Seattle Hubs Spring 2023 Newsletter
| Thank you for your interest in the Hubs! Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs In This Edition…. We have a forward looking newsletter for this quarter. Lots of training coming up and information sharing about the Hubs. In particular, mark your calendar for the date of our next all-city Hub and Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) exercise, on Sunday, June 11, 1:30 – 4:00 pm. Locations will be determined in May, watch our calendar for additional details as the date approaches. But we also take a moment to look back at 2022 and the amazing accomplishments of all the volunteers at their individual Hubs and in support of the Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs Network. To paraphrase a famous saying – never underestimate what a determined, grass-roots, community led group can accomplish! Finally, the Seattle Office of Emergency Management continues to offer on-line classes, but is now adding back in-person training, their current schedule is listed below. Upcoming Special Events / Training Learn more about the Hubs at these activities. Detailed information can be found at our calendar , and do check for any additional events added after publication of this newsletter. Seattle P-Patch Resource Fair, Hub information table April 22 @ 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM Northwest African American Museum, 2300 S Massachusetts St, Seattle, WA 98144 Are you a gardener at one of Seattle’s P-Patch community gardens? If so, stop by our booth at the Earth Day Resource Fair to learn more about the role of P-Patch gardens in a disaster. This program is organized by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch Program GMRS Radio Practice for Victory Heights April 30 @ 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Victory Heights Park, 1737 NE 106th St Seattle, WA 98125 The goal is to identify areas of poor radio reception around the Victory Heights Hub. Participants will be sent out to pre-identified spots with instructions to contact the Hub. Antenna making party to follow! High Point Bee Festival, Hub information table May 20 @ 12:00 – 3:00 PM Lanham Place SW. between Graham Street and Sylvan Way SW The Bee Festival is back and the volunteers of the High Point Hub at Neighborhood House will be there to talk about their Hub and outreach to neighbors. Madison Valley MLK FAME Urban Survival Skills Fair May 21 @ 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM MLK Fame Community Center, 3201 E Republican St. Seattle, 98112 An Urban Survival Skills Fair is where you can visit a number of tables to learn a new skill, tool or information that will help you be better prepared for emergencies. From water sanitation to pets to smartphone apps, stop by and see what’s important to know. You can stop at any or all of the stations to learn a skill and get information to help you be more prepared in a disaster to make sure you and your family will be safe and you have skills to help them and your neighbors. There is no cost to attend this event. Rainier Beach Urban Survival Skills Fair June 3 @ 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM Rainier Beach Community Center, 8825 Rainier Ave S. Seattle, WA 98118 An Urban Survival Skills Fair is where you can visit a number of tables to learn a new skill, tool or information that will help you be better prepared for emergencies. From water sanitation to pets to smartphone apps, stop by and see what’s important to know. You can stop at any or all of the stations to learn a skill and get information to help you be more prepared in a disaster to make sure you and your family will be safe and you have skills to help them and your neighbors. There is no cost to attend this event. Hubs & Auxiliary Communication Service Field Exercise June 11 @ 1:30 – 4:00 PM Hold the date! We will run a cross-city field exercise on this date. The scenario will be a massive power outage and the subsequent, cascading impacts to communications and life safety, not to mention the impact of no internet. Please check for details including which Hubs will participate, as the date nears. This event is open to all Hub volunteers and members of the public. GMRS radio network check-in, 8:00 pm Mondays We continue to work with the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) to practice how to use ham radio in a disaster. For those who aren’t able to join the ACS group, we still have a need at the Hubs for people who can help with local radio communications. We use the Ground Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and have a time set for every Monday, to check that our equipment is properly operating ready to go. For those of you who have gotten your GRMS license (no test, FCC fee only), remember to check in on the GMRS radio network. To obtain the repeater frequencies please send a request to info@seattleemergencyhubs.org 1st Monday of the month – Channel 1 repeater 2nd Monday of the month – Channel 2 repeater 3rd Monday of the month – Channel 4 repeater 4th Monday of the month – Channel 6 repeater 5th Monday of the month – no test This is a weekly on-air talk around to test our radios and repeaters. There will not be a formal net, please come up on the weekly designated channel and connect with other GMRS Hub radio operators. Share announcements, compare radios signal strength, meet new operators; this is to encourage participation and ensure our equipment is always in working order.  Two Major Projects Nearing Completion Update to Self Help Poster Set We are finalizing a 6th poster in our Self Help after a disaster poster series, focused on Medications. This is in partnership with the Washington State Department of Health, the Washington State Pharmacy Association and the Coalition for Inclusive Emergency Planning. New messaging around the importance of having a preparedness plan for your medications and medical equipment will be coming out later this year, along with the new poster. You can view the current set here and translated versions are available upon request. “I Am Safe” Welfare Messages Did you know you can send email over ham radio? We are part of a national team working to document that capability as a way to send post-disaster messages to your out-of-area-contact to let them know you are safe after a major disaster, when all other communications are down. We have just finished a major proof-of-concept exercise with the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) and other coalition partners. We will be sharing that process with you in our next newsletter.  Information collection form for“I Am Safe” messages  Current set of Self Help Posters, Download PDF’s hereHubs Network Accomplishments in 2022 When we look back each year, it’s a lesson in the dedication of committed volunteers. And thanks to all of you who attended these events, or came out to help at our yearly field exercise. The hubs are a success because of all the people involved and we want to continue that energy in 2023. To see our full report, including organizing, partnership and educational work, see the full report here. Major Accomplishments With a $33,360 Neighborhood Matching Fund Grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and with 1,000 plus volunteer hours we accomplished the following: Translated our Hub brochure for 7 languages Translated our Urban Survival Skills Fairs education material for 7 languages Translated our Self-help posters for 13 languages Added translated captioning and voice over for the “What is a Hub?” video for 7 languages Provisioned and installed 4 new Hub boxes at Eastlake, Greenwood, Roosevelt and Providence/Mt. Saint Vincent Resupplied 2 Additional Hubs at Pinehurst and Sand Point / Windermere In partnership with Seattle Auxiliary Communication Service and others, developed a system to collect and pass “I Am Safe” messages from people in an all power/internet out disaster zone to loved ones.This email/text-over-ham-radio process is entering the final testing phase, with participants across the US and Puerto Rico. In partnership with the Washington State Pharmacy Association, Washington State Dept. of Health and the Coalition for Inclusive Emergency Planning have been working to improve preparedness messaging around medications.Developing a 6th Self Help poster for Hubs about post-disaster pharmacy and medication information. A technical sub team transferred Hub location mapping into the City of Seattle Office of Emergency Management ARCGIS layer so as to be available and in synch with city GIS layers. Taught 2 classes on disaster preparedness at Raisback Aviation High School, part of a cirruclum developed to have the students learn about ham radio and to write grants for a Hub in a Box. Incorporated new best practices from After Action reviews of 2021 “Double Trouble” field exercise, summary video here. Expanded GMRS repeater network by adding a repeater covering the Central East Sector. New Hubs in 2022: Bradner Garden P-Patch and in work Madison Valley at FAME, Leo Farm P-Patch. Over 2,000 people have subscribed to our Newsletter.  Hub Education day at Raisback Aviation High School. Urban Survival Skills Fair at High Point.  Laurelhurst Hub holds an Open House to orient neighbors to Hub stations. Precious cargo carried – eggs!- during Cargo Bike & Hub delivery event.  North Capitol Hill briefing at the start of a practice start-up exercise. Homer Harris Hub volunteers review Hub set up locations. Workshops, mini-drills, skill building and classroom training Virtual Hub 101 training session, March 17. Participation at Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service “Voice Protocols” training, March 19. Cargo Bike Ride Alki to Burien, planned stops at 3 Hubs for familiarization. April 24. Hub 101 at Bradner Garden P-Patch, June 2. High Point Safety Fair and Urban Survival Skills Fair (USSF) offered in 4 languages, June 1. Roosevelt Hub Grand Opening and USSF, June 12. Madison Park field exercises, June 12 and July 30. Victory Heights Exercise and USSF, June 18. Field Day exercise of Welfare Messaging and information table, June 25. Homer Harris Hub Show and Tell/mini field exercise, July 25. Eastlake USSF, July 27. Capitol Hill Braeburn Condo Hub field exercise, Aug 14. Victory Heights Hub “Show and Tell”, Aug 15. North Capitol Hill Hub mini-exercise, Aug 28. El Centro USSF offered in 4 languages, Sept 10. Westcrest P-Patch Hub 101 offered in 3 languages, Sept 10. Marra Farms Hub 101 offered in 3 languages, Sept 10. Bradner Garden P-Patch USSF, Sept 17. Leo Farm P-Patch Hub 101, Oct 15. Broadview USSF, Oct 15. Victory Heights exercise and Welfare Message final test session, Oct 15. Two Hub representatives attended the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) annual earthquake exercise in downtown SFD Resource Management Center, Nov 19. Deep Dive Training Meetings in 2022 Using Seismic One Concern Data For Community Presentations Disaster Sanitation “You Survived the Earthquake but Die of Dysentery” Power – The Electrical Grid and Beyond! June Radio Exercise Debrief and Doing Community Outreach Tsunami Modeling, Seattle Fault Zone All Things New & Improved – Best Practices Update  Rainier Beach Hub volunteers at the Rainier Beach Boo Festival. Urban Survival Skills Fair hosted by the Roosevelt Hub.  Field Exercise at the Madison Park Hub.  Bradner Garden & P-Patch Hub also held an Urban Survival Skills Fair. 2022 news stories about the Hubs West Seattle Blog, June 25, coverage of the first Welfare test at Field Day.“Local hams reach out to neighbors near and far on Field Day” https://westseattleblog.com/2022/06/happening-now-local-hams-reach-out-to-neighbors-near-and-far-on-field-day/ South Seattle Emerald, Jan 6, “After a Disaster, South Seattle Will Be on Its Own — Emergency Hubs Are Here to Help” https://southseattleemerald.com/2022/01/06/after-a-disaster-south-seattle-neighborhoods-will-be-on-their-own-emergency-hubs-are-here-to-help/ South Seattle Emerald, Oct 19, ” ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold on!’ The Annual Great ShakeOut Happens This Thursday” https://southseattleemerald.com/2022/10/19/drop-cover-and-hold-on-the-annual-great-shakeout-happens-this-thursday/?amp  Braeburn Condo Hub at a set-up exercise. Eastlake Hubs Urban Survival Skills Fair.  The ACS radio team at the Victory Heights Hub summer exercise. Urban Survival Skills Fair at El Centro de la Raz.Emergency Preparedness Training Available Classes offered through the Office of Emergency Management The Office of Emergency Management has published their upcoming series of classes http://www.seattle.gov/emergency-management/about-us/event-calendar/ for latest updates: Disaster Preparedness: The Basics Tuesday, April 4, 6:30 – 8pm Location: Virtual on Zoom, Register at this Eventbrite link Have you ever wondered what you’ll do should an event disrupt your normal routine? What about your family or friends? Earthquakes, for example, do not happen every day, but that can happen and would be the worst-case scenario for Seattle. This presentation will provide an overview of the hazards that can impact Seattle, and steps community members can take to become prepared for the unexpected. Participants will receive guidance on how to develop a disaster plan, build a disaster supply kit, and organize with your neighbors to become better prepared. You’ll also receive an overview of other OEM efforts including the SNAP program, Community Emergency Hubs, and the City’s new alert and notification system, Alert Seattle. Intended Audience: This presentation is intended for a broad array of audiences. This could include a business or non-profit organization looking to increase the personal preparedness of its employees. For accessibility accommodations, please e-mail or text OEM@seattle.gov or 206-233-5076. Disaster Preparedness: The Basics Tuesday, April 12, 6 – 7:30 pm Location: Delridge Branch – The Seattle Public Library, 5423 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106 Have you ever wondered what you’ll do should an event disrupt your normal routine? What about your family or friends? Earthquakes, for example, do not happen every day, but that can happen and would be the worst-case scenario for Seattle. This presentation will provide an overview of the hazards that can impact Seattle, and steps community members can take to become prepared for the unexpected. Participants will receive guidance on how to develop a disaster plan, build a disaster supply kit, and organize with your neighbors to become better prepared. You’ll also receive an overview of other OEM efforts including the SNAP program, Community Emergency Hubs, and the City’s new alert and notification system, Alert Seattle. Intended Audience: This presentation is intended for a broad array of audiences. This could include a business or non-profit organization looking to increase the personal preparedness of its employees. For accessibility accommodations, please e-mail or text OEM@seattle.gov or 206-233-5076. Earthquake Home Retrofit Saturday, April 29, 1:30 – 3:30pm Location: Rainier Beach Community Center, 8825 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118. Introductory class provides information for do-it-yourselfers or those who want to become educated consumers on how to seismically secure your home (especially if built before 1980) to its foundation. Experienced home retrofit instructors share their insight on tools needed, building techniques, the city’s free plan set and the permit process. For accessibility accommodations, please e-mail or text OEM@seattle.gov or 206-233-5076 Disaster Preparedness: The Basics Thursday, May 18, 6:30 – 8pm Location: Virtual on Zoom, Register at this Eventbrite link Have you ever wondered what you’ll do should an event disrupt your normal routine? What about your family or friends? Earthquakes, for example, do not happen every day, but that can happen and would be the worst-case scenario for Seattle. This presentation will provide an overview of the hazards that can impact Seattle, and steps community members can take to become prepared for the unexpected. Participants will receive guidance on how to develop a disaster plan, build a disaster supply kit, and organize with your neighbors to become better prepared. You’ll also receive an overview of other OEM efforts including the SNAP program, Community Emergency Hubs, and the City’s new alert and notification system, Alert Seattle. Intended Audience: This presentation is intended for a broad array of audiences. This could include a business or non-profit organization looking to increase the personal preparedness of its employees. For accessibility accommodations, please e-mail or text OEM@seattle.gov or 206-233-5076.    Copyright © 2023 Seattle Emergency Communications Hubs, All rights reserved. |
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