Tracey's Tactics

Getting Connected

2010-06-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Ah, technology - seeing if I can connect to a blog and to twitter too; hmmm...

6th Red Cross DAT Call

2010-04-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday night after I was settling down I got a phone call for a DAT response in Fullerton.

I had to go pick up the Red Cross van at the fire station and meet my DAT supervisor at a local hospital where the client was taken to be treated for mild smoke inhallation.

We arrived and I listened to their story while paperwork was filled out. It didn't sound like a big fire, and the client said that her neighbors had knocked on her door to wake her up. After finding a valid hotel on the list, the client was discharged and we went back to the apartment to to survey the dwelling while they retrieved some belongings.

The fire was very minor limited to the bathroom where we believed there was a short in the ceiling fan, as indicated by the revealed wiring that was fused or melted together. The fire department had torn down the ceiling and insulation to get to it.

We finished up paperwork outside and the clients left to go to the hotel. Then I drove back to drop off the van and drive back home at about 2:30.

The clients were very grateful for all our help, they kept on saying. I was glad to do it without pay, it felt like a very worthy sacrifice of time and effort.

Are you ready?

2010-04-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot of quakes lately - have you prepared water, food, emergency supplies for home or work, or your car?

New Truck - Toyota Tacoma

2010-03-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

I'm very happy with my new vehicle - a 2004 Toyota Tacoma truck.

It is much better suited for camping and the response activities I participate in.

My friends say it's much more "me" than my previous Camry.

Dispatch Certification

2010-03-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

I received my Emergency Dispatch Certification certificate and card at work - yay!

Solar Power Supply

2010-01-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

I finished constructing a 12 volt power supply with a solar panel to recharge it.

The 50 watt solar panel provides about 2.25 amps in sunlight, but I didn't want it too big. The solar panel tilts up to face the sun and down for transporting.

I acquired a huge heavy battery for cheap; it has 170 amp-hrs capacity and weighs over 130 lbs, which is really impractical but its a prototype unit anyways.
There is a charge controller to it, and I'm sure it could attach a power inverter to it if needed. It requires a controlled power supply to keep a float charge on the battery, which I will need to see if I can provide that without dumping more money into the project.

Hopefully I can try it out in the field in the future.

Donut Dispatch

2009-12-05T17:01:00.000-08:00

Here at Krispy Creme Dispatch Central, we coordinate the donuts of the world!!

Actually, in the background are the information screens in our dispatch center of CARE Ambulance.

CARE Ambulance

2009-11-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm happy that I was hired with CARE Ambulance last week and have been in training as a dispatcher.

Last week I went on some ride-alongs which were fun.
There's lots to learn in the office and lots of details, but I'm enjoying it.

Red Cross Chapter Driver Training

2009-10-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today I took a class at the Red Cross to learn how to operate their vehicles during activities.

The chapter has vans and trailers, a canteen vehicle for feeding, and an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) that's mostly used for national deployments.

We learned how to open up the canteen vehicle to prepare to serve food. We saw the warehouse where they store supplies, and we drove the vehicles around the block.

5th Red Cross DAT Call

2009-10-24T02:54:00.000-07:00

My phone rang around 1am for a DAT call in Brea.

Myself and Austin Miller responded to an RV fire in a parking lot of a shopping center.

The client was starting the vehicle and he heard a noise and opened the hood and a fire had started which soon engulfed the RV.

It was unfortunate that he had lost the 'home' that he had. I hope we'll be able to find him another place to live.

I'll be back at the chapter in a few hours for a scheduled Chapter Driving Class, but back to bed!

Vehicle fire on I-5 at Culver

2009-10-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

In the distance I saw a plume of smoke on the highway, and as I got closer, the fire department had quickly extinguished the car fire.

A OCFA twitter said that 4 patients were treated for burns. I wonder how it started and if they extent of the burns.

I saw the passengers sitting off the side of the freeway talking to the FD.

EOC Tour to Newport Beach RACES

2009-10-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday this past week I helped give a tour of the Orange County Emergency Operations Center and RACES Room to members of the Newport Beach RACES unit and Nerport Beach CERT team, with my friend Randy Benicky of OCRACES.

Randy is a retired deputy and a former Control One supervisor, and he gave many interesting facts about the center.

This was the third tour I've spoken on, much to the appreciation of Ken Bourne. I'm hoping our tours can be developed into a formal training outline, but I think that's up to me!

Net Control from a cafe

2009-10-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

Helping out OCRACES today on a Red Flag Patrol - its definitely more comfortable to be in an air-conditioned cafe at a table with my laptop than in my hot car!

Setting up two portables with mics and connecting them to a left-right earphone splitter works pretty well.

A fireproof home

2009-09-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on fire patrol we stopped by the side of the road and talked to a construction worker; they were rebuilding a home that was burned down two years ago in the Santiago Fire of '07.

What's interesting is that all the walls are made of concrete and structural steel, from 10 to 16 inches thick! And there's a fire-lookout room on top with windows all around! The concrete-made stones used for decorative siding have heat-resistant properties too.

Now that sounds more fire-proof!

At Red Cross EOC for SONGS Graded Exercise

2009-09-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

This morning I helped out with the Orange County Red Cross for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) graded exercise.

This was a drill simulating an emergency event, training how the Red Cross would respond.

I sat at the radio desk monitoring traffic and keeping a log.

Red Flag Warning prompts OCRACES Fire Patrols

2009-09-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

A local Red Flag Warning starts tomorrow thru Thursday, and the OCRACES group will activate and perform our fire patrols.

We'll focus on Patrol Areas 2 & 3, Santiago Cyn areas and the Ortega Hwy. At a previous training, OCFA advised there was active arsonist activity in those areas.

Beginner's HF Rig Installed

2009-09-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

I finished installing and tuning ny first HF rig, after many trips to the hardware and radio stores for parts and advice.

I found that the dipole antenna works best when strung out straight - 'flat-top' it is called (see roof picture); the automatic tuner seems pretty picky but has tight tollerances.

I've heard contacts across the nation and made my first brief contact yesterday from Missouri

Hopefully the rig will give me much good use.

Bendix King radio for command post response

2009-09-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

I just received a Bendix King VHF radio (from Ebay) that I got programmed with the fire frequencies OC uses. It is quite well-built and feels like a brick - long and heavy!

I plan to use it when responding to fire command posts for comms support work with RACES.

And what timing - just last night a small fire started:

From an email -
----------

"A new fire started last night in the Orange County area. This fire is known as the Ortega Incident and is based on the Ortega 7 miles west of El Cariso Village. At this time the fire has burned 25 acres and has 0% containment. The Orange County EOC is not activated at this time. There have been no requests for Communications Division support at this time."

----------

Website launched! ... barely

2009-09-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

I finally published an initial website, www.ocradios.com - just a cover page.

I really didn't like the rudimentary template that was offered (yuck), but I have a big learning curve to get over to design it so its both functional and attractive.

Heatwave and Fires in OC this week

2009-08-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

This week we had a heatwave in the Southland and some fires broke out. All the activity is definitly increasing our mental readiness stance.

Excerpts from the news:

"Flames are chasing residents from homes as four Southern California wildfires rage untamed this morning.‬ ‪A heat wave with triple digit temperatures and single digit humidity levels are adding to the misery of firefighters already coping with steep terrain and dense thickets of bush and brush.‬ ‪
More than 3,200 acres has burned since Tuesday.‬ ‪

The Rancho Palos Verdes fire erupted last night and quickly spread, damaging three homes and several garages and outbuildings. But firefighters managed to keep it from expanding overnight.‬ ‪The 100-acre blaze is 35 percent contained.‬ ‪

The fire near La Canada Flintridge began to kick up again yesterday afternoon, a day after it began in the Angeles National Forest. It has now burned 1,500 acres and is about 10 percent contained.‬ ‪

To the east, another fire in the San Gabriel Mountains is 60 percent contained with 2,000 acres burned in the past four days.‬ ‪

To the west in Riverside County, another wildfire has blackened 600 acres and authorities have urged residents of 12 homes near Hemet to leave.‬ ‪

Farther north in Monterey County, 100 homes were evacuated about four miles from the community of Soledad. The fire burned more than 2,000 acres of steep grasslands.‬"

Hurricane Bill off the East Coast

2009-08-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

For the past week I was watching Hurricane Bill, this season's first hurricane, approach the US and turn north staying off the eastern coast, now heading north-northeast to pass Canada.

It looked very big on the satellite photos. I wonder if there are more to come...

Helping at Red Cross SONGS Drill

2009-08-19T11:10:00.001-07:00

Today I helped out at the Red Cross EOC during an annual SONGS (San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station) Drill.

It was more of a training session for such a scenario, educating those working in the EOC of how thing would run and what duties to perform.

I think its good and necessary to participate in the drills to start thinking through how to respond to such events.
It was also good to see other chapter staff that I'm getting to know.

4th Red Cross DAT Call

2009-08-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

After watching a good 'guy' movie (The Hurt Locker)(about a bomb squad in Iraq) with my friend Brian, I got a DAT call walking out of the theater - perfect timing!

Evidently there was a small kitchen fire in an apartment in Buena Park. The resident quickly got out with the kids, and a neighbor put it out with a fire extinguisher then the FD arrived. Family put up in a hotel overnight due to extinguisher residue in air and electricity turned off, but can return tomorrow.

Nice ending to a movie night!

Red Cross opens shelter from Westminister gas leak

2009-07-14T23:44:00.001-07:00

I was at a Disaster Action Team (DAT) meeting tonight and we were conveniently called to open a shelter in Westminister.

Evidentally, earlier in the day a 16 inch natural gas line was hit during construction on Goldenwest street. Responders said the sound was deafening.

By 9:15 a temporary cap was placed on the break. By 11 PM the cap still leaked slightly and would be permanently fixed in 4 or 5 hours.

The evacuated families went to relatives or other places and did not come to the shelter, but it was a good practice for us.
We closed the shelter at midnight.

Youth Camp 2009

2009-07-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well its already Thursday here at Youth Camp and I'm lovin it!

Monday was a whirlwind of arriving cars, busses and kids; Tuesday a first full day of activities (tired); Wednesday in the groove; Thursday anticipating the Great Water War this evening.

My nickname is now MacGruber for having that random superglue at the opportune time, bringing crazy water guns, creating a dozen water battle shields from trips to the hardware store for snow sled dishes and rope, etc.

More importantly, I'm very impacted by all the love and activities poured into the almost 350 kids here. Evening band concerts and messages are great, all the sports activities bring kids running around and squealing with joy.

Our "Manhunt" game the other night had kids AND counselors huffing & puffing after 10 minutes and 45 patients to the infirmary for scrapes, twists and stinging nettles - what a success!

So many fun times!

Bike Patrol at La Palma Run for Fun

2009-07-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

Today I helped out on a bike patrol for the City of LaPalma.

Ham radio people were posted along the course route calling in the progress.

I used the opportunity to check up on my bike and test using my radio harness.

My friend Larry Tischauer, said those radios positioned so would affect my heart! Well, I won't transmit too much then!

Amateur Field Day

2009-06-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

I attended my RACES 2009 Field Day operations at Craig Park today.

Made contacts with stations in Colorado and Alaska, with the help of my friend Brian Turner who wants to join RACES also.

It was fun actually making a live distant contact after upgrading my license.

H2O Gun Configured

2009-06-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Finished watergun setup with reservoir in Alice backpack, and gun shoulder strap.

Shoots a 1 second torrent of water 30 feet.

Homemade H2O Gun - the Instrument of Justice

2009-06-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

I just finished construction on an air-pressure homemade (APH) water gun, from a design posted on the internet by water warrior enthusiasts, who boast of its superior power - greater than the infamous SuperSoaker CPS 2000.

This obsession for a more powerful water gun was spurred on by my preparations for attending Youth Camp in a couple weeks, where water skirmishes occur daily and the Great War happens on a Thursday - 300 kids against 30 staff (and I'm on staff!).

To explain the design (see picture), water from a resevoir is drawn in the lower right barb through the first one-way 'check' valve by pulling out the plunger along the bottom, then pushed up through the second check valve when the plunger is pushed in. The two check valves are integral to this design and the basis of many SuperSoakers.

The water enters the black pressure chambers on top with subsequent pumps and pressure builds. When ready, the ball-valve at top left is opened and pressurized water jets out the final nozzel at the end of the pipe.

Next is field testing! If web claims are correct, it may prove to be the most powerful gun on the battlefield!

3rd DAT Call - Kitchen Fire

2009-06-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

My next DAT call came when I was meeting my friend for breakfast this morning.

There was a fire in the kitchen of the residence. The family said they had just left their house and one of the daughters thought she forgot something and they went back.

The kitchen was gutted. Luckilly they had insurance to cover the loss. The bedrooms were relatively undamaged; washing clothes and linens should help.

2nd DAT Call - Mobile Home Fire

2009-06-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was attending a Red Cross Communications meeting at the Chapter office, and a DAT call came in. Myself and Ray Heaney were Disaster Action Team(DAT) members and were called to respond.

We came to the incident of the mobile home fire, which happened earlier in the day around noon. The client was going to cook on the stove and put oil in the pan, then stepped outside to take a cellphone call. She heard crackling and came in to find the stovetop engulfed in fire. She tried using the home phone but fire must have melted the line. She grabbed her purse and got out the front door, and her neighbor called for help.

When I looked at the remains tonight, I saw the unit was completely destroyed, the home gutted, blackened walls and charred remnants of furnishings. An empty shell. All that remained of the 50" LCD TV was a stiff upright backboard. So sad.

I tried to relate and make a connection with the client, and related how my father went through similar medical conditions as she had. She shared how she loved to read and had 500 books. She grows and sells fruit and sends money back to her home country to help the poor.

We finished up paperwork at a nearby Starbucks and chatted.
My senior partner, Ray, has been on the DAT team for 8 years and has responded to an amazing 114 calls! He shared that one time there was a house with four rooms with 7 people in each room - and they all spoke Spanish!

Passed the General Class license test

2009-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Yay - I passed the test to upgrade my amateur radio license from Technician to the General level!

Now I have priviledges to operate on the worldwide high frequency bands. If I only had $1000 for all the gear! (But how much would I use it to actually get on the air?)
Met some interesting people in the class whom I may network with later.

The photo shows myself and Gordon West, the class teacher. 'Gordo' is a great teacher - funny, informative, lively; I recommend taking his classes to get a license. You can't help but get interested by his enthusiasm.
TT

My first Red Cross DAT Call

2009-05-27T07:28:00.001-07:00

I wondered who would be calling when my phone rang at 3:42 AM, and it was for the Red Cross Disaster Action Team.

I was dispatched to go help some families at a residential fire near Westminister. It was still dark when I pulled up, seeing the fire truck's floodlights illuminating the street and hearing the hum of the engines.
I met my field supervisor and then the fire captain escorted us on the damage assessment tour. I was suprised how gentle and polite all the firemen were. What heros. We walked around the house; holes were cut in the ceilings of all the rooms to search for fire. The room where the fire started had major damage - its walls were blackened and everything was charred and messy. I made a mental note: Check for fire hazards at home! We walked thru sooty puddles of water.

The husband said that he woke from the smoke and it was hard to breathe. He saw the fire and tried to put it out but it was too much and he jumped out the window with his wife and woke others and called for help.

It was daylight by the time we had finished the paperwork.
Both us responders and the families we helped were grateful for each other. Things like background, language, ethnicity, social status - none of this mattered - meeting the humanitarian needs bonded us together.

Though I'll be tired later, it was a great way to start the morning.

Wildfire in Joshua Tree

2009-05-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

So I even see some excitement while on vacation!

Sunday around 4:00 PM we saw smoke to the Southeast from behind a low mountain. (See picture). We figured it may have started around 3:00 PM. Then at 5:00 PM I saw a Fire Huey fly over.

I pulled out my scanner and started scanning the Air frequencies. I heard air traffic controllers, then some chatter on 122.5750. That was the air tactical frequency for the fire.

I heard the air boss coordinate two tankers doing drops. High winds near the ground. They were refueling in Hemet.

Joshua Tree trip

2009-05-25T16:34:00.001-07:00

I went with some friends to Joshua Tree, and we had a good time. We stayed at the employee campground reserved by my friends mom.

The weather was especially nice. It wasn't too hot during the day, and the breeze was nice. It got very windy in the late afternoon lasting into the night.

And the stars were beautiful at night. We saw satellites pass overhead and some shooting stars.

5.0 Los Angeles quake felt as far as San Diego

2009-05-18T09:13:00.001-07:00

== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==

***This event has been revised.

Region: GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIF.
Geographic coordinates: 33.940N, 118.337W
Magnitude: 5.0 Ml
Depth: 13 km
Universal Time (UTC): 18 May 2009 03:39:36
Time near the Epicenter: 17 May 2009 20:39:36
Local standard time in your area: 18 May 2009 03:39:36

Location with respect to nearby cities:
2 km (1 miles) E (91 degrees) of Lennox, CA
2 km (1 miles) SSE (157 degrees) of Inglewood, CA
3 km (2 miles) NNE (23 degrees) of Hawthorne, CA
15 km (10 miles) SSW (213 degrees) of Los Angeles Civic Center, CA

ADDITIONAL EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
________________________________
event ID : CI 10410337

This event has been reviewed by a seismologist
For subsequent updates, maps, and technical information, see:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/ci10410337.php
or
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

CISN Southern California Management Center
Caltech Seismological Laboratory
U.S. Geological Survey

http://www.cisn.org/scmc.html

Trying out Twitter

2009-05-06T10:37:00.001-07:00

I signed up for Twitter to see if it will be helpful for current news updates pertaining to responder activities.

My URL is:
http://twitter.com/ttadventure

However, I'm not sure how often (if at all) I will be posting my personal updates there, since there are so many social networks to keep up on.

I am following the LA County Fire Department's tweet blog, since they post many calls and it was helpful to follow during the past wildfire seasons.

Product Review: Radio Chest Harness

2009-04-24T11:04:00.001-07:00

I recently received a new radio chest harness in the mail, ordering one after seeing other workers use them on deployments - the Coaxsher RCP-1 Pro Radio Chest Harness.

I'm impressed with its design, functionality and durability. It fits well, and has accessories thar are well thought-out.

I recommend every serious Responder get one.

Can't wait to use it on the next call-out!

DESCRIPTION:

Unparallel in design and workmanship the RCP-1 Pro radio chest harness comes loaded with all the bells and whistles.
Perfected over time from customers feedback to become the most comfortable and functional radio chest harness anyone can wear.

FEATURES

• Large Wide-Mouth Zipper Close Main Pocket

• Fold-Down Platform for Reading/Writing

• Open Air Back Plate Cuts Weight and Allows Airflow

• Adjustable Radio / Cell Phone / GPS Holder

• Writing Tool Pockets

• Main Radio Holster—Adjust to Fit Multiple Radio Sizes

• Kestrel Weather Meter / Misc. Pocket

• Spare Battery Shell / Cell Phone Pocket

• Hi-Strength Grommets / D-Ring to Secure Extra Gear

• Great Visibility - Reflective Material & Glow Stick Holder

• Removable Mod-u-Lox C-Clip Holds Mini Mag Lite®

• Lifetime Warranty

Four small YL Quakes Prompt Readiness

2009-04-24T09:39:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from The Orange County Register:

YORBA LINDA – Another small quake shook Yorba Linda this morning at 5:24. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a magnitude 1.7 earthquake shook just two miles northeast from Yorba Linda. There were no reports of damage.

The shaking was an echo of the four notable earthquakes that occurred in the Chino Hills area Thursday night, just north of Yorba Linda, greatly accelerating a swarm that was called "curious" and "unusual" last week by one of Southern California's top seismologists. The latest shakers Thursday came at 8:27 p.m., when a 4.0 quake occurred, followed one minute later by a 3.0 in basically the same spot. And there was a 2.5 quake at 9:04 p.m.

The shaking began at 4:56 p.m., with a 3.8 quake. It's unusual for a smaller quake to be followed by a second quake slightly larger in magnitude. However, seismologists say such things happen, and it doesn't necessarily mean that a much larger event is imminent.

All three quakes occurred in a region that's had a "swarm" of quakes since early March. The quakes are also close to the area of the Chino Hills – the so-called Yorba Linda trend – that produced a 5.4 quake last July. The region is close to the Chino and Elsinore fault zones.

-----------------
Personal note - Red Cross conducted roll calls on the CLARA repeater, and I texted with Brian T. about the event.

That night I refilled my gas tank, recharged a redundant portable battery and filled up a couple jugs in the garage with water. However, The Big One didn't happen the next morning. ;-(

Super-CPR Day Comms Help

2009-04-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

I helped at the "Super CPR Day" with the Orange County Red Cross today, held at the Anaheim Stadium.
An estimated 2000 people will attend the event and get certified in Adult CPR and Basic First Aid for about $5 per class.
Our 'Comms' group provided radio coordination among the different stations and functions from early morning to early afternoon.

Psychological First Aid Class

2009-04-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

I took a very interesting and informative Red Cross class on Psychological First Aid, which is "the practice of recognizing and responding to people who need help because they are feeling stress, resulting from the disaster situations within which they find themselves."

Stress Reactions include a wide range of feelings, thoughts, physical effects, behaviors, and spiritual responses in both adults and children.

First Aid Actions include: making a connection, helping people be safe, being kind calm & compassionate, meeting basic needs, listening, giving realistic assurance, encouraging good coping, helping people connect, giving accurate & timely information, making a DMH referral, ending the conversation, and taking care of yourself.

Leisa Hurst Search #3

2009-03-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today another group search was conducted for missing Leisa Ann Hurst.
The meeting point was in the Silverlakes community in Helendale. Pictured here is the group of volunteers at the morning briefing. There is a manmade lake in the background.
I was grateful another large turnout of people showed up. There were ATVs and footsearchers. By early afternoon it got hot in the desert and the sun beat down strongly.
I talked with volunteers from the US Forest Service Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) group, and learned they have green cloth 'skins' on their helmets with the yellow forest service logo, so that helicopters in the air can recognize friendlys instead of illegal riders on trails.

"48 Hours" crew came to film

2009-03-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

I was suprised to hear a film crew from the TV documentary show "48 Hours" would be at the search to get footage for a story. Cameramen got shots of organizing the command post, the morning briefing, the launch of the UAV drone, interviews with the family, and a grid search in the field.
The producer, Judy, said she probably would never know exactly when it would be aired, but probably sometime in the fall.

Silver Lakes CP Comms

2009-03-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

I helped setup and run communications for this third group ground search for Leisa Hurst.
My friend Brian Turner helped me out setup and run comms in the morning. Brian recently passed his Technician Class exam and is waiting for his license in the mail.
Many thanks also to my friend Scott Byington from my OCRACES group who loaned me a great performing antenna, mast poles, and coax line.

The Faithful Leaders

2009-03-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

Pictured here is Mike Lopez, left, with Emergency Ministry Services, who often runs Operations for the searches, and Mike Melson, right, founder of Trinity Search and Recovery, who organizes, manages and runs searches for missing people with his wife Bridget.
Through these searches we're becoming good friends.

How does he fit it all?!

2009-03-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I need a better vehicle for these deployments.
This trip the Camry took a beating! On the way out to setup the antenna, I almost got bogged down in sand going up a hill, and did a ralley jump over a burm to get back on the main graded dirt road! My friend said when I went over my back end caught air.

Later in the field I DID get stuck and needed a pull-out from a bigger truck. Back at the command post when I sheepishly radioed in that I got stuck, everybody cracked up!

Aw, after that, the sides of my car are all scratched up now from the sticky brush.

On-Scene Communications gets branded

2009-03-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Now that I have a new company logo, I feel like my business is picking up momentum. There is still lots of administrative work to do. I ordered nameplates to wear when I go out on jobs, and I have a couple of gigs lined up for later this year.

Vision Quest Mountain Bike Race - Communications Support

2009-03-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here, showing off my new high-visibility reflectorized ‘communications’ vest, I helped a couple comm guys set up the OCRACES communications van at O’Neil Regional Park for a 52-mile mountain bike race for the Warrior’s Society, a local mountain-bike club.

Leisa Hurst Search #2

2009-02-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to work with the San Bernardino County Emergency Communications Service (SBCECS) to provide radio communications for a ground search activity.

We were conducting a second ground search for evidence or clues regarding Leisa Ann Hurst, a missing 30-yr old mother of two from Barstow, CA. I was impressed by their efficiency and professionalism, and I believe some of their procedures are worthy of imitation.

The victim, Leisa Hurst, a 30 year old mother of two, was last seen on January 22, 2009, dropping her children off at school in the morning. Foul play was suspected. The male suspect, allegedly involved in a romantic relationship with her, is now in custody.

A first family-organized search for clues had been conducted on February 7^th, which, although improvised, still covered a large area and had over 175 volunteers participating. It was a loose family-organized search, with the Barstow PD assisting in an advisory role. A friend of the family had some FRS-capable radios which were distributed to the teams. Many people brought all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) out to help with the desert search.

The second search was scheduled for two weeks later, which provided time to request other resources, like the SBCECS. A non-profit search organization, Trinity Search & Recovery, had been contacted by the family and would organized the search. Trinity has had experience handling many search missions and brought skills of resources, organization, management, and reporting to the aid of the families.

There was also a food truck from a local church organization which served a chicken soup lunch, and egg burritos for breakfast. Volunteers from off-road associations helped, and a group of a dozen ‘Hummers’ were there. Another private company brought a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone, which was remotely piloted above one of the search area, taking high resolution pictures of the ground, and logging a GPS track. Quite interesting.

Being close to the families, I inquired how to ask for mutual aid communications support, and was advised to contact a neighboring agency with information in the Yellow Book. I made contact and sent some information, and was told they would look into helping and request approval.

I was contacted soon after by Tracy Lenocker, Captain of the Central Mountain ECS team, who said his group would be helping out. They were classifying their involvement as a training exercise for his group.

I was relieved when I heard they would help. They had resources including portable repeaters, frequency access, trained personnel, self-sufficient operations, and even satellite phone access if requested. I assured the families that they would have a solid communications network, and it worked out very well.

The ECS team arrived with Chevy Blazer-type vehicles with hatch-backs that opened to reveal rear-of-vehicle communications consoles. They had three vehicles which backed-in to park (for quick getaways), which created a good communications setup under an Easy-Up with portable tables and chairs. They also had a portable mast/tripod with antenna for back-up in case the repeater setup failed for some reason.

As far as the communications plan, it was decided to ask for permission from a local repeater owner to use the Victor Valley repeater for amateur use, which had good coverage where the search area would be. There was also good cell phone coverage, and this was designated as a backup method. Because many volunteers had FRS radios, a cross-band system was set up with a mobile unit and antenna atop a local mountain repeater site tower, repeating the general-use frequency over to the output of a county OES repeater frequency which ECS had pre-programmed into their radios.

Interestingly, later in the afternoon, we heard other distant search operations in progress in the Mt. Baldy and Chino area, since the county OES repeaters all shared the same output frequency, but different input tones based on geographic location.

Procedurally, the group was highly trained and organized. They had individual roles assigned to handle radio operations, radio traffic logging, equipment check-out, and roll-call tracking also.

After the search teams were dispatched, the operators conducted roll-calls of the teams on the hour and half-hour, with odd-numbered teams on the hour and even-numbered teams on the half-hour. They tracked check-ins on a dry-erase board, and it was easy to visually see which teams maintained good communication.

Having two nets, an amateur and an FRS, was helpful to main contact with over 20 search teams in different modes. Four-wheel drive vehicles, ATVs, foot searchers, and even an unmanned aerial drone were among the assets used for the search.

The ECS, as well as the search & recovery management, used pre-filled ICS forms for the activity, which were later submitted to Barstow PD to go in the case file.

Another interesting element was sending cell phone pictures. Search teams were instructed to take a picture of any potential clues in the field with their cell phones and text them back to the assigned command post cell phone. I ended up receiving, tracking, and logging the pictures and showing them to the supervisor. Sometimes, a rover unit would be dispatched for further investigation of the location. Items included old pieces of clothing, disturbed dirt areas or mounds of dirt, although none proved significant to the investigation.

As with any activity, there often are lessons learned. One need ECS recognized was to have a second call logger assigned for the second channel. Often different traffic calls came through on the two frequencies, and one call logger had a hard time logging both sets of information at once. Next time they will assign individual scribes to each channel’s traffic.

I noticed the roll-call table drawn on the dry-erase board was very helpful to organize the hourly check-ins and visually identify which teams we had contact with. These two aspects of documentation assignments and team/resource tracking are worthy of imitation and should be considered when activated and supporting numerous units in the field.

Although no significant clues regarding the victim’s disappearance were discovered, the operation was a great success and an encouragement to the families. Statistically, 276 volunteers participated, in over 20 search teams, logging around 2,500 volunteer man-hours and 2,000 specific search man-hours. It was amazing to see how many groups came to help out in the family’s time of need. A great show of support and volunteerism.

Search for Leisa Ann Hurst - #1

2009-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Please see the blog "LeisaHurst.worpress.com" for more detailed information and updates.

This first family-organized search was hastilly organized yet well-supported and was operationally successful with minimal organization.

There were about 176 volunteers who showed up, a couple dozen ATVs, 3 horses, and two dogs!

New Year's Eve in Times Square

2008-12-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

I had a great trip to Chicago, IL, and New York, NY over the 2008 holidays, and yes, I was in Times Square on New Year's Eve. It was fun being in the wind and cold and experience what a real winter is like compared to CA. Riding the subways was a blast.

Joining the Orange County Red Cross

2008-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

After my experiences with the hurricanes in the gulf, I decided to join the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross. I joined the Communications team which uses amateur and commercial frequencies and systems to help with chapter operations, specifically, radio communications from remote shelters back to headquarters. I also recently joined the Disaster Action Team (DAT) to be available for 24-hour call-outs to assist clients, for example, if a residential fire displaces a family.

Hurricane Gustav Preparations - An Abrupt Reminder to Be Prepared

2008-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was in the Dallas area this weekend at a singles conference with my church, when an announcement was made on Sunday they were looking for volunteers to help out at Red Cross chapters/shelters for Hurricane Gustav relief efforts.

A few dozen people showed interest, and I hooked up with some friends with a car, and we drove down to the Dallas Chapter of the Red Cross.

We left around 4:30pm and got there sometime after 5pm.

I went in one of the meeting rooms that looked like it was setup like an EOC with table stations around the room and coded-signs above the stations.

We checked in, and then suddenly one of the women in charge announced that she needed volunteers right away to help setup a headquarters and ‘pull CAT-5 cable.”

Some of use joined in, and we gathered in the parking lot and were to follow a big equipment truck about 35 miles away to the new headquarters location.

I learned that they were rapidly outgrowing their available space and had to go to a new location.

(I did run into another Red Cross volunteer who was a Ham - callsign embroidered to his shirt - and we exchanged brief ’shop-talk’ comments about what model radio we used, as we were getting into vehicles.)

(I had actually brough a handful of FRS radios in my luggage, which I got out and gave to the drivers of the volunteers, so we could stay in touch while caravaning to the new location.)

We were following the IT guys who had computer equipment and a server.

We were in Dallas and made our way to just West of Fort Worth.

After searching for the right address location upon arrival, we were told that we would be in an empty warehouse ‘over there’, which used to be a Wal-Mart. I later found out that Red Cross has a standing nationwide agreement with Wal-Mart, who will provide resources like supplies or available unused buildings, in case of emergency need. Now I know how Red Cross gets all their supplies so quickly!

We got inside the warehouse, which was completely empty and a little dusty, and talked about the game plan.

First we unloaded the cargo truck, which had lots of equipment in Pelican cases of various sizes and colors.

All the cases were coded, like CBL-049 for a network cable kit, or ATT-051 for something like ATT cell phones or IP phones or something.

I was impressed by the organization seen in their inventory; seems like the Red Cross has caches of equipment in distribution warehouses or something.

We had over a hundred Dell laptops, all in multiple Pelican cases.

Each laptop had a ziplock bag with mouse, mousepad, power cord, etc.

You’ll see a picture of a portable server in two pelican cases.

It was mounted inside the case with what looked like rubber isolation mounting or something.

Some people set up the “VSAT”. There was a dish placed outside which I didn’t see, and the controller computer in orange cases ( I think I attached a picture).

One of the cases had “WLNK” on it, which I confirmed stood for Win-Link, which someone said was the accepted standard or something. I would have wanted to learn more how they used that.

There were “Cable Kits”, “Power strip kits” (handfulls of power strips), Extension cable kits, etc. The cable kit had lots of CAT-5 cables of various lengths in it.

I think we had 6 to 8 network switches in a few cases as well.

The Response Technology person had a sketched map of where to place the tables for the various departments or stations.

There were interesting Red Cross protocols also.

First, all cables were to be suspended so there would be now trip-hazards. Strong wire would be hung between the vertical load-bearing poles of the warehouse, and the power cords and network cables would be hung from them. The went to the store to buy plastic shower-curtain hangers to run the cables though.

CAT-5 cables were not to run underneath the table legs, but along the outside of the legs and twist-tied together. Cables run under table legs could cause problems in case you wanted to move a computer or a table quickly.

I had to string out some cable from the VSAT to the Server, and they said to run a second “B” line for redundancy in case of failure. We also labeled the ends for the A and B cables, but not too close to the end, about 2 feet from the end - in case it had to be re-terminated then you wouldn’t have to cut off the label also.

I was impressed at the workload assignments. When asked if anyone had experience terminating cable, two raised their hands, and they were Not chosen. Everything had special instruction sheets, and those with no experience were chosen for the task. I saw how the Red Cross understands the majority of their workers would be volunteers with unrelated experience, and they take this into account, and assign two or three people to a task (not too many which creates confusion), give them instructions, and let them go. I saw how they had faith in the volunteer to get the job done.

We ended at 10pm sharp, since they had a new rule that nobody would work ‘all night long’. Some people would return in the morning at 8am to continue the work, but I had to return with my friends to the hotel.

It was a neat to see how the Red Cross deployed, their organized inventory methods, their wisdom in network setup, and trust and reliance on the volunteer to get the job done.

It’s good that GUSTAV was only at a Category 2 when it hit land, although I hear that power and communication lines are still down.

Oh, lastly, some funny lessons I learned:

- Keep a change of clothes in a separate spot (or ziplock bag) aside from my vacation clothes. I hadn’t brought any work pants, like BDUs, and wish I had. All the clothes in my luggage were dirty and wished I had a clean pair!

- Have reliable navigation and power at all times. Though I had brought my car gps unit with me, the battery was old and couldn’t run long without plugging in.

- Have an emergency fund in case of things. I had to spend extra money getting another room at the hotel and changing my flight itinerary, but I felt it was worth it to spend the money and serve in this way, and I could afford the extra costs.

Santiago Fire - Communications Support

2007-10-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

The Fire Command Post was a self-contained city including phone lines, data lines, showers, a kitchen area, vehicle parking area, etc, etc.

I helped monitor a dozen fire channels inside the OCFA Communications / Logistics trailer in the early stages of the fire.

Later, management was transferred over to Federal jursidiction with certified fire dispatchers.

This was my first time being at an Incident Command Post for a fire - I was very excited.

VMAT Drill with OCSD

2007-09-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

On September 15, 2007, the OCRACES group participted in a Volunteer Mutual Aid Training (VMAT) Drill with the Orange County Sheriff's Department. It was exciting to participate in a large simulated drill with other community organizations like CERT groups. Sheriff Carona spoke to the group during a lunch break.