male announcer: you're watching an nbc bay area news special. tonight, we investigate. jerry hill: they've said they're going to change they've committed to changing, but they haven't changed. announcer: we area news special. tonight, we investigate. >> they said they're going to change. they have committed to changing but they have not changed. >> we investigate security at pg&e. we have the link to the internal memo that talks about the situation. we investigate emergency preparedness at silicon valley's airport. why some question san jose's resources when it comes to handling a crash like asiana. >> it's terrible that they decided to sell this in their meat case. >> rabbits, sold as food.

the controversial new protein at a major food chain. why the producers may not be meeting quality standards. >> thank you for joining us. for the next 30 minutes we investigate. what does that mean? it means investigation that gets results, following your tax dollars and holding the powerful accountable. we begin tonight with an internal telling memo about pg&e and its critical sub stations a memo the company never thought you would see from pg&e's director of corporate security. and we investigate why it contradicts exactly what she told our cameras just weeks before she wrote it. you want to keep the public safe day off night seven days a week. >> together we're building a better california. >> our commitment is to spend $100 million over the next three years. >> publicly pg&e has worked to build confidence in its commitment to safety and

security. >> to make sure those facilities are hardened and that we're doing the very best job we can do to make sure our customers have very quality affordable energy. >> privately, much different in this internal memo. >> wow, really clearly states that they're not capable at that point to meet the security standards that are necessary. >> state senator jerry hill reviewed the memo provided to nbc bay area by informed sources from inside pg&e. >> it calls into question their integrity. as we move forward -- they have said they're going to change. they have committed to changing but they haven't changed. >> before we get into the details of the memo, it's important to understand the timeline. first, in april of 2013 gunmen attacked the substation destroying transformers causing $25 million in damage with the potential to black out much of

silicon valley. >> trying to get now to a large substation in the central valley. >> then last july an nbc bay area investigation had 14 visited to substations in california reporting to increase the security. our report includes a military vet with two decades of special ops training. guys who train like you, what could be done how long would it take? >> it could be repeated at different sites in less than 15 minutes. >> reporter: then in august of last year a second security breach at the met cap substation this time the intruders stole expensive equipment and were not detected for more than 15 hours. it was an indictment of the utility's claim of enhanced security. do you think that pg&e has done

enough now to make the area secure? >> we have done everything we can. >> reporter: she made that statement, just 12 days after the interview just a week after the second security breach at met calf on august 30 pg&e's director of security wrote this memo to pg&e president chris johns. including, the physical security infrastructure of pg&e has plenty of work to be done. and she wrote, in reality, pg&e is years away from a healthy and robust physical security posture. her written words stand in stark contrast to what douglas told us 12 days before she wrote that memo. would you call pg&e's security right now high level security? >> yes, for our critical security we have high level security. >> reporter: in the memo douglas writes they cannot firm firmly account for what security assets are in place.

and the companies security structure is an assortment of technologies, many of them outdated. she adds i would consider them to be in a fail mode. information in the memo now helps to explain why pg&e couldn't answer this key question last year. >> can you tell us where you have been? >> i do know a couple of places you have been. and i know that you have been visiting some of our sites at night. >> that is part of our test here. can you tell us when and where? >> tony i'll give you some ideas. >> they're still speaking out of both sides of their mouth. >> senior jerry hill called for greater accountability and security at pg&e substations. >> we work every day to make sure our security is my place so we don't have another met calf. >> after reading this memo was she telling the truth? >> clearly, she didn't tell us the facts of the situation. >> reporter: the memo also

included it continues to be slow piecemeal and uncertain. we risk having security and gaps for some time before the issue is resolved. >> we don't have years for security. this could be drastic and devastating for our security and many people's lives if we lose some of these substation. >> what do you say to the insiders who trusted us with this information that wanted it to become public? >> two words. thank you. >> now, we requested a new interview with pg&e's director of security. she declined instead sending a detail on the memo that includes more funding and staffing for security and monthly security reviews for senior staffers. since the memo pg&e is pointing to significant upgrades at met calf including a barrier wall

and deterrent systems and improved lighting. changes, certainly, but no explanation for the contradiction in public statements and the reality painted in that memo. coming up next? >> at least four sides, going to play them all. can you tell me how you do that? >> i don't know. >> we investigate emergency resources at silicon valley's growing airport. the question is is san jose prepared for an emergency like the asiana crash? that is next.

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unit, call our tip line at 888-996-tips or send us an email to theunit@nbcbayarea.com. tony: when an asiana plane crashed 2 years ago at sfo it was a terrifying sight.

the ntsb credited the firefighter staffing levelskovaleski, kovalesk . when an asiana plane crashed two years ago at sfo it was a terrifying sight. the ntsb credited the staffing levels and quick response with saving lives. so tonight, we investigate what if a similar crash happened at silicon valley's airport. is san jose prepared? senior investigator steven stock has our report. >> i need you to bring in the medical gear. >> reporter: video from a firefighter's helmet camera gives an up-close look of the crash at sfo. but it also shows the incredible and immediate action of the first responders there. >> they all shared a first experience of initial impact. >> reporter: the ntsb investigation credited the san francisco fire department as being quote, instrumental in responding so quickly and saving lives. >> there seems to be two large

openings. >> reporter: sffd had firefighters on the crash within minutes, the first vehicle there within three minutes. so we wanted to know just how prepared is the fire department at silicon valley's airport in case of a similar disaster here. we compared data from ten other major airports listed by the faa as similar in size and passenger traffic to san jose international. what we found, san jose had the fewest number of firefighters on duty at any time at the airport. sjc has only three firefighters and a captain. compare that to san jose or pittsburg with 15 firefighters and a chief officer. >> i think it is inadequate. >> reporter: john karr and less

olmonds developed a training manual used by airports. they used it for the airport in manetta before creating their own consulting business. back then they say there were six firefighters per shift. now only four. >> i would like to see two more firefighters out at the airport, i think they would be more effective. >> reporter: but san jose is not breaking rules. that is because while they mandate they have the firefighters they don't require a minimum number to be on duty. >> the faa says it's good enough, the fire department is here and responding. we have these people on site they're very well trained, they train and drill. they know what they're doing. you conform to all faa requirements? >> correct. >> but if there was a 767 that went down with a declared

emergency, is there enough emergency personnel on scene to adequately respond to an emergency such as asiana here at sjc? >> absolutely we have enough. >> no doubt about it? >> no doubt. >> would i like more resources? absolutely. >> he oversees the operation including station 20 at the airport. >> the speed at which we can achieve our operational objectives certainly has been affected by a reduction in personnel. >> reporter: do the math, two of the four firefighters on duty would be driving the two firefighting trucks there. the emergency plan calls for the captain to direct the scene and issue order ss, so what is left? >> what is left is a firefighter. >> reporter: one firefighter, one guy to help with the evacuation and rescue of those who survive any crash. >> it's simple math. you have an airplane that carries 250 people.

at least four on one side four on the other. that leaves one person to man these eight flights. can you tell me how you do that? i don't know. >> reporter: san jose manetta's airport emergency plan also calls for backups to arrive and help out. but this memo shows the average time to get to the fence outside the airport is eight to 11 minutes. according to the ntsb at that same point in time after the asiana crash, firefighters had already evacuated all the passengers. >> yeah it's a big challenge. all the equipment has to get to the airport. then they have to get in the fence, and then be escorted to the scene. >> when i was there they didn't have runway hydrants. >> they still don't. >> they don't? >> right now there are no active hydrants at the airport, near the runways. of the ten airports we compared to san jose only ten others didn't have hydrants.

at sjc, the nearest hydrants are located at the edge of the field or at the gate where the airplanes park more than a thousand feet from the center of the runway. >> in a crash at the runway, you don't want the vehicles to leave the scene to go resupply with water. >> reporter: the director said they chose not to install the hydrants during the runway reconstruction. >> i think we have a great water effort all the way on the air field. i'm confident they know what they're doing and will be able to handle the fires. >> you wish you had more personnel? >> wish is a difficult word to respond to the but respond to, but i'll tell you they have responded to the additional request for personnel and is up for vote by the council. we do believe we are delivering the services that are required here at the air field. could use some enhanced

resources. >> but the most recent budget this year did not include any firefighting positions at the airport. now, we also talked to several pilots who fly in and out of the airport regularly. including one they sent our way. all said they were nervous about having so few firefighters on hand in the event something goes wrong. coming up next is it a pet or a protein? the new white meat that may not meet one grocer's standards. we take you inside the inspection reports next.

unit, call our tip line at 888-996-tips or send us an email to theunit@nbcbayarea.com. tony: it's a high end market with a unique problem. when whole foods decided to sell rabbit meat, the decision set off a fierce debate. . if a high end market with a

unique problem, when they started to sell rabbit meat they started a fierce debate. is the meat meeting the standard whole foods has promised? investigative reporter vicki nguyen reports. >> reporter: fresh and frozen a new white meat is available at whole foods across the country. whole foods started to sell rabbit meat last summer in seven out of its 11 regions in the united states, including northern california. >> these are already exploited animals that we hold dear. >> reporter: tara baxter does not mince words when she describes the decision. >> i expected more from whole foods, i have rescued rabbits. >> reporter: more of the pain that she considers the animal headless, she considers it a trend-setting problem. >> they created a demand for the

meat. that is happening across the grocery stores. they're all going to try to sell the meat. >> reporter: this group created this network to educate consumers for rabbit meat and cruelty. they want to end the sales. >> it is atrocious that they decide to sell a domestic pet meat in their case. >> reporter: this is among the 2.3 million pet rabbits living in u.s. homes, according to the largest national pet ownership survey rabbits are the fifth most common pets. >> they bond for life with humans. >> reporter: what makes a pet versus the protein source is not the only issue. rabbit advocates also have a beef with the way these animals go from farm to tables. >> they're farming these animals in a state where it's illegal for people to actually go and

get foot ageage of how the animals are being raised. >> reporter: she is referring to so-called ad gag laws of people who take photos without consent. iowa is one of those states. and it's the source of the rabbits sold at whole foods across the bay area. through a federal records request we obtained the usda inspection reports for the iowa rabbits. records showed the number of rabbits dead in the yard and dead on arrival before they were slaughtered. the numbers range from 0 some days and 38 dead on arrival on a single day in july. >> that is a red flag for us. >> reporter: the government doesn't have a set date and they declined to tell us more. inspection reports reveal the usda sent out a letter of caution, warning them for sending out the meat improperly

labelled by usda, when they were not. that prompted a voluntary recall. they found fecal smears and skinned rabbits routinely coming into contact with unskinned rabbits which often had grossly contaminated pelts. according to whole foods farm meat and quality standards, no crates cages or tetherss are permitted. but they noted wet rabbits in crates noting this is a concern as a welfare issue and as a clean issue. food and water are always available for its rabbits, but inspectors found rabbits overnighted in crates during cold weather, had no access to water because the water sources tended to freeze. >> they're factory farmed like

any other animal. >> reporter: iowa rabbit said any products sold bearing the inspection mark assures that the rabbits were closely inspected. we work closely with the usda to make sure the standards are met. records are incomplete because they only contain observations made by usda but do not contain the actions taken by our company. but when we asked what the actions were the company did not respond. >> when we return our investigation continues. >> the context of this is slaughtering animals. inside from a food safety expert when we return.

unit, call our tip line at 888-996-tips or send us an email to theunit@nbcbayarea.com. tony: we continue now looking into the controversy

surrounding rabbit meat. the investigative unit found inspection records that reveal we continue now looking into the controversy surrounding rabbit meat. the investigative unit found inspection record that is reveal the rabbit suppliers may not achieve the standards whole foods promises its customers. investigative reporter vicki nguyen has more. >> reporter: rich larsen has taught courses on food sanitation since 1995. when it comes to usda standards, larsen says what is happening at the company is not unusual. >> the context is slaughtering animals. and fecal matter is just what is part of what is going to be present in that process. to keep it from getting to the consumer is a concern. what i saw was an ongoing issue.

>> reporter: larsen says in the restaurant meat? >> rabbit is not a popular meat among consumers. >> reporter: whole food said the reason they started to sell the rabbit meat was demand. for many years, they say lots of customers request that we carry rabbit. but what continues to be an internal investigation reveals another story. a snap shot of sales showed that stores sold an average of 5.8 rabbits per week per store. whole foods declined our interview request. meanwhile, a petition to get whole foods to stop selling rabbits has collected more than 40,000 signatures. >> come here. >> reporter: people hoping to change the mind of those at the top of the food chain at this national grocer. >> whole foods is coming up on the one-year anniversary of this

pilot program selling rabbit meat. it is not clear if the company will continue offering the product. but feedback from customers prompted another grocery chain, sprouts, to stop selling rabbit meat. well, if you have a story for us we invite you to call our tip line or send an e-mail to the unit @nbcbayarea.com. finally, we thank you for tuning in tonight. if you're a fan of investigative journalism we invite you to join us on nbc bay area on tv and on the web. we invite you to investigate. i'm tony kovaleski. >> tonight, documentary about the dreamers of

[music] peter coyote: it was called the valley of heart's delight, a stretch of ground so fertile it rivaled the best agricultural regions on earth. in the first half of the 20th century, the santa clara valley was the global leader in canned and dried fruits. valley apricots were so valuable, they were individually wrapped in special paper before being shipped to the finest restaurants in france. and it was the prune capital