KY Emergency Services Network Survival

[vabiro]

Hi,

Sorry to interrupt what is probably a really busy time in Kentucky, but I have been watching the news and wondering how y'all are making out with freezing rain and the power outages.

I understand that some areas are without power, and may not have it for days. I can't imagine the situation being worst for keeping some of the Emergency Services wireless networks working.

How are things?

Victor

 

[ofd8001]

Radio communications never skipped a beat. The only issue was too many people trying to talk at the same time.

I believe we had some remote sites that were operating on emergency power and our super good radio tech folks had a challenge keeping the fuel supply up.

We had the windstorm in September, which was good practice for the ice storm. I think when all is said and done, the ice storm will be the worst of the two.

Since bad things happen in threes, my woman's intuition (which I got more of than any guy I know), tells me to really listen to tornado warnings this coming spring.

 

[BigDog-911]

Chief, I found the secret to power outages....If your power goes out, buy a generator and 30 minutes later it will come on again. We bought one and wasn't out of the driveway of the store and my neighbor called advising that it was back on.

Just my luck....But then again, I am prepared when your womans intuition happens in the spring.

 

[unitcharlie]

Since bad things happen in threes, my woman's intuition (which I got more of than any guy I know), tells me to really listen to tornado warnings this coming spring.

In October, when my doc asked about my unexplainable weight gain I told her it was going to be a strange winter....
Most of the systems I monitor have survived fairly well given the amount of ice covering the antennas and other problems heaped upon us by Mother Nature.... A number of the County-level EOCs sound really good, my hat is off to the Emergency Management Directors in these counties... I got to listen to Boyle County's Friday and they were taking everything in stride; ditto for Powell County's. Madison County was up to full steam despite their antique trunked system.... Anderson County switched to Emergency Operations like they do it daily, even having fire fighters and others ready to cut paths along the rural roads so EMS can respond to calls.... all in my monitoring area are awesome.

 

[ofd8001]

Dan - my luck was a little better. I got 12 hours use on mine. Best way of preventing something happening is to get ready for when it does.

We bought a snowplow for our field unit. We went a whole 5 years with no snow on our pavement.

 

[unitcharlie]

Anyone in Western Kentucky have an update on the statewide system out that way? A friend just emailed me that the system didn't work as planned....

 

[vabiro]

When I posted this I should have taken into account that the really hard hit areas probably don't have Internet access. As a result, people wouldn't be able to post here right now.

I am curious how the freezing rain and ice have affected the antennas, structures etc., as well as the telco-dependent links like T1 and ATM links could be hit really hard especially in rurral areas.

Victor

 

[michaelroso]

Hello Everyone.
I'm new to the forum. I live in western KY.
We still don't have our kids back in school because alot of the power has yet to be restored to even some school bldgs. Out in the county got hit pretty hard. Our town got pretty flooded by people coming in to seek solace from the storm. All the hotels have been booked solid. The town has just been flooded.

I'm hoping to reach some polite people in here from my home state as I am new to scanning. I just acquired my 1st pro-2096. Seems to be working great. I don't know how active some codes are or aren't. Looking forward to meeting alot of you and hopefully getting along.

Thanks for reading.

 

[michaelroso]

Anyone in Western Kentucky have an update on the statewide system out that way? A friend just emailed me that the system didn't work as planned....

I heard yesterday that the statewide system is months behind schedule and no one can say one way or the other as to how soon it will switch over.

I don't know how reliable the source of this intell is or was. So I have to add that this is just hear say as I have heard it only once. No one seems to have a clue as to what you're even talking about when you bring these things up. It's as if it's a secret society within it self.

Hope this helps. Have a nice day.

 

[benjaminfs733]

Can't comment on the state wide radio system, I have not listened. In Warren County (South Central) we escaped very well, but some counties around us were devastated. The phone system has effected banks and ATM's (as mentioned above). From what I have heard it is difficult to find a working ATM in Bowling Green, either because of lines down or they are out of cash. One lesson I have heard is, in your emergency kit along with a radio, have CASH. In really hard places that is all they are taking. I to agree that we will hear more once power and coms come online in hard hit areas. One guy I work with has family in Grayson County. They have moved here because they were told power would not be back on for about a month. Lots of stories like that, it was really bad in some parts.

 

[BigDog-911]

Hello Everyone.
I'm new to the forum.
I'm hoping to reach some polite people in here from my home state as I am new to scanning. I just acquired my 1st pro-2096. Seems to be working great. I don't know how active some codes are or aren't. Looking forward to meeting alot of you and hopefully getting along.

Thanks for reading.

Michael, first welcome to the forum, this is the right place to be for sure. If you haven't already purchase the Pro-96 software and get you a cable for it, then get a pay membership for this site and you will have more than enough information, updated no less, to fill up your scanner....

Sorry, I know off topic....

There are some areas still here in Jefferson County that don't have power but they are going to have school for the first time since last week, tomorrow.

 

[michaelroso]

Thanks.

No school here tomorrow.
But I have been listening to pennyrile rural electric to keep up with the maintenance efforts.
It doesn't seem like it to some. But those guys are really getting with it.

 

[LouisvilleScanMan]

All I Can Say About The Past Week Is Holy S**t!!!

Some bad stuff happened in my neighborhood. First on wed at 4am, after raining and snowing for several hours the landscape was a frozen hell with overloaded limbs carshing to the ground all around our house then our power went out and didn't come back til yesterday. Then, on wed night LMEMS & Highview fire got called to a house 4 doors down from my house for a person w/ carbon monoxide exposure from a generator in the garage. Thursday I discovered that both my IMAX99 CB antenna and my 70ft shortwave longwire had been damaged by the ice, then we sat in the cold and dark for a few days. Sunday (my 22nd birthday) sucked like the rest of the week except for an act of kindness from some people from my grandmother's church who brought us a generator and some space heaters, but it could have been A LOT WORSE, as I would soon find out.

At about 8:30 Sunday night I was sitting in a room with some of my family watching a TV that we hooked to the generator when there was a loud banging on our door, I looked out the window and it was our next door neighbor yelling "CALL 911, MY HOUSE IS ON FIRE!!!" I ran out of the room and into the snow and ice with only socks on my feet and saw thick black smoke coming from his house and I ran back inside and grabbed the cellphone and dialed 911. After I put on my boots I ran back out into the night to see what I could do, my neighbor's dog was freaking out and at one point tried to run back into the house. Both I and my neighbor chased after him and thankfully the outter door to the house was shut and the dog couldn't get inside, he stood on the front porch and barked at me and when I tried to grab him I got bit. My neighbor ran over and called the dog off the porch just as an ambulance pulled up followed by two HFD command cars. Shortly after, the first engine company arrived followed by a ladder truck. I would like to extend a big thanks to the Highview Fire Dept. for their quick response, they not only saved most of my neighbor's home but possibly mine as well.

My neighbor called his wife to tell her what had happened (she and their 2 kids were staying with family members as their power was out) The fire started in the basement and caused severe damage to the interior of the home which will probably have to be gutted. What caused the fire, I'm not sure.

But for us it's over now, we survived the worst disaster in KY history at the worst possible time of the year, If we can make through this, we can make through anything. I was proud to call myself a Kentuckian before, and after seeing how we came together to get through this I'm even prouder now.

I hope the rest of you made out as well as we did. I can't wait to see what tornado season holds for us.

 

[Andyssonopie]

Lets pray and hope the tornado season holds NOTHING for us!

 

[unitcharlie]

Lets pray and hope the tornado season holds NOTHING for us!

AMEN!

But for us it's over now, we survived the worst disaster in KY history at the worst possible time of the year, If we can make through this, we can make through anything. I was proud to call myself a Kentuckian before, and after seeing how we came together to get through this I'm even prouder now.

AMEN, again!
Glad we're all making it!

A long time ago, as the extreme eastern part of the state was recovering from a really nasty flood, a network news crew came to visit. The reporter had the gall to ask the Mayor of Pikeville if we were authentic flood victims... Well, Sara Falls, then editor of the Appalachian News-Express had some tee shirts printed for some of her friends to wear.... Emblazoned on the front, "Authentic Flood Victim."

Wonder if KY EMA would let someone print "I Survived the New Madrid Ice Quake" on a tee shirt?

 

[dwh367]

I heard yesterday that the statewide system is months behind schedule and no one can say one way or the other as to how soon it will switch over.

I don't know how reliable the source of this intell is or was. So I have to add that this is just hear say as I have heard it only once. No one seems to have a clue as to what you're even talking about when you bring these things up. It's as if it's a secret society within it self.

Hope this helps. Have a nice day.

I must have missed something somewhere along the line. What statewide system are you referring to? Evidently I need pop into this forum a little more often so that I can keep up with things.

 

[michaelroso]

Analog to digital all the way around is the way I understood it.

Maybe, I misunderstood the question. I'm rather new around here and to scanning.

 

[ofd8001]

Bluegrass1dcr1:

I've invited Highview's chief to visit this forum.

I'm sure he will be most appreciative of your kind words.

This ice storm was the worst winter event I've seen in 35 years. Our department went to over 350 calls for service in 72 hours, including several working structure fires. Highview saved our bacon on the two that happened at the same time, as they helped us out at both.

I was afraid that we'd have numerous carbon monoxide deaths. A lot more opportunities this time. Usually when wires are down, it is only generators that are used. For this thing it was the generators and then supplemental heating units (kerosene, propane) plus some improvised things (leaving the gas cook stove on). All of which are chances for people to get sick.

 

[unitcharlie]

The stories that are coming out of this storm are phenomenal! The one that most amazes me is the man from Caldwell County who used his OnStar system to contact his sister in Lexington to then call rescuers.... He and his wife were stranded along a back road where they were building a home; no power, no fone service....

 

[LouisvilleScanMan]

Bluegrass1dcr1:

I've invited Highview's chief to visit this forum.

I'm sure he will be most appreciative of your kind words.

This ice storm was the worst winter event I've seen in 35 years. Our department went to over 350 calls for service in 72 hours, including several working structure fires. Highview saved our bacon on the two that happened at the same time, as they helped us out at both.

I was afraid that we'd have numerous carbon monoxide deaths. A lot more opportunities this time. Usually when wires are down, it is only generators that are used. For this thing it was the generators and then supplemental heating units (kerosene, propane) plus some improvised things (leaving the gas cook stove on). All of which are chances for people to get sick.

Thanks Chief, all you guys (Fire, Police, EMS, Dispatch and power workers) deserve a big pat on the back for the great job you did under these extreme conditions.