CommissionerSam.com

By Sam Adams

Thanks for your comments on this blog entry; I enjoy and learn from the blog conversation. The discussion on this topic exemplifies why I created my blog. It would be easier for me to simply limit my exposure to those who criticize me by not giving them a forum such as this. But I know I make better decisions for the city when I am exposed to the fullest possible range of ideas on any topic, even those that I don’t agree with or that I find inaccurate.

AWOL: The notion that a commissioner’s job is largely to stay inside the walls of city hall is not one that I share. There have been a variety of accurate, thoughtful responses already blogged by others on this topic, and so I’ll add only that as city commissioner I see as my key responsibility to make good, informed decisions to help lead the entire community. To do so, it’s my obligation to get out of the building when possible and experience life as many Portlanders experience it, to see things for myself and not to overly reply on the observations of others. As you read my update on the issue, you will see what I believe are some of the benefits of my hands-on style.

Regarding this specific incident, I am not required to go to the site of a city worker injury accident. I choose to go to the site where a worker in my bureau portfolio requires the assistance of an ambulance, fire or police. My policy reflects the personal concern I have for the safety of my staff and the workers in my portfolio bureaus.

Nikita: I respectfully disagree that my blog entry endangers employees, I believe just the opposite it true.

As I first blogged, there appears to be a misunderstanding by some project workers that all ‘Big Pipe’ injury incidents need to be reported as “collapses” in order to get an adequate 911 response. This is both untrue and unwise; it does not speed help to injured tunnel workers but it does unnecessarily endanger other Portlanders.

Apparently, this is the second time a non-tunnel collapse injury accident dealing with the Big Pipe project was characterized as a ‘tunnel collapse.’ I was told that the first reported tunnel collapse occurred when a wrench was accidentally dropped into an air shaft and struck a worker’s arm.

On the day of this incident, Jim told me he thought use of the term ‘tunnel collapse’ was necessary to use with 911 to get the quickest city emergency response, even though it wasn’t a tunnel collapse. For a precious 26 seconds, until the initial report was corrected, much of City’s emergency response resources were being marshaled to the scene.

An unwarranted response of this magnitude takes emergency services away from other city needs while not quickening the response time to the tunnel. Officials from 911 told me all reported injury incidents dealing with the Big Pipe project will get the fastest response regardless of their exact nature.

From the information the Bureau of Environmental Services has provided me, it looks like the ‘big pipe’ project has been completed in a relatively safe manner. Nonetheless, soon we will begin the second phase of tunneling, with a new contractor and I believe this incident offers us a learning moment.

That’s why I gathered the leadership from the Bureau of Environmental Services, Bureau of Emergency Communications, and the Fire Department to review the situation and improve on current practices.

After reviewing this issue over the past week, the biggest concern I have regarding safety and the Big Pipe project is that city staff, project contractors, fire, police, and 911 have never held what we call a ‘tabletop excise’ to practice responding to an actual tunnel collapse.

Much of the big pipe is dug through loose soil and loose rock. Materials that are under intense water pressure; a failure in the tunnel could submerge workers in dangerous muck far from the point of actual failure. I have been told the likelihood of a catastrophic tunnel collapse is remote. However, when I asked Fire Bureau if we were ready for a unlikely but possible tunnel flood, the answer I received is, “no.” A table top exercise will get us better prepared.

These are some of the actions I have asked for:

• A complete review of safety tunnel safety issues;
• Clarify emergency management communications protocols;
• Increase emergency communication training of ‘big pipe’ project management staff;
• With new ‘big pipe’ contractor, prior to kicking off the next phase of the tunneling project, complete a table-top session with all emergency responders to practice responses if there was a total tunnel collapse and other likely calls for service.

Sam

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Posted 7-31-05 at 8:10 pm

I am on break from my stint working as a customer service representative at the Portland International Airport.

It’s 4:36 pm, Friday, July 29th; I receive a text message page from the City’s 911 emergency call center: “CONSTRUCTION TUNNEL SHAFT COLLAPSE, WORKER TRAPPED, NAITO/MARKET...”

I immediately recognize the SW Naito/Market address as the westside site of the “big pipe” project, a portion of the $1.4 billion Combined Sewer Overflow project, designed to stop sewer from going into the Willamette River.

I say out loud, “Oh God, someone is trapped in our tunnel.”

Quick goodbyes and I run through the airport terminal to my truck parked in the short-term lot.

From the road, I cellphone the director’s office at the Bureau of Environmental Services, also known as “BES”: voicemail. I press “0” for the operator: More voicemail. I remember Dean Marriott the BES director is on vacation.

I call the Jacqueline the supervisor at the City’s 911 call center: She doesn’t have any additional information.

I call Tom, my chief of staff. He has not heard about the tunnel collapse. I ask him to try and break through BES’s voicemail. I tell him I’m driving to the site.

He calls back in 5 minutes to say he has not been able to get through either, so he is sending someone on foot over to the bureau’s office in the Portland Building.

I’m now on I-84, trying not to speed. I replay what I learned over the 11 years helping Mayor Vera Katz deal with emergencies like the earthquake of 1994, the Willamette River flooding of 1996, and the many the wind, ice and snow storms.

After the first rule of “be prepared,” I know the second rule of good emergency management is get good information as early as possible. “Where in the [expletive deleted] is mine?” I mutter.

I am now on the Morrison Bridge.

I look at my cellphone frustrated, “would someone call me back, [expletive deleted]!”

I am stuck in traffic in front of the Marriott Hotel on Naito Parkway.

I’m one city block from the tunnel site. I am stuck in traffic in front of the Marriott Hotel on Naito Parkway.

I answer my ringing cellphone to Tom’s voice. Our runner found someone at BES. Joan the assistant director of BES had called Tom. Joan says the text of the 911 page was a mistake.

I pull into the tunnel construction site area.

The site contracted supervisor Jim walks over to me and says, “Hi Commissioner.”

Relieved, I ask, “What happened?” Jim says that today as the tunneling machine broke through the last few feet, a rock bolder dislodged and rolled over a photographer’s foot. Jim tells me he was taken to Oregon Health Sciences University and should be ok.

“So, no tunnel collapse?”

“That’s right.”

"Did the 911 call center make a mistake?" "No, that is how we describe any injury accident in the tunnel."

Why?

"To make sure we get a priority response," Jim says.

I wonder what the underground equivalent to the story of Chicken Little saying the sky is falling. “What is photographer’s name?”

“I don’t know,” says Jim, “He doesn’t work for the City.”

Good: confirmation that all is ok.

Reflexively, I walk over to the edge of the shaft that leads down four stories to the tunnel. I look over and listen. It’s dark and quiet.

I turn to Jim. “We need to improve our emergency communication and response process for this project. We more accurate information: I don't want people to get complacent with inaccurate accident reports. I want the project team in my office ASAP next week.”