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<DIV class=itemTitle><FONT face="Times New Roman">CARIBE WAVE/LANTEX
2014</FONT></DIV>
<P class=default><FONT face="Times New Roman">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.
</FONT>
<P class=default><FONT face="Times New Roman">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. </FONT>
<P class=default><FONT face="Times New Roman">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
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<TD><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <FONT face="Times New Roman"><IMG
border=1 hspace=1 alt="" vspace=1
src="http://www3.arrl.org/nl/ae/image/kp4car.jpg" width=126 align=right
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<P class=default><FONT face="Times New Roman">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)</FONT></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=default><FONT face="Times New Roman">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.
</FONT>
<P class=default><FONT face="Times New Roman">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. </FONT>
<P class=default><FONT face="Times New Roman">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. </FONT>
<P class=default><FONT face="Times New Roman">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 <I>Tsunami Ready</I>. 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.
</FONT>
<P class=default><FONT face="Times New Roman">PREMA Director Miguel A. Ríos
Torres said that the exercise was a success, with good lessons learned. --
<I>Angel Santana, WP3GW, Public Information Coordinator ARRL Puerto Rico
Section</I></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
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