Emergency Management Commission to hold communications exercise

    The Washington County Emergency Management Commission discussed a pending communications exercise at its regular meeting at the Sheriff?s Office Wednesday night. Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Larry Smith informed the commission that there will be a communications exercise with the dispatch center within the next 18 months. Smith said that he was still unsure of the details, but said that the event would be a good opportunity for the Washington Area Amateur Radio Club to participate in a communications exercise.

    The commission has entered into an agreement with the amateur radio club whereby the commission will donate $1,250 to the club to purchase two portable radio stations that would consist of radios, antennas, generators and towers. The club requested the money from the commission after learning it was eligible for a $10,000 grant from the Riverboat Foundation and that it needed matching funds. 

    Amateur radio club members Mark Lukins and Earl McClure appeared at a few commission meetings earlier this year to explain how the radios would benefit Washington County in the event of a disaster. They said that the advantage of using their radio equipment is that it can run even when the power is down and that they are able to communicate with people far away. The two men said that they have spoken with people in places as distant as Japan and Australia.

    Another item for discussion was the vests that the commission purchased for county personnel. Smith said that he was able to purchase eight vests of different colors for people who coordinate the county?s response to a disaster. The vests are brightly colored and have small light-reflecting strips. Each vest displays the title of the person wearing it. Smith said that the vests will be worn when county employees go to the emergency operations center in the Sheriff?s Office to coordinate disaster relief.   

For more, see our May 17 print edition.