June will be a busy month on both sides of the US Canada border in the BC Washington state area. Preparations continue as US local, county, state and Federal groups prepare. In BC local, Continue reading PREPARATIONS CONTINUE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CANADA US BORDER FOR GIANT EXERCISE THIS SPING.
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ARES VOLUNTEERS IN SOUTHERN FLORIDA PARTICIPATE IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DRILL.
ARES members participated in the biennial test of an emergency at the nuclear power plant on Hutchinson Island Florida To read about this event go to
http://www.arrl.org/news/southern-florida-ares-volunteers-support-biennial-nuclear-power-plant-drill
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BC AND THE CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT BUILD EMERGENCY MANAGMENT PARTNERSHIP
The Capitol Regional District is located at the south end of Vancouver Island in the Victoria area. In this areas are many small jurisdictions which are required under the Emergency Act to be able to respond to a serious event. Hopefully this agreement will help remove some of the redundancy and duplication, and will provide a more effective and efficient service. This too will help the ARES follks in the area.To read the press release go to
DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WEATHER WARNING AND AN ADVISORY…
ARES folks are you familiar for the local criteria and the difference between a weather warning and an advisory ? This may be of assistance
| ALERT TYPE | LOCATION | THRESHOLD CRITERIA |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory | National, except Nunavik* | A generic weather advisory. One example might be on days when funnel clouds are expected, but a Tornado alert would not be appropriate. |
| Warning | National, except Nunavik* | A generic weather warning may be issued for extreme weather events for which there is no suitable warning type, because they rarely occur.
A generic weather warning may also be issued for other weather events during situations where the environment is vulnerable due to pre-existing conditions and any further weather could result in a significant hazard. For example: 50 km/h winds following an ice storm which could cause structural wind damage. A generic weather warning may also be issued for situations where the event is not expected to reach warning criteria values, but there is a special reason for the warning. For example: the first event of the season, or an off-season event. |
http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=D9553AB5-1#winterStorm
BC Emergency Alerting System. March 16, 2016. A TEST
On Wednesday, March 16, Emergency Management BC will conduct a test of the BC Emergency Alerting System. This is part of a new Canada-wide system – AlertReady – that allows government officials to issue public safety alerts through major television and radio broadcasters. This system will only be used during large-scale disasters or emergencies where loss of life is imminent and possible.
“This is a test of the British Columbia Emergency Alerting System issued by Emergency Management British Columbia. This is only a test. If this had been an actual emergency or threat you would now hear instructions that would assist you to protect you and your family. This is only a test. No action is required.”
This and subsequent testing will determine the system’s readiness for an actual emergency, as well as identifying any issues prior to formal implementation in B.C. Timing of implementation will depend on the outcome of these tests.
Messages delivered through BC’s Emergency Alerting System will complement, not replace, existing notification methods via social media (Emergency Info BC & @EmergencyInfoBC), the Provincial Emergency Notification System (PENS) or other temergency warning functions provided by Local Authorities, First Nations and other agencies.
What I Need to Know:
What is Alert Ready?
- Alert Ready is a new, standardized Canada-wide program that allows government officials in each province and territory to issue emergency alerts through major television and local radio broadcasters.
- Additional information about Alert Ready can be found on the Alert Ready website.
- The system is new and will be made operational in B.C. once testing is complete.
What is the BC Emergency Alerting System?
- The BC Emergency Alerting System is the BC-specific name for the Alert Ready program and is part of a new public alerting program at Emergency Management BC.
- The system will be used to interrupt television and local radio broadcasts with information on disasters and emergencies, where lives are at risk.
- Once operational, the system will be used to deliver lifesaving information on disasters and emergencies to the public.
- Alerts will be issued only to the affected regions or areas within B.C. However, some alerts could be issued province-wide or could affect more than one region.
When will the BC Emergency Alerting System be fully operational?
- This is part of a multi-year project to develop an emergency alerting program in the province.
Will this replace www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca, @EmergencyInfoBC, the Provincial Emergency Notification System (PENS) or other emergency notification functions?
- No. Public emergency alerting will complement, but not replace, emergency alerting already performed by EMBC by broadcasting intrusive alerts directly to the public. This will ensure the public is alerted as soon as possible – local emergency alerting processes will follow.
Will I receive an emergency alert on my phone?
- No, not yet. Future system enhancements may include other methods such as cellular, SMS/text and smartphone apps.
Will I receive an alert on satellite radio or on Netflix?
- No. You will only receive alerts on television networks and local radio stations at this time. The system geographically targets alerts to limit over alerting and can only be used over location aware communication channels.
Will I have to subscribe to the service?
- Once testing is complete and the system is operational, alerts will be broadcast without a subscription and at no cost. This will ensure the maximum number of people receive the alert immediately.
What should I do if I see or hear an emergency alert on radio or television?
- Follow the instructions indicated in the message if it pertains to your situation and location. Seek more details from local media and authorities.
How will I know when an alert had ended?
- When the danger has passed, the system cannot be used to interrupt television and local radio broadcasts to give an “all clear” message. However, it is expected that this information will continue to be distributed via the media and news programs.
How often will the system be tested?
- Tests will be conducted about five times a year.
Amateur Radio Active During Recent WX Events In Louisiana
Amateur Radio Operators involved in ARES and Skywarm activated to assist during the recent heavy rains and flooding in Louisiana. To read about their “adventures” go to
http://www.arrl.org/news/ares-skywarn-volunteers-respond-to-heavy-rain-flooding-in-louisiana
HAM DISASTER COMMS USING A SATELLITE, COMING SOON.
Set to be launched in 2017 a new satellite will provide hams with a new avenue for communication during disaster operations. To read the full release go to
http://www.fema.gov/blog/2016-03-07/supporting-disaster-communications-space
SATURDAY NIGHT(MARCH 12,2016) SUNDAY MORNING (MARCH 13, 2016) TURN THOSE CLOCKS.
This weekend, March 12/13, 2016 will see the start of Daylight Saving Time. Remember to turn your clock AHEAD one hour on Saturday night when you go to to bed.
How about checking the smoke detector batteries too
BC STORM ACTIVATES VANCOUVER AREA EOC,. MARCH 10 2016
The storm hitting the BC coast has caused the activation of an EOC in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. There are also reports of a fatality
http://www.news1130.com/2016/03/10/delta-emergency-operations-centre/
http://www.delta.ca/your-government/news-events/news-releases/2016/03/09/storm-surge-in-delta
http://www.news1130.com/2016/03/10/storm-related-death-port-moody/
A NEW FAULT LINE CONFIRMED VERY CLOSE TO VICTORIA BC – MARCH 2016.
ARES folks, yet another reason to …”train for the worst and hope for the best.”
The comparisons between Victoria and Christchurch New Zealand just keep coming. One more comparison has just been added, the confirmation of a fault line very close to the city. To see the media report go to (sorry I can’t do anything about the commercial at the start)