Hatch said he is keeping an open mind, but he doesn't understand why the emergency coordinator is being proposed now during budget adjustments, instead of last November when the original 2006 budget was approved.

"Usually this is not the time to go and adopt a new program," Hatch said.

Corroon said he did not propose the position last November because his staff was still looking into the county's emergency plan and was not sure if the new position was needed and what the coordinator would do.

The mayor and his staff first became aware of the need for the position when they held an earthquake simulation last fall to test the county's preparedness for an emergency, and the results were not pretty. The mayor's staff discovered that many of the emergency services that should be coordinated throughout the county were not. They also found that the county lacked a comprehensive management plan for big emergencies.

"We became aware that there was a lot that was not known or planned," Bernal said.

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