Feral Jundi

Monday, September 7, 2009

Bounties: California Governor Announces $100,000 Reward in Arson-caused Wildfire

Filed under: Bounties,California — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 7:01 AM

     I hope someone finds this arsonist, because this guy has the blood of two fire fighters on his hands.  I have quite a few California readers, so hopefully some of you investigator types can get up on this deal.  Good luck. –Matt

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California governor announces $100,000 reward in arson-caused wildfire

September 4, 2009

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever set a deadly wildfire north of Los Angeles.Schwarzenegger announced the reward Friday, a day after officials said forensic evidence at the fire’s point of origin revealed that the wildfire — among the largest in Southern California’s history — was intentionally set. Two firefighters died Sunday when their truck careened off a steep mountain road.Under state law, the governor may offer rewards up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person killing a firefighter in the line of duty.The fire has burned through 241 square miles of the Angeles National Forest. More than 70 homes have been destroyed.

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Governor’s Proclamation, Sept. 4, 2009:

WHEREAS, on August 26, 2009, I proclaimed a State of Emergency in Los Angeles County due to a fire that started on August 26,2009, now known as the Station Fire; and

WHEREAS, the Station Fire has burned approximately 150,000 acres, continues to burn and is not yet contained; and

WHEREAS, two firefighters were killed while fighting the Station Fire in Los Angeles County; and WHEREAS, state and local officials have determined the cause of the fire is arson; and WHEREAS, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca requested that a state reward be offered, in supplement to an existing reward, to encourage individuals with information about this crime to contact law enforcement; and WHEREAS, public assistance is vital to law enforcement, and rewards often encourage public cooperation essential to apprehend those who have committed serious offenses; and WHEREAS, the Governor is authorized by Penal Code section 1547(b) to offer rewards up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person who kills a firefighter in the line of duty; and WHEREAS, the reward will be paid in accordance with Penal Code section 1547.

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

Afghanistan: U.S. to Boost Combat Force in Afghanistan

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 9:28 AM

      Most of the dozens of combat outposts and outlying bases in Afghanistan have soldiers or Marines assigned to gates or guard towers. But the Pentagon official said those troops could be shifted to more valuable duty.”They just stare out from the tower. So let’s bring in contractors,” the Pentagon official said. “Now you can have a thousand more troops in the field.”

     Here we go guys and gals.  Despite the negative news about security contractors recently, the military still has a mission to accomplish, and we are an important part of that mission.  We are the ones that will be freeing up the combat forces, so that they can go out there and fight.

     What we have to work on, is ‘being the guys that do it right when no one is looking’ and ‘having the courage to do what is right’. Be a leader out there. –Matt

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U.S. to boost combat force in Afghanistan

Support units will be replaced by up to 14,000 ‘trigger-pullers,’ and noncombat posts will be contracted out, Defense officials say. The swap will allow the U.S. to keep its troop level unchanged.

By Julian E. Barnes

September 2, 2009

Reporting from Washington

U.S. officials are planning to add as many as 14,000 combat troops to the American force in Afghanistan by sending home support units and replacing them with “trigger-pullers,” Defense officials say.The move would beef up the combat force in the country without increasing the overall number of U.S. troops, a contentious issue as public support for the war slips. But many of the noncombat jobs are likely be filled by private contractors, who have proved to be a source of controversy in Iraq and a growing issue in Afghanistan.The plan represents a key step in the Obama administration’s drive to counter Taliban gains and demonstrate progress in the war nearly eight years after it began. (more…)

Iraq: The Remains of Security Contractor Handed Over to British Authorities

Filed under: Industry Talk,Iraq — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 8:59 AM

   For the sake of the families, I am glad that the remains have been found and closure can happen.  Rest in peace. As for Peter Moore, if he is still alive, I hope to god that negotiators can get his release.  The chances are slim that he is alive, but you never know. –Matt

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UK says it has been given remains in Iraq

By DAVID STRINGER

LONDON — The remains of one of five British hostages have been handed over to British authorities in Baghdad, Iraqi officials said Wednesday. The British government said it had received remains but had yet to determine their identity.

In July, British authorities said that it feared that two security workers — Alan McMenemy and Alec MacLachlan — had been killed by their captors.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Medical: Steroid Use and Security Contracting, Is It Worth It?

Filed under: Fitness And Combatives,Industry Talk,Law Enforcement,Medical — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:25 AM

   In this post I wanted to highlight a reality of our industry, and that is the use of steroids.  The availability of the substance in places like Iraq, makes it very easy to get into and you see the results of steroids walking around all the time on contracts and at FOB gyms and chow halls.  Steroid use is big in the military and law enforcement communities as well, and it is an issue that we all must deal with.

     Personally, I don’t use the stuff because I am pretty satisfied with my fitness and body type.  But for some guys who want to be big and look more the part of a muscle-bound protector, steroid use and heavy weight lifting is a big deal.  Not to mention the massive intake of supplements like protein powders, energy drinks or creatine, along with plenty of gym time on the various FOBs that contractors live at.  Like I said, you see a lot of big guys walking around out there.

    To me, I could care less about the physical stuff–it is the mental stuff that comes with steroid use that I am concerned with.  Roid Rage is of concern to me, because if you are carrying a gun out there and protecting someone, do you necessarily want an ultra aggressive mental element impacting your decision making process during a shoot, no shoot situation?

     Now I cannot say for sure that steroid abuse will lead to incidents, because there are no studies directly involving security contractors and steroid use.  What I am saying is that if you are taking the stuff, and you are getting into fights all the time, or snapping at people, or extremely irritable, etc. (noticeable mental change), then maybe you should take a pause and ask yourself if you are a liability?  During an incident, there is plenty of adrenalin and aggression pumping into your veins to carry you through the fight, and to add even more to that chemical stew is unnecessary and dangerous in my view. You want as much control over your mental processes as possible, and any threat to that control is not cool.

    If you are a friend of a steroid user, and you notice that they are mentally changing, then maybe you might want to approach them and give them a heads up.  What kind of friend are you, if you just keep quite as your friend turns into a roid raging monster? Let’s take care of our people out there and keep this stuff in check.

    I want to be careful with what I am saying too, because I know for some guys, steroids is something they depend upon and are able to use with no side effects at all.  It is not my place to preach on what guys should or shouldn’t do to their bodies. But I think if an individual’s use of that substance has become a liability to the team and a threat to the industry, then that is when we should be taking note and trying to police it.

    Also, a few of the companies out there actually have steroid use policies, but not because of the health reasons per se, but because of the legalities of the stuff.  Anabolic steroids were added to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act in the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990. Stuff to think about, if you are contemplating going down this path. –Matt

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In Iraq, Muscle Is a Growth Industry

Security Needs Give Bodybuilding a Lift

By Ernesto Londoño and Saad al-IzziWashington Post Foreign ServiceTuesday, June 10, 2008; A01

BAGHDAD — Younis Imad, 18, started lifting weights at the Future Gym along Baghdad’s Palestine Street a little over a year ago. “I was overweight,” he said, taking a break between sets. “I was very upset about that.” He was also in need of a job.

The gym’s entrepreneurial owner, Ali Torkey, took Imad under his wing, gave him dieting tips and put him on a whey protein regimen. Four months ago, newly buff after weeks of working out, Imad secured work as a security guard at a radio station in Baghdad, a city where improving security is reflected in the revival of everyday activities such as bodybuilding.

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Monday, August 31, 2009

Disaster Response: The Security Officer and Incident Command

Filed under: Disaster Response,Industry Talk,Leadership — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:05 AM

    I read this story below, and it reminded me of how little respect folks have for the security officer of a facility, all the way up until something awful happens.  Something like a terrorist attack or natural disasters or a response to a influenza virus outbreak like Novel Influenza A (Swine Flu). It usually takes a really bad deal to remind everyone how important an initial response and attack is, in order to combat these type of things.

   But what this story missed, and was ‘oh so close’ to mentioning, was the importance of Incident Command to the initial response to an incident like a pandemic.  Incident Command is the answer, and it is also something that has been federally mandated by DHS.  But what does that really mean, you might ask?

   It means that the US government has recognized the power and efficiency of such a system, based on it’s usage during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the hurricane responses the last couple of years and the fires that ravage the west every summer.  It is a simple command language and structure, that all units involved can rally around and understand.  That is a powerful thing, because the emergency response that is most organized and most flexible to answer the rapid pace of an evolving incident, will win.  It has been proven time and time again, hence why it is the preferred command structure for emergency response in the US.

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