[PPRAANet] Fw: 117 Fire and Badger Hole Fire

[John Bloodgood]

Some good info for all to be aware of, ARES or not.





John Bloodgood, KD0SFY
Emergency Coordinator & Public Information Officer
Region 2 District 2, Colorado ARES (Pikes Peak ARES)
Follow Pikes Peak ARES at:
https://www.facebook.com/PikesPeakARES

https://twitter.com/pikespeakARES
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258915


________________________________
From: ppares-bounces at mailman.qth.net <ppares-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of John Bloodgood <johnbloodgood at hotmail.com>
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2018 12:42 PM
To: PPARES
Subject: Region-2 District-2 ARES: 117 Fire and Badger Hole Fire

All,

This Tuesday the 17th, another fire started near Hanover on the east side of I-25 near mile marker 117.  Because of the winds, the fire spread very rapidly and the latest is that 23 homes were destroyed and around 41,000 acres burned.

Although Pikes Peak ARES was not activated for this fire, we were in contact with Red Cross and county Office of Emergency Management officials in case they needed us, including with the Special Communications Unit in case they needed relief or backfill.  I was also in contact with folks at the state level.

If we had been needed, we would have sent text messages to members, sent out emails, and made announcements on the PPFMA 146.970 repeater.  For this to be effective, YOU MUST make sure your contact info in the ARES registration database is correct.  You need to check this every year, even if nothing has changed.  Additionally, if there is a disaster, keep your radio on when you can.  Finally, for this email reflector, I highly recommend that you go into the settings and TURN OFF the "digest" mode.  Digest mode can delay emails for many days.

During the fire, one of our local operators, KE0ILD, could not get information about the evacuation zones or status -- things were changing quickly and phone lines were down or tied up.  So he got on one of the repeaters and asked for info.  Luckily Amanda, K1DDN, the ARES EC for Regions 4 and 5, was listening and heard his call on the Fun system repeaters.  She was able to get the info he needed and though at first she had been told he did not need to evac, the Sheriff's office called her back just seconds later and said that they had expanded the evac zone and that he needed to get out immediately.  I was only able to catch the tail end of the conversation as he was reporting he was out and safe, but it reportedly one of his neighbors' house was engulfed.  We certainly hope Ron's house was spared, but many in that area were not.

This drives home a couple things in addition to making sure your contact info is correct:

First -- Listen to your radios.  I know of several instances in our area over the last few years where it was a darn good thing someone was listening and happened to catch a call for help.

Second -- Be prepared in case you have to evacuate.  Have important paperwork in a small fire rated safe, in a removable drawer/package in a larger safe, or at least located in a spot where you can get to them quickly.  Know what you are going to take: papers, prescriptions, pets, personal items.  In this case, residents had very little time to gather things once the fire started.  When you get the evac notice is not the time to start planning, it is the time to implement an existing plan.


In addition to many other fires in Douglas, Teller, and Pueblo counties, to name a few, I was contacted by folks at the state level regarding the possibility that assistance might be needed out in Baca county for the large Badger Hole Fire down there which crossed state lines.  ARES was not put on standby, this was more of a heads up.  If we had been put on standby, we would have been asking for operators who could deploy for at least 72 hrs.  Know what you will need for a 72 hr kit -- socks, underwear, shirts/pants, outerwear, toiletries and sundries, meds, and forms/admin supplies.

Thanks!





John Bloodgood, KD0SFY
Emergency Coordinator & Public Information Officer
Region 2 District 2, Colorado ARES (Pikes Peak ARES)
Follow Pikes Peak ARES at:
https://www.facebook.com/PikesPeakARES

https://twitter.com/pikespeakARES
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8258915