ARLA/CLUSTER: Cooperação institucional

[ACViegas]

CARIBE WAVE/LANTEX 2014
The Large Atlantic Tsunami Exercise (LANTEX) is a yearly tsunami drill that runs on the east coast of Canada, the US and the Caribbean basin, to test the reliability of communication systems and protocols between centers of tsunami alerts and focal points of communications in the event that a tsunami alert is issued. In Puerto Rico, the exercise is executed in conjunction with the Seismic Net of Puerto Rico (RSPR), FEMA, the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency (PREMA­AEMEAD) and NOAA. 

This year the drill was held on March 26, 2014, featuring a choice of two scenarios: an earthquake on the coast of Portugal, or a submarine landslide in the Gulf of Mexico. Puerto Rican agencies chose the Portugal scenario, based on a similar earthquake and tsunami event that occurred in that country in 1755. 

The exercise commenced at 6 AM when the simulated alert notification of an 8.5 magnitude (Richter scale) earthquake was issued. Later at 10 AM, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) was activated on different radio, TV and Cable outlets to announce the "situation," always reminding listeners that this was a drill. Siren systems were tested for   

      ARRL Puerto Rico Section Emergency Coordinator Carlos A. Rosado, KP4CAR (left) taking reports from other amateurs on the LANTEX Caribe Wave exercise 2014 from PREMA Zone 6 Office in the city of Ponce. Looking on is José M. Ríos, WP4KUY, Director of Communications. (photo courtesy KP4CAR)
     

performance, and many government, public and private institutions in many cities conducted their own evacuation drills to test their preparedness and ability for citizens to travel safely to their nearest local refuge site. Schools and Senior homes were the most active. 

Since 2010, Amateur Radio has played a role in these exercises with PREMA at an island­wide level. The Cuerpo Voluntarios Radioaficionados ­ (KP4CVR) has been the main player in these drills, and has been activated from the 12 PREMA zones. Each zone facility is equipped with a Kenwood TS­2000 transceiver, made possible by a federal grant. The point of contact was on 147.210 MHz, the KP4CAR repeater, located in Cerro Puntas, in the city of Jayuya, the highest point of the island, and has sufficient emergency power to stay on the air for a few days. 

The main responsibility of radio amateurs was to gather reports from amateur stations around the island of how they were notified by the EAS alert: broadcast radio, TV, Cable or by other means such as the sounding of sirens. The information gathered is then delivered to PREMA's Headquarters for post-exercise evaluations and planning. 

At the municipal level, the Bayman Radio Club, an ARRL Affiliated Club, assisted the EMA of the northern city of Dorado, which was certified recently as Tsunami Ready. Organized by Jimmy Drowne, KP3BR, operators volunteered to assist with any kind of communications problem during the exercise. Drowne's 447.225 MHz repeater and 146.430 MHz simplex were used. The group was commended for their support of the drill. 

PREMA Director Miguel A. Ríos Torres said that the exercise was a success, with good lessons learned. -- Angel Santana, WP3GW, Public Information Coordinator ARRL Puerto Rico Section


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