Disaster Preparedness: 1. Be Informed: Alerts and Communications

Introduction | JC Citizen Alert |
Emergency Alert Systems: EAS, WEA, ShakeAlert |
Sirens | In-person | Phones; Texting |
TV; Radio | Official Websites; Social Media | Apps

noaa
"National Archives at College Park - Still Pictures,
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons"
Make sure your NOAA radio is properly set
so you will be notified about disasters or severe weather.

Introduction

  • An authorized public safety official is available and
    creates a message to distribute. Message sent?
  • A resident has a working device. Turned on?
    Message received and noticed?
    Language and content understood?
  • Electricity, landlines, cell towers and/or internet
    may be down or unreliable/overloaded.
  • Do you have redundant ways to receive alerts and trustworthy info,
    especially if your preferred ways aren't accessible?
  • Understand the evacuation levels (next section) used in communications:
  • ready set goLevel 1: Be Ready -- you have a plan; monitor emergency info; know what to take, start to pack
  • Level 2: Set -- everything packed at front door or already in car
  • Level 3: Go -- evacuate now!
  • ready.gov: Alerts, Get Tech Ready

everbridgeJackson County Citizen Alert (Everbridge): rvem.org

Ashland

  • Ashland has switched to Citizen Alert (like Jackson County) from earlier "Nixle" system;
    some historical (Almeda) info is included.
  • Ashland citizens are encouraged to create a new account with Citizen Alert replaces Nixle; Ash; 8/11/2023
  • Sign up here: ashland.or.us/alerts for most options;
    Text: 97520 to 888777 to sign up for emergency text Alerts, only
  • optional: Text: WATERSHED to 888777 for Controlled Burn Alerts
  • Nixle Messages 9/8/2020 - 9/11/2020
  • Almeda After Action Review (AAR):
    Lessons Learned, .pdf; 30 pp. 12/20; some of the Ashland survey questions:
    Were you enrolled in Nixle before the Almeda Fire on Sep. 8th?
    Did you find the Level of communication through Nixle to be adequate during the Almeda Fire’s active phase?
    How did you access Almeda Fire resources or informational updates from the City?
    How could the City have improved its notification process for you?
    During the Almeda Fire, were you ever personally advised to evacuate immediately?

Elsewhere in Jackson County

ipawsEmergency Alert Systems EAS: TV, Radio: WEA: Cell phones; ShakeAlert

  • e.g., AMBER, Presidential, severe weather alerts, ShakeAlert, Citizen Alert (Everbridge)
  • Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS): FEMA's national system for local alerting
    that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public
    through mobile phones using Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA),
    to radio and television via the Emergency Alert System (EAS), and
    on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Radio (NOAA).
  • fema.gov: EAS, WEA; weather.gov: NOAA
  • tvready.gov: EAS, WEA, NOAA; fcc.gov: EAS, WEA

Emergency Alert System (EAS)

  • EAS (TV/Radio) : national public warning system commonly used
    by federal, state and local authorities
    to deliver important emergency information,
    such as weather and AMBER alerts, to affected communities
    via broadcast & satellite radio and TV providers,
    cable systems, and wireline video providers.
  • TV or radio: turned on, volume audible?

textamberWireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

dropShakeAlert

  • "Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself. -USGS ShakeAlert"
  • "Terremoto detectado! Agachese, cubrase, sujetese. Protejase. -USGS ShakeAlert"
  • ShakeAlert from USGS is an
    earthquake early warning (EEW) system that
    detects significant earthquakes so quickly that
    alerts can reach many people before shaking arrives.
  • ShakeAlert is not earthquake prediction,
    rather a ShakeAlert Message indicates that an
    earthquake has begun and shaking is imminent.
  • Based on location and the magnitude of
    P-wave (primary, pressure) information from sensors,
    the method can provide warning seconds*
    before slower S-wave (secondary, shear,
    side-to-side, surface) arrives, bringing the strong shaking
    that usually causes most of the damage.
  • *Number of seconds of warning depends on location of epicenter,
    rock types, speed of signal detection & processing, message distribution:
    :00 -- at OR Coast (seismometers on land, rather than deep offshore)
    :20-:30 -- in Rogue Valley for Cascadia event off So. OR coast
    :30+ -- in Rogue Valley, if epicenter farther north
  • If ShakeAlert is enabled in your area, i.e., CA (10/2019), OR (3/2021), WA (5/2021),
    messages are sent via: WEA (emergency alerts) or a ShakeAlert app
  • Note: WEA is sent out via a different protocol.
    WEA delivery had been measured in 10s of minutes but hopefully improving; app should be faster.
    WEA is a general alert sent out to a very wide area but can reach more people w/o an app install.
    The app alert will be specific to the user since it knows the location.
    Both are needed in order to deliver the most alerts they can.
  • Phone OS may provide built-in alerts and detection (accelerometer as mini-seismometer);
    Android 5+: integrated support;
    iOS: 3rd-party seismometer apps only, currently?
  • Slightly different alerting thresholds for the different alert delivery types (from Eric Ditmer):
  • Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): M5.0+ and MMI 4+
  • apps, Android: M4.5+ and MMI 3+
  • M = Magnitude (Richter, etc.); MMI = Modified Mercalli Intensity;
    comparison: M vs. MMI
  • video: 4:38; shakealert.org; note: QuakeAlertUSA app is no longer available
  • Seconds before a 6.2 earthquake rattled California, phones got a vital warning
    ShakeAlert; Guardian; 12/21/2021
  • Entire U.S. West Coast Now Covered By
    Earthquake Early Warning System     NPR; 5/5/2021
  • Earthquake early warning now available to Oregon public
    Governor Kate Brown today proclaimed 3/11/2021 as
    ShakeAlert Day, in recognition of the activation of the
    ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System in Oregon,
    and the day that coincides with the 10th anniversary of
    the magnitude 9.1 Great Tohoku, Japan earthquake.
    Alerting is now available directly to individual wireless
    devices in Oregon
  • waves vs. posts
    Seismic Waves by XKCD is licensed under a
    Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License

    ShakeAlert in Oregon oregon.gov/oem; 3/11/2021

  • Oregon's ShakeAlert Earthquake Warning System
    Approved for State Funding
    legislature approved $7.5 million to fund Oregon’s ShakeAlert
    system during their one-day special session; NPR; 8/11/2020
  • 5 new things your Android phone can do:
    #2. Get alerted to earthquakes around you
    Android 5.0 and above, devices with accelerometers; 8/11/2020

reederSirens

  • Sirens can be highly effective if heard and the meaning is clear,
    i.e., what is the disaster, who is affected, what to do / where to go?
  • At a minimum, sirens can provide a "wakeup call" if you or your devices are asleep.
  • Check trusted sources for further info and guidance, e.g., Citizen Alert, official web sites, Radio, etc.
  • In tornado zones, a siren means: tornado! go to your shelter now.
  • evacflood zoneIn Ashland, sirens (=~4) audible in the flood zone along
    Ashland Creek are followed by one of these messages
    about Hosler Dam (at Reeder Reservoir):
  • 1. "This is a test of the Hosler Dam warning system.
    This is only a test."
  • 2. "Hosler Dam Emergency.
    Evacuate the flood hazard zone immediately."
  • 3. "Hosler Dam is secure.
    It is safe to return to the flood hazard zone."
  • Hosler Dam Early Warning System .pdf; includes flood zone map
  • video: Ashland tests Hosler Dam flood warning sirens 0:40
  • Other creeks and tributaries can flood: Jackson County Floodplain Maps

In-person Notification

Before a Disaster

  • Public Safety Officers (police, fire) may drive along streets with sirens or loudspeakers.
  • If safe, available officials and CERT Volunteers may systematically canvass neighborhoods door-to-door.
  • If you received an official notification, e.g., Citizen Alert,
    contact nearby neighbors who are unaware, may not understand English or may need extra assistance;
    e.g., their needs shared earlier via Map Your Neighborhood (MYN)
  • CERT team members alerted MYN neighbors in Talent MYN; Mail Tribune; 11/2/2020
  • Don't rely on personal notification -- there may not have been time or personnel available.
    If you do receive one personal evacuation warning, don't expect a second visit.

After a Disaster

  • MYN neighbors may check on and help each other.
  • CERT teams may canvass neighborhoods, survey damage, triage and treat injuries, and perform light search&rescue.

hotlinePhones: Hotlines/Recordings; Texting

evacTV; Radio: AM/FM, NOAA, FRS, GMRS, MURS, Public Safety, Ham, CB

  • Ashland Emergency Radio Station: 1700 AM
  • Use your car's radio if you don't have a separate battery-operated radio.
  • Aside from EAS alerts, general TV & Radio news broadcasts
    may not be as current and accurate as other methods.
  • Blanket evacuation orders may make the disaster worse,
    e.g., traffic jams with unnecessary Level 1-2 evacuees.
  • mark trail 266
    Mark Trail Champions NOAA Weather Radio;
    www.weather.gov/nwr/

    In US, FCC oversees these frequencies:

  • UHF Ultra High Frequency: 300 megahertz (MHz) to 3 gigahertz (GHz);
    wavelengths (band): 1 meter (m) to 0.1 m;
    e.g., FRS, GMRS; Ham; broadcast TV; Wi-Fi (2.4Ghz);
    cell networks ('3G', i.e., 3rd gen.); cordless phones
  • VHF Very High Frequency: 30 to 300 MHz; 10 m to 1 m;
    e.g., NOAA; MURS; Public Safety; Ham; broadcast TV; FM
  • HF High Frequency: 3 to 30 MHz; 100 m to 10 m; e.g., CB; Ham ('shortwave')
  • MF Medium Frequency: 300 kilohertz (kHz) to 3 MHz; 1000 m to 100 m; e.g., AM
  • other frequency ranges: Electromagnetic spectrum
  • transmission range (distance) depends on many factors:
    more range with lower frequency, higher output power, longer antenna,
    proper radio positioning, fewer line-of-sight obstructions
  • NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receive-only; no license required; VHF;
    inexpensive; for home and/or go-bag; periodically test, recharge battery;
    some models recharge via handcrank, USB and/or tiny solar;
    noaamay have AM/FM stations, flashlight; Wikipedia: NOAA
    NOAA stations also avail via Broadcastify
  • Some walkie-talkies (FRS) include NOAA channels -- check your user manual
  • 7 channels should be standard, numbered 1-7, usually named "WX1-WX7"
  • NOAA channel; VHF freq. (MHz):
    1. WX2: 162.400 (Medford); 2. WX4: 162.425; 3. WX5: 162.450;
    4. WX3: 162.475 (Mt. Ashland); 5. WX6: 162.500; 6. WX7: 162.525; 7. WX1: 162.550
    additional: 161.650; 161.750; 161.775; 162.000; 163.275
  • Family Service Radios (FRS) aka "walkie talkies": local, two-way messaging and coordination; UHF;
    frslow output power: 0.5-2w (short-range); no license required; limited channels; inexpensive; congested?
    Wikipedia: FRS; some include NOAA channels -- how to recharge during power outage?
  • FRS channel (output power); UHF freq. (MHz):
    1-7 (2w): 462.5625; 462.5875; 462.6125; 462.6375; 462.6625; 462.6875; 462.7125
    8-14 (0.5w): 467.5625; 467.5875; 467.6125; 467.6375; 467.6625; 467.6875; 467.7125
    15-22 (2w): 462.550; 462.575; 462.600; 462.625; 462.650; 462.675; 462.700; 462.725
  • General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS): frequency overlap* with FRS; UHF;
    higher output power -- up to 50w on some frequencies; requires license; Wikipedia: GMRS
  • GMRS channel (output power); UHF freq. (MHz):
    1-7 (5w), 8-14 (0.5w), 15-22 (50w) -- *same FRS frequencies;
    additional (50w): 467.550; 467.575; 467.600; 467.625; 467.650; 467.675; 467.700; 467.725
  • Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS): low power like FRS; no license required; Wikipedia: MURS; VHF
  • MURS channel (output power); VHF freq. (MHz):
    1-5 (2w): 151.82; 151.88; 151.94; 154.57; 154.60
  • Citizens Band (CB): no license required; longer range; HF
  • Public Safety (PS): police and fire dispatcher traffic; VHF; anyone can listen, e.g., channel scanner;
    non-radio access: Broadcastify: Jackson County or apps: Broadcastify, Pulsepoint;
    very immediate and unfiltered local operational details -- not a source of advice or context.
    hamCERT teams may be authorized to transmit on selected channels for official missions and training.
  • Amateur Radio Service aka "Ham"; VHF, UHF, HF; anyone can listen*; live, unfiltered info;
    *two-way requires Ham license ('Technician': VHF,UHF; 'General': HF; Morse code no longer tested);
    typical form factors, output power: handheld (like FRS; 5w), mobile (vehicle; 25-65w), base station (50-100w)    ;
    Jackson Co. (JC) Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES); Wikipedia: Ham; Steve: Ham

JC FBOfficial Websites; Social Media

ppApps

  • Many apps can provide emergency & disaster-related information; most iOS and Android.
    Communication features assume cell service or internet/local networking available.
  • PulsePoint notifications provide an early heads-up to local threats
    such as wildland fires, floods and utility emergencies;
    it can also alert users trained in CPR & AED (Automated External Defibrillation)
    for nearby emergencies; feeds via Broadcastify (which also has apps);
    separate PulsePoint AED app shows nearest AED units on map
  • Everbridge Mobile App links to your Citizen Alert subscription.
    "See Something -- Say Something: Be the eyes and ears of your community
    and share geo-location information, pictures free-form text as a situation develops.
    Receive a push alerts from authorized public safety agencies for high-priority messages
    sent while in a geo-fenced area. View safety alerts on a map and filter alerts based
    on time, priority and source. Designed to reliably work under adverse network conditions,
    for example, when bandwidth or connectivity is limited"
  • ShakeAlert-enabled apps (CA, OR): MyShake
  • femaready.gov: FEMA app
  • Receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service
    for up to 5 locations nationwide.
  • Share real-time notifications with family via text, email, social media
  • Learn emergency safety tips for over 20 types of disasters,
    including fires, flooding, hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes,
    volcanoes and more.
  • Locate open emergency shelters and disaster recovery centers
    in your area where you can talk to a FEMA representative in person.
  • Prepare for diasters with a customizable emergency kit checklist,
    emergency family plan, and reminders.
  • Connect with FEMA to register for disaster assistance online.
  • Toggle between English and Spanish.
  • Some FEMA text-only options (w/o app):
  • Locate an open emergency shelter in your area. Text: SHELTER and Zip Code to 43362
  • Locate an open Disaster Recovery Center in your area. Text: DRC and Zip Code to 43362
  • Preparedness Tips. Text: PREPARE to 43362
  • redcrossredcross.org Mobile Apps:
  • First Aid: Get instant access to information on handling the most common first aid emergencies
  • Emergency: All-inclusive app monitors more than 35 different severe weather and emergency alerts
  • Earthquake: Receive notification when an earthquake occurs, find help and
    let others know you’re safe even if the power is out
  • Flood: Learn and prepare your family and friends for flooding, evacuation and a safe return home
  • also: Hurricane, Tornado, Pet First Aid and other apps; and options to receive info via text messages
  • zelloZello Push-to-Talk (PTT) Mobile App
    "walkie talkie" over cellular or WiFi
    (similar to Apple Watch)
  • 7 Emergency Preparedness Apps to Keep on Your Phone
    FEMA; Harbor; First Aid, Hurricane: American Red Cross;
    MyShake; Zello; EPA Smoke Sense; Wired; 4/5/2021