Washington National Guard not called when ready for mudslide

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Precious time wasted in critical first hours after slide, some say
Seattle Times
Brian M. Rosenthal
March 27, 2014

SEATTLE — As days continue to pass without any sign of life in the vast wreckage, some local politicians are increasingly second-guessing how officials responded in the critical first hours after the deadly Oso mudslide.

State Rep. Elizabeth Scott and Snohomish County Councilmember Ken Klein say officials should have more quickly recognized the magnitude of the disaster, asked for experienced assistance and allowed knowledgeable locals to help.

Instead, Scott and Klein say, officials wasted precious time trying to handle a difficult situation on their own.

“There was a real shortage of common sense in this whole mess,” Scott said. “It’s just ridiculous.”

The commander of the Washington National Guard said Wednesday that he offered his help to county emergency-management officials last Saturday and Sunday but was rebuffed until midday Monday. A spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said its help was requested around noon on Monday.

The National Guard has a 50-person search-and-extraction team with experience and specialized equipment. FEMA has a nationally recognized 65-person urban search-and-rescue team.
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