Central California Hams Respond to Earthquake:

Amateur Radio operators aided the American Red Cross after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck California's Central Coast region Monday, December 22. Amateurs in San Luis Obispo County provided radio links between shelters and the Red Cross San Luis Obispo Chapter office. Santa Barbara Section Manager Robert Griffin, K6YR, said the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services requested the assistance of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)/Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) teams. Griffin said San Luis Obispo ARES/RACES operators helped staff the county emergency operations center and backed-up communication for the Red Cross after cell phone service proved unreliable.

"About 24 operators were involved," Griffin said. "By 10 PM Monday night, the primary American Red Cross communication resources were again reliable, and the ARES net secured." Griffin says a few operators continued communications support at the EOC.

Griffin said the American Red Cross quickly established three shelters for quake victims--one in hard-hit Paso Robles, another in Morro Bay and a third in the southern part of the county. Hams staffed shelters to maintain contact with the Red Cross chapter office. Two people died in Paso Robles, some 25 miles from the epicenter.

Force 12 President Tom Schiller, N6BT, reports the antenna manufacturer--located in Paso Robles--suffered "minimal damage" from the December 22 quake.

"Most of it was confined to the front office, with ceiling tiles falling down, books and computers being tossed around," Schiller said in an update on the company's Web site. "Those who had a view out the front glass doors watched the cars and trucks in the street leave the ground as the shock waves rolled through." He said the quake took out electric power, telephone and cell service within less than a minute, although the power returned and telephones became sporadically operative within a few hours.

Schiller reports his own house--about a mile away--was "trashed," although his towers and the plumbing and electrical systems survived. Standing outside while checking the house, Schiller said he noticed that there was no wildlife at all. "No birds, no deer, no dogs barking. Not even a breeze," he said. "Thankfully, we made it through."

Source:

The ARRL Letter Vol. 23, No. 01 January 2, 2004

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