Grays Harbor County Emergency Communications Drill

   On Saturday December 12, 2009 from 9:00am to noon, Grays Harbor County Emergency Management along with the Grays Harbor County Amateur Radio Club will be holding a Ham Radio Communications Drill. The purpose of the drill is to ensure that the County has the capability to communicate in the event of a substantial disaster where all other means of communication are lost, such as the case in the Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami.

   The drill will provide a communicated status from every city, tribe, community and area of the County, which will allow the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) of Grays Harbor County to provide status, supplies and assistance to the affected areas. Washington State Department of Emergency Management and the amateur radio groups from Lewis County, Thurston County,  Pacific County and the American Red Cross will participate in the drill.

   This Ham Radio Communications Drill is another Pro Active move by Grays Harbor County Emergency Management to be ready for any and all situations which may have an impact on Grays Harbor County.  The participants are all volunteer members of their local Ham Radio clubs with the hopes that we may also be able to contact other non member operators, to give a verbal picture of the status of the County. The Grays Harbor County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will then request aid and supplies thru the Washington State Department of Emergency Management, who in turn will request the same from the surrounding County EOC’s. This specific Communications Drill will become a yearly event. Amateur Radio communications are always involved an any activation of the County EOC. The motivated volunteers who assist in radio communications are constantly training to provide the highest level of assistance to the citizens of Grays Harbor County.