Let’s focus on what we can change.
The California wildfire has dominated the media for some time now. It seems these events happen monthly. We don’t want so many opportunities to learn, but as they occur we should examine them. Anyone even casually following the story knows, the breadth and depth of the damage cannot be overstated. As expected, there’s been much talk of failures in funding, leadership, and policy. For better or worse, we live in an environment where almost everything is appropriated to make a political point. In this regard, all sides of the argument have milked this issue sometimes to absurd levels. Parsing those topics is not within the scope of this blog.
Off Grid Ham is not per se a “survivalist website” but due to the nature of the topics covered here the boundary between off grid radio and survival topics is at times blurry. This is one of those times.
What is within the scope of this blog is an unspoken & unofficial goal to encourage self-reflection about how we can pull something positive out of tragedy that will improve our individual situations. None of us personally have any direct control over what happens in California, or for that matter in any disaster. But we can learn from these incidents and take action in our own lives, never forgetting that every trial endured by others is a chance to learn and hopefully mitigate the effects when and if we are tried ourselves.
Don’t wait until the disaster is in your face.
The worst time to build an ark is when the water is up to your knees. With that in mind, every off grid ham should have some predetermined plan for communications when disaster strikes. Do not wait until “it” happens. At that point you’ll be reactive not proactive. Being reactive means off-the-cuff, almost always poorly thought decisions. A few things to consider:
- With whom do you need to communicate, and where are they located?
- How long can you (or desire to) operate in disaster conditions?
- If you have to evacuate, what provisions have you made for communications while away from home?
These and other factors will control your off grid communications disaster plan. One mistake off grid hams often make is to over prepare, prepare for the wrong situations, or come up with solutions that have no corresponding problem. For example, you do not need a 100 watt solar panel and a 70 amp-hour battery to run a five watt QRP radio! Unless you need that much power for other things (and do you really “need” the other things?) your power production capacity should be proportional to the load.
The bottom line is to define your goals and have everything ready before a crisis arrives.
Data modes: Legitimate solution or trendy gimmick?
There’s nothing inherently wrong with using data modes in disaster conditions. But ask yourself: What are you accomplishing with data modes that cannot be done with analog voice or CW? If you have a clear answer to that question, then go ahead and implement data modes into your off grid communications plan. Data modes add a layer of complexity to communications in the form of extra hardware and software. This extra stuff needs to earn its keep. Running data just for the sake of running data is a poor plan. Data modes are the trendy hot thing in the ham radio world, but we are not here to be edgy and cool. Use data only if it serves a clear purpose and does not unnecessarily complicate your plan.
Test your plan. California wildfire
Please, please don’t become the ham radio version of a “tacticool” survivalist who plows a ton of money into gear and equipment, then stores it in the basement with no intention of doing anything with it until society collapses.
Every ham has seen them: They post photos of their cool radio gear on the internet and talk a big game, but never actually do anything. Get out at least a few times a year and practice operating in as close as you can get to the expected conditions you might face in a disaster situation. Field Day, contests, and nets are prime time to test out your plan, but you can operate any time. There is no need to wait for a special occasion.
As you stress-test your equipment and your operating plan, problems and weaknesses will reveal themselves. Certainly, do not be disappointed! This is exactly why it’s so important to do a practice run. Use the setback as a learning opportunity to fix what’s wrong so you’ll be ready when it really matters. California wildfire
The best disaster is the one you didn’t attend.
No matter how well you organized you may be, there may come a point during an incident when the only sensible option is to get out. Your plan should include what to do when the plan is no longer viable. Approach any emergency conditions with a clear head, and don’t feel like you must stick with your plan no matter what. Pride aggravates disasters, humility mitigates them. California wildfire
Along those lines, when public safety agencies tell you to get out, follow their instructions. Sticking around against professional advice is not going to improve your situation.
The aftermath. California wildfire
There are people in California who have lost everything. Many of them will never recover. Others may recover their physical losses but will carry emotional scars. There are dozens of studies confirming that those involved in natural disasters are at very high risk for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This applies to both victims and first responders. Hopefully you will never have a similar experience, but if you are, be on the watch for it in yourself and others. California wildfire
Every plan should be prepared with the hope it will never be used. But when and if the unthinkable happens, being prepared ahead of time greatly increases the chance of getting through it. In the case of the California wildfires, I’m not sure any plan can account for entire neighborhoods burning to the ground. At that point, the only sensible action is to run for your life! Yet, we should never convince ourselves that if no preparation is enough, then no preparation is necessary. There’s a lot of people in California wondering if they could or should have done anything different. They should not guilt-trip themselves because it’s unlikely they could have done anything to change the outcome. That does not negate the need to be prepared anyway.
Resources.
Here is a recent Off Grid Ham article that goes into more detail about preparedness.
Needed for reflection and preparation W2USN
“we live in an environment where almost everything is appropriated to make a political point.”
You need government to protect you. You can’t do it yourself. I am researching basic math skills and it seems obvious that there is a correlation. If you can’t do 13×24 in your head, in 30 seconds, you are screwed.
I believe Ronald Reagan summed it up when he said: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, “I”m from the Government and I’m here to help.”