GREAT COASTAL GALE OF 2007
ChinookObserver.com
December 2017 // Page 3
Pacific County communications
have improved since 2007 storm
DAMIAN MULINIX PHOTOS
Above: A resident walks through the backyard of his Seaview home after a large tree snapped in his backyard and another was blown over across the front of his house the
night before. Right: Sid’s market produce manager Darrin Hocking, left, helps toss spoiled food items into the dumpster behind the store.
Technology upgraded,
more employees trained
By NATALIE ST. JOHN
Chinook Observer
L
ONG BEACH, Wash. — When
the storm hit in 2007, Scott
McDougall was working as a
Raymond firefighter. He viv-
idly remembers how noise in the fire sta-
tion parking lot made him look out the
window.
A large piece of sheet metal was
wrapped around his truck. He wanted to
go out and remove it, but a second glance
stopped him in his tracks.
“There was a piece of sheet metal from
the same roof that was flying through the
air like an airplane wing,” McDougall
said. “I made a decision that the other
piece of metal could stay wrapped around
my truck.”
McDougall joined the Pacific County
Emergency Management Agency in 2013,
and became the county’s emergency man-
ager when his former boss, Stephanie
Fritts, retired late last year.
In 2008, county leaders held public
meetings to discuss the storm response.
With widespread phone and power out-
ages, and many impassable roads, Pacific
County’s small communities were even
more isolated than usual during the storm.
Emergency responders said they strug-
gled with unreliable radios, problems with
the 911 system, and difficulty coordinat-
ing with relief agencies outside the area.
Residents said they were frustrated
with slow responses to low-priority
requests for aid and the lack of infor-
mation coming from the overwhelmed
agencies.
County leaders decided to upgrade
communications technology and develop
a better plan for public outreach.
“One of the biggest things that
came out of the storm were some of the
improvements to the communications
system,” McDougall said.
They also recognized the need for a
dedicated Emergency Operations Center
Navigating 227th Street near Ocean Park was particularly difficult, as almost 20 trees
fell onto the road, cutting off access in many sections.
Judy Smith and
Dale Funkhouser
talk about getting
food and supplies
to people without
power in Ocean
Park. The two were
part of a small
team of Red Cross
workers who were
stationed out of
the LDS church
in Long Beach
following the
storm.
— a sort of pop-up agency tasked with
tracking the “big picture” during natural
disasters.
Operations centers coordinate response
and relief efforts, disseminate informa-
tion to the public, and make sure response
agencies have the resources they need to
do their jobs, McDougall said. Their work
is guided by the principles of the Incident
Command System, a protocol designed to
help responders from different agencies
work together smoothly when major inci-
dents occur.
In 2007, staff pulled from other county
departments set up a temporary operations
center. They had to do a lot of on-the-job
learning in less-than-ideal conditions.
“We didn’t have people trained to the
level we would like to have them trained,”
McDougall said. “Stephanie ended up
wearing a lot of hats.”
Now, there is a permanent operations
center in South Bend. McDougall can
quickly set another one up in the county
annex in Long Beach. There are more
people who can help in the center, and
they have more training now, McDougall
said. County staff periodically run prac-
tice drills to prepare for real emergencies.
One of the biggest lessons of the 2007
storm was that when people don’t have
good information “they fill the vacuum
with wild speculation, rumor and their
worst fears,” McDougall said. So, Fritts
and McDougall have also developed
strategies for communicating with the
public in times of crisis.
The county has upgraded critical
phone, computer and emergency dispatch
infrastructure to make it more reliable.
People who are in distress can now text
911, and new GPS
technology makes it
easier for dispatch-
STORM FACTS:
ers to locate callers.
Gale’s top reported
However, Fritts
gust was 147 mph at
and
McDou-
Radar Ridge, an ocean-
gall also wanted
facing mountaintop in
a tried-and-true
Washington.
way to com-
municate when
newer technolo-
gies fail, so they enlisted the help of ama-
teur ham radio operators.
Operations Center staff in South Bend
can now use ham radio to contact fire
departments all over the county. They can
also send messages from the ham radio
system to email accounts, which is help-
ful for coordinating with agencies outside
of the affected region.
But McDougall isn’t counting on
email. Even in the worst conditions, he
said, pens and paper still work.
If all else fails, fire station personnel
can transcribe ham radio transmissions,
and post the information on community
bulletin boards.
“I think that will allow for much better
dissemination of information,” McDou-
gall said.
Remembering the 2007 Storm
& how to be prepared next time
Here are tips for helping you get through
During the 2007 storm and in the days following, all PUD customers experienced some type of disruption to
your next severe storm:
their service at one time or another. All PUD employees that could provide assistance in restoring service were
- Stay away from downed power lines!
dispatched and worked numerous hours in
- A family preparedness kit should be ready
inclement weather putting the system back
with water, food, first aid supplies,
together. Due to the extent of the damage, crews
clothing
and
any special items for medical conditions
were brought in from Clark, Clallam, Cowlitz,
-
Keep
refrigerators and freezers closed;
Lewis and Wahkiakum PUDs to help with
they can keep food safe up to 3 days if not opened
repairs to the transmission and distribution
Other items to have on hand:
system. Each of the Bonneville Power
-A flashlight and extra batteries; candles and matches.
Administration’s three main transmission lines
- A telephone connected directly to the jack;
bringing power to the county were damaged.
cordless phones rely on electricity
Many agencies, local businesses and individuals
provided help, food, drinks, and encouragement
- Properly installed and inspected generator
to those assisting in the restoration process.
(contact the PUD if you have recently installed a generator)
PUD #2 of Pacific County is grateful for the
- Clean drinking water, at least one gallon
help, support and patience of the residents of
for each person per day
Pacific County and the surrounding area.
- Battery-powered radio
RETURN THIS PORTION TO BE ENTERED INTO A DRAWING FOR A FREE 72 HOUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS KIT!
Must be a PUD #2 Customer to enter. Entries are due Wednesday December 27, 2017. Drawing will be held Tuesday January 2, 2018.
Name
Phone #
Email
PUD Account #
Peninsula Operations Center. (360) 642-3191. 9610 Sandridge Road. PO Box 619. Long Beach, WA 98631
Willapa Operations Center. (360) 942-2411. 405 Duryea Street. PO Box 472. Raymond, WA 98577