| Salt Lake City |
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| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
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| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
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| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
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| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
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| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
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| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
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| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
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| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
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| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
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| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
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Olympic safety chief is well-suited to the job
By Derek Jensen
Deseret News staff writer
It's a rare moment you don't see David Tubbs in a suit and tie.
The retired FBI agent who now serves as executive director of the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command has come to work for more than 20 years in suits and French cuff shirts.
"It's a stability thing," Tubbs said. "I get kidded all the time about wearing suits, so it makes me more determined to keep wearing them."
That steely resolve is evident in the way Tubbs directs the day-to-day operations for one of the most comprehensive security plans in U.S. Olympic history. He's firm and efficient, yet his stern exterior and gruff voice mask a sophisticated sense of humor and charm.
Sitting in his spacious fifth floor office Wednesday during, Tubbs admitted he hasn't had a day off in five weeks.
"I think almost all of us here could say we're putting in a good 12 hours (a day) at least," Tubbs said.
Tubbs is frequently interrupted by staffers asking questions, updating him on the day's events or pushing papers in front of him to sign. After each visitor leaves his office, Tubbs doles out genuine praise for their hard work.
"We've had more people step forward like that — it's been a pleasure to work with them," Tubbs said.
Those who know Tubbs say such praise isn't draped on anyone who doesn't deserve it. The son of a Chicago factory manager, Tubbs is known for his straightforward approach.
"I like Dave because he's a no-nonsense kind of guy," Tubbs' executive assistant Andrea Smagh said. "You always know what he's thinking, and you always know where you stand."
Smagh sits at a desk just outside Tubbs door, screening his calls, re-directing questions and essentially making sure he gets where he's supposed to be each day.
It's only noon and Tubbs has already received his regular morning security briefing on the previous days events, held a short press conference, interviewed with an Austrian radio station and welcomed Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, into his office. After lunch with the IOC official, he planned to meet with Department of Justice officials to begin a lessons-learned briefing, followed by a powwow with Salt Lake Police Chief Rick Dinse regarding security at closing ceremonies.
He was scheduled to have dinner at the Italy house, then likely stop in for the daily late-night briefing at UOPSC headquarters. In between Wednesday's engagements, Tubbs ducks into semi-private corners of the hall with his cell phone on his ear. "That's usually what's going on all the time — on the phone or people coming in," said UOPSC staffer Cheri Seltzer as Tubbs talked on the phone a few feet away. His conversations are direct.
Tubbs detests meetings that don't reach a resolution. But efficiency often comes at the expense of politeness and protocol. His hard-nosed approach can be disconcerting to some, especially foreign journalists. "Clint Eastwood — that's what I thought of," said French journalist Olivier Pheulpin after his first encounter with Tubbs at a pre-Olympic press conference on Games security. "He's so sure about everything. We've learned in Europe not to be sure about those things, because you can expect the unexpected."
For all his confidence in the unparalleled security preparations for these Games, Tubbs knows all too well how unexpected events can can wreak havoc on the festive Olympic atmosphere.
His cheery demeanor fades whenever you mention the name Richard Jewel. Tubbs led the investigation into the bombing at Centennial Park during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
His FBI file contains a letter of censure, the lowest form of disciplinary action in the FBI. Tubbs said he was reprimanded because, as the lead agent during the investigation, he failed to tell FBI headquarters that his investigators were going to videotape their interview with Jewel.
"Nobody here wants something like Centennial Park to occur," Tubbs said. "That's our objective here. We know we can respond — we want to prevent."
And they've been able to do that. Tubbs continually says he'll breathe easy Feb. 25. His contract with UOPSC ends May 31, but he's still not sure what he'll do after the Olympics.
E-MAIL: djensen@desnews.com
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February 22, 2002
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