TCARA - Tri-County Amateur Radio Association: The Great Southern California Shake Out Story

The Great Southern California Shake Out

TCARA Members Participated in The Great Southern California Shake Out

— Written by Douglas Barcon, KG6AHT

At 10 a.m. on November 13, 2008, 5.5 million people throughout Southern California participated in the ShakeOut Drill, the largest earthquake preparedness activity in U.S. history! Alvin Banman (W6EKZ), Allison Van Lahr (KI6TXE), Doug Barcon (KG6AHT), and Mary Kashuba (KI6TOS) from Tri-County Amateur Radio Association participated at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Alvin was the amateur radio operator in charge of the Emergency Operations Amateur Radio Communications Center. The hospital was severely damaged and closed by the earthquake in the scenario and patients were being transferred to other hospitals throughout the region. The hospital's internal communications system was disabled and cell phones were intermittent at best. Only the Emergency Operations Amateur Radio Communications Center, across from the Emergency Room entrance on an outside patio and manned by amateur radio licensees, was able to provide communications with Disaster Services and other agencies. Ham Radio operators were critical in meeting the communications needs of the hospital. Please refer to the photos by Douglas Barcon.

Alvin - W6EKZ

Alvin Banman, W6EKZ, District Emergency coordinator for ARES LAX NE District is stationed out side the Pomona Hospital Emergency Communication Center.

On Monday afternoon, November 17, 2008 the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Emergency Medical Services Agency stopped by Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center to provide a private tour of their $5 million mobile hospital, one of only two in the country. The other being on the East Coast. The portable hospital is up to 250-beds, including 2-bed surgical suite and 12-bed ER in the main hospital unit trailer, that can be moved anywhere in Southern California as needed. No, the beds are not in the trucks, but the main hospital trailer slide-outs expand to 1,000 square feet. Each tent truck unit contains four 25-person (100 patients per unit) Quonset hut-like tents that are set up outside as the mobile hospital and cots are set up as beds. In addition to the tent truck units, there is the main hospital tractor trailer and the hospital support tractor trailer, which carries most of the equipment. Under the earthquake scenario, the mobile hospital was to be driven to Pomona Valley and used in place of the damaged facility. Unfortunately, it was unable to be there on that day. Goes to show you that in a real emergency, damaged infrastructure could limit our ability to care for patients. Ham Radio operators will definitely be needed resources. Please refer to the photos by Douglas Barcon of the mobile hospital units.

Alvin Banman - W6EKZ, Doug Barcon - KG6AHT, Mary Kashuba - KI6TOS


Alvin Banman - W6EKZ, Allison Van Lahr - KI6TXE, Mary Kashuba - KI6TOS	— Mobile Field Hospital —

From The Great Southern California ShakeOut Website: http://www.shakeout.org/

"The Great Southern California ShakeOut was based on a potential magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault— approximately 5,000 times larger than the magnitude 5.4 earthquake that shook southern California on July 29. It’s not a matter of if an earthquake of this size will happen—but when. And it is possible that it will happen in our lifetime.

In an earthquake of this size, the shaking will last for nearly two minutes. The strongest shaking will occur near the fault (in the projected earthquake, the Coachella Valley, Inland Empire and Antelope Valley). Pockets of strong shaking will form away from the fault where sediments trap the waves (in the projected earthquake, it would occur in the San Gabriel Valley and in East Los Angeles).

An earthquake of this size will cause unprecedented damage to Southern California—greatly dwarfing the massive damage that occurred in Northridge’s 6.7-magnitude earthquake in 1994. In summary, the ShakeOut Scenario estimates this earthquake will cause some 2,000 deaths, 50,000 injuries, $200 billion in damage and other losses, and severe, long-lasting disruption. The report has regional implications and is a dramatic call to action for preparedness."