The Ramona Outback Amateur Radio Society (ROARS) is a local club of amateur radio operators (more commonly called “Hams”) that is always practicing responses to local emergencies. ROARS has assembled a range of very capable radio systems, found many non-radio tools to help us get ahead of some emergencies and has response plans in place for likely emergencies.
Ramona is wonderful community, but we have unique needs in the event of major storms, fires, or earthquakes. We enjoy the relative isolation from the city hustle and bustle, but that isolation also means we must often be highly self-sufficient and able to work together in times of need.
Our area is characterized by steep slopes, rocky terrain, rolling topography, deep canyons, expanses of grassland and limited roads to enter or escape. The native vegetation is highly combustible during the long, seasonal dry periods, and significant fire activity is not uncommon with our relatively dry climate and low relative humidity during the late summer and fall periods.
Strong winds from the west and south can be a problem during a fire. The dry, strong north and east winds (Santa Anas) are even more problematic. The entire area of Ramona outside of the Town Center is vulnerable to fire.
Our world is further complicated by several factors. First, the recent SDG&E policy to turn power off at any time the fire danger is high means we may all lose important tools like radios, TV, refrigeration and simple things we take for granted until they do not work — like automatic garage door openers. Finally, our isolation means we have only limited routes to escape, or for emergency vehicles to enter. In fact, Ramona is ranked as one of the worst towns in California to escape during a fire.
To be better prepared for these emergencies, ROARS is a member of the nationwide Amateur Radio Emergency Services organization (www.sdgares.net), which allows us to quickly coordinate and train with the world outside Ramona.
Our radio systems can touch the outside world anytime, and our dedicated solar/battery/generator-powered local communications capabilities extend our coverage across the Ramona valley, north to Palomar and east through Julian to Ranchita and the Cuyamacas. In the event the cellular systems fail or are overloaded, common in an emergency, ROARS members can still “talk.”
But we are more than folks with radios. Over the years we have collected many procedures and tools to help with emergency preparation, fire identification and location, coordination, escape and recovery. Following are the highlights by emergency category:
Storms: Some ROARS folks are certified “Skywarn” weather watchers, and we report local Ramona weather-related issues directly to the National Weather Service who can pass it on to Caltrans, emergency responders, etc. On our website (on the ROARS Emergency Communications Plan page) look under SEVERE STORM for a link that will send you to Southwest California Skywarn, where you will find information and links to features such as road conditions, traffic, etc.
Fires: Have you ever seen or smelled smoke in Ramona and worried that you were in fire danger? We have identified several great tools that let you quickly identify fires (or storms), their location, and their likely direction.
- There are web cameras on the top of Mt. Woodson that look over all the Ramona area. They are a great first choice to better understand our local conditions, weather and fires. Just use this link: http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras/MW-wc.html
- If you do see smoke and want to determine exactly where it is, other specialized webcams are on many local mountains looking in different directions. By picking several cameras on different mountains, you can triangulate on a fire location. Use this link: http://www.alertwildfire.org/sdge/?camera=Axis-Woodson
- Once you have an idea of the fire location, you will want to know where it may go. You can find wind speed, direction, and temperature anywhere in the county using the wonderful SDG&E micro-weather system at this link: https://sdgeweather.com
- Finally, if you want to listen to local public safety radio communications but you do not own a suitable radio, many are monitored for free at this web site: www.broadcastify.com
All these tools can give you early – and often better than the news — situational awareness of what may be coming your way so you can get an early start on your actions. Your first decision should often be Do I stay or leave? If you think leaving is the right answer, then you must leave early or you may never be able to get out of the valley!
So — how many roads do you think there are to escape Ramona? Did you say four? Most do, but if we add dirt roads there are eight possible escape routes. You should know all of them, where they go, and perhaps drive them, before an emergency. They are listed on our website, www.ROARS.net on the ROARS Emergency Communications Plan page.
Earthquakes: Earthquakes are a special worst-case problem since you will not see them coming, they may close any or all of our escape routes, and power/water/telephones may be out for days or weeks. Earthquakes are all about you and yours being prepared to survive on your own for extended periods. Do you have adequate non-perishable foods, drinking water, medicine, etc. stored in a safe place?
More information and useful links to help you prepare for earthquakes are on our website. Of course, ROARS will be able to maintain communications inside and outside Ramona indefinitely with our solar powered systems. We may be the only outside contact for a while.
It is core to amateur radio that when communities find themselves in a disaster situation, with a disruption to commercial communications and /or power systems, well-trained amateur radio operators respond with an emergency communications (EmComm) capability.
Here are some of our EmComm activities:
- Most ROARS members have radios that can be powered by generator, solar or battery.
- ROARS has a portable, self-contained self-powered trailer-mounted mobile communications system with radios and antennas for every need.
- ROARS participates in the national “Field Day” event where Hams everywhere spend 24 hours communicating with as many other Hams as possible, all while using emergency power..
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ROARS runs practice emergency communications nets on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesdays of the month at 7 p.m., starting on a repeater at 5,600’ on Mt. Palomar (147.130 MHz), then we move on to test more challenging ways to talk. Details are on our website.
If you are a Ramona ham — ROARS member or not — please join our nets. For more information, go to our website at www.ROARS.net
Steve Sampson is ROARS Emergency communications chairman
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Guest Commentary: Are you prepared for a Ramona emergency? - Ramona Sentinel
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