Neighborhood-to-Neighborhood Radio Testing
2014: We participated in a citywide drill on May 17th. Here are more details! Check our West Seattle Be Prepared blog where we will post upcoming 2015 events, and you can find info about training and other activities.
2013: We participated in “Shaken and Stirred“, a springtime drill on May 11th, 2013. Note that we also continue to participate in the Seattle citywide Monday evening radio check-ins. We use GMRS radios in conjunction with several repeaters on channels 1 (West Seattle), 2, 4 (Queen Anne-Magnolia-Interbay (MIQA) and 6. For several years now, we have tested the system weekly (Mondays, starting at 8 PM). We alternate by week, testing channel 1 and 2, then the next week testing channel 4 and 6 (then “wash-rinse-repeat”). Feel free to join us if you have a GMRS radio! Watch our West Seattle Be Prepared blog for announcements and follow-up about future drills and events.
2012: We participated in a citywide drill on May 19th; here’s the preview and the follow-up.
2011: We held a Hub-EOC training exercise on February 12th; it was primarily designed to test our procedures and our capacity. We participated in a follow-up field exercise on May 7th; it had broader participation including HAM radio operators. [You can find more information about local HAM groups on the Other Communication Sources page in the Resources section of our site. You can find coverage of our May drill (including some great photos) here.] Our group continues to conduct radio check-in sessions each Monday night. We also held a “Winds of Winter” drill on October 29th, 2011; here’s how it went.
2010: We participated in a training exercise with ACS ham operators and EOC staff on April 24th. This exercise was in preparation for a citywide field drill on May 22nd that is described on our 2010 Activities and Accomplishments page. And, members of our group now test and monitor the radios frequently; we also communicate regularly with hub counterparts in other neighborhoods such as Magnolia-Queen Anne-Interbay each Monday night.
2009: We held two formal radio drills; the first was on September 18th using our standard radios; the second drill on October 10th included ACS HAM operators as well. You’ll find details on the 2009 Activities & Accomplishments page. The activity report covering those events (July – November 2009) also includes photos and a link to media coverage.
2008: Our group held two West Seattle neighborhood-to-neighborhood radio communication tests. The first, in conjunction with the Night Out event in early August, yielded poor results. More details are on our 2008 Activities & Accomplishments page. The second test, conducted December 13th, yielded much more promising results.
Article on the West Seattle Blog about our radio test on 12/13/08:
http://westseattleblog.com/2008/12/non-snow-news-neighborhood-radio-test-talk-about-timely.
If you have questions or want more information about the radio drills or communications, visit our new West Seattle Be Prepared discussion group on Facebook. Our radio expert, Ron Zuber, is more than happy to provide details and answer your questions!
