What would make Spokane evacuations safer?
Savage describes the evacuation congestion he witnessed, recalls neighborhood requests for evacuation plans, and urges coordination with emergency responders. His account and criticism remain attributed testimony.
“We need to work on this. I know we can and this will save lives so please let us work on this now and not next year.”
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VERY MUCH, CHRISTOPHER SAVAGE. NEXT IS BREEAN MCGEE. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE RICK WALTERS HOTCHKISS. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER SAVAGE. I'M ONE OF THE SEVEN OVER THE 700 HOUSEHOLDS THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THE COMPLEX FIRE AND IS NOW DISPLACED OR IN ANOTHER PART OF THE SPOKANE. I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY A DISTRICT THREE REPRESENTATIVE LAST WEEK. I THINK IT'S WHOLLY REPRESENT IRRESPONSIBLE AND VILE THAT THEY THINK THAT THEY NEED TO WAIT AND ESSENTIALLY ON AN ELECTION YEAR TO THAT'S COMING UP TO CREATE AN EVACUATION PLAN THAT I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU .NORTH INDIAN TRAIL LABOR COUNCIL ALTHOUGH SOUTH THE NATIONAL LABOR COUNCIL NORTHWEST AND THEIR COUNCIL FIVE MILE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ALL HAVE REQUESTED EVACUATION PLANS NOT JUST LAST YEAR, NOT THE YEAR BEFORE THAT SEVERAL YEARS NOW. HAD WE HAD EVACUATED OCEAN PLAN I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT I SAW AS I WENT BACK INTO THE FLAMES TO INFORM MY FAMILY THAT WAS COMING UP TO THE HOUSE. I DID NOT SEE AN ORDERLY ORGANIZED KIND OF DISPERSAL OF AREA. IT WAS JAM PACKED. I GET REPORTS FROM FIVE MILES SAYING IT LOOKED LIKE DANTE'S PEAK. I GET REPORTS FROM SEVEN MILE SAYING THAT THE FIRE WAS LICKING THEIR THE SIDES OF THEIR CARS AS THEY WERE WAITING FOR TWO HOURS TRYING TO GET OUT OF THERE. WE NEED EVACUATION PLAN NOW BECAUSE THE EYE IT IS LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS HARMED BY THIS. WE ARE SO LUCKY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. BUT I KNOW WE CAN DO THIS BECAUSE I THINK OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE SOUTH AND LATER CREEK AREA SAME THING'S GOING TO HAPPEN THERE AND WE CAN SEE THAT FIRES ARE JUST COMING MORE AND MORE. AND I KNOW THIS CAN HAPPEN BECAUSE I REMEMBER DISTINCTLY LAST YEAR THAT ONE OF OUR COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES FROM DISTRICT TWO WAS ACTUALLY A PART OF EVACUATION PLAN ON THE SOUTH HILL. WE CAN DO THIS. I KNOW WE CAN DO THIS. WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH SPEEDY THE SPOKANE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POSSIBLY THE NATIONAL GUARD TO MAKE SURE WE ARE HAVING AN ORDERLY DISPERSAL. I WAS LUCKY. I KNOW THE AREA I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THERE FAST WITH MY FAMILY. OTHERS AREN'T ABLE TO SAY THE SAME. WE NEED TO WORK ON THIS. I KNOW WE CAN AND THIS WILL SAVE LIVES SO PLEASE LET US WORK ON THIS NOW AND NOT NEXT YEAR. IT'LL BE FAR TOO LATE. THANK YOU, BREEAN. MAGGIE. NEXT WE'LL