KNW-153
Major Emergency Event Preparedness
Extracted material from the article “The Big One”
By Jim A. Wades, WB8SIW
Revised 11/2016
Many EMCOMM events seem to place Amateur Radio in the background. Often, amateur radio operators take (or are given) the position of emergency management volunteer with access to radio communications as an added benefit. Hopefully, disasters where amateur radio fills the role to replace a failed public safety or government telecommunications system will be seldom. Unfortunately, if the opportunities to practice the necessary skills are seldom and are not actively practiced, then one can be lead to a false sense of preparedness. A good start is to use our Traffic Nets to hone your skills beyond simple controlled nets (see trainings MSG-101 thru MSG-106).
A radio amateur operator who participates in local exercises or public service events will learn a lot about communications but must not believe they are prepared to function efficiently or effectively in a major emergency event. Have you asked yourselves: Have I taken the proper training?; Have I practiced that training?; Will my family be OK without me? Am I properly equipped; and am I prepared both physically and mentally to provide effective communications for a real, major emergency situation for an extended period?
Some people believe that EMCOMM capabilities are no longer needed so they do not prepare. Situations where the Internet, Skype, e-mail, and other internet services have been successfully used to connect families in recent emergency events have lead people to believe that those services can survive major disasters. These situations fail to convey that people either inside or outside the affected area may not understand the infrastructure necessary to make those communications successful or how vulnerable that infrastructure actually is to a number of attacks. As many of us have experienced personally, major disaster events often take out the modern communication systems on which we rely for many miles around the center of the affected disaster area. This is the concern and problem for EMCOMM volunteers who will be charged to fill those communications gaps.
Some Considerations:
Just because you have a generator to power your equipment does not mean you are in good shape. If your generator is equipped only to run on gasoline you may be surprised. Without power to the affected area gasoline pumps will not work. I have personally been at a gasoline station which was at that moment receiving a supply of gasoline from a tanker truck but this station had absolutely no way to deliver that fuel to customers without electricity because they did not have a generator. Tanker trucks are rarely capable of delivering gasoline directly to customers. Even if gasoline can be supplied, it will likely be rationed. Think about getting approved for emergency fuel from the city’s emergency fuel storage facility – you don’t need much to stay on the air. If your vehicle’s gas tank is full, use a hand pump to extract fuel for your generator.
Your disaster plan must take into account the loss of the supply of gasoline. A generator which can run on natural gas or Propane and the fittings, hoses etc. needed to connect to those sources may be something you want to add to your emergency kit. Being able to operate on alternate power sources on low power is something you need to understand and plan for. Charging multiple batteries connected in parallel and then operating from the batteries is more fuel efficient than running the generator full time.
Many EMCOMM assignments require the operator to travel to the disaster location. Keep your vehicle tank full with spare gas in approved containers if possible. Keeping at least half tank of gas in your vehicle at all time is a good practice. Personally, I empty fuel containers into my vehicle and then fill containers and top my tank when I go to the gas station. It takes mere minutes, it keeps your fuel fresh and it’s good insurance. Some disasters give advance warning so you can stock up on extra fuel to some degree if you have approved containers but some don’t. Stay ready.
Disasters typically damage roads and bridges, block roads with trees and distribute a lot of debris which causes multiple flat tires. Do you have the supplies and air compressor needed to fix those flats? Do you carry a small chainsaw or buck saw to clear smaller limbs blocking the road? Are you physically up to the task of getting to the disaster area with your equipment? Portable repeaters, stayed, push-up poles with mobile antennas attached, cross-band repeat radios, NVIS capability and a few other tricks like a cart with big wheels to carry your gear across rough terrain can be used to get you to the assignment and to extend the range of communication so you can communicate even if you can’t get to the EOC. Handheld transceivers (HTs) will not provide what is needed in many of the major disaster situations.
Participation in public service events gives some training and practice in communications but what if you must transmit and receive genuine emergency traffic? Actual disasters require practiced communication skills, require an understanding of standard procedures and forms and require established relationships with governmental and MOU agencies’ personnel. Knowing where you’re going to work, what functions and forms you will work with and who you will be working for ahead of time can make the difference between success and failure.
- Are you prepared to set up a message center in any given location without any infrastructure and be able to communicate health and welfare messages using modes such as VHF Packet, HF VARA Packet, ARDOP, Echolink, etc.?
- Can you properly format a message without a blank form?
- Do you know how to send a message to the appropriate Traffic Manager?
- Can you transmit and receive the proper ITU phonetics for difficult to spell words like Methyl Isocyanate, Methyl Mercaptan, a known disease like Shigellosis, etc. and ensure there is no miscommunication on either end of the communication?
Amateur radio operators should be communicators first but many other skills are necessary. The ability to communicate a message via multiple modes and through multiple paths in a consistent, accurate and efficient manner should be the primary skills we develop. Are you able to set up a reliable and efficient radio communication station within a disaster area? Are you prepared to go into a Transtar or other OEM location and serve as a communicator? Do you have the necessary security clearance and credentials? Do those agency personnel know you personally? Most importantly, do you know your skills and capabilities…or lack thereof? If your skills and preparedness are not up to the tasks, recognize that fact and then work on improving them…or tell your manager when your capabilities aren’t up to the assigned task. The opportunity to use the preparedness and skills talked about tonight may present itself sooner than you think. Will you be prepared?
That concludes tonight’s training. Are there any questions, comments or suggested additions to this material?
Thanks, this is (callsign) clear to net control.