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CNN Live Today

Talk with Director of Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Aired October 27, 2003 - 10:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There was a point that the library could have been threatened by the flames. We have with us on the line with us right now Duke Blackwood. He is the director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Mr. Blackwood, thank you for being with us.

DUKE BLACKWOOD, DIR., RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY: Sure.

KAGAN: What's the status of the library in terms of the flames right now?

BLACKWOOD: Right now everything is under control. We have fire crews on site just as a precautionary measure. But there are no active hot spots near the library and there's no immediate threat.

KAGAN: How close has it gotten, though, to the library?

BLACKWOOD: Yesterday, about midday it was probably as close as a half a mile. And but I got to tell you, the firefighters did an outstanding job with the water-dropping helicopters to put it out and erase the threat here.

KAGAN: I would imagine you have some type of evacuation plan in place just in case anything like this happens?

BLACKWOOD: Absolutely. We had actually closed the library to the public at 8:00 in the morning and we just had an emergency skeletal crew on board. And everything was taken care of.

KAGAN: But what about getting these precious mementos out of there?

BLACKWOOD: First of all, the building was in no immediate danger. And we also have sprinklers inside, and the way it's set up on the hillside, we felt fairly confident, as did the firefighters who had come up during the day.

KAGAN: So the status is in stand by right now. I would imagine it's not the type of day when you would expect a lot of visitors, even if you were ready to take them?

BLACKWOOD: Correct. We're going to make a decision in about 30 minutes whether we're going to open to the public, but as it stands right now, that probably will not happen.

KAGAN: Other priorities right now. BLACKWOOD: Absolutely.

KAGAN: But we wish you well, not just as a Southern Californian, but in protecting all those pieces of history. Duke Blackwood, once again, the director of the Ronald Reagan Library. That's right in the middle of Simi Valley. As he said, everything appears to be fine with the library.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 27, 2003 - 10:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There was a point that the library could have been threatened by the flames. We have with us on the line with us right now Duke Blackwood. He is the director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Mr. Blackwood, thank you for being with us.

DUKE BLACKWOOD, DIR., RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY: Sure.

KAGAN: What's the status of the library in terms of the flames right now?

BLACKWOOD: Right now everything is under control. We have fire crews on site just as a precautionary measure. But there are no active hot spots near the library and there's no immediate threat.

KAGAN: How close has it gotten, though, to the library?

BLACKWOOD: Yesterday, about midday it was probably as close as a half a mile. And but I got to tell you, the firefighters did an outstanding job with the water-dropping helicopters to put it out and erase the threat here.

KAGAN: I would imagine you have some type of evacuation plan in place just in case anything like this happens?

BLACKWOOD: Absolutely. We had actually closed the library to the public at 8:00 in the morning and we just had an emergency skeletal crew on board. And everything was taken care of.

KAGAN: But what about getting these precious mementos out of there?

BLACKWOOD: First of all, the building was in no immediate danger. And we also have sprinklers inside, and the way it's set up on the hillside, we felt fairly confident, as did the firefighters who had come up during the day.

KAGAN: So the status is in stand by right now. I would imagine it's not the type of day when you would expect a lot of visitors, even if you were ready to take them?

BLACKWOOD: Correct. We're going to make a decision in about 30 minutes whether we're going to open to the public, but as it stands right now, that probably will not happen.

KAGAN: Other priorities right now. BLACKWOOD: Absolutely.

KAGAN: But we wish you well, not just as a Southern Californian, but in protecting all those pieces of history. Duke Blackwood, once again, the director of the Ronald Reagan Library. That's right in the middle of Simi Valley. As he said, everything appears to be fine with the library.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com