[abigkahuna]

During the Campfire last November, all communications failed within two hours of the fire. The evacuation plan was practiced and had zones for orderly evacuation. The fire spread so quickly that those plans were thrown out the window and into the firestorms that were swirling around.

That being said. There was a fellow ham, by the name of Alan from Placerville that was in Paradise right after the fire doing his day job helping to set up comms for fire crews. He discovered the notification systems failed, etc, not because of a failure to notify folks, but the fire moved so quickly that lines were destroyed before all notifications could be given. Alan began giving presentations to local groups. I invited him to speak to our local ham club in March and he spoke again in July. It what at that meeting that everything jelled as others were concerned about getting information when power was out. Our first power cut off was in June...This is our fifth.

Here in Butte County, where Paradise is located, now experiences the first of the power cutoffs and usually the last to be restored. I have said this elsewhere and will repeat myself for those that may have never read one of my posts...Our local neighborhood area has set up a GMRS notification system to alert nieghbors during these times of power shut offs. It works. We have a net every Tuesday where people check in.. The goal is to ensure that Grandma Moses gets evacuated. 85 people died in Paradise. Mostly elderly. Many in their homes or front lawn, waiting for help. Some did die in their cars. This is why we set up a GMRS system. It has its drawbacks, but for the general population it will work.

Currently my wife and I are awaiting our power to go off. Its is beautiful fall day in the low 80s...nary a breeze. But usually, if it gets breezy here, then it is really blowing somewhere else.

The people in the story need to keep themselves of situations constantly. One can not go blithly through life staring at their iphone. They need to look up and see the smoke...Citizens have to have some sort of responsibility for their own safety. Officialdom can only do so much and sometimes things fall through the cracks...

[Theoria]

Thanks for the info and helping the community.

[Deaf Smith]

Kaleefornee does use Civil Defense sirens?

[caww]

I would never depend on any notifications with all those fires and winds. I have friends in Cal. who are three hours from these fires and take nothing for granted they’ll be notified.

[caww]

I would never depend on any notifications with all those fires and winds. I have friends in Cal. who are three hours from these fires and take nothing for granted they’ll be notified.

[caww]

I would never depend on any notifications with all those fires and winds. I have friends in Cal. who are three hours from these fires and take nothing for granted they’ll be notified.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

Excellent! There's a new normal around there that has to be adapted to and overcome. The first obstacle to overcome is inevitably normalcy bias, which is deadly in and of itself - people waiting around, expecting someone else to do something when it's really upon them to do the heavy lifting. Once that wall is pierced people can and will fall in and organize quite well. I speak from first hand personal experience with that.

 

 

[vmpolesov]

People without GMRS licenses can listen to your nets but not transmit, with cheapo frs/GMRS handhelds from any sporting goods store right? I’m hazy on the detail but recall that a few channels are shared and a few are GMRS licensees only. Anyway seems like a good way to get info out even to Non-licensees

[Norski]

“Smoke forecast and Red Flag Warnings for Sunday Oct. 27”

https://wildfiretoday.com/