UPDATE: Olympic Village Fires Safety Issues–General Electric Speaks! And the City of Vancouver…Sort Of…

I received a very pleasant note from an official with General Electric yesterday afternoon. She was extremely pleasant, very polite and incredibly helpful.

She has provided MOST answers related to issues I raised earlier this week and promised to return today with others. She is in Michigan and the time difference precluded more immediate answers, but I appreciated the exceptional professionalism.

Afterwards, we exchanged phone numbers and spoke. Again, super courteous and keenly concerned about any life safety issues at the Olympic Village site.

I did not expect anything less from GE Security, they’re first class folks whenever I’ve dealt with anyone from their outfit.

Then, about an hour later I received a phone call from the City of Vancouver (two days after I told them I needed the information), but again, from public relations; nothing from electrical/permits or the Mayor’s office, who two days ago asked City Manager Penny Ballem “for answers”. To their credit, they were apparently busy having some of the their “top people” re-testing the fire alarm panels at the Olympic Village. But even though the City promised more information by tomorrow morning, I have a feeling it will be put out to me by carrier pigeon.

So why am I being somewhat cryptic. Because I’ve received some other, rather disturbing information, about the dismissal of Ark Tsisserev, the former electrical chief with the City, and I won’t share anything specific, further on this, before I hear back from the City. They have until tomorrow 5pm to get me the information they feel explains their end–more than enough time. Otherwise, I will proceed with what I have learned from sources in City Hall. I will not let them run the clock out, so to speak.

Though…

Some preliminary conclusions:

1) This whole Olympic Village issue is a VERY serious matter and needs total resolution. Never mind the horse manure that will be shoveled by Vision Vancouver fluffers, in and out of the local media. I have never seen greater traffic on this blog. All three levels of govt have visited here, extensively, and a variety of Olympic related parties, including many from Victoria and Ottawa–AND TOO, Washington, D.C. Over 28,000 visits in a day and a half and from all over the world.

Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vision Vancouver OWE the people of this City an explanation for their silence. And believe me, I will force them if they don’t do it voluntarily. Just watch. We are all shareholders in this Olympic Village. We have more than earned answers.

2) So that we are clear (because some of you have asked privately and will ask again, perhaps in the comments section): My silence for two days has NOTHING to do  with any kind of intimidation or legal threat. EVERYTHING I wrote in the original piece I stand by and is thoroughly documented. There are professional engineers and long-time electrical contractors who have confirmed that everything I wrote is completely accurate. General Electric’s note to me, was a clarification, not a correction.

Besides, I would happily go to jail before I would give up my sources, but please believe me when I tell you…

UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF DR. PENNY BALLEM AT THE CITY OF VANCOUVER, THE VISION VANCOUVER HAND-PICKED-BY- CLOSED-PROCESS CITY MANAGER, THERE HAS BEEN CLEAR INTIMIDATION OF EMPLOYEES AND ANY DENIALS OR PROTESTS BY HER AND OTHERS, INCLUDING FROM ANY MEMBER OF VISION VANCOUVER, EITHER ON COUNCIL OR INTRA-PARTY, PARTICULARLY THE MAYOR, ARE PURE, UNADULTERATED NONSENSE.

I have conducted interviews with no less than three city employees, who are scared out of their wits that if they go on record they will IMMEDIATELY lose their jobs. Their stories are absolutely astounding. INTERESTINGLY, ALL THREE VOTED FOR VISION VANCOUVER IN THE LAST ELECTION–NONE WILL RETURN TO DO THAT AGAIN. And if you think that the union members that voted for Vision Vancouver last time will do so in 2011, think again. The insurrection cometh…

Further, the crew protecting Dr. Ballem has extensively politicized key positions at City Hall, without a stitch of concern for what this does to the smooth operation of the City. Firing Ark Tsisserev was a MONUMENTAL mistake and it is no surprise that they are all hiding behind a PR staffer.

One staffer made it clear, “Ark’s firing was totally political. Everybody knows it. They walked in here like the guy killed somebody, took his laptop and Blackberry and basically booted him outta here on the spot, right out the door, right in front of everybody. But no one is gonna confirm it for you publicly and Ark’s a total gentleman. Honestly, I thought the guy was gonna cry, he loved this place and everybody loved that guy and it’ll never be the same again without him. They had an obligation to treat the guy with some dignity and respect as a human being, even if he had done something wrong…he didn’t, man, they just eliminated his position so they could get around any constructive dismissal claims, that’s what my lawyer told me. They made the guys life very tough on issues the guy was an expert on. But Ark ‘ll get ‘em good I hope. He hired that big shark you wrote about. The culture around here is so toxic every since Ballem showed up…there’s so much intimidation that you can’t imagine it bud…some people won’t wait for the axe, most of us have families. Even their own union guys think they (Vision Vancouver/Ballem/ Robertson) are idiots. Union guys are honest, most of them, they don’t want safety problems. The bigshots around here canned Ark because he won’t fit into this new bullshit system of walking around here and taking orders like you’re a little kid who did something wrong, when all you’re trying to do is you’re f—ing job…the same one you’ve been doin’ forever, Ark had wanted Vancouver to be better than anybody and it was. Well, not anymore.”

Think about this, too: The head of the association of electrical contractors, whose members do EXTENSIVE work for the City of Vancouver have written the Mayor and told him they feel that “electrical safety in the City of Vancouver has been compromised” as a direct result of Ark Tsisserev’s firing. So, it’s not just the Olympic Village this affects…

3) In order to get to the bottom of this matter. I will need the whole weekend to shore up some more sources who have contacted me. Please be patient. There are another TWO stories inside this one, that will have you wondering if these people, Vision Vancouver, who said in their campaign rhetoric that they will “clean up City Hall” decided they would do that with a proverbial fist and brass-knuckles, than the open hand of someone who cares.

4) This matter extends far beyond Ark Tisserev’s dismissal and the safety of the Olympic Village. There is a clear pattern here.

5) Most of the mainstream media will not cover this story. It’s tough to hit the keys on your keyboard while your negotiating a gourmet roast beef sandwich at some pavilion, while fawning at an autographed copy of the Premier of Monumental Monumentality. Shame.

Finally, to the some foreign athletes, and many families and friends of athletes, who have contacted me:  It appears you are safe in your beds at the Olympic Village. It would take a very complex series of circumstances and some significant human error for you to be in harm’s way as a result of a fire. At the very least, GE Security cares enough that they went out of their way to issue a statement to me (which I will happily release when I get additional information). The fire alarm panels installed in ten out of eleven Olympic Village buildings are all the EST 3 panels, which previously malfunctioned when a two-way radio was near, but steps have been taken by the Vancouver Fire Department and other potential first responders to ensure, as much as possible, the safety of the occupants of that building. The panel in the eleventh building is a MIRCOM and has had very minor issues.

As for the City of Vancouver, most particularly the Mayor’s suite: I will give you details of the kind that will have your hair on end when you discover how long they have known about this problem (and related ones) and how at every juncture, they essentially turned the other cheek, hoping this matter would resolve itself, so that there was no negative attention before or during the Olympics.

It wasn’t until we started poking around that they were prepared to address this matter. The people’s right to know be damned.

We don’t want to interrupt the endless parties and shameless photo-ops.

And this is over a LIFE SAFETY issue. Incredible.

Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vision Vancouver have NO SHAME.

Look for another follow-up, anytime between now and Monday.

Enjoy your weekend and best of luck to our athletes.

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