Emergency Response - Revenge of the NERTs

Constant Readers,

I'm busily writing about today's Board meeting for Thursday but wanted to share a few fun things about the meeting with y'all.

First, though Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is known for using the part of each meeting called "Roll Call for Introductions" (where Supes talk about bills they are planning to introduce) as free air time to practice Mayoral campaign speeches (Bevan Dufty does this, too) today he did something different. 

He only introduced one thing: this picture of his new baby - Theo Aureliano Mirkarimi. He also announced that he'd be distributing chocolate cigars to all the other Supes. I have nothing snarky to say about this because it is so awesomely adorable.

And also: I don't want to go to hell. 

Congratulations, Ross!

Second, today the Board had a hearing on the roles of Supes in case of an emergency. Guess what subject dominated the conversation? NERT.

Here's a clearer version of the video in a .mov file: Download NERT2

So, what in hell is NERT? According to its website, NERT stands for Neighborhood Emergency Response Team.

It is a "community based training program dedicated to a neighbor helping neighbor approach." So you should go join right now. Unless you're worried about swine flu.

In which case you should avoid your neighbors. Personally, I've been waiting for years for my misanthropy to amount to a health benefit. 

According to the Supes, we need to get more people involved in the NERT program. Especially folks in the Bayview because emergency services ain't gonna be there right away when something bad happens. 

Again, here's a clearer version of the video in a .mov file: Download Sophie on Emergency

Fluorescent vests and hardhats for all of "those people" who are "housed by women and children" and don't live in "the core"!

--Melissa

Comments

[Beth Spotswood]

My father is very into NERT.
http://bethspotswood.blogspot.com/search?q=NERT

[David Latterman]

I took a bunch of NERT classes a few years back. Should be mandatory for every high-schooler and new SF resident. In a twisted way, those exercises where they destroy a room and you have to rescue your way out are pretty fun.

[Steve G]

Odd that they know response times to the bayview are atrocious, but the solution is for residents there to fend for themselves. Yet another thing the money spent on the T-third rail line could have been better spent on. I love the idea of rail, but when the trains all run 2 cars, rather like the double buses on Geary, I view all the money spent on tracks and the extra expensive trains as a waste compared to simply running a bus line. What's more, if there's an accident or damage to the tracks, the whole train line bogs down. Muni buses, even ones tethered to overhead wires, have the flexibility to change lanes to get around obstacles and keep things on schedule.

[Steve G]

Just to flesh out my prior comment, here are some details & citations:
Total T-third rail construction cost: $648 million
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mroutes/tthirdsvc.htm

The 2008 SFMTA (Muni) Budget gives some clarity on relative priorities...
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/rbudget/documents/5yearCIPProjectScores_v5.pdf

LRV Breda Procurement (in English, train cars for light rail), 525.6 million for 128 cars, or just over 5 million each.
Hybrid bus purchases, 51 40' buses (roughly equivalent to the light rail vehicles), 51.6 million, or roughly 1 million each.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Geary (Ref number CPT551), to bring something that works very well in LA to San Francisco, has a budget of 159.9 million, but received $463,000 in 2008.
BRT Van Ness (Ref number CPT552), total budget 67.3 mil, funded to date: $95,000
General BRT (Ref number 230), 10.8 million, all unfunded.

So, in sum, light rail costs a ton of money up front for construction, and a ton of money for the train cars, and is inflexible. The money spent on the T-third could have brought bus rapid transit (a proven solution in LA) to Geary, Van Ness, the Third Street Corridor, and a few other locations for less money.

The silver lining, I suppose, is that when I first got angry about this, they hadn't even spent a single penny on bus rapid transit, which at this point is clearly in the planning & design stages if they're spending in the neighborhood of a few hundred thousand on it.