State of California OES ACS Newsletter

March 9, 2003

 

Published weekly (except for vacations and emergencies) by the Auxiliary Communications Service, State of California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

Articles in this Issue
EMMCOM Bulletin # 384
Emergency Preparedness --- Water

EMC384 OES ACS FIELD UNITS Pt2
To: Emergency Communications Units - Information Bulletin
To: Emergency Management Agencies via Internet and Radio
By: Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

EMC384 OES ACS FIELD UNITS Pt3
To: Emergency Communications Units - Information Bulletin
To: Emergency Management Agencies via Internet and Radio
By: Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

EMC384 OES ACS FIELD UNITS Pt3 Release 3/10/03

Bulletins 382 and 383 described some of the background and history of the State OES ACS Field Teams. Now for some detail on the communications resources they help deploy and support.

Three OES Mobile Communications Units are ICS Type 1 Units, and are configured to support all types of Emergency Management communications operations. These 2-wheel drive units are built on 1-ton van chassis, and are equipped with a 25'-30' pneumatic mast to support antennas.

These units are intended to support a two-position dispatch operation located in an existing structure such as a fire station or community hall. This is accomplished using two 12-channel Motorola "Command Plus" consoles connected to the vehicle using up to 300' of 25 pair telephone cable. Besides being able to be operated from the front panel within the vehicle, all the radios are capable of being patched to the consoles. They have on-board power generation capability or require two 20 amp 110-volt AC Circuits. The remote consoles require 110-volt AC power.

Typical radio complement: 1 HF (2-30 MHz) SSB radio 4 VHF-Hi radios (150-174 MHz) 2 VHF-Lo radios (30-50 MHz) 2 UHF radios (450-482 MHz) 1 VHF-Lo CHP radio 2 UHF-T radios (482-512 MHz) 1 VHF-AM Air radio (108-136) 2 800 MHz Trunked/Conv. radios 1 VHF-Hi radio (136-163 MHz) 2 Cellular Telephones.

Other OES Specialized Communications Equipment supported by the ACS includes various pieces of mobile relay equipment. These are in specialized portable and mobile configurations to meet the communications needs of field incidents. Predominately pre- positioned in Northern California, this equipment operates on OES, CDF, or CMARS radio frequencies in the 150, 450, and 800 MHz radio bands. This complement of equipment includes:

1 Vehicle-mounted repeater w/pneumatic mast (OES CESRS Network) (This is the second volunteer-created vehicle donated to OES) 2 800 MHz repeaters (800 MHZ frequency-specific with integrated 150-174 MHZ programmable base station. 1 unit transportable, the other vehicle-mounted) 6 VHF portable repeaters (25w) for OES Fire or CDF Command Net 2 UHF transportable repeaters (453 or 460 MHz) 3 VHF transportable repeaters (OES CESRS network).

Typical applications include: - Portable repeaters on the OES Fire Radio Network channels (Units can be re-configured for operation on 10 CDF Command Net frequency pairs) - Remotely-controlled Base Station to permit ICP communications with an incident branch hidden by terrain.

Continues next bulletin.

Emergency Preparedness --- Water

As I continue this discourse, one of the basic needs is clean drinking water. The following comes from FEM on how you can prepare or find water.

Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an emergency. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need even more.

You will also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Store a total of at least one gallon per person , per day. You should store at least a two - week supply of water for each member of your family.

If supplies run low, never ration water. Drink the amount you need today, and try to find more for tomorrow. You can minimize the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.

How to Store Water: Store your water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Never use a container that has held toxic substances.

Plastic containers, such as soft drink bottles, are best. You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums. Seal water containers tightly, label them and store in a cool, dark place. Rotate water every six months.

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources: If you need to find water outside your home, you can use these sources. Be sure to purify the water according to the instructions listed below before drinking it.

Avoid water with floating material, an odor or dark color. Use saltwater only if you distill it first. You should not drink floodwater.

Three Ways to Purify Water: In addition to having a bad odor and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis. You should purify all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.

There are many ways to purify water. None is perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods. Two easy purification methods are outlined below. These measures will kill most microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals. Before purifying, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of paper towel or clean cloth.

1. Boiling Boiling is the safest method of purifying water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.

Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.

2. Disinfection You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, color-safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.

Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.

The only agent used to purify water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used.

While the two methods described above will kill most microbes in water, distillation will remove microbes that resist these methods, and heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals.

3. Distillation: Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.

Hidden Water Sources in Your Home: If a disaster catches you without a stored supply of clean water, you can use the water in your hot-water tank, pipes and ice cubes. As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl).

Do you know the location of your incoming water valve? You'll need to shut it off to stop contaminated water from entering your home if you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines.

To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the faucet in your house at the highest level. A small amount of water will trickle out. Then obtain water from the lowest faucet in the house.

To use the water in your hot-water tank, be sure the electricity or gas is off, and open the drain at the bottom of the tank. Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve and turning on a hot-water faucet. Do not turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty.

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Bulletins archives:
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Thanks to the ACS List master, Mark Hartman, AA6MH, for this fine service.

Links/Chats/Lists/Contacts California OES URL:
http://www.oes.ca.gov/ California OES ACS URL:
http://www.races.net/ ICQ RACES
Chat Room: ICQ#40163274 (Sundays 1000-1200 Pacific Time)
RACES Mailing List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RACES
"ACS Newsletters" since 11/6/00 and "EMCOMM Bulletins" since 1/3/00:
http://www.races.net/sca/archive.html "
ACS Newsletters" since 2/7/98 and old "RACES Bulletins" and "EMCOMM Bulletins":
http://acs.oes.ca.gov/

California OES ACS HQ facility contact information: Auxiliary Communications Service Program, Room A-139 Governor's Office of Emergency Services P.O. Box 419047, Rancho Cordova, CA 95741- 9047

Copyright 2003 by State of California OES ACS. All or any part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or quoted, provided that credit be given to this issue of the State of California "ACS Newsletter."

Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of State of California OES ACS. State of California Office of Emergency Services and its "ACS Newsletter" editor, Gary Crowe, Ph.D. KG6HIM, do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever.

73, Gary Crowe, Ph.D. "ACS Newsletter" Editor State of California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Operations Support Branch Auxiliary Communications Service Tel: (916) 489- 8709 Fax: (916) 488-0148.