EMC123 HazMat Emerg. Comm 1/2
To:   Emergency Communications Units - Information Bulletin
To:   Emergency Management Agencies via Internet and Radio
By:   Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) of the
      California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

EMC123 HazMat Emerg. Comm 1/2       For release 3/16/98

Here is a real-life emergency communications unit use in a
a hazardous material situation on a major freeway. The
report is from Phil Yenovkian, Manager, Office of
Preparedness, City of Ontario (CA) Fire Department. 
(Edited for brevity.)

(It helps to be familar with the Incident Command
System (ICS) and tactical designators -- the X-series in the
report -- in order to follow the action.

    The Incident Command System utilizes:
    a. an incident (the hazmat situation)
    b. an incident commander (person in charge of response)
    c. a command post (field location managing the response)

    Tactical designators simplify communications. Ontario 
    uses an Xray (X) series. X1 is the Chief Radio Officer
    (CRO) Robert Malaby of the Ontario RACES. "Coordinator
    1840" wrote the report.
_______________
"Sequence: 0250 hours - local time - Fire Dispatch paged
Coordinator 1840 to report to the Incident Commander at the
Command Post at Point A. The page also notified Unit X-1
and Coordinator 1841, Marie Fowers.

Unit X-1 made contact by RACES repeater while I was enroute.
He was advised to standby and have RACES X-29 (John Carrigan)
come up on the repeater. 

X-29 contacted me at 0300 hours, and was asked to respond to
the Command Post (CP) at Point A. 

The mobile Unified Command Post, Unit 850 - previously
requested - arrived at Point A where it was used briefly by
Public Information Officer (PIO) Captain Elwell. Unit 850 was
then transferred to Point B, closer to the crash site. At
0400 hours it became the Command Post (CP) for the incident.

Following a briefing at 0430 hours I requested a response
from X-1 (CRO) and Coordinator 1841. 

At 0445 hours RACES unit X-29 arrived and was assigned to
establish an evacuation point at Point C.

Attempts were made to contact Public Works people to open the
facility, but this was not successful until 0700. Prior to the
facility being opened numerous requests for assistance were
forwarded to the CP by X-29 due to the age and condition of
several evacuees. At one point, Paramedics were dispatched on
a medical aid to the shelter.

X-1 and 1841 were asked to deliver a video camera, radios and
initial supply of food, ice and drinks to the CP. On the
arrival of X-1 at the CP several other RACES participants were
called out and assigned to handle communications from Unit 850
(CP), assist the IC as needed and to assist at Point C. 

At 1030 hours Ontario Police Sergeant Ervin contacted the CP
about the overloaded switchboard at the OPD front desk and
Dispatch. X-1 was directed to assign 3 RACES personnel to the
EOC to handle all telephone calls regarding the incident.
Three outside lines and three internal extensions were
designed for that purpose. 

At 1100 hours Kurt Andersen (X-2) took charge of EOC
operations, which continued until 2330 hours. During that
time, approx. 750 phone calls were received at the EOC.

Continues next week.

                                  ---
ACS Web page: http://acs.oes.ca.gov       FTP archive:
ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/packet/tcpip/incoming for new
bulletins and ftp.ucsd.edu/hamradio/races for earlier ones.
Landline BBS: 916-262-0856 (graphical & standard interface).
OES ACS staff manager Stan Harter :Stanly_Harter@oes.ca.gov 
State Chief ACS Officer Cary Mangum: Cary_Mangum@oes.ca.gov

EOM EMC123