2012 Great Utah ShakeOut & Pre- ShakeOut Exercises

The 2nd Quarter 2011 Community Emergency Response Coordination Workshop has been scheduled. Please join us at the workshop on Saturday, May 14, 2011. Continental breakfast will be offered at 8:00 am. Welcome and opening address will begin at 8:30. The workshop is aimed at continued discussion on topics surrounding the coordination of Salt Lake City communities, neighborhoods, and businesses in emergency response, especially through CERT, and establishing communications networks.

This workshop is for anyone interested in community emergency response and post-disaster communications capabilities in Salt Lake City.

The Salt Lake Office of Emergency Management is pleased to report that CERT, Mobile Watch, and other religious and non-governmental organizations throughout the City are continuing to be established, while coordination of communications continues to be a high priority. We ask the community councils for assistance in finding representatives in every neighborhood to participate in these efforts. We also encourage everyone involved with other community groups interested in emergency preparedness (such as churches) to attend as it is vital that we coordinate with existing plans and efforts.

Below is the agenda. Didn’t attend the previous workshops? No problem. Please join us at this one! Pass this on to anyone you feel would have an interest in emergency response.

Please RSVP as soon as possible. Please send an email to SSmithRPh@aol.com and type “will attend breakfast” or “meeting only” in the subject line.

Community Emergency Response
Coordination Workshop

Agenda

Saturday, May 14, 2011, 8:00 am – 11:30 am

Pioneer Police Precinct
1040 West 700 South

8:00 Sign-in & Light continental breakfast

8:30 Welcome & Open Meeting – John Flynt/Michael Stott

2012 Great Utah ShakeOut & Pre- ShakeOut Exercises


9:00 Ben Sharer – Unified Fire Authority (UFA), Community Services Bureau

Response to Cottonwood Heights Flooding 2010: Communications, Volunteers, and CERT Leadership.

9:45 Q & A

10:00 Break

10:15 CERT Division Breakout Session – CERT Division Supervisors

Organization of CERT, Communications, and Exercises in preparation for the 2012 Great Utah ShakeOut (http://www.shakeout.org/utah/overview/).

Pre-credentialing volunteers for possible Salt Lake County flood response.

11:30 Adjourn

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In any disaster there are often downed power lines. It is a fatal mistake to assume that downed power lines are only carrying the same 110Volts that exists inside your house. Downed power lines ALWAYS have higher voltages than 110 Volts. Here is a summary:

Overhead power transmission lines are classified in the electrical power industry by the range of voltages:

* Low voltage – less than 1000 volts, used for connection between a residential or small commercial customer and the utility.
* Medium Voltage (Distribution) – between 1000 volts (1 kV) and to about 33 kV, used for distribution in urban and rural areas.
* High Voltage (subtransmission less than 200 kV; subtransmission or transmission at voltage such as 115 kV and 138 kV), used for sub-transmission and transmission of bulk quantities of electric power and connection to very large consumers.
* Extra High Voltage (transmission) – over 230 kV, up to about 800 kV, used for long distance, very high power transmission.
* Ultra High Voltage – higher than 800 kV.

If your body is dry and you are not grounded, you can usually let go if you accitentally grab 110 Volts. Howewver 110 Volts can be and often is lethal. The line coming to your house from the transformer on the pole is 220 Volts. If you tough 220 Volts, you cannot let go. You loose ALL muscle control.

I call voltages above 1000 Volts "Friendly Voltages" because you do not have to come into contact with their power lines. Just get close enough and they will reach out and touch YOU! They make the first move. 100 KV lines can "jump" 5 to 6 feet through dry air and fry you. Above 200 Kv they can "jump" more than 8 feet! I have pictures of 800 KV arcs that exceed 30 feet. If you are "touched" by 100 KV or better, you will never be the same, if you live to tell about it. Your central nervous system and/or your physical body WILL be altered by voltages over 100 KV.

Don't go near downed power lines. Ambulance crews have been trained not to do so. Firefighters have been trained not to. Law enforcement has been trained not to do so. Don't take the chance. Some have been killed trying to move a downed line off the sidewalk using a stick. The electricity walked along the stick into their hand and out through their feet and shoes. Death was neither quick nor pleasant.
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Do you have 12 volt gel cell batteries for emergency communications? Do all your power cords have anderson power pole connectors on them? A gel cell battery, even a small one, can run your HT for a VERY long time. It will even run your mobile radio for a while. You also need ways to recharge emergency batteries. Harbor Freight sells many sizes of solar cells. Emergency Essentials in Salt Lake has small personal solar charges that can charge AAA, AA, C and D batteries.
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73's until next time. O. D. Williams