EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS...LESSONS FROM GUAM
Excerpt from EMCOMMWEST BULLETIN No. 136 - 10 DECEMBER 2002:
“GUAM DISASTER UPDATE...ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE FROM TYPHOON PONGSONA WITH WINDS
OF 180+ MPH HIT GUAM...FIRE FIGHTING EFFORTS CONTINUE INTO SECOND DAY AT
ISLAND’S MAIN FUEL SUPPLY DEPOT. CREWS FROM GUAM FD, GUAM AIRPORT,
ANDERSON AFB, NAVY, AND COAST GUARD. ARES AND RACES OPERATORS IN HAWAII
ARE STANDING BY TO ASSIST WITH EMCOMM TRAFFIC...”
Excerpt from the ARRL News Service 20 December:
(Full story: www.arrl.org/news/stories/2002/12/20/4/)
“Duncan Campbell, KF6ILA/KH2, was one of the few hams able to get on the air
in the first few days after the storm hit, felling the island's lone 2-meter
repeater tower in the process. Island hams used 2-meter FM simplex as a major
means of communication, Campbell said. The repeater reportedly is back up. He
was able to make several stateside HF to relay needs, but
fuel to run emergency generators for radio use became scarce, and he had
to shut down after December 10.”
LESSON: Most EMCOMM operators depend upon battery power to keep their stations on the air during power system failures, at least for the first few hours. But batteries can be quickly depleted. Especially if there is a significant level of radio traffic. Energy can be conserved (not to mention reducing QRM) by operating with the lowest possible output power, and by only transmitting when necessary.
Many of us have small gasoline, diesel, or propane generators as our “second line of defense”. The size (in output power) of the generator must be able to supply the amount of wattage needed...but to conserve fuel it should not be larger than needed. If possible two generators, one smaller, “single person carry size” (about 1000 watts), and a larger size (3-5 KW) for use when more power is needed.
In the Guam disaster mentioned above, the island’s fuel depot burned and
fuel supplies became very limited. Whether in the city or in a remote
wilderness location; adequate fuel supplies, SAFELY STORED, should be kept
ready. During power outages most service stations cannot pump fuel, even
if their storage tanks are full. Stored fuel should be used and replaced
every six months.