[KYHAM] Re: BPL, Ham radio and the EOC

[A. W.]

 You bring up  a valid point, if only commercial
sources were available, and granted this may be the
case for some. For an EOC operation as mentioned, a
wider scope of potential sources should be available
given any kind of pre-existing relationship with
business and EMA in the area.

 When all sources are taken into account, such as the
considerable number of state, county and local (mostly
highway dept) facilities that have on site diesel
storage, farm and construction industry tanks, and the
considerable military infrastructure that is in place
to move diesel fuel, propane is quite a bit harder to
obtain.

 Even if both fuels are considered equally available
(or not), diesel or even gasoline is easier and safer
to transfer and transport via improvised means
compared to propane.

AW

    

--- N4AOF <n4aof at arrl.net> wrote:

> > I'm not a fan of BPL by any means, but must point
> out
> > that the EOC you mention has serious issues if
> they
> > don't have a plan in place to address alternate
> power
> > sources when the propane runs low.
> 
> > For public safety
> > and health service standby, diesel sets are the
> way to
> > go, since a two people with a 4 wheel drive truck
> or
> > even on foot can procure and transport diesel fuel
> > with ease compared to the specialized methods
> needed
> > with propane.
> 
> On the other hand, diesel generally requires power
> to pump the fuel out of 
> an underground storage tank, unless you have
> arrangements to get your diesel 
> directly from a wholesale distributor who has above
> ground tanks with a 
> gravity feed capability or who keeps his delivery
> trucks filled.  Ordinary 
> service stations very rarely have any sort of backup
> power (beyond at most a 
> UPS to save their computer system for a short
> while.)  Even bringing a 
> portable generator to the service station generally
> doesn't help because 
> there won't be anywhere to hook it up -- and there
> won't be anyone at the 
> service station during a prolonged power outage
> because there isn't anything 
> for them to do.
> 
> Getting fuel during a power outage often means
> having a self-powered pump 
> capable of handling fuel (not a water pump for a
> well) and capable of 
> sufficient vertical lift to suck fuel out of an
> underground storage tank; 
> then making arrangements with a service station
> owner to have someone 
> present to give you access and handle the
> transaction.  Of course, if you 
> are the government and have the pump you could just
> go take the fuel from a 
> service station that was closed due to the power
> outage and worry about the 
> details later.
> 
> 
> 
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