Wed 19 May 2010 |
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Bob Rogers, KB4PYP, EC of Davidson County, Tennessee, reports that on the weekend of May 1-2, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) requested ARES® support, with 23 operators responding. Rogers stated that their "SKYWARN net was in standby for most of the day on Saturday as we watched the approaching storms." The OEM went into full activation and Rogers was called in to the "War Room" at 7 PM where he remained until early Sunday morning, when he had to return home to deal with water seeping into his bedroom. The SKYWARN net remained active until the front passed. By 5 PM on Monday, a Red Cross shelter at Bellevue Middle School had requested an operator to support communications needs as there was a lack of cell phone service. Two operators established communication systems to support the shelter for emergency medical support. The Cross Point Community Church also requested ARES® assistance with distribution of supplies. Seven ARES® members deployed there. On Tuesday, May 4, Red Cross requested radio communication support for a relocated disaster headquarters at the abandoned Skyline-Madison campus on Neeleys Bend, where 12 ARES® members participated. Communication was established between Red Cross-Charlotte Road office and the Disaster headquarters. A report was sent to the Cheatham County EMA. Rogers said "while operating our net in support of the Red Cross shelter operation I received a call from an ARES® member in Cheatham County reporting that his neighborhood was isolated by flood waters. He and his neighbors were running out of fresh water and food supplies. I called K1KY on our MTEARS frequency and obtained the phone number of the Cheatham County EMA office and reported to them that 75 people were in need of fresh water and food supplies. Two helicopters were sent with supplies by the afternoon to those stranded people."Articles by this Author: |
