Sub Station Attack

A fellow called into a talk show I was listening to and described himself as a power company employee who actually works at the sub station in question. He made some excellent points:

1. The substation is normally unmanned. These are transformers, and don't require people in lab coats to watch them.
2. Significant layoffs had just been imposed on the workforce by the power company and some of the targets were upset over this.
3. Anyone who ever spent more than a little time at the station would know about the safeguards and alarms that are normally installed there.

This points to an inside job by a disgruntled former employee to me and makes the idea that some non-connected terrorist has somehow become an expert on sub station operation seem a bit remote.

Much was made of the use of an "AK-47" to shoot up the transformers. Keep in mind that the media can't tell an AK-47 from a '71 Gremlin, and that the SKS is every bubbas favorite truck gun. I'm sure that the shell casings were 7.62 x 39 but so what.

What bugged me was when the employee was asked if the FBI had interviewed him since he was working in the district at the time of the attack, and he answered "no". I suppose that exonerating the IRS was taking up all their resources, and still is.

Thanks to the scandal-like coverage of the event, every one in the country now knows how to attack a sub station. FWIW: In an earlier report* I read, about 2-3 months ago, it was suggested that surrounding substations with opaque fencing and an alarm on the gate would at least provide a credible first line of defense at minimal cost.


*Yes, it was reported much earlier than last week. No one cared to comment at the time. To me this is all old news.

Occam's Razor, folks.