Posts by Matthew Poole
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Hard News: Where nature may win, in reply to Sacha,
say putting someone in line of sight 2.5km from the camera
Given that a person who's 2.5km away is effectively invisible to the naked eye, I think a better example might be needed :)
-
Perhaps a hero dash could have saved lives
Perhaps. Had the explosion been dozens of metres into the mine (I'll ignore what might have happened at the tunnel mouth in that event), or even a few hundred, I suspect the response would've been different. But 2.5km is a long way when you have to carry in the equipment necessary to not only survive but also effect a rescue. For the average person, in normal clothes and good conditions, it's a 40-minute walk. Wearing BA, carrying spare cylinders and gas detectors and digging equipment it's well over an hour. Probably more like two. Which makes a "hero dash" more of a "hero marathon".
[ETA: Big kudos to your brother. It's moments of complete insanity from which true heroism is born.]
-
Hard News: Where nature may win, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Don't forget the internal debrief by Pike River management (one hopes), and the formal debrief of the organisations that contributed into the Incident Management Team such as Police, Fire Service, various Mines Rescue bodies (I'm sure the Aussie contingents will put in managers' reports, if not in-person comments), etc.
-
Hard News: Where nature may win, in reply to Kumara Republic,
I never quite got that one. Did DOC somehow magic up the risk of methane in coal mines? Or do they mean that an open cast mine can't have the risk of methane build-up?
-
Hard News: Where nature may win, in reply to Jacqui Dunn,
Being an automaton is the easiest way of dealing with an event of this magnitude. Being human is important, and in Whittall's position it helps with your credibility, but in Knowles' position it's best to lock away whatever emotional reaction you might have and focus on the mechanics of the job at hand. That's what the IC is for, to be the dispassionate leader. As a very experienced cop Knowles will have well-developed coping mechanisms for handling the horrors of the job, and that will have made him appear very cool and distant. It's what one wants from a leader of an emergency response, logically, but without the emotional connection it does make people question if the decisions are pure CYA.
-
Had the misfortune to hear Leighton on the radio in the car earlier (imported car without a band-expanded stereo. You know how it is), and he was wittering on about how Knowles’ use of first-person singular pronouns (I, me, etc) rather than collectives such as “we”, or even reference to advising experts, leant itself to the conclusion that he was the one making the decisions, hence the ire in his direction.
Knowing what I do about the whole system, I first found it infuriating, especially since as IC it is Knowles’ decision, ultimately. Highly-informed and thoroughly-steered decision, but still made in his name. Then I got to wondering if that really is what’s got people so confused and angry about the role that the Police are playing. Anyone?Am I the only one waiting for the inevitable “They had four hours, they could’ve gone in” missiles to start flying? Never mind that it was two hours before anyone [ETA: not in the tunnels] knew there had been an explosion, and at least that long again before anything approximating an organised rescue attempt could’ve even been considered, I’ve realised that there are people out there (not just families, either) who will demand instant action if there’s the slightest window of opportunity.
-
Hard News: Where nature may win, in reply to ,
Beautiful blue. So even. It's like there's nothing there :P
[ETA: That's cheating!]
-
Hard News: Where nature may win, in reply to rodgerd,
Ditto. That'll be some serious survivor guilt.
I likewise hope that Peter Whittall will be given more support by Pike River than has been evident thus far. Including whatever counselling he will almost certainly need after his role in the response to this disaster. -
Hard News: Where nature may win, in reply to Neil Morrison,
I hope some people reasess their negative opinion of the police.
I wouldn't count on it. See Sacha's comment above about trusting Witthall more than Knowles.
-
I was impressed with Fran O'Sullivan's piece today, calling for directors of Pike River to step up and support Whittall. He definitely looks like a man in desperate need of a hug, and someone else to share the load of fronting for the company, and Fran recalled that the CEO of Mercury died of a heart attack during the Big Dark while facing a media onslaught without the backing of his Board.
Incredibly for Your Views, the comments are mostly rational and thoughtful. The only madness comes in the last comment, from a guy who says that both Pike River and the military should've had "an army of robots on hand, tested, and ready for action." I think that maybe the Business section gets a slightly better class of commenter.