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Show the Utah independent Interview With Bill Koerner INTERVIEW WITH BILL KOERNER - MARCH 10, 1970 QUESTION: Mr. Koerner, what is the net program, the Neighborhood Emergency Team, and when did it begin? MR. KOERNER' Well, basically when I came to the valley here, retired from the service about six months ago, there were several interested groups who had been studying constitutional principles, and many of them invited me out to speak to them about what I felt some of the problems were in America and how it would affect them locally. As I began to discuss with these groups things I felt were important, problems arose as to what citizens should be doing, what they should be actively engaged in to help maintain American standards and American principles here in this nation. We got into the areas of personal responsibility and finally people began to ask me to speak regularly because I had worked in various areas of intelligence work and had studied the problems of our country, and asked me to rdate some of my feelings about it As we began to talk about it a program developed similar to what we have today known as the NET program and it was developed over a series of question periods and recommendations made by different people we talked to. And we finally came up with the situation we have of five special categories that should be set up in each neighborhood. This was eventually named "NET1 which realty isn't an organization at all. It's just an interested group of people in each neighborhood who are concerned about what they should be doing in case of earthquakes, or riots, or things of that nature. QUESTION: There has been a lot said about vigilante groups and NET. Is it true that NET was organized to be a vigilante-type group? Are you asking the citizens to be armed? MR KOERNER No, we haven't recommended arming anyone. We have cooperated with the local authorities here. In one small area of NET we've asked for assistance from the local authorities in case an area did have problems that took legal authority to help to quell the problem so that someone in the area would be authorized legally to take charge of that situation. And we've cooperated with them, as a pilot program to try to set up a program here in Salt Lake and volunteer the use of our people and anybody else that's concerned about burglaries and other problems that have developed. And we've been quite successful, at least, preliminarily, until a smear program was set up by people in this area against us. QUESTION: Did you plan to take over in the event the local police couldn't function? Was there any plan of that type in mind? MR KOERNER No, ABSOLUTELY NOT. It should be noted, I think, right now that all the papers and all the news media that have written articles against the NET program, of all those papers, not one of them was in attendance at one of our meetings. Now our meetings were announced as public meetings. If anybody were really interested they could have found out where our meetings were being held because there was a phone number that was announced over "Two-way- " radio regularly. At least once or twice a week someone called in and mentioned it They could have called to find out where our meetings were or they could have called me. My number is commonly known and my office is listed in the directory. So, if they really wanted to know about our activities they could have found out and found out exactly what we were trying to do and they would have known that these weren't vigilante activities. The term "vigilante'1 was created by the liberal factions in this valley and has been used and carried on by other people who were misinformed. For anyone to term the NET program as vigilante proves without a doubt that they are not at all informed about what we have been doing. QUESTION: Mr. Koerner, could you give us a brief outline of the NET program? MR KOERNER Yes, basically we are concerned about people getting their food supply in. And also, in riot conditions the main problem that seemed to develop in all cities across this country was the panic of the people. In other words, revolutionaries or dissidents would start a riot, and they'd throw molotov cocktails, fire a few rounds or start a building on fire. People would panic because they didn't have a food supply and they'd rush out and break into a store and take the food that they felt they might need or just clean the store out They would be worried about their child who is caught in another part of town and they'd jump in the family car and rush across town atfantastic speeds trying to save their children and cause accidents and other problems. Fires would break out and people would panic and instead of fighting the fires they would be a hindrance to So we felt that what we should do is to help the the people to be aware of what could happen, and organize, so that they'd be organized in their own areas to help assist in controlling the panic rather than being a part of the panic. The first area of responsibility was food storage. The second area was communications. Now, a communications system should be set up in this valley or in any other city in the country. In times of riots, families are separated, children are at school and husbands are at work. Under those circumstances a great deal of worry and panic develop because people are trying to get together again, as I mentioned before. Wife the proper communications system the parents could be in communication with another neighborhood where fee child is going to school. There should be a radio in fee area where fee child is going to school as well as one at fee home. These people could then contact each other and find out feat the child was safe if . fira-fightin- March 12, 1970 he had a place to report to. We also recommended feat fee children be released from school rather than be assembled in one area where they could be a prime target for some activity or be held as hostages as they do in Vietnam and other areas. So we recommend that people be concerned I NET' about that A third area of responsibility, we thought would be a medical emergency team. Problems developed during fee riots of fee past and people were hurt and injured and there wasn't anyone to take, care of them and it just increased fee panic. If they had someone nearby, medical personnel or people feat were trained themselves, thqy could assist and help to control fee panic feat way. So we recommended feat people take the courses that were being offered on TV, Channel 1 1, and prepare themselves. At least one person in their family should be qualified in medical care and should apply for fee manual feat is being distributed along with feat course. F ourthly, we recommended a security team, and when we mention security team, this seems to be what all fee problems have devdoped about We recommended at feat time feat when they get to the state where they needed a security team, or when they fdt they were organized well enough, feat they should contact their local authorities. Many of the teams were in the basic stages of development and hadn't readied fee place where they were organized well enough where they could go out and contact the local authorities and say, "Well, we've got so many people and we would like to have some assistance in this area or that area." Just in the city here where the program was devdoped wdl enough, we made fee initial contact to ask for a training program to qualify two or three people from each neighborhood so feat we would have fee authority, in case of emergency, to make arrests and to maintain proper law and order. In addition to that, the security team consisted of people who would go to fee schools and bring fee children home safely. Adults or high school students on their way home could stop by grade schools and bring the little ones home. And babysitting services in the neighborhood, so that fee parents who were qualified in medical training could assist in medical aid while someone dse might take care of fedr children for them. All these were part of the security team. This area is probably where most of fee misunderstanding came from. team which consisted Last of all, was the counter-measur- e of a further educational program to educate the people as how fee dissidents to what is happenkng in this country streets. This can be are planning to cause revolution in our to read. We also easily proven if people will take the time tried to expose fee dangers of fee moratorium activities which have dedicated themselves to the overthrow of our government We tried to point out the lack of support the American serviceman has in Vietnam and how the war could be won in a short period of time if we really wanted to make fee effort to do so. And, how the trading wife communist countries is detrimental to fee welfare of our servicemen there. I talked about some of fee weapons feat are used in Vietnam and how they are built with fee finances and machinery and equipment feat we send, that fee United States sends to the Soviet Union and satellite countries, feat they use to build those weapons to kill our own boys. I stipulate without any qualifications, that feat is, in my opinion, treason. In my opinion, it is treason for our government to give aid and comfort to fee enemy in any wise, and I think we do it every day. QUESTION: Was there any mention ever made of weapons during fee time that you were speaking to these groups? MR KOERNER The only time weapons were mentioned were where people questioned me from time to time, almost every time I spoke, and asked what they should do about arming themselves. In each instance, and there are plenty of tapes available if anyone were interested, and those who had come out to hear me would know this to be fee truth, I recommended feat if they made a food storage program wife the intent of having a weapon to maintain its security, feat they had fee wrong spirit about fee food storage program and feat our food storage should be made for fee benefit of all men. And, if people came to us in need we should share wife them and fee Lord would provide the blessings for pur own needs at fee time. Our program should be considering all men, regardless of who they are, when they come into this valley, and when they come in need to us, feat we should help them. In fact, I made it a special point to stress feat every place that I have spoken. QUESTION: Some people are stating feat you acted on your own and never made any attempt to contact fee local authorities regarding this program. Is feat true? MR KOERNER Of course this isn't true because we were fee ones who initiated fee contact in this valley when fee NET program began to develop. After we had spoken some time about some of fee problems, people began to become interested and wanted to organize themselves in fee neighbor-hoodsr-ne as a thing, but just each neighborhood itself. I realized feat there would be problems feat would in so I went and personally contacted Nick Morgan develop fee of county sheriffs office, who is fee intelligence officer there, and Sergeant Patrick of fee City. And at feat time I informed them of what we were doing and asked for advice and we talked for some time. I showed them fee entire program we'd outlined and also asked for further contact wife people such as Commissioner Barker and Dewey Fillis and we explained our program to them. And it was at this time feat we began to initiate fee program of having security people trained by fee city so feat each neighborhood would have someone wife fee authority to make arrests in case anything developed. The police chief stated feat he was short personnel and they had problems maintaining law and order , ot city-wid- (Continued on page 10) Page 9 Literature NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY TEAM SKILLS 1. Each and every one has at least one talent feat can be used should an emergency occur in their neighborhood Medical Aid, Repairs of any nature, firefighting, communwater treatment, ications, child care, and many others. 2. COMMUNICATIONS An important consideration is to maintain communication with family members. If you do not have transmitter receiver equipment, ...a more . practical means of communication may be fee use of homing pigeons. Within your community you can use lights (at night), flags, runners, bike or other or motor-bik; ' such means. e, 3. LIGHTING A generator using diesel, or white gasoline can power a small lighting system, as well as your communications equipment Coal oil lamps with a 1" wick will bum 45 hours on a quart of fuel; or at 5 hrs per day, it will bum 10 gallons of fuel per year. Flashlights will bum 6 to 7 hours on new batteries. Candles: 34" dia. 4" high willburn 2 hr., 20 min.; 78" dia. 4" high will burn 5 hrs.; 2" dia. 9" high will bum 63 hrs. 4. FUEL Needed for emergency vehicles (ambulance, fire trucks, communications) heating, & cooking. Coal oil, kerosene, diesel, white gas, coal should be stored underground. Wood, charcoal, and rolled newspapers should also be stored for fuel. 5. COOKING & HEATING Wood and Coal stove wife oven is best to have. Insure you have stove-pip- e on hand, even if only a home fabricated stove is used. A hange can be used for ing well as as heating. cooking fire-plac- A "Dutch Oven" (cast iron pot with lid) can be used right on the coals. A charcoal stove can be used or cook in an open pit in your back yard. 6. FIRST AID Each family should be knowledgeable of how to stop bleeding, clear breathing passages, treat fractures and burns, prevent shock, make patient comfortable. At least one member of each family should be knowledgeable of minor operation techniques , and delivery of a baby. 7. SANITATION Improper disposal of human waste can cause epidemics of typhoid, dysentery, and Use a covered pail to store human waste until it is buried. Bury human waste and garbage 12" to 24" below fee surface away from water sources. NO NOT flush toilet should your water supply be cut off. Water can be used for cooking or drinking. Some items which should be kept on hand include paper plates cups, napkins, towels; soap, toilet tissue, sanitary napkins, diapers; newspapers, grocery bags, insect spray, tools (turning off service line water valve) ; chlorine solution ( Clo-rox- ) wash board, garbage can (20 gallon size) was tecan . di-arrea- h. (10 gallon size), and a shovel (to bury fee garbage and wastes). (Continued on page 10) |