| Exercise enhances emergency response capabilities |
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| ODOT News |
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Over the course of three uncharacteristically sunny November days in Sherwood and Portland, 27 emergency communications staff from Oregon and Washington got the chance to practice on unfamiliar equipment, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, in “mock” urgent circumstances.
It was all part of a regional training exercise that simulates real-world situations to expand and enhance responders’ abilities to adapt to the unpredictable and challenging conditions that arise in emergencies. The Communications Unit Leader Exercise (COMLEX) is a result of the growing public safety partnership between and among federal, state and local jurisdictions to align their responses to threats and hazards.
The exercise was offered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Emergency Communication, under the Technical Assistance Program. ODOT’s State Radio Project staff helped plan and deliver the training, which was hosted by Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue and Portland Fire Bureau offices. Staff from Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Lincoln and Clark counties, the cities of Portland and Lake Oswego, and the Department of Forestry also served in support of the exercises.
Responders and communications staff from a variety of Oregon and Washington city and county emergency services received scenarios to work through and equipment to use that would allow them to complete 26 crucial tasks which were final requirements for the federal Office of Emergency Communications’ certification as Communications Unit Leaders.
In teams of three, participants were given scenarios of local disasters. Working through the exercises, the participants needed to request interoperability channels, issue portable radios, patch VHF and 800 MHz radio frequencies, complete the necessary forms and manage different communication resources.
“This is awesome,” said Diana Karthaufer of the Estacada Fire Department. “Not only is it great to have direct experience on the equipment, there is the cross-training we get so that once we’re certified and there’s an emergency, we can travel to other locations, show up and know what to do.”
During this November’s training, 18 of the 27 participants completed the 26 required tasks and were qualified — a huge advancement for local, regional and national emergency communications capabilities. Those who did not complete the tasks still made substantial progress and were given guidance to make that completion not only successful but more probable than if they had not attended.
“We’re ecstatic at being able to participate,” said Steve Watson, Columbia Communications District systems and facilities specialist. “The radio project is providing all sorts of efficiencies — by our collaboration and the agreements we’ve reached, it saved us building two sites.”
The training also provided essential experience in working and communicating with others from different agencies and jurisdictions.
“It provided an opportunity for folks to realize that they can collaborate and work with others, once they understand the capabilities and technology they have,” said Steve Noel, ODOT statewide interoperability coordinator for the radio project.
“For example, the two big rigs from Portland and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue that we set up for this training — they had not engaged one another much in the past. This exercise sort of broke some ice, so I think we’ll see more collaboration and sharing of resources, which is a good thing.”
“People don’t realize that often interoperability is just as much about people skills as it is about technology,” said Rick Iverson, interim branch manager for the ODOT/OSP Wireless Section, who helped staff the exercises.
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