Updated: American Samoa Homeland Security Disputes CNN Report; Tsunami Warning Data Analysed

By Vienna Richards, Editor

The following reply from American Samoa’s Director of Homeland Security in response to our email after news broke yesterday on CNN’s report on dodgy governance practices in American Samoa. In this interview, Mike Sala disputes CNN’s assertions that the island had no tsunami warning system in place.

Mr Sala also says the role of federal government in the tragedy of Tuesday 29th September cannot be ignored. We have published his written answers in full, unedited. We will be following this story, and the issues it raises, in future posts.

pacificEyeWitness.org(PEW): Is it true that American Samoa does not have a tsunami warning system despite receiving disaster preparedness funding from the US?

Mike Sala, Director of American Samoa Homeland Security

It is true that we do not have a siren warning system, however, (to address the second half of your question) since I have been at the head of the American Samoa Department of Homeland Security, we have not had access to most that funding.  Although some funding was granted under the previous director, much of it was later “disallowed”.

Some funding was frozen entirely, making the purchase of emergency equipment such as sirens impossible, although there was clearly a need for that equipment.

pacificEyeWitness.org: If it isn’t true, how so?

Mike Sala, Director of American Samoa Homeland Security

American Samoa does have a back-up emergency system, which was utilized the day of the earthquake and tsumani.  It consists of 2-Way Communication radios which we utilized on that day to contact the radio stations.  Because the epicenter of the quake was very close to the Samoas, and the NWS did not issue a warning until the tsunami was nearly upon us, the time frame created a “worst case” scenario for our system.

While working to reinstate our funding, and thereby acquiring the island wide warning system which we needed, my office, the American Samoa Government Department of Homeland Security has placed great emphasis on awareness, education, training and drills.  Just one week prior to the tsumani, my staff had visited villages in the eastern district of the island given them very specific tsunami training.  Although they are low-lying villages which were hard hit, no one died there and even tsunami scientists attributed that fact to the awareness and education which our office conducted.

pacificEyeWitness.org: Can the American Samoan Administration be trusted to spend wisely and carefully the funds coming from the Dept of Labour?

Mike Sala, Director of American Samoa Homeland Security

I believe that this is possible, but there must always be oversight and transparency in these transactions. I can only speak for my department in terms of absolute answers.  Since I have come on board, it has been my goal to re-establish transparency, accountability and integrity in all matters related to funding.  My staff and I, particularly my deputy director Jacinta Brown, have worked for the past two years with one goal in mind:  to re-establish trust and credibility with our funding agencies, FEMA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  That has been our goal, and only within the last month has that funding been restored.

pacificEyeWitness.org: How can the people of American Samoa, and USA, be assured that it will go directly to where it’s meant to? And not to line the pockets of officials etc?

Mike Sala, Director of American Samoa Homeland Security

Again, I can only speak on behalf of my department.  I have always placed great emphasis on integrity and accountabililty, and will continue to do so.

pacificEyeWitness.org: Any other comments?

Mike Sala, Director of American Samoa Homeland Security

The lack of oversight on the part of the federal government should not be ignored in this tragedy.

UPDATE: Friday 30 Oct 12pm(NZTime)

Received the following email response to questions raised earlier this week

pacificEyeWitness.org: Do you and your administration take responsibility for the lives lost on Tuesday 29^th Sept? One could say you and your officials, including the Governor, have blood on your hands. What’s your reaction to that?

I’d like to explaining something to you that many people outside American Samoa may not understand.  American Samoa is a small island, i’ts a small community, a very family oriented community, we’re all family.  There is not one person on this island not personally affected by the tragic events of Septemer 29, 2009.  We did not lose 34 strangers, we lost 34 members of our family.

It is true that American Samoa, in the past, has problems with corruption but in recent years that has been rapidly changing.  Everything that could be done on September 29, 2009 to save lives was done accordingly.  To suggest that government corruption contributed to the loss of our family members is not only unfounded but irresponsible.  I hope you find this information helpful and that it clears up any misuderstanding.

Speaking on behalf of the new American Samoa Department of Homeland Security (ASDHS), there is no early warning/alert siren system today.  Instead, funds were advanced to NOAA/NWS during the previous leadership for a weather/hazard broadcast system that has not been fully implemented.  In terms of the tsunami incident of September 29, 2009, the existing early system (EAS COM Radio) utilizing two way radios was operational and instrumental in activating the EAS weather/hazard radio broadcast system and reporting events of the wave that devastated the territory.  This EAS COM Radio system also known as the Territorial Emergency Radio System (TERS) was paid for by the American Samoa Telecommunications Authority (ASTCA) with the understanding that then Territorial Office of Homeland Security (TOHS) under Birdie Alailima would reimburse ASCTA for fronting the purchase.  Apparently, federal funds were not available at the time and ASTCA jumped in and paid for the system or else TOHS would not be eligible to apply for State Homeland Security Grants the following year.  This radio system had to be in place for a modified full scale exercise that was also scheduled in the same time frame.  This system contributed to saving lives on the morning of the tsunami in addition to a series of training and awareness campaigns conducted by ASDHS and NOAA. This year, funds have been approved for the new Siren System covering the Territory based on a study conducted in 2006.

mike

Editor’s note: The latest email response arrived after Mike Sala initially sent to pacificeyewitness.org a news story purporting to be written by Samoanews. It was included in his first email replies to our questions. We did not publish that news story pending verification from Samoanews that it was their story. It was a story critical of the federal government and casting dispersions on the former Homeland Security Director. It did not read like an article written by a journalist. We checked online and on samoanews website for the story and could find no record, whatsoever. We verified later last night that the story was not one written or published by samoanews. We emailed back to Mike Sala, the Governor of Samoa and Evelyn Langford, the Governor’s Representative for an explanation. Instead of responding directly to the email below, pacificeyewitness.org received the above response in the Updated Segment of this post.

From: Editor PEW [mailto:editor@pacificeyewitness.org]
Sent: Thursday, 29 October 2009 10:50 p.m.
To: ‘Mike Sala’
Cc: ‘Evelyn Vaitautolu-Langford’; ‘Teri Hunkin’; ‘JACINTA GALEAI’; ‘Jacinta Brown’; ‘Andy Puletasi’
Subject: Samoa News Story

Mike, I have just checked with Samoa News and have been advised that the story sent to me from your email this afternoon, is in fact, not a Samoa News story.I can find no record of it being published by Samoa News or anywhere else on the Internet.

Please tell me where the story is from and who actually wrote it? Why is the byline “Samoa News staff” when I have been advised that this is not their story? If you can let me know those answers as soon as possible, thank you.

Now to clarify other points in this story. First, in the CNN report, an unnamed official source pointed the finger at “prior administrations” for failing to oversee funding to American Samoa. In fact, it was under the previous Bush Administration that stronger accountabilities on federal funding were applied to American Samoa. This included freezing homeland security funds to American Samoa. It was also under the  Bush Administration (not the Obama Administration) that American Samoa was placed on the high risk list. The whistleblower who blew the lid on spending abuses was the former director for American Samoa Homeland Security, Leiataua Birdie Ala’ilima featured in the CNN Report. He was reportedly fired, along with his entire department, in March 2007.  Mike Sala was later installed as the Homeland Security Adviser, despite initial concerns about his suitability for the role, after complaints about his drinking.

Samoa News reported 3 Feb 2009

The veteran law enforcement official’s drinking habits were raised by Sens. Tuanaitau Tuia and Velega Savali. Tuanaitau told Sala that he received the night before the hearing three telephone calls from the community on their concerns about Sala’s drinking habits.

Velega added the reason he raised this issue is because he didn’t want a situation where there would be a natural disaster or emergency in which ASDHS is needed but Sala was not fully aware of what was happening.

Sala said that when he goes to bars, he is gathering intelligence, which is the main function of his department, as well as talking to people and finding out from the public what is happening in the territory — things that ASDHS might not be aware of otherwise.

Finally, Mike Sala is correct in saying that American Samoa did not receive a warning until “the tsunami was nearly upon us”. Data from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre show that the first report of a quake was at 17.48 Zulu time(GMT) potentially generating a destructive tsunami that would hit American Samoa at 17:59. Yet the very first tsunami warning from the Centre was not issued to government agencies in the Pacific Region until 18:05 Zulu time(GMT). The first report confirming tsunami activity was issued at  18:56.  Ponder the speed at which the quake triggered a series of deadly waves. Literally minutes to alert people before the first wave hit. Based on the following wave activity report, the first recorded tsunami waves to hit American Samoa arrived a mere 7 minutes after receiving the official warning.

MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY
GAUGE LOCATION        LAT   LON    TIME        AMPL         PER
 -------------------  ----- ------  -----  ---------------  -----
 APIA UPOLU WS        13.8S 171.8W  1832Z   0.70M /  2.3FT  08MIN
 PAGO PAGO AS         14.3S 170.7W  1812Z   1.57M /  5.1FT  04MIN
LAT  - LATITUDE (N-NORTH, S-SOUTH)
LON  - LONGITUDE (E-EAST, W-WEST)
TIME - TIME OF THE MEASUREMENT (Z IS UTC IS GREENWICH TIME)
AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
        IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
        VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
 PER  - PERIOD OF TIME IN MINUTES(MIN) FROM ONE WAVE TO THE NEXT.

[picapp src=”9/b/9/b/Clean_Up_Continues_0d48.jpg?adImageId=6966995&imageId=6701058″ width=”500″ height=”333″ /]

What this highlights, at least for me, is the unpredictable and imperfect science of  being able to get plenty of warning ahead of a earthquake, let alone a deadly tsunami. Sure, we get ball park forecasting from scientists but it’s not a precise science. Rather, it’s their best  and most educated estimate .  Analysing the data  is a salutary reminder that we don’t control the universe. God still does.

With all this, that still does not explain the behaviour of American Samoan officials implicated in the alleged misuse of federal funds intended for disaster preparedness. How could they justify their actions and the mis-spend of disaster preparedness funds specifically allocated to purchase a tsunami alarm? Funds that the Homeland Security department itself never saw from what I can glean so far. Instead, CNN report the Governor’s office spent it on flat screen TVs, expensive leather coaches and trips to Las Vegas. More to come.