Cascadia Rising drill: Did You Survive the 9.5 Earthquake?

Field Day 2015
Photo copyright Marc Weinberg

Did You Survive the 9.5 Earthquake?                 

     

You and 8 million of your fellow northwesterners experienced a major subduction zone earthquake during the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 7. The 9.5 quake lasted five minutes and was centered off the Oregon Coast.  The Northwest was paralyzed and likely still would be paralyzed from Ashland, OR to Vancouver, B.C.

The major shake resulted in a 7.5 earthquake in Shoreline. I-5 was shut down.  No 911. No cell. No land line. No power. No water.  

Experts estimate that 20,000 of your fellow PNW citizens perished.

This was ‘just a drill’ -- called Cascadia Rising -- and a rehearsal for a real subduction zone event, which is believed to be in our future. Experts believe the ‘Cascadia Rising’ event is merely a question of when, not if.

How would you get word to your out of state contacts that you and your family survived? How would you get critical information in or out of your neighborhood?

In a disaster, the ACS vans and ham operators will be
the only means of communication

Eighteen Shoreline Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) volunteers participated for 10 hours on the first day of the Cascadia Rising drill, which focused on city, county, and statewide communications.

The drill emphasized training on passing hypothetical damage reports and resource needs from Shoreline fire stations to the Shoreline Emergency Management Coordinator in the Emergency Operations Center, and then to the King County Emergency Operations Center. Damage reports included collapsed and damaged schools, trapped kids, collapsed overpasses, and more.

Some 30 ACS volunteers staff the radio rooms at the fire stations for weekly tests, monthly training, and this annual international event, called Field Day.

These same volunteers will be demonstrating the art of long distance communications during the Shoreline Arts Festival at Shoreline Center soccer field, June 25th. 

Members of the Shoreline ACS will be participating in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise, June 25 – 26 at Shoreline Center. 

Look for the van at the Shoreline Center this weekend

Since 1933, ham radio operators across North America have established temporary ham radio stations in public locations during Field Day to showcase the science and skill of Amateur Radio. 

This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. If you are visiting the Shoreline Arts Festival this weekend please come and see us in action on the field located between the Spartan Rec. Center and Shoreline Stadium.

Field Day is an international competition to test the skills of your Shoreline ACS team and the stand-alone radio equipment necessary to connect with the world when all other means are destroyed or overloaded with traffic. The standalone equipment, most owned and donated to the cause for the exercise by the volunteers, includes generators, radios, antennae, and most importantly, dedicated, trained, skilled, and licensed radio operators. Even though the goal is to make as many contacts as possible during a 24 hour period, the real underlying goal is to be fully prepared to let the world know of Shoreline’s needs and welfare after a major disaster.

Shoreline ACS is a nonprofit. Donations and new members are always welcome.

We encourage Shoreline and nearby area Hams to check-in on our weekly net, 7:30pm every Monday on the Shoreline repeater (442.825+, 103.5). Or join us at our monthly meetings, second Saturday of each month from 10:00-12:00 at Station 61 (175th and Aurora). You can become part of the solution!