Jurisdictional whizzing matches need to stop in WNC (10-03-2024--Hour1)

[00:00:04] [SPEAKER_00]: What's going on? Thank you so much for listening to this podcast

[00:00:07] [SPEAKER_00]: It is heard live every day from noon to three on WBT radio in Charlotte

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you want exclusive content like invitations to events the weekly live stream my daily show prep with all the links become a patron

[00:00:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Go to the Pete Kaliner show comm make sure you hit the subscribe button get every episode for free write your smartphone or tablet

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_00]: and again, thank you so much for your support Pete Kaliner here and

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Happy to be with you. Thanks for everybody for listening and for the people on the podcast up in the western North Carolina who are

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_00]: listening

[00:00:38] [SPEAKER_00]: You know, we're doing what we can I just want to keep you know confirming that for you

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_00]: We are

[00:00:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Not just us here in Charlotte, but all around the state

[00:00:49] [SPEAKER_00]: all around the nation

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_00]: citizens are are trying to help and to get stuff in and

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Let me start with

[00:01:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Well a disclaimer I have now that some of the

[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Communications have been coming back online

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_00]: restoration of service particularly thanks to Starlink Elon Musk's operation and the deployment of these comms devices and the

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_00]: opening up of the not devices but the links, you know to the to provide

[00:01:26] [SPEAKER_00]: broadband service via

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Satellite basically low-flying satellites

[00:01:34] [SPEAKER_00]: That now people are starting to be able to

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Communicate and to post their needs and to post their eyewitness accounts

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_00]: ask for help

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_00]: And so it is very bad and I have been getting

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_00]: more and more and more

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_00]: emails and messages

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_00]: From people I know from listeners

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm trying to keep up with it, but it's it's a lot

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_00]: and

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't want ever I don't want y'all to ever think that like I'm not reading your stuff

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_00]: I am reading like all of it that I know of I'm it's taking a long time

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_00]: But I'm reading I'm reading all of it

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_00]: And if I don't mention something on the air

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_00]: It's usually because I

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Have not been able to confirm

[00:02:31] [SPEAKER_00]: The information this goes to my own standards of

[00:02:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Confirmation right like I am not going to as I was a reporter for a decade. I went to school for it and

[00:02:48] I

[00:02:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Followed the rules that I was

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_00]: That I was taught and that I you know honed while I was here at the WBT newsroom as well

[00:02:59] [SPEAKER_00]: One person telling me something doesn't automatically make it so there's an old joke

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00]: In journalism that you know nothing kills a great story like the other side of it

[00:03:10] [SPEAKER_00]: so it's important for me to try to get confirmation of a

[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Accounts

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_00]: So as to not

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Relay information that is incorrect

[00:03:26] [SPEAKER_00]: I do not I I've never had to do a retraction

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't ever plan to do a retraction and so I try to make sure that the

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_00]: information in the accounts that I

[00:03:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Relay are accurate and I can defend it

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: So I have been seeing a lot of the stories that have been

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Posted on social media people have shared them with me and

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_00]: When I get confirmation of these stories or

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_00]: You know from it for at least two people that's usually the rule is if you can get you know one person on the record

[00:04:08] [SPEAKER_00]: That's great, but

[00:04:10] [SPEAKER_00]: If you can get somebody else to confirm that this indeed happened, that's even better

[00:04:15] [SPEAKER_00]: But that is not always a hard and fast rule sometimes it does depend on what the information is

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER_00]: But you got to do you know the vetting the legwork you got to check somebody's story out their background

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Are they a grifter? Are they crazy? Are they a criminal like that kind of stuff so

[00:04:36] [SPEAKER_00]: That's that that's sort of my process

[00:04:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so if you've been sending me stuff and you're like why isn't he talking about fill in the blank?

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_00]: It's because I don't feel comfortable relaying that because I don't know if it's true

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Also my focus has been in the first

[00:04:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Well since you know since I got internet back on Sunday night is

[00:05:03] [SPEAKER_00]: The immediate needs and it is very easy

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_00]: to

[00:05:09] [SPEAKER_00]: spiral down a

[00:05:12] [SPEAKER_00]: A path of worry and anxiety and despair

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_00]: When you start thinking in terms of

[00:05:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Six months down the road a year down the road and you start playing the what-if game and what you know

[00:05:27] [SPEAKER_00]: What's gonna happen and all of that it it can consume

[00:05:31] [SPEAKER_00]: every thought you have in

[00:05:34] [SPEAKER_00]: this kind of a situation and

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_00]: that is generally

[00:05:40] [SPEAKER_00]: not always but generally

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_00]: not very helpful to

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Overcoming the obstacles that are present in your path right now and so right now

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_00]: it is

[00:05:55] [SPEAKER_00]: The basics right now. It is food. It is medicine. It is water

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_00]: It is clothing safety shelter

[00:06:05] [SPEAKER_00]: I and

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_00]: That requires

[00:06:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Communication to find out where people are what they need and it requires rescue operations getting people off of mountains

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Where they are trapped because all the roads have washed out and they cannot get down the mountain. They are old

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_00]: They are sick. They are running out of medicine. They haven't eaten. It's now been seven days

[00:06:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And there are still people trapped on mountains

[00:06:37] [SPEAKER_00]: So the first order of business again not an expert just a radio host first order of business is the restoration of communications

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_00]: That's got to be the first thing and so I'm

[00:06:50] [SPEAKER_00]: once again

[00:06:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Grateful and indebted to

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Elon Musk and Starlink for

[00:06:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Shipping in hundreds of these Starlink

[00:07:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Satellites to provide communication in the area

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_00]: It is through that and then making it free by the way making it free access

[00:07:14] [SPEAKER_00]: For everybody there so that's and it's not just you know

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_00]: People who are stranded on the sides of mountains. It's also

[00:07:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Emergency responders it's the first responders local fire and police and rescue operators and relief organizations

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Like they need to know good. They need to know

[00:07:35] [SPEAKER_00]: where to go and

[00:07:37] [SPEAKER_00]: You go up into Western, North Carolina

[00:07:40] [SPEAKER_00]: most people myself included

[00:07:43] [SPEAKER_00]: rely on GPS and

[00:07:45] [SPEAKER_00]: I talked about this the other day when I first moved up there my cell phone service provider

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Did not have great coverage up in the mountains coverage in the mountains is spotty

[00:07:54] [SPEAKER_00]: You know on a regular basis let alone in the aftermath of this kind of a devastating storm

[00:08:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Which as I understand it like twice the size of Katrina

[00:08:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Not in the death count, but in the in the size of the actual storm

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_00]: its impact zone so

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Coms going online first

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_00]: So people can find out where the needs are where they can go how to get there

[00:08:25] [SPEAKER_00]: and then it's

[00:08:28] [SPEAKER_00]: rescue and

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_00]: basics of survival

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_00]: That's how all civilizations are built. They have been throughout time. It is you know food water shelter

[00:08:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Basics that's been my focus for the last

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_00]: four days now five days and

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll continue to be until we know that they have found

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Everybody and gotten

[00:08:56] [SPEAKER_00]: them to safety

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Shelters have been set up all over the place

[00:09:01] [SPEAKER_00]: They are getting people out if you can get out of the area and stay someplace with friends or family

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_00]: You should do so water is probably not going to be restored

[00:09:12] [SPEAKER_00]: for probably months in some areas

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_00]: And this is why I've become

[00:09:24] [SPEAKER_00]: increasingly angry at

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_00]: the now

[00:09:28] [SPEAKER_00]: numerous reports

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_00]: That's that all seem to confirm the same kind of

[00:09:36] [SPEAKER_00]: jurisdictional crap

[00:09:38] [SPEAKER_00]: With government agencies

[00:09:41] [SPEAKER_00]: fighting each other fighting citizens

[00:09:44] [SPEAKER_00]: arguing against people who are trying to go save

[00:09:48] [SPEAKER_00]: lives

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Don't you go up there? Don't you do that? I'm in charge

[00:09:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Pound sand jackasses seriously. There are now too many stories that all

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_00]: corroborate this same sort of

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Dynamic that is occurring and I heard the same thing in other disaster areas and for

[00:10:13] [SPEAKER_00]: agencies and personnel whose job is

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_00]: theoretically at least to respond to

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Disaster areas

[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Why does it always seem to be the same story?

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_00]: about dumb assery as

[00:10:29] [SPEAKER_00]: People are dying

[00:10:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Why is that the case? I know the answer to this of course its government

[00:10:38] [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm trying to restrain myself. I'm trying not to be angry about it, but it is it does make me angry

[00:10:46] [SPEAKER_00]: It'll probably make you angry too

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm gonna go over some of the details

[00:10:50] [SPEAKER_00]: From stories that have now started to come out

[00:10:54] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm also gonna try to you know give you some of the good stories

[00:10:57] [SPEAKER_00]: You know we had the the pack mule

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: The Mountaineer pack mules or whatever that have been taking literally hiking supplies up mountains in mule trains

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Because that's what's required. That's what's needed and that's all I care about. What is needed?

[00:11:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Fix the problem in front of you then move on oh

[00:11:18] [SPEAKER_00]: You see somebody right there that needs rescuing grab them bring them back

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Move on. I don't understand again. I'm just a radio host. What do I know?

[00:11:29] [SPEAKER_00]: You know stories are powerful

[00:11:30] [SPEAKER_00]: They help us make sense of things to understand experiences stories connect us to the people of our past while transcending

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Generations they help us process the meaning of life and our stories are told through images and videos

[00:11:43] [SPEAKER_00]: preserve your stories with creative video started in

[00:11:46] [SPEAKER_00]: 1997 in Mint Hill, North Carolina

[00:11:48] [SPEAKER_00]: It was the first company to provide this valuable service converting images photos and videos into high quality produced

[00:11:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Slide shows videos and albums the trusted talented and dedicated team at creative video will go over all of the details with you to create a perfect

[00:12:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Project satisfaction guaranteed drop them off in person or mail them

[00:12:07] [SPEAKER_00]: They'll be ready in a week or two memorial videos for your loved ones videos for rehearsal dinners weddings

[00:12:12] [SPEAKER_00]: graduations Christmas family vacations birthdays or just your family stories all told through images

[00:12:19] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what your photos and videos are

[00:12:22] [SPEAKER_00]: They are your life told through the eyes of everyone around you and all who came before you and they will tell others to come

[00:12:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Who you are visit creative video comm I spent a lot of time yesterday arguing with

[00:12:36] [SPEAKER_00]: leftists

[00:12:37] [SPEAKER_00]: who were critical of my criticism of

[00:12:40] [SPEAKER_00]: Joe Biden

[00:12:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Doing a chopper flight over Western North Carolina to survey the damage the point that I was

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_00]: making I

[00:12:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Thought I think we have a feel like we've got an open line someplace. You hear that yeah, okay

[00:12:59] [SPEAKER_00]: The the the point I made yesterday

[00:13:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Which was that the president does not need to fly over the area while search and rescue operations are ongoing

[00:13:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Because when the president flies over an area all airspace is cleared

[00:13:17] [SPEAKER_00]: right no one's allowed

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_00]: within I think 50 miles or so of

[00:13:22] [SPEAKER_00]: the president's

[00:13:24] [SPEAKER_00]: aircraft and so

[00:13:27] [SPEAKER_00]: When you fly over Asheville all of the helicopters that have been dropping supplies and picking up survivors

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_00]: They are grounded. They're not allowed to fly

[00:13:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Also, I am not aware of all of the FAA rules regarding drones and such

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER_00]: But this is now becoming a problem

[00:13:46] [SPEAKER_00]: You've got people that are sending drones to try to help and then you've got people that are sending drones to grift

[00:13:53] [SPEAKER_00]: They want to get the images so they can then post the pictures up onto the tick tock or the Facebook or the Twitter and

[00:14:02] [SPEAKER_00]: They can say it's you know, we need people to see how bad it is

[00:14:06] [SPEAKER_00]: But also they're their engagement farming right there

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_00]: They're gonna get a lot of eyeballs and clicks and likes and such and

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_00]: then they

[00:14:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Expand their reach and they will profit from that but that also can hamper rescue operations

[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Because if you've got choppers flying around and you've got drones flying around in the same areas

[00:14:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Then

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_00]: That drone could end up in the rotors of a chopper

[00:14:38] [SPEAKER_00]: So I understand why some of these protocols were developed in such I

[00:14:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Also recognize that it would be helpful to have some sort of

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_00]: You know

[00:14:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Single-source management, I understand the value of that. I made this argument after Katrina FEMA is not coming in

[00:15:02] [SPEAKER_00]: To save people that's not what FEMA does

[00:15:06] [SPEAKER_00]: right they they can bring supplies and stuff, but they're about management and

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER_00]: That is about control and

[00:15:16] [SPEAKER_00]: When you roll into a disaster site as large as this is and as devastated as it is

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER_00]: them asserting control is

[00:15:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Going to as I said yesterday create a whole bunch of friction

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_00]: You've got citizens that are having friction with law enforcement

[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Not all law enforcement

[00:15:38] [SPEAKER_00]: But there was a story about

[00:15:40] [SPEAKER_00]: a chopper pilot who flew into

[00:15:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Lake Lore area and was threatened with arrest

[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Threatened with arrest

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_00]: if he went back

[00:15:52] [SPEAKER_00]: And saved the husband of the woman that he had just saved

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_00]: The story I was aware of the story. I could not confirm it myself. I just heard

[00:16:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh

[00:16:08] [SPEAKER_00]: The account of jordan seed seed him seed him

[00:16:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Or say them se id hom

[00:16:16] [SPEAKER_00]: and uh

[00:16:18] [SPEAKER_00]: he saw a facebook post and

[00:16:21] [SPEAKER_00]: He said well, you know what I got a chopper. Um i'm former law enforcement

[00:16:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Um, he's a former head of the chesterfield county sheriff's office narcotics unit

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_00]: um

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_00]: And so he's like son his his son he's like jump on the chopper we're going to go

[00:16:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh find these people um

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_00]: Up around banner elk

[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_00]: His son who's a high school junior

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Goes along with them according to queen city news report very lengthy story which the uh

[00:16:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Lake Lore fire department has not responded to by the way. So we only have

[00:17:01] [SPEAKER_00]: The accounts of this pilot

[00:17:05] [SPEAKER_00]: So they both of them father and son are volunteer members of the sandhills

[00:17:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Volunteer fire department in pagelyn south carolina. He is a sedum is a

[00:17:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Class one certified law enforcement officer and a pilot with about 1400 flight hours

[00:17:22] [SPEAKER_00]: So he heads to lake lore on saturday

[00:17:26] [SPEAKER_00]: He lands at the nearest airport

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_00]: He meets with multiple law enforcement officers and first responders. He coordinates comms channels with them

[00:17:35] [SPEAKER_00]: He then

[00:17:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Left the supplies that he had brought with him at a drop-off point

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_00]: For the family in the facebook post that he had seen and then he lifts off heads towards black mountain to find

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_00]: If they're you know, see if there was anywhere he could help

[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_00]: The first rescue was of two women who were stranded high up on a mountain

[00:17:56] [SPEAKER_00]: He took the pair to a community community center

[00:17:59] [SPEAKER_00]: With supplies and generator power. They did not have water or food at the home

[00:18:04] [SPEAKER_00]: He said there were two other ladies who were out of town. They were staying at an air bnb

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_00]: You thought about any of those folks went up there for leaf changing season

[00:18:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Staying at an air bnb. Maybe bring in two three days worth of food. That's it

[00:18:18] [SPEAKER_00]: They had one day of supplies and that was gone by saturday

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_00]: They had no food. They had no water no running water no power

[00:18:26] [SPEAKER_00]: And we were coming back this direction anyway

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER_00]: So we actually took them to charlotte douglas airport and then they were able to get on a flight to go home from charlotte

[00:18:34] [SPEAKER_00]: sedum said he and his son slept in recliners in a pilot lounge at a nearby airport

[00:18:38] [SPEAKER_00]: They wake up sunday morning and they have the decision to make

[00:18:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Do we go back?

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_00]: And his son's like i don't know how we don't

[00:18:48] [SPEAKER_00]: So they do

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[00:20:04] [SPEAKER_00]: So, uh queen city news

[00:20:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Got an interview with jordan

[00:20:09] [SPEAKER_00]: sedum

[00:20:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Or sitam picket sitam

[00:20:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Um seid hom he and his son landon

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_00]: They're out of south carolina. He's got a law enforcement background

[00:20:20] [SPEAKER_00]: He goes up to the affected area with his chopper and his son who's his co-pilot

[00:20:26] [SPEAKER_00]: and um

[00:20:28] [SPEAKER_00]: They make a couple of rescues they drop off supplies

[00:20:31] [SPEAKER_00]: They sleep overnight

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_00]: And they're like, all right

[00:20:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Do you want to go back in?

[00:20:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Because some of the people that they had been coordinating with on the ground had given him dozens of addresses

[00:20:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Where people were either missing or stranded

[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_00]: So they get back into the

[00:20:51] [SPEAKER_00]: The chopper and they uh

[00:20:53] [SPEAKER_00]: They had west again through the mountain gap in lake lure

[00:20:56] [SPEAKER_00]: and

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_00]: His son spots a woman waving for help

[00:21:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And so they lower the chopper down onto what's left of the

[00:21:04] [SPEAKER_00]: concrete driveway

[00:21:06] [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of it was washed out

[00:21:09] [SPEAKER_00]: um, but they land and

[00:21:13] [SPEAKER_00]: They may contact with her and her husband and

[00:21:17] [SPEAKER_00]: They're like, okay. I don't want to put too much weight onto the driveway

[00:21:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Because then it could crumble underneath the chopper

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_00]: So he's like i'm gonna take you out one at a time

[00:21:29] [SPEAKER_00]: so

[00:21:30] [SPEAKER_00]: His son gets out stays with the husband

[00:21:33] [SPEAKER_00]: wife gets in

[00:21:35] [SPEAKER_00]: and

[00:21:36] [SPEAKER_00]: He flies her down the mountain

[00:21:40] [SPEAKER_00]: And

[00:21:42] [SPEAKER_00]: He lands in a parking lot at boys camp road and memorial highway near the lake lure flowering bridge

[00:21:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Where he had spotted a group of first responders that had gathered there. So we he says we landed

[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Um, I was met by a fire chief or maybe a captain

[00:21:59] [SPEAKER_00]: And he asked me who I was I told him who I was who I was with just a local volunteer

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_00]: This guy was from an out-of-state fire department. He had come all the way to north carolina to help

[00:22:09] [SPEAKER_00]: He said he thought he was maybe from michigan

[00:22:12] [SPEAKER_00]: I told him my background experience law enforcement fire fighting a pilot

[00:22:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And he immediately started helping with coordination. He gave me radio frequencies

[00:22:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh set up a landing area for him to come back with the other victim and just basically started the rescue efforts

[00:22:27] [SPEAKER_00]: The policies and procedures that you would take coordinating with someone from an outside source or outside agency

[00:22:33] [SPEAKER_00]: And in the middle of the whole conversation

[00:22:36] [SPEAKER_00]: And then blocking off the road

[00:22:39] [SPEAKER_00]: He is then greeted at the time. He said I didn't know who he was

[00:22:43] [SPEAKER_00]: But he later learned it was either the fire chief or assistant chief

[00:22:49] [SPEAKER_00]: of lake lure

[00:22:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Who shut down

[00:22:54] [SPEAKER_00]: The rescue operation

[00:22:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Side and later positively identified the lake lure fire official via the town's website queen city news has decided not to name that person

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER_00]: They have texted and called and emailed the town

[00:23:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh to try to get a message into the fire official

[00:23:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Given the telephone cell and email communication problems in lake nor lake lure

[00:23:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Queen city news. I think is responsibly

[00:23:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Holding off on publishing the name until he has ample time to respond to the

[00:23:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Outreaches

[00:23:27] [SPEAKER_00]: The back and forth that side him says occurred

[00:23:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Between he and this fire official continued right in front of the woman that they had just rescued

[00:23:36] [SPEAKER_00]: The chief asks me who I am so I gave him all the same information

[00:23:41] [SPEAKER_00]: And his response was

[00:23:43] [SPEAKER_00]: If you have that kind of experience, then you should know you should be

[00:23:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Coordinating with us and I said well, I have been coordinating with everybody as I've been here just the day before

[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Speaking with local law enforcement and other rescue personnel

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_00]: Siam said he tried to de-escalate and asked the official for instructions then on how to communicate with the lake lure fire department

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_00]: While he was flying a rescue mission near the town and siam said the fire official

[00:24:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Ordered him to leave and not come back

[00:24:11] [SPEAKER_00]: He said well, if that's what you want us to do we'll leave no issue

[00:24:15] [SPEAKER_00]: But my son is still up on that mountain and I left another victim up there

[00:24:19] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm going to go back and bring them

[00:24:23] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean we already had a landing spot set up

[00:24:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And then I'll go get them. I'll bring him back and then I'll be gone

[00:24:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And he said you're not going back up that mountain to get them

[00:24:32] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you do I'm going to arrest you you're interfering with my operation

[00:24:41] [SPEAKER_00]: And the pilot Siam says I'm going back and getting my co-pilot

[00:24:45] [SPEAKER_00]: If you turn it and the guy said if you turn around and go back up that mountain, you're going to be arrested

[00:24:49] [SPEAKER_00]: And he said well, I'm going to get my co-pilot. I don't know what to tell you

[00:24:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Siam said the official called two law enforcement officers over

[00:24:58] [SPEAKER_00]: And again threatened him with arrest if he flew back up the mountain and the cop was like

[00:25:03] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't really know what to do in this situation. I'm not sure what to do

[00:25:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Think for yourself. How about that think for yourself refuse to arrest a man who's trying to save

[00:25:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Now two lives

[00:25:18] [SPEAKER_00]: The out-of-state chief and the fire captain Sydom said he encountered at the landing zone spoke with him before he took off

[00:25:26] [SPEAKER_00]: They came back over and he says

[00:25:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Um, the out-of-state guy says uh, we can't tell you to go get the victim

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER_00]: We can't even ask you to go get the victim

[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_00]: But we can tell you if you come back with the victim, we'll have you a designated landing spot and we'll make sure they don't come over here

[00:25:43] [SPEAKER_00]: So you got the michigan guy

[00:25:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Trying to set up a landing zone and he's like, we'll keep him away

[00:25:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Go get them

[00:25:52] [SPEAKER_00]: The pilot says at that point

[00:25:53] [SPEAKER_00]: I felt like the other person was going to pressure him to arrest me when I came back with the victim

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_00]: And then my son would have been left on the side of the mountain with this person to go and rescue him

[00:26:01] [SPEAKER_00]: So now he's in this position where if I go up there and I take that husband off the side of the mountain

[00:26:06] [SPEAKER_00]: And I bring him back and they arrest me now my kid's up there alone and the chopper is down here

[00:26:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Or I go and get my kid. I bring him back here or we take off

[00:26:17] [SPEAKER_00]: And leave the guy on the side of the mountain

[00:26:19] [SPEAKER_00]: That's what the fire chief

[00:26:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Layed out. This is what this is the these are the choices that the fire chief forced upon this pilot

[00:26:30] [SPEAKER_00]: Um the fire official told sidem to report to the rutherford county airport wait for fAA officials to meet with him

[00:26:36] [SPEAKER_00]: They never did

[00:26:38] [SPEAKER_00]: So he and his son

[00:26:40] [SPEAKER_00]: He went and picked up his son

[00:26:44] [SPEAKER_00]: He said he uh when he went down there. He told the the guy on the side of the mountain

[00:26:49] [SPEAKER_00]: What had happened?

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_00]: He took off and looked back at the husband standing helpless in his crumbling driveway as the help he thought would come for him flew away

[00:27:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Sidem said the fire official told him the fire department's ground crew would walk up the mountain side to rescue the man quote in a few hours

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Sidem said it was a three-minute flight

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_00]: He could have gotten them and brought them right back

[00:27:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Within a half hour of the fire official and the arrest threat

[00:27:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Sidem said a temporary flight restriction was set up over the lake lure gap

[00:27:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Right in the center of where he and the fire official faced off minutes earlier

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Sidem said the fire official told him to tell any other pilots. He knew that they would also be arrested if they came

[00:27:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Sidem said he was the only one within 40 nautical miles of lake lure

[00:27:35] [SPEAKER_00]: After the encounter with the fire official, he decided to fly back to his home in pageland, south carolina and call off his efforts to help

[00:27:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Within hours of the interview that he gave to queen city news

[00:27:47] [SPEAKER_00]: This was on monday

[00:27:49] [SPEAKER_00]: He saw that the temporary flight restriction issued the day before on sunday had been lifted

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_00]: So he piled a bunch more water and food into his chopper

[00:27:58] [SPEAKER_00]: And left pageland for lake lure once again

[00:28:02] [SPEAKER_00]: The name of the group that he is working with is carolina emergency response team

[00:28:06] [SPEAKER_00]: It's based out of south carolina. The volunteer group is dispatching pilots from the hickory airport

[00:28:11] [SPEAKER_00]: He said the military helicopters sent to the area were too large to land in the tight confines of the debris fields and mountain sides

[00:28:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Where people needed to be rescued

[00:28:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Rescue coordinators are asking for smaller helicopters like sidems to help

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER_00]: And he told queen city news if I had to do it over again

[00:28:29] [SPEAKER_00]: I would have stopped

[00:28:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I would have rescued as many people until they decided they were going to arrest me

[00:28:36] [SPEAKER_00]: So he he he regrets

[00:28:40] [SPEAKER_00]: What he did

[00:28:42] [SPEAKER_00]: I do not have any update as to the whereabouts or safety or status of the man

[00:28:47] [SPEAKER_00]: That the fire chief told him to leave on the sign of him out

[00:28:50] [SPEAKER_00]: So when I was a kid my grandpa died with alzheimers and before he died my mom and my dad and all of us really helped take care of them

[00:28:57] [SPEAKER_00]: As he got progressively worse

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_00]: 40 years ago

[00:29:00] [SPEAKER_00]: There were no treatments and not much support for caregivers and family

[00:29:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Things are different today because of the work of so many people including the alzheimer's association of western north carolina

[00:29:10] [SPEAKER_00]: It's a great organization with awesome people. They've got huge hearts

[00:29:14] [SPEAKER_00]: I've been a supporter for like 25 years. This cause means a lot to me

[00:29:18] [SPEAKER_00]: I participate in the annual walk to and alzheimers and I am leading a charlotte team this year

[00:29:24] [SPEAKER_00]: It's called pete's pack. You can sign up and join the team and walk with me

[00:29:28] [SPEAKER_00]: It's on october 19th at truest field in uptown sign up at alz.org

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Slash walk and then just look for my team pete's pack

[00:29:37] [SPEAKER_00]: And there's also a link in the podcast description here. Also. I'm going to be mc the gastonia walk on october 5th

[00:29:43] [SPEAKER_00]: So make a team and join us or make a donation to help me hit my goal. I would really appreciate it

[00:29:48] [SPEAKER_00]: There are a bunch of other walks around the carolinas and you can go to alz.org for all of the dates and locations

[00:29:55] [SPEAKER_00]: We are closer than ever to stopping alzheimers

[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_00]: And if you can help us get there, we would really appreciate it

[00:30:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Will you come walk with me for a different future for families for more time for treatments?

[00:30:08] [SPEAKER_00]: This is why I walk

[00:30:10] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, jerry has been waiting for a very long time. Hello jerry welcome to the show

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, pete first-time caller welcome for taking my call. Yes, sir. Thanks for hanging on so long

[00:30:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, uh, really pete I voice what you just said, uh, all that really matters right now is the immediate needs

[00:30:27] [SPEAKER_01]: Of all those individuals and much much prayer. We need to be praying for those people every day

[00:30:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but I wanted to bring an idea that maybe it's been discussed

[00:30:36] [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe it hasn't but what in the world are how are they going to arrange for these people to be able to vote about a month

[00:30:44] [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I have a logistically. How do they do that with all with all the infrastructure gone?

[00:30:49] [SPEAKER_01]: I you know, I just see this as a tremendous problem

[00:30:53] [SPEAKER_01]: And uh, the path that hurricane took, you know went through rural north florida rural georgia

[00:31:00] [SPEAKER_01]: Western south carolina

[00:31:02] [SPEAKER_01]: Mostly rural and of course our mountains are almost totally rural and you know, just

[00:31:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Simply because of the path of that storm

[00:31:12] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think harris would be worried about it as much as trump should be

[00:31:16] [SPEAKER_01]: But there's potential loss of votes if they don't arrange for those people to be taken care of

[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_00]: It is unfortunate that

[00:31:24] [SPEAKER_00]: um

[00:31:26] [SPEAKER_00]: that this

[00:31:28] [SPEAKER_00]: This issue comes up. I have I have been reading people's comments about that as well. They're concerns about it as well

[00:31:36] [SPEAKER_00]: um, I try not to ascribe motive

[00:31:40] [SPEAKER_00]: And uh, try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but there is an obvious political implication

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_00]: Um to the affected areas. I would point out ashville

[00:31:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh is a blue dot in a sea of red. Um, and there are a lot of votes in ashville that are democrat

[00:31:57] [SPEAKER_00]: So there may be

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_00]: You know more of an effort um to

[00:32:03] [SPEAKER_00]: To get stuff done there than not. I don't know like I said, I

[00:32:07] [SPEAKER_00]: I I have no information that would lead lead me to believe that political motives are

[00:32:14] [SPEAKER_00]: At play, but i'm not naive. I'm not naive and um

[00:32:19] [SPEAKER_00]: The state board of elections did do an update

[00:32:23] [SPEAKER_00]: And according to the executive director karen brinson bell

[00:32:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Um, who if I recall correctly is from western north carolina

[00:32:32] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh, she seems to think that things are going to go just fine

[00:32:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, she gave an update and uh, she said, uh, they don't have all the answers right now

[00:32:43] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll know more by the end of the week their objective is to get the county boards of elections

[00:32:47] [SPEAKER_00]: up and running they

[00:32:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Have apparently accounted for all of their staff in all of the affected areas

[00:32:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Which is good to hear. Um

[00:32:57] [SPEAKER_00]: They did an emergency election board meeting

[00:33:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh that all county board election members in the western part of the state are safe

[00:33:04] [SPEAKER_00]: While election offices in the region did not sustain damage from the storm 12 remain closed according to teresa

[00:33:11] [SPEAKER_00]: opaica's piece at the carolina journal

[00:33:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh, who she says, um, they get back up and running

[00:33:16] [SPEAKER_00]: They will begin to assess early voting sites and election day polling places to see the extent of the damage and determine which facilities won't be available

[00:33:24] [SPEAKER_00]: She said they uh, they are in contact with all of their partners and post office and all of that. Um

[00:33:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And she said, uh, even with the voter registration deadline of october 11th approaching the beginning of early voting on october 17th

[00:33:39] [SPEAKER_00]: She assured the media that voting issues

[00:33:42] [SPEAKER_00]: Aren't a big concern

[00:33:47] [SPEAKER_01]: Well, uh, let's hope they do the right thing. It would be a shame if um

[00:33:52] [SPEAKER_01]: A large portion of

[00:33:54] [SPEAKER_01]: voters

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Say after the election day that you even get the chance to vote. Mm-hmm. That would be that'd be terrible. Yeah

[00:34:00] [SPEAKER_00]: So thank you, pete. Yeah, jerry. Yes, sir appreciate the call good to hear from you call back anytime

[00:34:05] [SPEAKER_00]: um

[00:34:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Brinson bell said the state board of elections is in early conversations with the state legislature for assistance and allowances

[00:34:15] [SPEAKER_00]: In conducting the upcoming election

[00:34:17] [SPEAKER_00]: The request will likely include more money for county election boards

[00:34:21] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh, but she said they won't have a full scope of the needs until later this week

[00:34:25] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh, they are considering proposals like merging polling places

[00:34:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Extending the use of early voting facilities

[00:34:34] [SPEAKER_00]: using mobile vote centers

[00:34:37] [SPEAKER_00]: That's been done in the past for other storms

[00:34:40] [SPEAKER_00]: um

[00:34:41] [SPEAKER_00]: If you don't have an id with you due to the storm

[00:34:44] [SPEAKER_00]: State law does have an exemption for natural disasters voters can complete an exception form and uh,

[00:34:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Note whether their request is because they are voting by mail or in person the vote would be considered a provisional ballot

[00:34:58] [SPEAKER_00]: um

[00:35:00] [SPEAKER_00]: and

[00:35:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Uh

[00:35:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Other questions like the possibility of adopting an emergency rule for a grace period on properly marked

[00:35:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Postmarked ballots received after election day would have to be discussed with the legislature

[00:35:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Which has been called back into rolly for next week. All right, that'll do it for this episode

[00:35:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for listening

[00:35:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I could not do the show without your support and the support of the businesses that advertise on the podcast

[00:35:25] [SPEAKER_00]: So if you'd like please support them too and tell them you heard it here

[00:35:29] [SPEAKER_00]: You can also become a patron at my patreon page or go to the p calendar show dot com again

[00:35:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for listening and uh, don't break anything while i'm gone