23 October 2007

It pains me

but I think I have to say good things about California.

They seem to have their act together for handling this whole fire issue.

They've already got more than 12,000 people holed up in Qualcomm Stadium, and things seem to be moving fairly smoothly.

Among the volunteers was a corps of doctors, nurses and emergency medical technicians who set up shop in the stadium's four major restaurants on the club level, which are climate-controlled.

There, some 600 senior citizens and sick people were being cared for, cordoned off from the general hustle-bustle common throughout the rest of the stadium.

The stadium also had makeshift pharmacies stocked with prescription drugs through donations from Costco and Target, Biagi said.

Now, it's a given that this really doesn't compare to the whole New Orleans/SuperDome/Katrina nightmare, since the entire city is not being hammered. That's true, but San Diego is showing admirable planning and preparation, and that should be recognized.

In addition, a shelter was set up for 200 pets brought to the stadium by evacuees, while an infant area was stocked with plenty of diapers and volunteers manned a daycare center...

It seems like a small thing, but lots of people will not evacuate without their pets, and good emergency planners must take that into account. We approve.

Of course, San Diego is a miltary town, and the folks in uniform are pitching in, even as some of them are scooting out of the way of the wildlifes.

In an effort to make room for more civilians who have had to evacuate their homes, sailors stationed in Southern California are abandoning their barracks.

"Orders have been given to all sailors ashore in barracks to move to shipboard billeting to provide room for evacuees," said a Tuesday statement released by the U.S. military.

Well, sucks to be those Sailors, but good on the Navy to support a city that so wholeheartedly supports them.

In a personal note, my sister-in-law and her family (and dogs and cats) have been evacuated from their home, and are staying with other family in the area. My mother-in-law is safe in her current location. However, she's a good cook and a dog lover, so I think the Bad Dogs are hoping she has to evacuate all the way to Texas.