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8/22/01 1:54 PM Pacific Daylight Time

IAEM Region IX President Gunnar J. Kuepper

Dear friends and fellow IAEM professionals,

As many of you know, B.J. Sibley has recently resigned as Region IX President.

The current board of IAEM and President Billy Zwerschke have appointed me
Interim-President. Many friends and IAEM members have also encouraged me to
run for election for this position at the upcoming conference in Riverside, CA.

I feel privileged to serve as your Acting IAEM Region IX President, and I would like to introduce myself to you.

I am Gunnar J. Kuepper, and I am Chief of Operations with Emergency & Disaster Management, Inc., headquartered in Los Angeles.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
My experience with emergencies dates back to the early 1970s when I started
as a paramedic and fireofficer in Germany. After further experience in Europe
(University, Supervisor, Commanding Chief, and Director of different EMS/Rescue Services), I moved to the U.S. in early 1997.

I am a principal on the NFPA 1600 Technical Committee on "Emergency/Disaster
Management and Business Continuity Programs," serve as the European Director
for the ARFFwg (Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting working group, the worldwide
organization of civilian and military airport fire/rescue experts), volunteer on the NFPA Content Advisory Board, serve as the VP for Industrial Safety at the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the National Safety Council, and chair a Safety and Disaster Preparedness Committee at the Rotary Club of Downtown Los Angeles.

I am a member of many national and international disaster preparedness, response, and relief organizations, among which are IAFC (International Association of Fire Chiefs), TIEMS (The International Emergency Management Society), and WADEM (World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine).

Last, but not least, I am the Chairman of the California Symposium on Aviation Emergencies, an internationally-attended annual event on managing airplane and airport incidents.

I have been with my spouse Konny for 16 years. If she is not hiking with our
dog Koa or feeding Henry, the cat, then she is riding her horse Abalago.

STRATEGIC GOALS
My goals as IAEM Region IX President are to:

-improve communication with and between IAEM members;

-improve and strengthen IAEM activities and membership in Region IX;

-improve communication with other organizations and institutions in our field
and within our region; and

-build strategic alliances

in order to meet the future challenges and inevitable risks of urban spread,
the growing and aging population, increased natural events, etc.

We will face an increased risk and vulnerability of people, property, and the
environment in the decades to come. We need to be proactive, find the balance
between different values in our society, and we need to work cooperatively
with others. Sharing resources and knowledge within the emergency management
community is not an option, but a crucial requirement.

IAEM
How does this apply to IAEM? It is my goal to establish a regional team of
IAEM professionals, from local and state governments, consultants, and
private industry, that give input with ideas, thoughts, and knowledge to
share experiences, discuss views, prioritize tasks, and find ways to reduce
future catastrophic impacts.

Some of you have already promised your involvement in these endeavors, and I
sincerely encourage everyone to participate.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.

IAEM RIVERSIDE CONFERNCE, NOV. 2-6, 2001
From November 2 to 6, the annual IAEM meeting takes place in the heart of our
region in Riverside, Southern California.

This is an excellent opportunity to meet with friends from neighboring
counties and states within Region IX. Those who have previously attended IAEM
conferences know that the networking and learning opportunities are
outstanding.

Importantly, the incoming IAEM president, Bob Andrews, who hails from Clark
County, NV - better known as Las Vegas - deserves our strong support. As a
local of Region IX, he knows western challenges and politics. Bob is an
effective leader who comes up with great ideas and visions, which will be, as
so many things in Las Vegas, surprisingly successful.

For these reasons, I encourage you to attend the Riverside Conference, to
strengthen IAEM with your input, and last, but not least, I ask you for your
support and your vote.

Again, if you have any comments, thoughts or questions, please do not
hesitate to contact me.

I will keep you updated about developments in the region, and I am looking
forward to seeing you in Riverside.

Kindest regards,
GUNNAR

Gunnar J. Kuepper
Acting President
IAEM Region IX

c/o Emergency & Disaster Management, Inc.
1888 Century Park East, Suite 1900
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 284-3194
fax (310) 284-3195
e-mail: gjk@emergency-management.net
www.emergency-management.net

9/13/01 4:37 PM Pacific Daylight Time

9-11-2001: Terrorism and Tragedy

Dear IAEM Region IX members,

I know that the events of September 11, 2001, in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, left many of us speechless, dazed, and in disbelief. Our whole nation came to a standstill in this tragedy and it will take time to fully recover. Approximately 4,700 persons are still missing at this time.

I know that your hearts and thoughts go out to all those who have become victims of these horrific attacks - from family members and loved ones to witnesses.

Deeply troubling for all of us is the loss of an estimated 200 New York Fire/EMS and Police personnel. We pray for the survival and rescue of every one of those unaccounted for.

The unprecedented magnitude of loss of life from within our own emergency response community demands that we pay our collective respects to honor our fallen colleagues in New York. I assume that each individual department has already applied its own local custom and protocol. I am calling, however, for a formal response in the form of a period of mourning for all IAEM members in Region IX. This period will take effect immediately and will be in place for 90 days. In observation of the period of mourning, please do the following where appropriate:

-- Post all station flags at half-mast;
-- Stripe badges with black ribbon or sash.

Other possible actions (per individual discretion) may include:

-- Write letters/e-mails of support and comfort to the NYFD/NYPD/New York Office of
Emergency Management;
-- Support local blood drives;
-- Establish moments of silence and remembrance at your business meetings.

I appreciate your support and concern for all those effected by the tragedy, and I will continue to keep the membership updated as events unfold.

I am planning to travel to New York to attend the memorial service and to pay my respects and express condolences on behalf of IAEM Region IX.

We can only hope that such events will never again take place anywhere in the world. The only way we can put a stop to terrorism is by joining together.

May God protect us all from hatred and fanaticism.

Gunnar J. Kuepper
Acting IAEM Region IX President

Letter from Mike Martinet, CEM
Los Angeles County

9/12/01

Yesterday, September 11th, was a day of darkness and depravity. It was also a day of unparalleled heroism, as hundreds of first responders were trapped, giving their own lives while attempting to save others.

This is the greatest domestic catastrophe since the Civil War. The loss of life in this one incident may exceed the number of deaths from all other disasters, natural and man made, for the last few decades. And this single act of terrorism raises the standard for all future terrorist attacks to a chilling new height.

While on any given day, the chances for an occurrence of a disaster or act of terrorism are so small as to be nearly invisible, the toll of a single event can be crushing to the affected community and its neighbors.

This should be a time to reflect on our past efforts in planning and preparedness. And it should also be a time to look critically at those areas that may not be as ready as they could be.

For one hundred years, America has been spared from true catastrophe.
Events like the Johnstown Flood, with 2000+ dead; the Galveston Hurricane, with 6000+ dead; and the San Francisco Earthquake, with possibly several thousand(1) dead have faded away into oblivion. But over time, these things do happen, and we must be able to fully respond, or pay terrible consequences.

Thank you for your continued support of disaster planning and preparedness in Area G.

(1) Deaths among Chinese in San Francisco were not included in the official list of fatalities.

Date: 9/17/01 1:08 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time

Condolences and an Offer of Assistance from Coast to Coast

Dear fellow IAEM colleagues in Region II and III,

I know that you are drowning in work, that you have not slept over the last week, and that you are inundated with offers of volunteerism.

Your IAEM Region IX friends are as traumatized by the barbaric attacks of September 11th as the rest of the nation and many parts of the world. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and all those who have been victimized by these tragedies.

Deeply troubling for all of us is the loss of more than 200 members of your response community. We pray for the families and all members of the New York Fire/EMS and Police Departments.

Although we in California have gone through trying times (i.e., the 1989 and 1994 earthquakes, major fires, floods, and landslides), our events are truly not comparable to the heartbreaking magnitude of the events last Tuesday.

If you need any kind of assistance, support, or expertise in your recovery or in future planning efforts, please do not hesitate to contact us. The entire Region IX will be a resource for you and I will gladly facilitate the communication of your needs to the many professional individuals and institutions in California, Nevada, and Arizona.

We feel privileged and honored to offer you any support and assistance you might need.

We will stand together and we will prevail. God bless America.

Gunnar J. Kuepper
Acting President
IAEM Region IX

c/o Emergency & Disaster Management, Inc.
1888 Century Park East, Suite 1900
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 284-3194
fax (310) 284-3195
e-mail: gjk@emergency-management.net