Utilize state resources in fight against Sockeye fire

Now that the Willow area fire has been declared a disaster, one would think that the state would use its resources to the best interest of Alaskans.

Having been a member of the Alaska State Defense Force, which was called to State Active Duty for two floods (2006) and the federal Winter Talon Orange Alert (Dec., 2003-Jan., 2004), and having gone through the mess and confusion of the Lazy Mountain Fire of 1999, I believe that I have a basis for what I write regarding this subject.

I thought this state had a problem with money right now?

Given what I have witnessed down at Palmer Airport with the growing air support component on that fire, money is not the problem.

On the ground, it looks like the lessons of the Miller’s Reach fire and the Lazy Mountain fire have been lost. The lesson of those fires was, leave and your home burns. The state doesn’t care. However, management of personnel is also evidently a problem that once again has to be relearned.

I have been trying to find out why the defense force has not been used for this fire to man safety and security checkpoints to free those Alaska State Troopers tied down to these duties. Were this to be done, the troopers would then be free to respond to calls for assistance, and to assist fire and other personnel involved in ensuring the safety and welfare of affected residents.

Unfortunately, the Walker Administration doesn’t seem to understand.

“Emily” in the Governor’s office in Juneau said she had no knowledge of the subject of using the Alaska State Defense Force for safety and security on the fire. She also informed me that the governor’s office in Juneau is so short-staffed that it will take months to respond to e-mails and letters.

I then called Anchorage and spoke with “Zuki,” who is a Department of Public Safety/Department of Corrections Governor’s Aide. Zuki said she had no knowledge of the defense force either. She also speculated that there might be an issue with the AST’s union over calling the defense force to State Active Duty. Was she implying that the unions now dictate who and what personnel the Governor may call to State Active Duty in an emergency? That the AST’s union now dictates manpower and mission priorities?

Have we taken several steps back from the war footing of “get the job done” to turf wars over personnel use? I thought the AST had gotten over that issue around 2006.

Would these highly-trained police officers rather be standing at a checkpoint than doing their jobs protecting the public?

How many calls for assistance and crimes will go unanswered while the unions collect their coin?

My point is not about who or what gets the money, it is how the job can be done to the benefit of Alaskans. How to best utilize limited resources. Something this Governor and I spoke about several times during the course of his 2010 and 2014 campaigns.

The purpose of the organized militia in performing State Active Duty is to act as a constabulary under AS 26.05.070 under the direct supervision and control of the AST or local police authority. The AST are a valuable resource, highly trained, and should be used where they are best needed. The defense force personnel are also trained, and can do the checkpoint mission as they have done many times before. The purpose of State Active Duty is to keep the AST and the local police on the mission of protecting the citizen.

Checkpoint duty is no fun. It is long hours of checking people in and out of affected areas and making certain that those entering an area should be there. Defense force personnel usually worked 12-hour shifts without overtime compensation, at a flat rate of about $187/day. A trooper and his vehicle cost the state about $200/hour without considering overtime.

Is it best use of state resources to tie down that trooper and his vehicle to a fixed location?

When there is a state resource that is cost effective and trained to the do the job, it should be used.