Carlsbad
Irrigation District Ham Radio SET
-- After Action Report --
What,
When, Where
Ø Simulated Emergency Test (SET), based on Carlsbad
Irrigation District (CID) Tabletop
Exercise held in September 2008.
Simulated support for County Emergency Managers during a major flood
event, necessitating the "controlled" release of water from three CID
dams: Sumner Dam, Brantley Dam, and Avalon Dam
Ø Saturday, 11 October 2008 -- during the ARRL fall ARES SET time period
Ø Stations were at their assigned location from 0930 to 1100 MDT
Ø Involved 22 locations along 180 miles of the Pecos River, from the Puerto de Luna river gauge in the north to the Malaga river gauge in the south. See page 5 for map of area covered.
In this scenario, we
supported the Emergency Managers and Dam Tenders in three counties during flood
conditions. One or more of the three CID dams were
"over-topping," with the dam tenders needing to make a
"controlled release" of life threatening flood waters -- into an
already swollen river. We reported river levels to the emergency
managers as a "heads-up" in advance of the water release. The
release isolated citizens from fire, police, and EMS assistance, due to
closed bridges and roads. An evacuation of the projected inundation area
was needed in Eddy County.
Could this have actually
happened? Yes, when one or more hurricane remnants track through eastern
New Mexico, during an already wet year.
We used realistic numbers
for all the gauges along the river, based on NWS
Hydrologic Prediction Service criteria. The dam
"elevation and rate-of-rise" information was right out of the Dam
Tender's EAPs.
Objectives
Ø Validate the ability of southeastern NM ARES hams to
provide coordinated communication among specific Pecos River Valley gauge,
bridge, dam, and emergency manager locations
Ø Verify location of and access to river gauges,
bridges, and low-water crossings that might need monitoring in the event of a
flood, including tributaries (some of the gauges were not easy to find)
Ø Validate the ability of our hams to provide back-up
communication for the dam tenders
Who
Involved
Ø ARES hams from Southeastern New Mexico (see page 4
for specific assignments)
Ø Several other hams who checked-in when "general
check-ins" were called for
Ø
Eddy County Emergency
Manager, Chaves County Emergency Manager (who aided preparations, but was out
of town during the SET), and Debaca Co. Commissioner
Results
and Conclusions
Ø Twenty-two ham participants from Chaves, Eddy, Lea,
Debaca, and Curry Counties -- sixteen were actually mobile with a view of a
dam, river gauge, bridge or low-water crossing
Ø We met the objectives of the SET for a 1-1/2 hour
time period and probably could have "held out" for up to 10
hours. But, we clearly would need help
from other counties for a prolonged event of this type.
Ø The net control stations (NCS) need more than one
operator at each station, and need "scribes" to assist with the
paperwork
Ø Radio communication "down in the valley" is
not easy, but can be reliable if multiple repeaters, simplex, and HF is all
used
Ø Portable VHF and UHF antennas on masts are needed in
some locations and desirable in all.
Mobile antennas are inadequate in low-lying areas. NVIS HF antennas can "save the
day" (See antenna photos on pages 6 and 7)
Ø The MegaLink does not work for multiple, simultaneous
events involving different parts of the state
Ø The Caudill Ranch, Claud, and Gallinas Peak repeaters
are of little value in the Pecos Valley, due to an almost complete lack of
coverage
Ø APRS was valuable, but only two stations were sending
beacons (a couple more evidently forgot to bring theirs)
Ø W5TIC demonstrated the value of a satellite GPS
beacon system marketed as SPOT Satellite Messenger
(much like ham APRS, but better coverage due to the use of satellites)
Ø The holiday weekend may have resulted in
fewer participants?
Comments
Ø Wow! When you guys have an exercise, you
do it up right! I was highly impressed with how things went
.... I was way impressed the way the NVIS antennas worked on 75
meters. It sounded like Alf was in my back seat - at least 10 over
9. (see NVIS antenna photo on page 7)
-- KM5BS (retired 911 and dispatch managing officer)
Ø Pretty realistic too! I know that you know this, but
the more we practice this kind of stuff the better we will perform when we have
the real event. Not only is it good practice but it is fun too!
-- KE5JDA (Eddy Co. EM)
Net
Control Stations (NCS)
Ø North Section -- W5TIC -- Debaca Co. EOC (simulated)
Ø Central Section -- N5DCT -- Chaves Co. EOC
Ø South Section -- KE5JDA -- Eddy Co. EOC
Ø
Facilitator -- W5ALL
(got the exercise started and then just monitored)
Ø
State EOC -- N5MMI
(WD8RMG)-- simulated the Santa Fe State EOC
Frequencies
Since most of our stations were located in the bottom
of a river valley, we programmed our radios for several repeaters (and simplex)
to cover the 185 miles involved. The
highlighted frequencies were actually used (needed) to accomplish our
objectives. The other frequencies
were tested, but not used.
We were advised by "some other group" that
we should "get off the MegaLink," since they needed it for some
exercise they were involved in. We
complied, but then noticed that the MegaLink was mostly idle for the next hour.
We found the Caudill, Claud, and Gallinas repeaters
to be of no value, since there was very little coverage of the Pecos Valley --
essentially none for mobile stations.
Capitan Mtn. (W5YFN) 146.610- 100 Hz tone
Caprock (W8QD/R) 147.180+ no tone
Carlsbad 146.880- no tone
Caudill Ranch (KE5MNW) 145.250- 141.3
Hz tone
Claud (KE5MNW) 145.370-
141.3 Hz tone
FLETC (W5COW) 444.975+ 156.7 Hz tone
Ft. Sumner MegaLink (WA5IHL) 147.140+ 100.0 Hz
tone
Gallinas Peak (KE5MNW) 145.115- 141.3
Hz tone
Maljamar MegaLink (WA5IHL) 147.140+ 67.0 Hz
tone
Roswell MegaLink (WA5IHL) 147.260+ 100 Hz
tone
Simplex 146.520
no tone
75 M -- 3939.0 kHz LSB
40 M -- 7236.5 kHz LSB
Assignments
Puerto de
Luna Gauge (simulated) W5ALL Alf
Sumner Dam W5TIC Rob
Debaca Co.
EOC (simulated) W5TIC Rob
Ft. Sumner
US-60 Bridge KE5TYI/KE5SYS Phyllis/Gene
Arroyo de
la Mora/Pecos River KB5ZFA Joe
Acme Gauge
near Bob Crosby Bridge KA1CXE Al
NMMI DLC
EOC (State EOC simulated) N5MMI (WD8RMG) Dan & NMMI Cadets
Chaves Co.
EOC N5DCT Paul
Hondo
2-Rivers Dam Gauge WB3BDX/WA3IBE Marie/Russ
Roswell
US-380 Bridge K5YQ George
Dexter
Bridge ------------- ----------
Hagerman
Bridge KB0QNW Jim
Artesia
Gauge N7RSF Rich
Penasco At
Dayton Gauge N7RSF Rich
Brantley
Dam KE5IDX Glen
Rocky
Arroyo Gauge KE5IDX Glen
Avalon Dam KE5IAY/KE5IDY Rich/Rose
Eddy Co.
EOC KD5JDA Joel (Eddy Co. EM)
Carlsbad
Dark Canyon Gauge KD5TQE Ethan
Carlsbad
B'LO Drk Cyn Gauge AJ7J Roger
Loving
Bridge KM5BS Jim
Malaga
Gauge KM5BS Jim
KE5IDY
/ KE5IAY Emergency Communication Van
At Avalon Dam
Note The Portable Antenna Mast
KM5BS
Near Loving Bridge
Note NVIS HF Antenna