05/25/2016
Cascadia Rising[1], the largest FEMA exercise of 2016, will get under way on
June 7, and Oregon and Washington ARES/RACES organizations both will be heavily
involved, with a significant investment of HF activity planned. The scenario
will be an earthquake and tsunami disaster involving the entire Pacific
Northwest, and the exercise will start with a blackout of all normal, regular
communication systems. Emergency/disaster alternate communication systems will
be provided by Amateur Radio, and participants will include Maxim Memorial
Station W1AW at ARRL Headquarters.
The initial plan calls for W1AW to be active and monitoring, and possibly
passing traffic, if necessary, W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, said.
ARRL Emergency Response Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, said Cascadia Rising will
also involve the Emergency Response Team at ARRL Headquarters.
"Along with on participation via Winlink and HF voice, we will use it as an
opportunity to exercise the ARRL Headquarters Emergency Response Team," Corey
said. "This team is called up to support the ARRL Field Organization during a
major disaster, when support cannot be provided during normal business hours.
The last activation of the team was during hurricane Irene in 2011."
According to FEMA, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction
Zone (CSZ) and the resulting tsunami would be the most complex disaster
scenario that emergency managers and public safety officials in the Pacific
Northwest could face, and Cascadia Rising is an exercise to address that
disaster. The exercise will conclude on June 10.
According to FEMA, emergency operations centers (EOCs) and emergency
coordination centers (ECCs) at all levels of government and the private sector
will activate to conduct simulated field response operations within their
jurisdictions and with neighboring communities, state EOCs, FEMA, and major
military commands. Both Washington and Oregon's military departments will
activate.
"Conducting successful life-saving and life-sustaining response operations in
the aftermath of a Cascadia Subduction Zone disaster will hinge on the
effective coordination and integration of governments at all levels - cities,
counties, state agencies, federal officials, the military, tribal nations - as
well as non-government organizations and the private sector," FEMA said. "One
of the primary goals of Cascadia Rising is to train and test this whole
community approach to complex disaster operations together as a joint team."
A Washington National Guard communications drill - "Exercise Vital Connection
2016" earlier this spring was a ramp-up to Cascadia Rising. The earlier
exercise made use of the Amateur Radio 60 meter channels for civil authorities
to interface with federal partners. - Thanks to John Core, KX7YT, Oregon ARES
District 1 Emergency Coordinator for some information
[1] https://www.fema.gov/cascadia-rising-2016
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