Last week, Malad participated in the Great Idaho ShakeOut!  The exercise is a way for cities, counties, and emergency response networks to test their communications and response protocols for emergency situations, specifically an earthquake.  While Idaho is not often known for frequent or intense earthquakes, they certainly do occur, including the noted earthquake that affected Oneida County in 1975.  

According to the Great Idaho Shakeout! organizers, “The mountains and valleys of southeastern Idaho lie within the Intermountain Seismic Belt and tectonic belts II and III of the Yellowstone Tectonic Parabola. This is one of the most earthquake prone regions of Idaho. Paris and the Bear Lake Valley experienced strong shaking and damage in 1884 from a magnitude 6 earthquake. In 1934, the largest historic Utah earthquake (Hansel Valley magnitude 6.6) occurred just 20 miles south of the Idaho border. In 1975, the second largest historic Idaho earthquake struck the Pocatello Valley west of Malad City. This magnitude 6.1 event damaged 520 homes.”

The exercise involved the scenario of a large earthquake striking just north of the airport in the Salt Lake area.  While much of the state is not affected, there are effects on Oneida county, including the “wrinkle” that Bill Drury added to the scenario—a fuel tanker that has crashed on I-15 and started a large vehicle fire.  The participants in the event proceeded as if those conditions were in place, and worked to establish a “net” of radio users to coordinate information. 

During largescale disaster events such as earthquakes, the first problem municipalities are confronted with is the stability and performance of the communication network.  As emergency workers and mitigation teams work to respond to the needs of the situation, they are reliant on the ability to communicate with other agencies and retrieve information from those on the ground and in operation.  As was seen during the wildfires in Hawaii two years ago, or the recent floods in Texas, the loss of communications networks can result in a great deal of chaos, destruction of property and loss of life, especially during the initial hours of the emergency.

As a result, the Great Idaho Shakeout! provides a means of dry-running and stress testing the critical response and communication systems in an area to determine what needs to be improved upon or corrected.

At the heart of the test was the local HAM Radio club, the RACOONs.  Bill Drury was in place bright and early at the temporary communication center in the Search and Rescue building.  As the “Net control” for the drill proceeded, the controller was responsible for establishing the “net” (or network of verified HAM operators) that defined the invisible borders of the communications zone.  Involved in the exercise were Don and Brenda Daniels, KC Williams, Manuel Mello, Tracy Drury, Troy Allen, Bryan Kerr, Karen Kerr, Brian Llewellyn, Jeff Francom, Joel Blackner, Jim Mustos, Brian Jeppsen and others.

Members of the RACOON club spread out across the valley at critical infrastructure points.  Because this mock emergency involved an earthquake, the reservoirs, as well as the local schools and the freeway, were monitored.    

Communications with each of the designated areas was tested and the equipment run through its paces.  As the morning wore on, members checked in from their assigned locations.  Most of the check ins went fine although there were some locations or setups that were not successful for communication in all cases.  In conjunction with the event, the elementary school held an emergency evacuation drill.  

While for the most part everything ran smoothly, there were a few hiccups.  For instance, a few of the communications from the repeater were inaudible, but cleared up after the position had been moved or switched to the handheld network.  Brian Llewellyn kept a log of traffic during the morning, and he noted that there were a number of occasions when the communication could be made more efficient in order to keep the lines as open as possible.

Throughout the morning, a number of useful things were discovered.  One issue that dominated the morning’s communication was the difference in signal strength between direct radio to radio communication and communication through the repeater.  In some locations, one system produced better results than the other, and vice versa.  

Another issue was the relative performance of difference communication rigs.  The members of the club have a range of devices at the disposal, from handheld radios to truck-based antenna mounts.  Manuel Mello brought an interesting handmade remote antenna made from PVC pipe and measuring tapes, among other things.  Depending on the area’s topography and other factors, some setups produced better results than others.  Knowing where those kinds of issues exist in the valley was one of the essential goals of the exercise.  Don and Brenda Daniels, for instance, were a short distance from some of the other network members, but had opposite experiences with their equipment.

In the event of an actual emergency, HAM radio communication would be used to support or even replace the county’s in place emergency communication network.  As many elements of that system utilize digital communications, power outages, faulty generators, or other types of interference could render them unreliable or inoperative.   

Club member Jim Mustos suggested that in future events and drills it would be advisable to have one or two “rovers,” who could be sent from location to location to provide communication access to locations where the primary communication networks were not functioning.  As RACOON Bill Drury stated, “In an emergency, everything goes crazy, and we have to be ready for it.”

In addition to the HAM network, and EMS communications, the hospital and schools are also involved in the earthquake drill.  The hospital is one of the most critical locations for the city and county in any emergency.  

In the “hot wash” after the event, Drury noted that it had taken him about forty-five minutes from the time the exercise started to get down to the Search and Rescue building.  In a “real” emergency where the start time wasn’t known ahead of time, he thought that it would probably take closer to two hours to be in place and for enough radio users to be available to create a strong network.  

of emergency mobilization that something like an earthquake would require.

“I’m impressed by how we did,” Jim Mustos said.  “I’d like people to know that this is a great tool, and we’re not here to make any decisions, just to help.”  The support of groups like the RACOONs is essential to both testing the county’s communications and to helping in the event of an actual emergency.