Common cause president calls on ASDHS to install alert system Tuesday November 24, 2009
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com

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Common Cause American Samoa wants the local Department of Homeland Security (ASDHS) to give the people of American Samoa an early Christmas gift by installing an alert system by the middle of next month.

The watch dog group’s president Dr. Trudie Iuli-Sala made the call in a Nov. 17 letter to ASDHS director Mike Sala, who told Samoa News on Thursday that he has received the letter, and it is being reviewed now with an appropriate response to go out soon.

Iuli-Sala said the general public needs reassurance of safety at this time, particularly with the many individual near-death experiences which occurred on Sept. 29.

“These are personal to each individual and knowing ‘if and when’ ASG will have an alarm system in place would help ease the fear and apprehension that comes with not knowing,” she wrote.

She said ASG had a surplus of $9 million in fiscal year 2008, and this money could be used for purchase of a system, for which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has offered to assist ASG.

FEMA administrator for Region IX, Nancy Ward told reporters two weeks ago that FEMA can help with a siren system, but the initiative should be made by the local government. 

Iuli-Sala, in her letter, claims there are people on island who worked with the Territorial Emergency Management Coordinating Office (TEMCO) from the beginning of the siren alarm system and therefore, it should not be difficult to specify the necessary equipment and identify the right system for the territory.

(Iuli-Sala is referring to individuals who worked under the Territorial Office of Homeland Security, and were involved in the 2006 testing of a siren system. The system was never installed because federal funds were frozen in late January 2007, due to misuse identified by federal auditors.)

“On behalf of the people, Common Cause asks that you give us an early Christmas present by putting into place an alarm warning system for American Samoa by December 15, 2009,” she wrote. “We call on you to use this target date of delivery as a way to hold yourselves accountable to the people who no longer wish to live in fear.”

Sala had told Samoa News three weeks ago that his office is already working with FEMA, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which was awarded to NOAA in 2004, but the federal agency did not deliver the product.

He recently told Samoa News that “The main issue has become, however, something we had not planned or drilled for: a strong nearby earthquake of magnitude 8 or more.”

The epicenter of the Sept. 29 quake was located just 130 miles southwest of Pago Pago, and there is no way a fast enough analysis to confirm the generation of a tsunami from nearby quakes was possible, said Sala, adding that the tsunami occurred about 10 to 15 minutes after the quake.
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Comments to this story (9)
Alert System for Looting Is needed more!  wrote:
15 Dec 2009 07:02 AM
If we had an alert system to tell us, that an official in government is stealing, can that be budgeted as well?
The Alert System is badly for American Samoa period!  wrote:
08 Dec 2009 02:04 PM
Not only to help warn us of another natural disaster but in ANY TYPE OF AN EMERGENCY such as a terrorist attack, civil unrest of some sort, etc.
Tama Samoa Moni  wrote:
26 Nov 2009 07:57 AM
Thanks Moli, good advise. Keep in mind that not everyone is "quick in mind" to react like the rest of ya all. But hearing a siren or blaring noise, together with training and awareness programs, will definitely go much farther than just mere training. We need a much better job in this area than just saying training, training and more training. The last training we lost 34 lives, and there's more of us that believe training is not enough. We need an effective ALERT WARNING SYSTEM now, or was it we needed it yesterday. 34 lives folks, 34 that could have been saved!
Only In Samoa  wrote:
25 Nov 2009 10:31 AM
There is a reason why The Maverick and Common Cause are just watchdogs.. They watch what others do and only speak on it. Actions speak louder than words. If they're doing such a bang up job...RUN FOR GOVERNOR, GET ELECTED.. so "the people" can stop complaining about "these people"
The Maverick  wrote:
25 Nov 2009 09:30 AM
The mentality and rationale of these people (ASG)denials, still defending their propensity behaviors alluding that 10 to 15 minutes warning is not enough time to analys the generation of the tsunami, after the 8.0 earth quake. Mike when a 8.0 plus magnitude quake hits near by, you don't have to analys, the strength of the tembler tells you, just push the siren button. I'm glad that Trudie and common cause are actively engaged in these critical discussions and more. More power to you and the organization, and certainly a vehicle that would definitely checks on the government, on the peoples behalf.
Ma'afe'e  wrote:
25 Nov 2009 05:58 AM
Common Cause American Samoa (CCAS) does not have to remind or give the American Samoa Department of Homeland Security (ASDHS) a letter to review to install a "Disaster Early Warning System" throughout the territory! The lessons and the needs for such systems already happened, identified, lived, and FEMA offered to help. Now ASG, take your review and your procrastinate ideas/thoughts to a tsumani grave site, and ask why! ASG, the shovels should be in the ground and the hammer on the nails already for this.
Moli Lemana  wrote:
24 Nov 2009 03:23 PM
It is interesting to read comments on installing a siren system to protect our lives from disaster. What good is the siren if the power goes off before a warning is issued. Every individual should be educated of their responsibilities when disasters happen. We don't have to wait for someone to signal us of what to do...e.g. siren/bell of what have you..... Education is the key to our safety and everyone should now take drills/workshops/outreach awareness programs seriously for their own safety. Usually when drills were done, no one really cared until after the tsunami.
Tama Samoa Moni  wrote:
24 Nov 2009 03:06 PM
I applaud the effort by Dr. Trudie Iuli-Sala & Common Cause to urge our government leaders on this project. I fully agree and should be done immediately. While we work feverishly on recovery, we should be just as adamant to demand a warning system to be installed immediately. I have said in a sepaprate post that we need this warning system right away, as we do not foresee and forecast when the next earthquake/tsunami will take place. The letter is with Mike Sala, and let's see what they're going to do with it. Either they act on it and install the badly needed system, or we will be bombarded with the usual mumbo jumbo of literary explanations of the best kind to stall and continue the procrastination. We will be waiting Mike and staff, let's see what you'll do next.
Taualaga a Solomona  wrote:
24 Nov 2009 09:06 AM
This is not a wish list but a demand for ASG to provide its citizens with their basic needs for protection of life and properties,security from natural or man made disasters,and the pursuit of happiness. Anything less is Unacceptable. Times are hard. Lives has been lost and it happened on your watch. CNN is not as diplomatic and as forgiving as Father Saint Nickalaus. Happy holidays.