Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast wasn’t the only test of emergency radio communications recently.
From The Source Information Radio News, December edition, comes a note about two wildfires in California that led to evacuation notices issued via emergency radio stations.
A mid-October fire in the Painted Cave area triggered an evacuation order that was issued by the San Marcos Pass Information Station on 1040 kHz. The station also kept residents informed of critical news concerning the fire. Station operator Mike Williams said, “The use of low-power radio in emergency situations proves invaluable. The ability to provide quick information to the public is essential during fast moving events such as wildfires.”
A mid-November fire in the Montecito, Calif. area caused an evacuation order to be issued on 1610 kHz by the Montecito Fire Protection District Information Station.
