community
Intruder Alert-- Physical Security
Editors Note: This article was written
before the tragic shooting death of
Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter on
January 5, 2011. We send our sincere
condolences to the family and friends of
Chief Painter and to the community of
Rainier.
By Burt Tschache
I’ve written much about security
software in this column. There is another
aspect to computer security not discussed
a great deal outside of corporate IT
offices and that is physical security.
You can have the finest security suite on
the planet, but if you leave a computer
somewhere insecure, that computer will
be gone before you know it.
If the computer is stolen, notify
the police or 911. If the computer is in a
burning building, call the fire department
or 911. If the computer has injured you,
contact the paramedics or 911, and find
another line of work, immediately if not
sooner.
What if you called for the police
and they couldn’t come? How about
asking for help from the fire department
or paramedics and they couldn’t make
it either? What if no one of authority
and ability was able to come to your
assistance in your time of need? You
would probably feel more than a little let
down, you would likely get very angry
and disgusted.
Physical security comes at a
dear price. In 2010, there were 160 law
enforcement officers, 85 firefighters and
39 EMT’s killed in the line of duty. 1
How many of us have a job description
entry stating you may be killed by some
half-crazed, slobbering doofus who has
no moral compass and does not even
understand the concept? Well, perhaps
the entry in the job description is not that
extreme, but it cannot be far from the
truth.
Sgt. Mike Kay 2 posted a link
to The Officer Down Memorial Page
at http://www.odmp.org/ on Facebook
that really made me stop and think. It
puts a face to the names and
mentions the family members
left behind. I have a few questions:
“How did we come to this? How did we
as a country stoop so low as to kill 284
men and women, sworn to protect our
physical security, when they we doing
just that, their jobs?”
When I was a lad, I was taught
respect for police, firemen and EMT’s.
I found that if you show respect to
someone, they will generally respond
in kind. There is always the exception
that proves the rule, but I have found that
respect goes a long way in life, where
the lack of it gets you nowhere.
My dad told me, “Everyone puts
on their pants one leg at a time.” I have
kept that in mind while talking with or
writing to a large number of public
servants from Vernonia to Washington,
D.C. We are all pretty much the same
in our basic wants and needs in life. I
believe that we all have more in common
than in difference.
So, what in the name of Sam
Hill does this have to do with Computer
january11
2011
15
Security? Just this, if you want the best
physical security for your computer, keep
a close eye on it or lock it up. If an event
occurs akin to those mentioned at the
beginning of the column, you had best
hope that the physical security provided
by our police, firemen and EMT’s is at
your disposal when you need it or you’ll
be swimming Big Muddy without a vest.
Show our first responders some
love or at least some respect. They are
the fine line between chaos and order,
and for that alone, they deserve both.
And with that, I want to wish Heidi and
Mike, the unknowing inspirations for
this article, the very best in their long
lives ahead.
Be Safe Out There . . .
Burt Tschache is the owner of B&B
Computing in Vernonia. He can be
reached at bnb998@msn.com or (503)
429-0817.
1
2
Figures thanks to Heidi Lindsay.
Thanks, Mike.
New CASA Group Forms to Advocate For Abused and
Neglected Children
CASA for Kids, Inc. has formed to carry
on the work of Court Appointed Special Advocates
in Columbia County. CASAs (or Court Appointed
Special Advocates) are trained volunteers appointed by
a judge to advocate for the best interests of abused and
neglected children in juvenile court.
The main job of CASA volunteers is to advocate
for foster children to have a safe and loving permanent
home. “CASAs ensure that these children do not fall
through the cracks,” noted CASA for Kids Executive
Director Kathryn Bourn. “And given the budget cuts
to social services, those cracks are becoming chasms.”
Meanwhile, child abuse is on the rise. In Columbia
County, the rate of “founded” abuse and neglect reports
increased 68 percent between 2007 and 2009.
In Oregon, every child with a pending juvenile-
dependency case is entitled to have a CASA volunteer.
“Unfortunately, in Columbia County, we don’t have
nearly enough volunteers to serve all the children,”
Bourn said. CASA for Kids currently serves about 15
percent of children in the foster-care system.
In order to serve all the children, CASA for
Kids needs to train an additional 50 to 75 volunteers.
Most CASA volunteers advocate for
just one child or one sibling group.
CASA for Kids will offer a new
CASA training, starting Feb. 24.
Training topics include child abuse,
substance abuse, domestic violence,
cultural competency issues, speaking
in court, role of DHS, poverty, and
CASA guidelines. Volunteers receive
30 hours of new CASA training, write
a sample court report, and observe
experienced CASAs in court before
getting assigned a case of their own.
CASA volunteers come from
all walks of life, ethnic groups and
educational backgrounds. “What
they have in common is tenacity and
compassion for children,” Bourn said.
Currently,
12
CASA
volunteers advocate for 37 children.
With more than 260 new juvenile
dependency cases have been filed in
Columbia County Circuit Court this
year, that leaves 223 children without
a CASA. Not all of those children
wind up in foster care; some remain in
their family home while their parents
or other family members work with
the Department of Human Services.
Either way, however, having a CASA
volunteer to advocate for the child is
extremely important.
Studies have shown that children with a CASA
spend less time “in the system.” They either return to
their parents or are adopted more quickly than children
who do not have CASAs. Children with CASAs
also receive more services to assist them with their
educational, medical and psychological needs. When
a CASA advocates for the child, the child tends to have
more contact with extended family members too.
CASA advocacy is a unique volunteer role.
While juvenile case information is highly confidential,
as parties to the case, CASAs receive child protection
reports and medical, counseling and school records.
CASAs meet regularly with the children, their
biological and foster parents, caseworkers, the child’s
attorney, other family members, and community
service providers. Once appointed, CASAs go to court
and participate in hearings and settlement negotiations
at all phases of the case. They make their own report
to the court and also can call witnesses of their own or
question other parties’ witnesses.
Under state law, the CASA’s role is to:
• Investigate all relevant information about the case;
• Advocate for the child, ensuring that all relevant
facts are brought before the court;
• Facilitate and negotiate to ensure that the court,
Department of Human Services, and the child’s attorney
fulfill their obligations to the child in a timely manner;
• Monitor all court orders to ensure compliance
and to bring to the court’s attention any change in
circumstances that may require a modification of the
court’s order.
CASAs make a 1 ½- to two-year commitment
so that they advocate for the child or siblings until the
end of the case. “Often, a CASA is the one consistent
presence in the child’s life during that time period,”
said Bourn. Caseworkers, therapists, and even foster
families often change during that timeframe.
To learn more about volunteering, people can
visit the CASA for Kids website at www.casaforkidsinc.
org or contact CASA for Kids at 503-366-4133 or
info@casaforkidsinc.org.
