How was your
emergency-advisory-radio
project implemented?
Potter: We started
looking at it as an
additional way to get
information out to
public in the event of a
Mount Rainier "lahar"
emergency [see below for
a description of lahar]. After looking at
the matter for a time,
we decided an emergency
advisory radio station
could be used for much
more than just Mount
Rainier emergencies and
decided to go ahead with
the project. It was
funded from the city's
emergency management
budget. Interestingly,
Pierce County Department
of Emergency Management
followed the project
with interest and is now
looking to cover the
entire Puyallup River
Valley with a network of
radios.
How is your
station managed?
Potter: I manage and
maintain the system.
Messages play all the
time with information
about burning, hospital
location, terrorist
threat level, flooding
and sandbag information,
road closures, etc. We
were on the local cable
TV with the Department
of Emergency Management
for a short segment
about the radio. We have
been in the local paper
covering the radio and
in the city's public
newsletter covering the
radio. And we include it
in the public
presentations we make at
meetings, nursing homes,
businesses, Rotary,
Kiwanis, Downtown
Association, etc. We
also have signs up
around the city with the
frequency on it: 1580AM WPWG 300. [See picture,
right.]
Where is your
station physically
located and why?
Potter: It is at the
city parks yard.
Has the station
actually been used for
any emergencies yet?
Potter: Lahar drills,
public information on
flooding and other
drills. For Lahar, we
tell listeners to run
for their lives, follow
posted routes, obey
instructions of
emergency personnel,
etc.
Is it used to
convey community
information, such as,
for tourists or locals?
Potter: Yes, mainly for
street closures, traffic
reroutes from the
Western Washington Fair,
etc. [Listen to a sample
Puyallup broadcast -
2.62MB WAV file
download.]
Have you had any
response from the public
regarding the station?
Potter: Yes, lots. Great
idea. More coverage!
Etc.
What do you see
as the overall result of
your
emergency-advisory-radio-station
effort?
Potter: Increase in
public awareness of the
overall problem of
emergency preparedness.
Did you
encounter any
difficulties on the
project and, if so, how
were they resolved?
Potter: Site placement
was a bit of a problem.
Getting the best
coverage, and still
being secure station
equipment was a
struggle, but not
impossible. Another
challenge was getting
everyone to agree on how
we want to change
broadcasts over from the
routine messages to
emergency messages.
What advice do
you have for emergency
managers in other
communities who might be
considering such a
system?
Potter: This is a great
idea and well worth the
investment for constant
flow of emergency
information to the
public. Email Dave. |