The CTV collapse and inquiry: my personal thoughts from being there.

31/3/2014

After discussions with the Regional Commander I feel I have no choice but to remove this post. I am disappointed by this but I can't comment further. I am proud to be a member of the fire service, and I reiterate my respect for all of the people who worked at the CTV site on 22 February.

However, it has been republished by Public Address here and it was also published in the Christchurch Press here (but the formatting isn't great)

22 Comments

kal solomon link

31/3/2014 05:05:04 am

Well said .

Sad.

Jarrod

31/3/2014 07:57:10 am

Thanks so much. It's a shame nobody else can now read it.

Tony

31/3/2014 05:08:54 am

You've expressed how unimaginably difficult the time and the aftermath was for you but with dignity to the victims. A beautiful piece of writing. Ake ake kia kaha

Jarrod

31/3/2014 07:57:48 am

I really appreciate your comments. Unfortunately they weren't shared by everybody.

Telf

31/3/2014 06:59:31 am

An excellent read. We're hearing a lot from management types and families today but it's a powerful reminder that volunteers, cops, firefighters and civilians went to the pump that day. Good to hear first hand from one of the `ants'.

Jarrod

31/3/2014 07:59:09 am

I feel incredibly proud of all of the people who worked that site. Thanks so much.

Julia

31/3/2014 08:58:06 am

Thanks for writing this. I've been trying to find an expression for what I think you've done with this post in both apologising because you personally felt it was needed and at the same time honouring the people who were there alongside you. Whatever it is- thank you. So often we get either defense, denial, or spin when something doesn't go quite right. This was real and human and complicated and I really appreciated reading it and hearing your story.

Jarrod link

1/4/2014 03:31:42 am

Jarrod

6/4/2014 11:51:08 am

I have just noticed my reply from a few days ago didn't appear for some reason. Thanks so much for the thoughtful comments. I am so grateful to you for taking the time.

Gene

31/3/2014 08:58:42 am

I read your post before you took it down. It was a shame that personal feelings are allowed to be expressed freely.

As a country, without people like you, I don't know how Christchurch can recover from the devastations.

Thanks and I'm sure those families and friends will fully accept what you have said, and take care yourselves while doing your fire fighting job!

Jarrod

1/4/2014 03:33:59 am

I didn't think there was any harm at all in the post, but not everybody agreed, unfortunately. Thanks for the kind words.

Steve Rollo

31/3/2014 09:52:34 am

I see your post has been republished on publicaddress.net

Here's a link if anybody's interested: http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/republished-the-ctv-collapse-and-inquiry/

Jen

1/4/2014 02:53:05 am

Jarrod,
I met you many years ago when I was studying sociology and you were a tutor.
I read your blog with pride. How incredibly brave and selfless you all were on that day and the days that followed. You are a hero and those of us who endured those quakes will never forget what you all did. I was fortunate enough to be home with my children Feb 22nd but could easily have been in town. So I can only imagine the horror of what you all saw. What a service you gave to those saved and lost to bring them home without regard for your own safety. Not many of us in life leave a legacy as a hero but you who helped that day sure do. Proud of you. x

Jarrod

1/4/2014 03:35:31 am

Bloody hell, that was really moving. Thank you so much, I couldn't appreciate your words more.

sue smith

1/4/2014 04:10:59 am

Jarrod - I believe that on the day of the earthquake - that no matter what anyone did - lives were lost because the magnitude of the earthquake was so shallow & so big. I feel for everyone that died and also for those that were trying to rescue people trapped - the eight people who were alive were somewhere in a mass of twisted concrete, steel, timber etc and for those having to risk their own lives to try and save them - even though it is their "job" - no one could comprehend what lay ahead - NZ had never had a disaster like this before - so for Nigel Hampton to say they should have rescued those people - where was he!! He said more people, more equipment. What a silly man - no one had seen anything like what was happening - more people, more equipment - more people hurt & injured. Everyone has learnt lessons from this Natural disaster I am sure and I am sorry for the families of people who died but blaming people who were only trying to save them is wrong. Blame the man who designed the CTV building if you have to blame someone. I applaud the Fire Service, Search & Rescue, St John, etc - they had families & homes involved in this disaster and yet they stayed and did their jobs.

Jarrod

1/4/2014 06:59:23 am

I actually know Nigel well, he's an extremely good bloke and he's just doing what he needs to for the families. It is tough to hear some of it, though. I couldn't agree more that there should be a much more focus on the engineers who designed and constructed the place. That is where we should be looking to hold people responsible.

1/4/2014 05:15:29 am

Such a moving blog. So proud of you luv H

Jarrod

1/4/2014 07:03:11 am

Mum, you are always proud of me, god bless ya. Love Jarrod.

Jeannette

5/4/2014 12:11:05 pm

Jarrod your comment "I'm sorry but we gave it our best" was unnecessary. We know what you did and you have no need to apologise for anything. Our family will forever be grateful for your efforts, Our son (and only child) died in that building and it has given us great comfort to know how hard people like yourself worked to return loved ones to their families. Mere words cannot express the extent of our gratitude but in our hearts we love you for what you did. God Bless you Jarrod

Jarrod

6/4/2014 06:05:40 am

It's rare that I'm lost for words. I am right now. I have been pondering how to respond and I'm not sure I can adequately. We hear so much about rebuilding and insurance that sometimes it's easy to forget those of you who lost the irreplaceable. I am so grateful that you left your message, it put a lump in my throat.

Charlotte

8/4/2014 02:40:18 am

Jarrod, upon reading your recollection of February 22, I was immediately taken back to that day, when I was one those who was frantically trying to escape a crumbling building. Only to get out and feel relief at my own safety, and then realise that I could not help those trapped on the higher levels - I could only help on the ground.
Events like the earthquake, are not textbook, and as someone that has an affiliation with the military, I can confidently say that you can only train and prepare for any situation so much. Emergencies are never the same. In emergency situations you have to weigh up decisions in split seconds. In my opinion all the service personnel, volunteers (both civilian and trained), deserve a thank you - we didn't just stand there, caught up in our own safety, and watch just helplessly, but rather, as you said, we all got in there and did what we could, to the best of our abilities.
Looking back at any emergency situation, there will always be ‘what if’s’, there will be always be the thoughts of what could have done differently, what could have been done better? But we can’t go back, we can’t change anything, we can simply remember we did our best, we can apologise for not being able to do more, in my case helping those who were trapped on higher levels, but we can’t change it.
All those who helped that day, whether by pulling people out of rubble, putting out fires, sitting and talking to the scared, or providing first aid to the injured, provided an invaluable role. So thank you, as someone who disregarded your own safety in order to do your best to help both the living, and the dead, thank you. I say again, thank you.

Jarrod

9/4/2014 03:56:56 pm

Your message made me think of something I haven't considered for a long time, that being that I was lucky to be in a position to help. I think sitting at home in many ways would have been worse. I saw no tv and had no real appreciation for the scale of things until several days later. During those first few days I had my mates in my brigade, and all those who came in and out and helped us (and there were heaps of them). Nobody I knew died. I got off very lightly. What I did I was pleased to do, even the very tough things. Others were not as lucky as me. Thanks for your kind thoughts, I really appreciated your words.

The CTV collapse and inquiry: my personal thoughts from being there.

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