and prevention and also with respect to you were talking about fuel, the fuels program, or vegetation management program in cal fire, we have a robust program throughout the state where we are conducting burning operations and vegetation management with prieflt ranch owners and private land owners as well as on state and cooperating with our federal agencies with the u.s. forest service. so two-fold program, vegetation management, we aggressively pursue that, but also from a public education stand point. what we find in these large scale incidents, the public is going to have to be self-sustaining and self-supporting. they need to be prepared. we try to educate them in respect that we say we'll provide the offense, you provide the defense. we talk to them about hardening their structures in a defensive measure against wild land fires. a lot of it is public

education, survivability, building standards, but predominately our focus is putting the onus on the land owner, putting the onus on the private property owner, we will attempt to protect your home but the days of staying and defending your home and killing our fire fighters are done. we will not stand and defend a house that has not been prepared by a land owner and die for it. we don't do that any more. that's one of our doctrinal changes and we set forth some new guidelines with that. >> thank you. >> question, mr. secretary. >> in a large scale disaster relief, where the military is called in to assist the civilian components there is an obvious issue of how you get the command and control and in particular what telecommunications is used to support that command and control. your exercising together is very critical, i think, to working out command and control but you still have

an equipment problem because the equipment, telecommunication equipment designed for the military was different from that used. how are you working out to get the coordination of telecommunications, particularly in disaster relief where the cellular infrastructure may be broken down and not available to support? could you comment somehow are you going to work out this telecommunications problem. >> so from a perspective of fema, we not only have a defense officer appointed by dod embedded with us during a disaster but we actually practice and have communications interoperatability over our systems to be sure we can communicate with each other on similar platforms and also support state and local platforms, whether it was katrina or other events we've actually been able to bring in national guard platforms to provide 911 systems for cities that have lost those systems.

we recently in the joplin tornados and also tuscaloosa tornados we brought in dod equipment to replace what was destroyed. from the fire side i know there's a lot of things you are doing to work around the interoperatability issues with regard to communications between fire and dod and maybe if ray or anybody else wants to speak to that. >> our communications challenges still exist. we have excellent telecom communications, we have a layered effect of our radio systems. we have mobile command posts that we can exercise. so we're prepared for power outages, reduction of telecoms, we have a layered effect for our communications. but as everybody here said, we need help. if somebody here can help me get a navy or marine corps aircraft to talk

to my guys on the ground tactically, i need that and i don't have that today. i use a command control helicopter, a civilian helicopter, to handle that and transfer that to an air to air victor frequency. but from a command control perspective, we're fairly robust. are we perfect, no, but we do have layered defenses against that. >> miss yeager, i don't know if you want to say anything from a national guard perspective. >> we have some mobile explorable platforms we can send out to incidents to help provide additional infrastructure in the event everything breaks down then our units have organic communications capability so i can move that out and i can help reinforce cal fire on their incident with what i have in the aviation brigade and units through the state of california have that same communication but the iceu,

which is a mobile communications platform, is ideal in events like this to push out to help. >> any other questions? >> i have one. back in 1992 when it was a big fire season and there was a lot of grass, they came to us and i was down at camp pendleton and they asked us it train marines on shovel work. what happened about 6 months later, they ended up sending two battalions to yellowstone. i haven't heard any discussion at all, do you expect the military, the guard or the active forces to be training people to do shovel-like work? all you have talked about so far is aviation. >> one of the challenges with a ground-based attack and training a soldier to be a ground-based fire fighter is the training takes time. and it takes approximately 3 to 5

days of solid training to make sure that they are going to be working in a safe environment to learn what's going on. and most of the time that, the incidents in california will become mitigated. now, not to say that we certainly have that as an option. we have a fairly robust what we call fire crew program using cdcr inmate fire fighters. it is on our radar and it's something that we have as a contingency if we needed to do it. >> lieutenant colonel. >> yes, general, in the mou it does address the ground portion but the focus of effort is mainly on the aviation side but it is built in there for the ground side if necessary. >> i just want to say in 2008 we did activate hand crews to

fight fires and we've identified soldiers throughout the state to respond if needed. they've got the tools that they need, the boots and all that cached and available. it's really just a matter of getting the call and being ready to go. >> i was going to end with general myat. i know we've trained soldiers to do that kind of thing. after the colorado fires just recently they did put a lot of soldiers that trained, so we do still have that program who can do that if the need warrants. any other questions from out there before i turn it over to general myat? let me thank our panel here. >> thank you. (applause).

as we leave here today, we need to keep the ball moving forward. we can't -- i think most of us all here would agree, we really can't prevent the next disaster from happening. but by building the partnerships that we are here today and will continue to build in the future, we can certainly limit the number of deaths and long-term destruction. we can surge a lot of things: resources, people. but we cannot surge trust. so venues such as this is what helps us build that trust so that when the bell does go off we know -- a comment i made yesterday and i'd like to use it again in closing today, the most important thing for me to come out of this two-day seminar and

sbat -- into the future is the ability for us to physically face to face look each other in the eye, shake hands and say to each other, we are in this together. thank you, ladies and gentlemen. . (applause). >> thank you, admiral beeman. you have helped me carry out one of the instructions secretary schultz gave to me 3 years ago, bring the fleet back to fleet week. we couldn't do it without you. i thank secretary and mrs. perry for coming, just -- i know it's, you've got some other things, people are waiting on you right now but i really appreciate you co here. of rse secry mrs. scltz fothe re

ogra. ceiralathan, i don'knif he's here, he mahave ad but he gave great talk yesterday on the medical side. and vice admiral z, coast guard, our senior rep here, i can never pronounce his name but he's made things great. general speese, thank you for making this happen. rear admiral hubner, he was here, he's been terrific working withus. rear admiral rivera coming up from the chilean navy, thank you so much. i learned a lot. we need the kind of input that we got from you, really, and we thank you so much. i would be remiss not to mention the two people that really are responsible for all this. first was lewis loeven. lewis loeven works hours and

hours to do this. thank you so much. but the other is because she's committed to make it happen and it's her focus that always to learn from everything that happens, ann koninberg at dem, thank you so much, ann, for everything you do. you had to have a pass to get on the ship. i've asked captain pringle, to get off the ship, i wonder if you can secure the hatch until they fill out their participant form. if you could do that, i would appreciate that. fleet week, we are a neutral convener of the process to improve the relation ships between this global force for good and the local civilian officials. and one of our goals is next time you put up

your slide with all those logos on it, general, you are going to have the san francisco fleet week logo on it, too. i look at what we accomplished in 2010, we had a meeting to understand dsca, in 2011 we had the table top exercise, we debriefed that, we had a great speaker then we had an education seminar. this time, this year we had a functional exercise in august which was terrific, you saw the panel, a medical exercise as part of fleet week and you saw the enthusiasm of the participants, then we had the back brief. now we've had a strategic operational and tactical discussions about going forward and the things that we can accomplish. so what are you going to do in 2013? well, fill out the form and tell us what you think we ought to do but we're going to be working hard to move this forward. i think ray cheney

said it from cal fire best today: we are all better off because we're in here for the last day and a half and i'm sitting here wondering, all my contemporaries, what have they been doing for the last 36 hours? they haven't been doing anything near as important as what we've been doing. i thank all of you so much for participating and stin touch. if we've got your email address you will never be lonely because we're going to get you back here next year. thank you all so much. (applause).

>> we did not expect the house to be so packed tonight, so i apologize for lack of seating in the back. i am inspector john wrote a and chief inspector secretary. -- john monroe. i would like to welcome you to the 2012 middle of valor ceremony. can we all please rise for the

pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america. into the republic, for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. thank you. you can have a seat. i would like to acknowledge and introduce some of the people we have on the stage with us. first, at the police commission president, thomas mazzucco, commissioner kingsley, paul henderson from the mayor's office as representing because the mayor was unable to come tonight. also, we have commissioner loftus. also, the command at steep. d staff.

deputy chief james that lake, lyn tomioka, leanora militello, and next to lyn commander biel, corrier from field comman. i would like to introduce chief grigory p. suhr. >> good evening, and hopefully lyn still wants to be your boss

tomorrow. i know it is quiet and there are a lot of kids in the room. that is terrific. the medal of valor ceremony is the best event that we get to attend. it is when there is a crisis, emergency, extreme danger and takes everything you have to go forward, and everyone else that would want to run away, the people you will hear about tonight not only went forward, but they stood their ground, they saved lives, they promoted public safety, and i have been attending the medal of valor ceremonies asa captn sie 1996, and i can honestly tell you the stories you will hear tonight in the roster we are born to go down tonight is the most impressive night of the medal of valor ceremonies i have had in however many years.

it really is something. tonight is for a officers to recognize them, but also for their families and officers that are not necessarily going to be recognized, because it shows what they're capable of. san francisco's finest, if you will. they just do it, they do all the time. we get used to it, because they do it without a segment thought. than they are embarrassed for the recognition. if you are parent, child, a loved one, whatever, it is so important that this is also for you for lending us if these fine men and women for their time when they are serving the city as san francisco police officers, because they will -- when you hear these stories, it will take your breath away.

nobody would blame them for not if they had, and they did not. you have heard enough of me, so let's get to storytelling and recognition. thank you all for coming. [applause] >> thank you, chief. commissioner president mazzucco: . president mazzucco: thank you. after watching your vision, i am a little nervous. i drove with him today. on behalf of the san francisco police commission, i want to thank you all for coming here this evening. it is an honor to stand before the police officers this evening, and i am humbled by it. when you hear their acts of valor, a chill will run up your spine. these men and women who have joined the police department to serve the city took an extra step, and i was actually the commissioner president during

the voting for each and every one of these metals. a little bit about the process. in this process the only people allowed in the room are civil service capt. and above. id was allowed in the room, and it was an honor to be there. inspector monroe was preside pr. interestingly, after every presentation they turn to the officers and say, do you have anything to add? not one officer added anything other than we were doing our job. we were doing what we were trained to do. i am thinking about how many people watch these action tv shows, things that are not real, and i am listening to what really happened. people watch reality shows where people deucedly games to impress people. i am sitting here saying this is impressive. these men and women risk their lives for the city.

it goes through the process in the command staff boats. they use little marbles. there are black marbles and gold marbles. they bowed. they get two-thirds of the boat from the command staff. these members of the command staff, many are very decorated. they make this decision not likely. then they bring the officer's back and they get a standing ovation from command staff. that is one of the most impressive things you will ever see. i want to think the family members. -- thank the family of members. you made them who they are. men and women who are willing to risk their lives to protect the public. there is something special about them, and you deserve the credit for it. tonight i would not be surprised if many of you do not know the true story until tonight.

there will be a chill running up your spine when you hear about what they do. you will be very proud of them. we're so proud of what they do. i want to send the family members for making them who they are in sharing them with us and sharing them with us. these are our heroes, and i really appreciate it. [applause] >> thank you. now the represent hitters -- representative from the mayor's office, paul henderson. to >> paul henderson. >> this is one of my favorite events to come to, only because it reminds me at my very core why we all do the work that we

do. i think it is one of those things where you see reality tv. i see a lot of news for you could have the story or get a perspective of the story of what is going on in the streets every day. rarely do we hear the story from the men and women on the streets protecting us every day, and there is always a story about the job people are doing that is so impressive. tonight is a culmination of the stories we get to hear about the dollar and integrity and of bravery and courage from the men and women that served us every single day. i try to remember the stories that i hear at this event throughout the rest of the year when i'm watching the news, when i am reading the newspaper, when

i am at meetings listening to what people are saying about public safety. this really does serve as an inspiration to me personally and to the city of san francisco, which is why i am here on behalf of the mayor. i am here tonight, and i brought proclamations for each and every one of the awardees on behalf of the mayor and city of sanford says go to thank you for the trip -- work you do and for being an inspiration to all of us who are working in public safety to continue what you were doing. you really are the modern-day heroes. thank you very much. it is a pleasure to be here and in honor. -- an honor. [applause] >> thank you, paul. hchiefs took a thirof my pager was going to talk about. the commission took the other third. that gives me time to acknowledge people that i saw here this evening. thank you.

some of the retired, micki griffin, a larry ryan. there is one gentleman here that i have to mention. that is deputy chief santos. thank you. [applause] this is not the kind of ceremony that he will ast we ask you to l the end to applause. i want you to jump up and down. do not read anything, because we will have to pay for it. but the know we appreciate them. i'm going to get right to it.

first up, john garrity. i would like to have sergeant beretta, brian, morris and johnson up on the stage, please. capt. garity will redo the award citation. -- will read the award citation. >> good evening. on wednesday, october 10, circuit brother brian and melissa morris and merck mulligan and officer james

johnson of the central station responded to a fire at 8 -- 824 height street in downtown san francisco. officers found the first and second story buildings involved in flames. leaving the residents, many of them students inside the six- story building in grave danger. officers immediately entered the building and began evaluating the evidence, pounding on doors and alerting them there was a fire. many of them were still asleep. essentially they were forced to withdraw from the building because the heat was so intense in the building. the fire department was still in route to the fire. not until the fire department arrived did it take over the evacuation of the fire personnel were ordered out of the building onto the street for the structure at 824 high street,

and asphalt and some of the fire equipment had to be moved because the heat was so intense it was buckling the street and the water pipes. the fire spread quickly and started the fire department personnel were overwhelmed. buildings on either side started to go up in the flames. already the buildings were starting to go. the above officers entered the building to evacuate more students and even some in the adjacent building. approximately 150 residents were evacuated from the buildings through the smoke and haze. the ceilings bubbling, and the heat from the bookshelves were still smoldering when they exited the building. many of the residents were

asleep, and where they were in mortal danger. if they have not been opened, there would have suffocated and many would have passed away in the fire. upon conferring with the fire chief, i learned there where no deaths in the fire, no serious injuries. we credit the actions of these officers for saving many lives and that fire. when i was a little boy, my grandfather told me a story -- grandmother told me a story that a fire has no conscious at all. these officers, from their historic actions and volunteers -- the call for many volunteers to go into the fire that night, and only the officers on the scene into the fire without any kind of protective fire equipment, gloves, or masks.