercise, exercise, exercise, Bettenhausen," that we have to do the training and bring folks together.Sheriff Baca, thank you for joining us, we appreciate it. (Applause) We were talking about your great volunteers who showed up for the Station Fire and helped us with the CERT teams, directing traffic and controlling -- phenomenal.And we talked this morning when we met together that, you know, this is -- the last time we were all together here was for the memorial service of firefighters Ted Hall and Arnie Quinones. And as we talked with the volunteers, Governor, it's very appropriate that we're here today and in their memory and in their leadership and in their sacrifice for serving and protecting Californians, that we're here today to move their legacy forward through your volunteerism, your leadership and your hard work. So to all of you, I want to say thank you. (Applause)Our mission is to continue to create a culture of prevention and preparedness here in California. And the Governor has gotten it. It's not only with volunteers; it's what we do with our first responders. It's the investments in the levees; it's the disasters that don't happen because you work to prevent things from happening. But we are prepared by doing great nation, world-leading work like this. We have the best firefighters, law enforcement, EMTs, across the board, are the best in the world. (Applause) We have a world-class mutual aid system, best in the world, for fire, law enforcement, Chief Baca, bringing people out to do the evacuations.But what we didn't have was the ability to take the talent of each of you and the volunteer organizations and local communities and create that into a statewide mutual aid system so that we could bring your resources and capabilities anywhere in the state. And indeed, thanks to the Governor's leadership -- California was never a part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. When Katrina happened, so that we could quickly send our aid and assistance to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, the Governor called down the legislation leaders and said, "We are going to pass this now." And it passed and California joined the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. And so now your capabilities are also going to be available for us to be able to deploy you nationwide in assistance when disaster strikes anywhere in California, indeed across the nation.As you know, the Governor created the Golden Guardian Exercise Program. It's the largest in the nation. Every year it gets bigger and better and you all have been an important part of that.So it was my pleasure to swear you in today to be part of nation-leading California Disaster Corps. It was my pleasure to make sure that we revised our statewide emergency plan to include specifically volunteerism. And Governor, that was another leadership on your part, to make sure that we did that. The federal government doesn't have an emergency support function that is included in their national response framework but here in California we created a specific emergency support function in our Emergency Plan to make sure from the bottom up, from the local level to the county level to the regional level to statewide, we're including and incorporating your talents because we know when disaster strikes we need you.So, a pleasure to have sworn you in. Can we give the Governor a little "You, me, we," here? (Applause) I want to hear it loud and proud, to show how we are all in this together here in California. You, me, we! (Applause)Let me introduce from L.A. County Fire Chief Tripp. Thank you. (Applause)Today I'm here representing Chief Freeman. And with Secretary Bettenhausen, thank you for the recognition of Ted and Arnie. Today is the memorial, the national memorial celebration in Buffalo, New York, for the correction guards and correction officers that have given their lives in the line of duty, so Chief Freeman with Kathy Hall and Lori Quinones is in Buffalo, New York today.Again, Governor, thank you. Secretary Baker, Secretary Bettenhausen, thank you for this recognition of volunteerism. Our fire department was founded 90 years ago and, believe it or not, the fires were still in the hills and they were coming down into the community. And there wasn't an organized fire department; there were volunteers that stepped up and put their life on the line to save people's lives and people's homes. That commitment, that type of involvement of volunteers has been a big part of our history and now we're very proud of the fact that we still support that with our Community Emergency Response Teams.Some of the recent disasters -- one disaster that we had a few years ago was where we had a runaway train that actually derailed and took out a number of homes. And a little bit of by the grace of God there was nobody that was seriously hurt but the families had to go to the hospitals for those that did have minor injuries.With that, we were faced with a challenge that we had a number of homes that were completely destroyed but were still full of their life possessions. So we activated the Commerce CERT Team. We had over 50 volunteers come out, leave their families, went into those homes and gave that caring and that commitment of taking everything they had in those homes, put them in trucks and they were able to be stored in warehouses.That same type of involvement with our volunteers has occurred disaster after disaster. And as said today, we benefitted during the tragic Station Fire of people leaving their families, without compensation and giving to others. There's a lot of talk sometimes about us being the professionals and how commendable it is that we put our life on the line. But the real sense of duty and of commitment and to leave your families and not have any compensation for it -- that's one of the most honorable callings that anybody can give. And I just want to say thank you to all the volunteers that are here today. (Applause)Like Matt, I wouldn't be here standing in front of you if it wasn't for a volunteer. My dad, when we lived in Connecticut, was a volunteer firefighter and my grandfather was a volunteer firefighter in New York. So that spirit of volunteerism is alive in a lot of us that are professionals today. So again, thank you for that. (Applause)And now I'd like to just say again, thank you to the secretaries, thank you to the Governor, for this type of support and this type of commitment. Thank you again. (Applause)And now I'd like to bring up one of the finest police chiefs that we've seen. We saw his leadership last week when we had a big of a challenge downtown. (Laughter) Chief Charlie Beck. (Applause)Thank you, Chief Tripp. And thank you to our great Governor for his leadership and vision in making sure that this state can be as safe as it can possibly be, because there are a couple of things that you know when you're a lifelong resident of California:  One is that the weather is always beautiful; two, that there will be a natural disaster and occasionally, as the Chief said, a manmade one; and three, that the resources that the state and the local municipalities and the county have will not be able to cope with them without help. And so oftentimes we go to our federal partners for help but more importantly, we go to you.And I think that this is the best example, the best example possible, of what government is really about, because we are of the people. And that is my commitment to you, is that the Los Angeles Police Department, all my other great partners in law enforcement and the fire service, will work with you every day to make this state safer, to allow us to recover from disaster and make this the golden place that it should be.So now I'm going to bring forward a great partner of mine, a great mentor of mine and the sheriff of the largest county sheriff's department in the United States and that's Sheriff Lee Baca. (Applause)Thank you very much, Chief Beck. I want to echo what has been said and then say a few more things and then hopefully we can move into a more relaxed environment before we have our own disaster here. (Laughter)Our Governor is not only a great leader but his consciousness about public safety existed long before he became governor and his commitment to what we, as a society in California, can do to be better is not going to be surpassed, no matter what. And I thank you, Governor, for coming back home to Los Angeles, where you live, to share your support for what we've been doing to build a stronger state and a stronger county.Matt, thank you for your great work. It's a tough job that you have. Charlie Beck said it; clearly, we will have the predictable next earthquake, fire, even floods and sadly, train wrecks. The task, however, is clear. When you remember 9/11, the first responders were people like you, those that survived and those that were seeking survival. It wasn't a firefighter and it wasn't a police officer; it was the average citizen closest to the problem.In my short 45 years in law enforcement -- (Laughter) I’m going to live to be 100, so it'll be short, it will -- the Governor is coming with me on that one. (Laughter) The truth is that all the earthquakes and all the fires and train wrecks that I've been involved in, the great inspiration was that, when the firefighters arrived or the deputy sheriffs or the Los Angeles police officers -- including the great Northridge Earthquake, which was harmful, wreaked a lot of death -- there were people like you, who were so busy taking care of the obvious, handling what could be handled, handling setting up centers where relief could occur, handling the operations before the officials arrived.And the great part about our county fire system and our county law enforcement system and our state system and even our federal system, is that one thing I think our nation has done is it's provided hundreds of millions of dollars to California, because we are the number one disaster state in the nation in the FEMA reality. The Federal Emergency Management Agency works with California more frequently in response to disasters than any other state in the United States. That's the blessing of the good weather. (Laughter)And the truth is that you, as individual citizens, as our Governor did before he was governor, chose to make a difference in a variety of ways, because it's the right thing to do. No law enforcement agency or no fire agency alone or group of them, can ever solve this problem alone. There are always many things to do. And I think that's why we're celebrating.Now, the sheriff's department has called upon 5,000 community members to join with us and have received training with our Community Emergency Response Team Program. And there are over 900 of those 5,000 who are volunteer disaster service workers, which means they've been trained to get right into the heart of the problem. And as a result, we've been able to incorporate the good will of good people. You don't have to wear a uniform to be a hero. All you have to do is be at the right place at the right time and take action.And we've got a Governor who knows how to take action and this is why we're all together in this. And I believe that in the scope of the future of California -- we were in fairly good shape before 9/11. We're in better shape because of our state getting involved with FEMA and all the federal agencies and now we've moved into another generation. And one of the great legacies of our governor and the state of the California is that we're at the strongest point that we have ever been in the history of the state of California. This is a big deal, right here, right now. (Applause)So in conclusion, one of the responsibilities the sheriff's department has is being the Mutual Aid Coordinator in Region One -- and you know all about that, you got trained on that -- and so we will go anywhere and anyplace in this great county or state or nation to help our fellow citizens in a time of disaster. And I couldn't be more proud, because of you. Thank you. (Applause)

Well, I don’t know about you but I'm a little warm. Are you a little warm? What we're going to do is I just want those that are volunteers with Disaster Corps to please stand, if you're not already standing on the risers. Stand, you'll get to air out a little bit. Let's give these folks our final round of applause. Thank you so much. (Applause) Please drive safely.

New analysis offers state of the State target fertility

CB08-125

 Contacts:Robert Bernstein
Public information Office
(301) 763-3030 (phone)
(301) 763-3762 (fax)
(301) 457-1037 (TDD)

Us women's fertility: June 2004

Contacts:  Public information Office
(301) 763-3030 (phone)
(301) 763-3762 (fax)
(301) 457-1037 (TDD)
Pio@census.gov

Traditional Wheat Home Beer Brewing Ingredient Kit (Kitchen) newly tagged "beermaking"

Traditional Wheat Home Beer Brewing Ingredient Kit (Kitchen)
By The Home Brewery

Buy new: $27.95
Customer Rating:

First tagged "beermaking" by J. S. Johnson "JsJ"
Customer tags: homebrewing(3), beer kit(3), beer(3), home brew beer(3), brewing(3), beermaking(3), home brewing(2), wheat beer(2), beer making(2), wheat heavy

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The Social Aspects of Beer

Beer is the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world. It is also found to be the third most popular, next to water and tea. It is produced through the brewing and fermentation of starches such as malted barley, corn, wheat, and rice. Beer today is a huge industry with thousands of small and big producers ...

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The History of Beer - Dark Ages, Middle Ages & Discovery of Hops

After the fall of Rome, ale would develop into the beverage we call beer.

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Things to Remember When Home Brewing Beer

Home brewing beer can be very exciting and at the same very challenging. Yes, home brewing beer may take time and effort but once you really get the hang of it, you will have so much fun doing it that you will not really pay much attention to how much time and effort you put ...

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Utilizing Wine Recipes for Fruit Wine

Producing wine at house is effortless and it is comparatively affordable to begin. You'll find now winemaking kits that you could purchase that will offer you with all of the essential equipment you need to have and recipes. Or you are able to obtain the separate pieces of gear to create your own wine creating kit. As soon as you have all of the fundamental equipment together you are able to start looking for wine recipes to create your own fruit wines.

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Using Hops in Home Brewing

Home brewers can add their own hops to their brew and create a unique beer. How and when to add hops is very important to the brewer.

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Vinyl Tubing - 10 feet 5/16 ID - 7/16 OD (Food Grade) newly tagged "beermaking"

Vinyl Tubing - 10 feet 5/16 ID - 7/16 OD (Food Grade)
By Learn To Brew LLC

Buy new: $2.97
Customer Rating:

First tagged "beermaking" by Shannon S. Darden
Customer tags: homebrew(3), homebrewing(2), home brewing(2), brewing(2), toxic plastic solution, beer, air valve, beer making, wine, beermaking

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Wine Making

How come the wine you make doesn’t win any awards"? Is your wine not creating a social empire? Well, how are you making your wine and where are you getting your ingredients from? I"ll tell you something simple, if you are making your wine from a box nobody is going to hunt you down for ...

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What You'll Find in a Homebrew Shop.

If you are lucky enough to have a homebrew shop in your area, you can buy all your home beer brewing supplies there. Unfortunately, not everyone has this type of supply store in their locality. The good news is that you can buy everything you need online and have it shipped directly to your door. Brew supplies can inc... Tags: homebrew shop, home brewing, beer making

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Why Buying Home Brew Supplies In Atlanta Is Such A Great Idea

You can really buy home brew supplies from anywhere in the world, however ? rather surprisingly enough ? one of the best places of all that you can buy your home brewing supplies from is Atlanta. The Reasons For ThisThere are actually a number of different reasons for why it is best that you buy ...

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What is Homebrew?.

You may hear the term homebrew applied to beer that is made at home. Home brewing is becoming increasingly popular with beer aficionados everywhere because it allows for the opportunity to home brew your own specialized type of beer, just how you like it. While brewing beer at home may sound difficult at first, there ... Tags: homebrew, home brewing, beer making

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What to Expect from a Wheat Beer Recipe.

Before searching for the perfect wheat beer recipe for your home brewing enterprise, it helps to know more about this type of alcoholic beverage. Wheat beer is a big category however it can be classified by how much wheat is in the mash. This can be a wide range, anywhere from 30 to 70 percent wheat with the rest trad... Tags: wheat beer recipe, home brewing, beer making

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Wines From New Zealand - A Widening Menu of Varieties

Winemaking is a time honored tradition around the world. The earliest verified evidence of wine production and consumption in the world dates back to 6000BC in the middle eastern areas of modern day Georgia and Iran. Wine has figured prominently in many historical and religious accounts since that time.

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Wine Making Labels

Wine making labels is one of the most crucial aspects of making your own wine. That is the key after all it is YOUR wine. Creating wine labels used to be extremely costly and very expensive. But not anymore! With technology today wine labels are made fast and easy. Take your favourite picture ...

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The Governor of the receive folder Crown Fire and Fires Statewide status

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We welcome you here to the incident base for the Crown incident here in Antelope Valley in the city of Palmdale. I'm Michael Freeman, fire chief of Los Angeles County Fire Department.We have a number of elected officials here today and we certainly welcome them. I'd like to acknowledge Supervisor Michael Antonovich who is here with us, also several members of the Assembly, Assemblymember Steve Knight and local elected officials as well.This fire continues to challenge firefighters. There were very specific objectives that were provided this morning and that is to protect life and property, to limit injuries. And the firefighters have been very successful at that. We've not had any additional significant damage to homes or other structures this afternoon.The fire has grown since this morning, nearly 5,000 acres. And as we experience the wind right here, that is the real challenge for us right now, is the wind continuing to move the fire.There are many people here that are going to speak. And I'd like to certainly welcome our governor for being here with us. Always here, always supportive of the firefighters and law enforcement and everyone in public safety working together to protect life and property.We've also worked very hard today to protect the infrastructure, basically the power grid, the high-voltage power lines, and that will be covered in a moment.But it gives me great pleasure at this time to introduce to you Secretary Matt Bettenhausen of Cal EMA. Secretary?Chief, thank you. The chief and all of our local partners and state partners maqui berry does it work and volunteers, we appreciate all the great work that they're doing. As the Governor frequently says, we have the best law enforcement, fire, volunteers in the nation. We have got a world-class mutual aid system and I think that you've seen them at work here today in terms of the resources that we've been throwing at this.Las night as we looked at the number of structures that were threatened and the way the fire was growing and the expectations that the winds would pick up today, the Governor instructed me to start working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department for Homeland Security to request a federal management assistance grant, which will help us with the financial costs and the resources in order to combat that fire. And I'm pleased that the Governor's request last night -- actually, early this morning about 12:00, 12:12 this morning -- we got the call that the FMAG was granted, so that's going to also help us, assist as we continue to battle this fire.So I appreciate all of the great work and support that the Governor has had in terms of making us able to build the mutual aid system that we're able to deploy here today, the resources from the DC-10s to the 747 that's just arrived.And so it's my honor and privilege to introduce my boss, the great partner and the birthday boy today, working -- Governor Schwarzenegger, happy birthday and thank you for all your help.Thank you very much. And I'm very happy to be here, not under these circumstances, but I mean just happy to come out here and to be assisting and making sure that the state does everything that it can in order to help with those fires.You know, we were very fortunate to not have fires for quite some time because the air temperature was cool and we didn't have the experiencing of dry weather and all those winds and so on. But all of a sudden the fire season kicked in and so here we are. But we are ready and we have, luckily, distributed resources all over the state of California so we are ready at any given time. And we also made sure that all the fire engines are manned with not just three men but with four or five men, and I think that's very important. And I think that there is great coordination going on between the local firefighters, the state and also federal firefighters throughout the state of California.So I wanted to say thank you very much to Secretary Bettenhausen from Cal EMA, who has been a great leader and has always been right there where the action is, and also with the coordination. Then L.A. County Chief Freeman -- he has also been here from early on and we want to thank him for his great, great work. And then Cal FIRE Chief McKain and then L.A. County Deputy Chief Bryant, who is the ground-fire incident commander. We want to thank also Supervisor Antonovich for being here today and also for Chief Tyler for being here with us. Sherriff Baca couldn't make it so he sent him, but he has also been really helpful with coordinating law enforcement.I first want to just also say thank you to the firefighters because I always make this clear, that we have the best and the most experienced firefighters in the world and the most courageous firefighters that risk their lives to go in there and to fight those fires. So let's give them all a big hand for the great work that they are doing. (Applause)I also want to thank law enforcement because, as you know, when you have fires like that evacuation is extremely important. And law enforcement is in charge of that, not only with the evacuations but also to make sure that those homes are safe after they are evacuated. So law enforcement has worked very closely with the fire officials, so we want to thank them also for the great work they have done.And I want to thank also everyone, from Secretary Bettenhausen to L.A. County Fire Chief Freeman and Cal FIRE Chief McKain and everyone for giving me a briefing here.And I just want to bring you up to date on this briefing right now, which is:That the ground fire, there are 13,000 acres that have burned so far,20 percent has been contained,Four structures have been destroyed but there are a lot of structures that are being threatened -- 2,000 structures are being threatened right now.300 homes have been evacuated,1,713 personnel are deployed at this fire,Then we have three shelters that are open,There are 16 hand crews that are working on this fire,250 engines are out there working on that fire, five helicopters, three water tenders and then one DC-10 and, of course, just as of the last hour the 747 has also arrived.So as you can see, we are deploying everything that we've got because the most important thing is -- and you will hear this always from the fire officials -- that the first 24 hours are the most important time to contain the fire. And so they have done an extraordinary job of having all those resources available.Now, there are other fires that are going on statewide and I just want to tell you:There are approximately 30,000 acres that have burned so far statewideThen 34 structures have been destroyed, 2,230 structures are threatened statewide,then there are 4,193 firefighters that are working on those fires, 107 hand crews, 300 engines statewide, then 21 helicopters.So I think that the thing is, I would say, under control. But I wanted to just come here personally to make sure that everyone knows that the state, even though we have a budget crunch and that we have a $20 billion budget deficit, that everyone should be assured that we have the money always available for fighting those fires or for any disaster that may happen here in California. I think that public safety is our number one priority and so the faster we jump into action the better it is.And, of course, there are a lot of other things that are threatened. The power lines that were threatened in this fire today, but luckily they worked fast enough to save those. There are windmills that are further up north that are threatened, so the fire officials do everything that they can to fight those fires.So, with that, I want to hand it back over to Secretary Bettenhausen to introduce the next speaker. Thank you very much.I once again want to thank the Governor for having the involvement in helping us to assist those who are being impacted by this fire. As we had last year with the Station Fire, he was there and gave that assistance and that assistance is still being carried out today, just as the assistance to those who have been victimized by this fire will be there to be assisted tomorrow.The county facilities, from the Department of Public Works, Animal Control, Department of Mental Health, Regional Planning, are all there working now to assist and being able to help those who have been harmed by this fire to repair and get their life back to normal. But we want to thank the Governor, we want to thank the men and women in our fire department.Mutual aid has been very, very important, that mutual aid pact with all the other local municipalities coming here to help and to assist and the air support that our fire department has up there, preventing any spreading of this fire beyond what has happened already. The winds we don’t have any control over, but we have a great aerospace unit, great men and women on the ground and in the air and great support from the Governor to the fire department and our public safety Highway Patrol and the Sheriffs, who are here to assist those who have been victimized by this fire.So once again, thank you, Governor. (Applause)Thank you, Supervisor. We are also going to have SteveHofbauer from Palmdale, who is representing the mayor here today. And then, as the Governor introduced, we have Chief Tyler from the L.A. County Sheriff's Office. But one of your very own, who lives here, Captain Denham, is going to give the briefing after that on the road closures, where we stand right now, and then we'll open it up to any questions.Thank you, Secretary. I’m Steve Hofbauer, councilmember, city of Palmdale. Either we have to have an Amgen race or a fire to get all you guys up here, but thanks for coming.The city of Palmdale has mobilized their public works units to assist with the road closures. We have the Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center which has been opened up last night, staffed by the Red Cross, and our personnel from Parks and Rec are out there to get the people and the families settled in for temporary shelter. Last night the Red Cross had 174 people over there and our staff is over there to assist them with that.We're pleased to be able to provide these facilities and resources to the Fire Department, Cal EMA and the law enforcement officials. I'd like to thank the Governor. We've got one of the best fire departments around here. The chief is really throwing a lot of resources at this. The state's got them in here; it looks like an air show out here right now.And so, anyways, thank you all very much and we'll be happy to answer any questions for you later. My Director of Communications John Milner is here; he can assist you as well. Thank you.Thank you, Steve. And Captain Denham from L.A. County Sheriff's Office?Hi, I'm Captain Denham from the Palmdale Sheriff Station. We have about 80 manpower, 80 deputies on the ground assisting with this fire. Since yesterday we've evacuated close to 2,000 homes. Currently, over at the Tiger Trail housing development which is between 20th West and 30th West on Elizabeth Lake Road, we have a cover in place going on there while the firefighters are battling the flames behind there near the aqueduct.We do have a road closure, a hard closure on Elizabeth Lake Road between 25th Street West and Bouquet Canyon, which means we're not allowing anybody into that particular area. Also over Godde Hill, which starts at 60th Street West, into the Leona Valley area. That road is also closed.Currently, if you need updated information we are asking people to log onto nixle.com and sign up for LASD Palmdale Sheriff's and text message FIRE888777, and then will give you all of the latest information regarding evacuations and road closures in the area.So I want to thank you for coming and putting this out for us. Thank you.GOVERNOR: Thank you very much. And are there any questions? We have all the experts here in law enforcement, in firefighting, we have the politicians here, the elected officials, so this is like a candy store for you.QUESTION: Governor, I guess we're in the back here, using a microphone in the back.GOVERNOR: Yes. So where is the back?GOVERNOR: OK, right back there.QUESTION: Steve Gregory, KFI, Los Angeles. A quick question -- this is either for maybe Chief Tripp or Chief Freeman. Can you talk a little bit about the reaction time for air support? That was a bone of contention with the major fire last year, Station Fire, which is still under investigation and those parts are still under investigation. Talk a little bit about when air support was notified and who made the decision and how it's been helping.CHIEF FREEMAN: OK, thank you very much. The question is about response of air support.As soon as this fire was reported, as is our standard procedure within the county of Los Angeles, immediately were dispatched three helicopters, two from Los Angeles County, one from Los Angeles city, which is our normal operating agreement. And that's day or night. This fire started about 3:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon, so we had immediate air attack using our own helicopters.It so happened, as you recall, yesterday at about the same time there was a second separate fire reported in the same general vicinity, so we had a double response because we sent additional local helicopters.In conjunction with our contact with Cal FIRE we very quickly ordered fixed-wing aircraft, which responded immediately. So we had immediate air attack at the point of the fire being reported. And we continued that with our helicopters until after dark last night. We did not fly extensively last night but we had helicopters here should we need to fly at night. And then, basically first light this morning, again working through our partners Cal FIRE, not only the fixed wing of the nominal size but the DC-10 arrived here before 9:00 a.m. this morning and began their work.So we've had air support over this fire, for all intents and purposes, from the initial report until this current moment.QUESTION: Ann Simmons with the L.A. Times. Governor, you're dealing at the moment with several fires across the state. What's your main concern right now? And also, for the fire chief -- sir, can you tell us what your strategy is going to be for this evening as we go into the evening hours?GOVERNOR: Well, first of all, as you know, that because in the last few years we have seen that fire season starts normally very early, in March -- we have seen fires in March already. So we were ready for this. And we also know that in California there is never just one fire. You know, when the wind kicks up and when it gets really hot we know there will be more than one fire that starts. And, as a matter of fact, there were years since I have been in office, I think it was two years ago where there were 2,000 fires at one time all over the state of California and we had to be very quick in distributing the resources all over the state of California.I think the most important thing that we always do, and that is unlike any other state, and that is the coordination between the locals, the local firefighters, the state firefighters and also U.S. Forest Service. They all work together in harmony and work together really well and also law enforcement comes in and works very well. And I think that they have done always an extraordinary job and I think that California, because we are prone to disasters, we always are much better equipped for those kind of disasters.So we will do everything we can to fight those fires. This is only, like I said, the beginning; there will be many more fires throughout the state of California. But we will be meeting them, you know, with all the power that we have in order to get rid of those fires and to not have them spread and to stop them as quickly as possible.The important thing also I want to mention is that you hear it over and over again, that the homes that are safe are the ones where there is a defensible space around it. So I think it's very important for the people to understand, don't wait for the fire. Create a defensible space around your house. Get rid of the dry needles and of the brush and all of the growth around the house, because that can protect your house.And it's also very important for the people to always listen to law enforcement. When they tell you get out of your home that means that it's getting dangerous. Get out of your home. Now, the good thing here in this area is that the people actually voluntarily left their homes very quickly. And so this is the kind of cooperation and working relationship and team effort that we need in order to have the least amount of injuries or death, so I think that the people's effort is very important in this team effort here.So thank you. And Chief? Chief Bryant, OK.CHIEF BRYANT: Hi, I'm Mike Bryant, incident commander for the Incident Management Team 3 for county of Los Angeles Fire Department. I'll address the question regarding strategy.Every incident for us -- wildland fire, flood, earthquake, whatever incident we go on -- our incident priorities drive the incident and from our incident priorities we develop a strategy. And the strategy for this incident is, obviously, civilian and firefighter life safety is number one.In addition to our strategy, obviously we want to remove occupants through evacuation, residents, out of the buildings, out of the path of the fire to safety.Second, we also go into structure protection where we get into communities and we protect the structures from the advancing fire.We look at property and environment and limiting growth of the fire, but today it's very difficult to limit growth when Mother Nature is not cooperating with the winds today. And so if we can't limit growth we're going to do our best on our perimeters to put in control lines to do that. And that's how we implement tactical actions, based on those strategies and priorities that we as an incident command team implement into the incident.QUESTION: My question is about the power lines. Is the fire threatening the power lines at this point? And do we know if there are any contingency plans as far as what you're doing after that?CHIEF BRYANT: Yeah, great question. The question was with our power lines. That was one of our primary objectives for today's operational period. We have power lines running through both flanks of the fire, the east and west flanks of this fire. So we took a lot of action today, last night, to protect that critical infrastructure of those power lines that DWP owns and Southern California Edison. That was critical for us. We were very successful in that today. Even though the fire burned around the power lines, we took action to prevent any damage for that critical infrastructure, not only here locally but also statewide.In addition, I'd like to mention tonight we're going to have a community meeting where we're going to talk about the fire -- talk about our strategy, talk about today's events and everything that has happened -- at 7:30 tonight in the city of Palmdale Council Chamber. And we're going to have the unified command partners, the assisting and cooperating agencies there, to answer your questions and answer questions from our residents about what we're doing, how we're doing and what we anticipate for the future.

Governor Schwarzenegger is opened for the first-in-the-Nation Disaster Corps

Friday, 06/25/2010   Print Version |

Good morning. We've got good volume this morning. The Los Angeles Fire Department welcomes you to the launch of the California Disaster Volunteer Corps.I'd like to acknowledge a few of the attendees today who are here to support the California Disaster Volunteer Corps. First, I'd like to acknowledge the governor of the great state of California, the Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Applause) Secondly, I'd like to acknowledge the California Secretary of Service and Volunteering, Ms. Karen Baker. (Applause) Also, I'd like to acknowledge the Secretary of the Emergency Management Agency, also known as Cal EMA, Mr. Matt Bettenhausen. (Applause)Now from our local family, one of the first people I'd like to acknowledge is our chief of police, Chief Charlie Beck. (Applause) Also, I don't see -- oh, there she is -- I'd like to acknowledge our deputy mayor of homeland security and public safety, representing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Ms. Eileen Decker. (Applause) Also I'd like to invite our director of the Emergency Management Department, Jim Featherstone -- would you come up? (Applause) And a person who has made this event possible and the volunteer corps -- his people have worked very closely with the state -- from Deloitte, Mr. Jim Moffatt. (Applause) And representing Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman from the Los Angeles County Fire Department we have Chief Deputy John Tripp. (Applause)It is exciting to be part of and to support Governor Schwarzenegger's initiative to create opportunities for everyone to volunteer their time, effort and passion in all phases of emergency management. Volunteering is a noble calling. In every major disaster volunteers emerge to do initial search, rescue and first aid. We all must prepare to be self-reliant for the first 72 hours immediately following a disaster. The California Volunteer Disaster Corps members you see before you have taken volunteering and preparedness to the next level. California Volunteer Disaster Corps members have committed to becoming fully integrated into the state's emergency management system. Through standardized training and certification these volunteers will serve as a valuable resource that can be called upon to collaborate with fire service, law enforcement, emergency managers and the business community to support California's mitigation, response and recovery efforts.While the fundamental responsibility for preparedness lies with every individual, it is important for the community and government to work together to increase our response capability. Programs such as Los Angeles's internationally recognized Community Emergency Response Team, CERT and now the California Disaster Volunteer Corps, a first of its kind, will ensure California is disaster ready.So the Los Angeles Fire Department applauds the volunteer spirit and encourages everyone to take action and volunteer.Now I'd like to invite to the podium our governor. (Applause)It's not often that I have to pull the mike down after I get to the podium. God. But anyway, it's great to be here today and I want to say thank you to you for your wonderful words and also for your nice introduction. And I also want to say thank you to Secretary Karen Baker and Secretary Matt Bettenhausen. And Sheriff Baca is supposed to be here -- is he here already? Oh, he's coming, he's on his way. He got stuck in traffic. We've got to build more roads. (Laughter) Then Fire Chief Peaks, of course, we want to thank him again and L.A. Police Chief Beck and then Chief Tripp from the L.A. County Fire. And then Jim Moffat from Deloitte, thank you -- it's a great example of the public-private partnerships we have. And Chief Hutchinson from Cal Fire and Jim Featherstone, who is a great, great leader in this area and a big believer in volunteers. So there are a lot of people and there are a lot of people that are not on my card here.And,  of course, the volunteers out here and the fire officials, firefighters, law enforcement, sheriff, everyone that is here today behind me and in front of me and the media, for coming out here because they are very important in sending this message to the people. And I also want to thank all the people that have displayed out there all the different things that they are doing and what this is all about. And I want to thank also the actors who did such a great job in acting out their wounds (Applause) and their injuries and their sufferings and everything. I heard them moaning and groaning and all kinds of things over there. I said to myself, "That takes me back to my acting days," (Laughter) with all the special effects and stuff like that. So that was really, really great. Exactly, exactly.But anyway, the bottom line here is -- and they gave me a speech and I'm not going to even use the speech, because I think that the bottom line here is this: We have in California more volunteers than any state in the nation. (Applause) And that automatically means the most in the world, because whatever is the best in the nation automatically -- since we are the number one nation and the most powerful nation and the richest nation -- we're number one in the world. And that's what makes California so unique, that we are number one in so many different areas. I mean, if you think about that there are seven million -- to be exact, 7.1 million volunteers in California. Now, just to show you how big that is -- (Applause) the county that I was born in, Austria and that I grew up in, has a seven million population. So this country of Austria, the amount of population they have, that's how many volunteers we have in this state. So it's really extraordinary, when you think about it.But what I did was, when I came into office, was not that we expanded this. But I always was a fanatic about coordinating and perfecting, because we have great things in California but there are some things that are not functioning as well as they should. And I felt that when we have 7 million coordinated, that's power, that's unbelievable power. And this is why I was the first one, the first governor to create an office, especially within my office, that is for volunteering and service and I was the first governor to appoint a secretary of volunteering and service. (Applause) Now other states are following.And the mission was, of course, for Karen Baker, our secretary, to go and to start coordinating and to create a website, because we knew there are more than 5,000 organizations, volunteer organizations, more than 5,000. But I said, "Do they talk to each other?"I found out no, there is sometimes a turf war; this is my organization, this is my area, don't come into here, into my territory. Well, that's not how you win battles, when you fight within. So I said, "Let us all create a website where we have all of those organizations on there and they start talking to each other and coordinating, because that is where the power is." And this is exactly what Karen Baker has done.And we wanted to do this because throughout the years since I have become governor I have recognized the enormous power that they have and the great service that our volunteers do. But after every disaster, if it is a fire or if it's an earthquake or a mudslide or whatever it may be, we immediately analyze afterwards, what was the work that was done and how can we do better?And one of the things we recognized right away was that we need to train certain volunteers for specific things. Like we had an oil spill -- you all remember that. Secretary Bettenhausen was right there, we went to the Bay Area where the oil spill was. A ship ran into a bridge, oil was spilling out. And we found out that 4,000 volunteers turned out within hours and wanted to clean the oil spill, wanted to clean the beaches -- 4,000. But they were all turned away, with the exception of a few and we found out that it was because they were not trained to clean the oil spill. They didn't have the gear, they didn't have the gloves, they didn’t have anything, so therefore they couldn't help.So we said, "Well, this is the last time that ever is going to happen." So we trained a certain amount of people to be experts in cleaning up oil spills. But then we said, "Well, wait a minute, that was just an oil spill. What about if there is a fire? Do we have the right people, do we have them trained so they can really assist the fire department?" And then we started training them. And then with earthquakes, we started training people in that. Emergency services of all kinds, we started training people for that. And this is what we saw here today, the creation of 1,000 members of this California Volunteer Disaster Corps. That's what we wanted to do. We wanted to pull together, because that is power.And it was so wonderful for me to walk through here and to see that the firefighters, the professionals -- which by the way, we have the best firefighters in the world, without any doubt. (Applause) So they were totally comfortable to have a body lying underneath this wooden beam and volunteers were jacking up the wood, that beam, so they can rescue that person underneath. They feel totally comfortable with them. I watched their eyes and I watched their movements and everything and it was this great coordination.That's exactly what we want to do, because when there is a major disaster we are not going to have enough firefighters. We're going to have to rely on volunteers to help when there is an earthquake or whatever it may be. So we want to be -- this state, because we are disaster prone, we want to immediately jump into action. Not what you see in the Gulf with the oil spill but immediate action in solving the problem. That is where the action is. And as you have heard the fire chief just say earlier, the first 72 hours, or the first 24 hours, the first 48 hours, what do you do during those times? How can the community come together?So this is what this is about. This is training, training, training, because I believe in mileage, I believe in reps. I come from sports; it's all about the more often you do something the better you get. And I believe in a slogan that came from the British army and then was adopted by the marines, the seven Ps; Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance. (Laughter, applause) The seven Ps, remember the seven Ps. That's where the action is.So I am happy that today I saw all of this proper prior planning. And it's going to pay off, ladies and gentlemen. So thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause)And next I want to have come out Secretary Karen Baker, who is doing a fantastic job, to say a few words. Thank you. (Applause)Thank you so much, Governor. I don't have seven Ps, so let me just begin with that. I really am honored to stand here today. From day one, Governor, both you and First Lady Maria Shriver really recognized this unbelievable resource in California -- volunteers. This is a group, as you see before you and around you, of passionate, committed, caring, trained, talented folks that want to make a difference. They want to be there for California and they're here for you. Thanks for bringing it above the radar. Thank you so much. (Applause)I will never forget the day that you called me into your office after the Southern California fires and the Cosco Busan oil spill and you basically said, "Karen, we need a trained army of volunteers for disasters." And being the man of action that you are, you added, "So go create this." (Laughter) "Go out there. We're going to be the most disaster prepared state in the nation. Go do it. And by the way, there's no money for that. But get creative, you know?"And what I am here today to announce is that, Governor, it's arrived. It's here. I want you to look around. It's here. It's us. We are here. These are men and women that are ready to help our state. They are here to help our first responders during a disaster. This is the first-in-the-nation Disaster Corps. Big round. (Applause)And to each of you members of Disaster Corps, I just really want to thank you for your time, for your energy, for your dedication and commitment to this cause.Today we are officially launching the Disaster Corps, a cadre of 1,000 government-affiliated trained volunteers that meet these stringent training, typing, security background guidelines. In 2007, when the Governor first turned to me and it was time for our team to develop this program, we recognized that we needed the field of volunteers and local government to weigh in; this was not going to be a solution that was just cooked in Sacramento. So we went out and we had over 30 meetings throughout the state with all of you to help get your design ideas. It was truly incredible.And then we looked to the private sector and we said, "What company truly cares about disasters and volunteering and has the bench to help us develop a framework, the right framework, for this ground-breaking program?" And all the arrows pointed to Deloitte. We approached them and they responded with a resounding yes. And today I have to acknowledge the group from Deloitte. Jim Moffatt. (Applause) This is the first guy I spoke with and he bought in and he's like, "These are the kinds of initiatives we want to be a part of." Evan Hochberg, an incredible leader, a nation-leading president of their foundation and a very dear friend. (Applause) Dave Porges, a great commissioner of California Volunteers, has been very active in this. (Applause) And finally, I do have to shout out Julie Quinn. She was the lead for the Deloitte team. She was fantastic, worked with us hand in hand. So thank you, Julie. (Applause)So the Governor, as you may know, is a big fan and rightly so, of these public-private partnerships. And so with this three quarters of a million dollar commitment, of pro bono consulting from Deloitte, the great Home Depot Foundation, who I also want to do a shout out to, who said, "We're here for you to provide all the volunteer equipment you need," because that has to be able to be there. Let's give a round to Home Depot. (Applause) We were able to put this together and it's why we're here today.But we were lacking one other ingredient and that was strong leadership in emergency management. There are a lot of strong leaders in emergency management -- I didn't mean to say that. But I mean the strong investment, you know, frankly, at the top, for someone who would believe in the power of volunteerism, who understood their capabilities. And he answered the call. I'd like to acknowledge my friend and colleague, Secretary Matt Bettenhausen. Thank you so much. (Applause)Matt, I cannot thank you and the entire Cal EMA team -- and there are many people here that I want to thank -- for being engaged and visible through this process. You were at our side at every one of those 30 stakeholder meetings. Now, this is not typical, to have two Sacramento secretaries out in the field listening to California about how should this be built. I think that was an important and critical message to the field that we really did care. And we incorporated all of their ideas. That's why this is going to work.You also partnered with us so that volunteers were integrated into our state emergency plan. This is critical for the cementing of this idea. It's got to be in the plan. Without this type of extraordinary leadership this historic, nation-leading effort would have never gotten off the ground.And then it all got down to five counties, that were trailblazing counties that have always been believers in volunteerism, who said, "We're going to be the place where you start Disaster Corps in California. We're going to bring it statewide and you're going to start with our counties. We're in; we believe." I'm going to shout out -- and please cheer if you're from this county -- L.A. (Applause) (Inaudible) And there's a lot more of them than is represented but San Francisco. (Applause) And then our friends from Riverside who couldn't make it today but they are with us, they are (Inaudible) (Applause) So here we have -- oh there, I'm live -- here we have these five counties that are each going to be providing 200 volunteers. They're going to be part of this elite Navy SEALs of volunteerism. They're going to be trusted, they're professional, they're trained. They're going to be deployable.It's just an incredible day for us. I couldn't be more excited. And I do want to again thank the Governor for this vision. This is big thinking, this is out of the box. We're leading the nation once again. Thank you, Governor. (Applause)And now I'm going to turn the mike over to our advisor and our friend, Jim Moffat from Deloitte. (Applause)I'm glad the microphone came back, because I don't have the energy of Karen to yell like that. Good morning, I'm Jim Moffatt, National Managing Director for Deloitte Consulting. I’m very pleased to join as we celebrate the launch of California's new Disaster Corps. On behalf of the 5,000 people in California and the 45,000 people we have nationally and as a member of the Deloitte Board of Directors, I'd like to congratulate Governor Schwarzenegger, Secretary Baker, Secretary Bettenhausen, for this significant achievement on this wonderful occasion.Now, more than two years ago I met with Karen and her team in the San Francisco office and I tell you, the passion, the energy, the enthusiasm, is what sucked me in. It was exactly as she said. (Laughter) This is something we want to be part of. This is powerful; it's going to have a great impact. And we knew we had a unique chance to help create something that was vital to the people of California. I’m a native Californian; I understand how important being able to respond to these kind of disasters really is.We also knew that, if we got the design right, this was a model that could be used for the rest of the nation. We talked about it in that initial meeting. The launch of the California Disaster Corps is really a powerful demonstration of what can happen and be achieved through innovative collaboration.Now, at Deloitte, one of the things that we focus on is trying to leverage the skills and talents of our people to help nonprofits increase their effectiveness and their capacity. This is why we announced a three-year, $50 million program to provide pro bono services to nonprofit organizations that are addressing the most pressing issues facing our communities. (Applause)And Disaster Corps is the highest example of that commitment. It's a creative solution that, for the first time, fully integrates the efficient and effective power of volunteerism into the state's emergency management.Now, this integration could not have been possible without the broad support of the California Emergency Management Agency. To talk more about Cal EMA's support I'm pleased to introduce Cal EMA Secretary Matt Bettenhausen. But before I turn it over to Matt I'd like to once again thank the Governor for his vision and Karen and her incredible staff for all their energy, enthusiasm and everything that they brought to make today happen. Thank you. Matt? (Applause)Oh, come on, we've got to be more fired up than that. Good morning!That's what I like to hear. Secretary Baker, what a friend, what a partner. What a great day this is, so thank you for all that you have done and the work that we're going to do and have done together. And to my team at Cal EMA, the team at Cal Volunteers, I want to thank you all. This has been a great effort. No holds barred, Governor, as we worked through to get these things done and so thank you very much for your leadership and support. (Applause)Governor, I want to thank you for your leadership and your support in helping not only creating the first secretary of Citizen Service and Volunteerism in the nation in a cabinet secretary level, it's your support that you've had for preparedness. Unfortunately, we've been through too many disasters together. But one of the rewarding things for both of us when we go around to these disasters is to see all of you. When we were here at the Station Fire to see the CERT teams and the thousands of volunteers who were out there supporting our first responders, doing work from doing traffic control, radio interoperability, feeding, housing, sheltering. In the winter storms, Home Depot and all of you coming to the assistance of your neighbors and friends who had their homes damaged and needed help to be dug out. That's very rewarding, to see that. And then to be a part of this today, to lead the nation in the creation of the California Disaster Corps -- it really has been an honor and a privilege.I do have to admit my father just retired from 57 years in the volunteer service to the fire department -- he was a volunteer fire chief and fire marshal -- and my mom has volunteered, my uncles -- so my butt would be kicked if I wasn't supporting volunteers, wholeheartedly, by both mom and dad. So I get it, I understand it. And I love the work that you do, as you all know, as we've gone across the state, seeing you at disasters, seeing you at planning.How many of you come to our annual CERT Training Conference in Sacramento where we do the exercise? Let's hear it, come on. How many have been up there? (Applause)More Northern Californians, I think.We've going to have you all up there. But I want to thank the Governor for his leadership in looking at the entire picture of prevention, protection, preparedness, response and recovery. The Governor gets it, that not only do we have to "Exercise, exercise, exercise, Bettenhausen," that we have to do the training and bring folks together.Sheriff Baca, thank you for joining us, we appreciate it. (Applause) We were talking about your great volunteers who showed up for the Station Fire and helped us with the CERT teams, directing traffic and controlling -- phenomenal.And we talked this morning when we met together that, you know, this is -- the last time we were all together here was for the memorial service of firefighters Ted Hall and Arnie Quinones. And as we talked with the volunteers, Governor, it's very appropriate that we're here today and in their memory and in their leadership and in their sacrifice for serving and protecting Californians, that we're here today to move their legacy forward through your volunteerism, your leadership and your hard work. So to all of you, I want to say thank you. (Applause)Our mission is to continue to create a culture of prevention and preparedness here in California. And the Governor has gotten it. It's not only with volunteers; it's what we do with our first responders. It's the investments in the levees; it's the disasters that don't happen because you work to prevent things from happening. But we are prepared by doing great nation, world-leading work like this. We have the best firefighters, law enforcement, EMTs, across the board, are the best in the world. (Applause) We have a world-class mutual aid system, best in the world, for fire, law enforcement, Chief Baca, bringing people out to do the evacuations.But what we didn't have was the ability to take the talent of each of you and the volunteer organizations and local communities and create that into a statewide mutual aid system so that we could bring your resources and capabilities anywhere in the state. And indeed, thanks to the Governor's leadership -- California was never a part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. When Katrina happened, so that we could quickly send our aid and assistance to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, the Governor called down the legislation leaders and said, "We are going to pass this now." And it passed and California joined the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. And so now your capabilities are also going to be available for us to be able to deploy you nationwide in assistance when disaster strikes anywhere in California, indeed across the nation.As you know, the Governor created the Golden Guardian Exercise Program. It's the largest in the nation. Every year it gets bigger and better and you all have been an important part of that.So it was my pleasure to swear you in today to be part of nation-leading California Disaster Corps. It was my pleasure to make sure that we revised our statewide emergency plan to include specifically volunteerism. And Governor, that was another leadership on your part, to make sure that we did that. The federal government doesn't have an emergency support function that is included in their national response framework but here in California we created a specific emergency support function in our Emergency Plan to make sure from the bottom up, from the local level to the county level to the regional level to statewide, we're including and incorporating your talents because we know when disaster strikes we need you.So, a pleasure to have sworn you in. Can we give the Governor a little "You, me, we," here? (Applause) I want to hear it loud and proud, to show how we are all in this together here in California. You, me, we! (Applause)Let me introduce from L.A. County Fire Chief Tripp. Thank you. (Applause)Today I'm here representing Chief Freeman. And with Secretary Bettenhausen, thank you for the recognition of Ted and Arnie. Today is the memorial, the national memorial celebration in Buffalo, New York, for the correction guards and correction officers that have given their lives in the line of duty, so Chief Freeman with Kathy Hall and Lori Quinones is in Buffalo, New York today.Again, Governor, thank you. Secretary Baker, Secretary Bettenhausen, thank you for this recognition of volunteerism. Our fire department was founded 90 years ago and, believe it or not, the fires were still in the hills and they were coming down into the community. And there wasn't an organized fire department; there were volunteers that stepped up and put their life on the line to save people's lives and people's homes. That commitment, that type of involvement of volunteers has been a big part of our history and now we're very proud of the fact that we still support that with our Community Emergency Response Teams.Some of the recent disasters -- one disaster that we had a few years ago was where we had a runaway train that actually derailed and took out a number of homes. And a little bit of by the grace of God there was nobody that was seriously hurt but the families had to go to the hospitals for those that did have minor injuries.With that, we were faced with a challenge that we had a number of homes that were completely destroyed but were still full of their life possessions. So we activated the Commerce CERT Team. We had over 50 volunteers come out, leave their families, went into those homes and gave that caring and that commitment of taking everything they had in those homes, put them in trucks and they were able to be stored in warehouses.That same type of involvement with our volunteers has occurred disaster after disaster. And as said today, we benefitted during the tragic Station Fire of people leaving their families, without compensation and giving to others. There's a lot of talk sometimes about us being the professionals and how commendable it is that we put our life on the line. But the real sense of duty and of commitment and to leave your families and not have any compensation for it -- that's one of the most honorable callings that anybody can give. And I just want to say thank you to all the volunteers that are here today. (Applause)Like Matt, I wouldn't be here standing in front of you if it wasn't for a volunteer. My dad, when we lived in Connecticut, was a volunteer firefighter and my grandfather was a volunteer firefighter in New York. So that spirit of volunteerism is alive in a lot of us that are professionals today. So again, thank you for that. (Applause)And now I'd like to just say again, thank you to the secretaries, thank you to the Governor, for this type of support and this type of commitment. Thank you again. (Applause)And now I'd like to bring up one of the finest police chiefs that we've seen. We saw his leadership last week when we had a big of a challenge downtown. (Laughter) Chief Charlie Beck. (Applause)Thank you, Chief Tripp. And thank you to our great Governor for his leadership and vision in making sure that this state can be as safe as it can possibly be, because there are a couple of things that you know when you're a lifelong resident of California:  One is that the weather is always beautiful; two, that there will be a natural disaster and occasionally, as the Chief said, a manmade one; and three, that the resources that the state and the local municipalities and the county have will not be able to cope with them without help. And so oftentimes we go to our federal partners for help but more importantly, we go to you.And I think that this is the best example, the best example possible, of what government is really about, because we are of the people. And that is my commitment to you, is that the Los Angeles Police Department, all my other great partners in law enforcement and the fire service, will work with you every day to make this state safer, to allow us to recover from disaster and make this the golden place that it should be.So now I'm going to bring forward a great partner of mine, a great mentor of mine and the sheriff of the largest county sheriff's department in the United States and that's Sheriff Lee Baca. (Applause)Thank you very much, Chief Beck. I want to echo what has been said and then say a few more things and then hopefully we can move into a more relaxed environment before we have our own disaster here. (Laughter)Our Governor is not only a great leader but his consciousness about public safety existed long before he became governor and his commitment to what we, as a society in California, can do to be better is not going to be surpassed, no matter what. And I thank you, Governor, for coming back home to Los Angeles, where you live, to share your support for what we've been doing to build a stronger state and a stronger county.Matt, thank you for your great work. It's a tough job that you have. Charlie Beck said it; clearly, we will have the predictable next earthquake, fire, even floods and sadly, train wrecks. The task, however, is clear. When you remember 9/11, the first responders were people like you, those that survived and those that were seeking survival. It wasn't a firefighter and it wasn't a police officer; it was the average citizen closest to the problem.In my short 45 years in law enforcement -- (Laughter) I’m going to live to be 100, so it'll be short, it will -- the Governor is coming with me on that one. (Laughter) The truth is that all the earthquakes and all the fires and train wrecks that I've been involved in, the great inspiration was that, when the firefighters arrived or the deputy sheriffs or the Los Angeles police officers -- including the great Northridge Earthquake, which was harmful, wreaked a lot of death -- there were people like you, who were so busy taking care of the obvious, handling what could be handled, handling setting up centers where relief could occur, handling the operations before the officials arrived.And the great part about our county fire system and our county law enforcement system and our state system and even our federal system, is that one thing I think our nation has done is it's provided hundreds of millions of dollars to California, because we are the number one disaster state in the nation in the FEMA reality. The Federal Emergency Management Agency works with California more frequently in response to disasters than any other state in the United States. That's the blessing of the good weather. (Laughter)And the truth is that you, as individual citizens, as our Governor did before he was governor, chose to make a difference in a variety of ways, because it's the right thing to do. No law enforcement agency or no fire agency alone or group of them, can ever solve this problem alone. There are always many things to do. And I think that's why we're celebrating.Now, the sheriff's department has called upon 5,000 community members to join with us and have received training with our Community Emergency Response Team Program. And there are over 900 of those 5,000 who are volunteer disaster service workers, which means they've been trained to get right into the heart of the problem. And as a result, we've been able to incorporate the good will of good people. You don't have to wear a uniform to be a hero. All you have to do is be at the right place at the right time and take action.And we've got a Governor who knows how to take action and this is why we're all together in this. And I believe that in the scope of the future of California -- we were in fairly good shape before 9/11. We're in better shape because of our state getting involved with FEMA and all the federal agencies and now we've moved into another generation. And one of the great legacies of our governor and the state of the California is that we're at the strongest point that we have ever been in the history of the state of California. This is a big deal, right here, right now. (Applause)So in conclusion, one of the responsibilities the sheriff's department has is being the Mutual Aid Coordinator in Region One -- and you know all about that, you got trained on that -- and so we will go anywhere and anyplace in this great county or state or nation to help our fellow citizens in a time of disaster. And I couldn't be more proud, because of you. Thank you. (Applause)

Well, I don’t know about you but I'm a little warm. Are you a little warm? What we're going to do is I just want those that are volunteers with Disaster Corps to please stand, if you're not already standing on the risers. Stand, you'll get to air out a little bit. Let's give these folks our final round of applause. Thank you so much. (Applause) Please drive safely.