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Home My WebLink AboutR.A.C.E.S. and Communications Exercise Plan BRAZOS COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE RACES AND COMMUNICATIONS EXERCISE JUNE 1980 EXERCISE PLAN prepared by BRAZOS COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE (plan prepared: 23 May 80 revision 1: 28 May 80) • TABLE OF CONTENTS ,Purpose 1 Justification 1 Assumptions and Overview 1 Date of Exercise 2 Plan Coordination 2 Exercise Assessment 3 Agencies Involved 3 Responsibilities 4 Scenario 6 Vehicle Movement 9 Radio Message Traffic 9 Map 10 Abbreviations 11 PURPOSE: The purpose of this exercise will be a test of the ca- pability of two -way radio systems (equipped with auxiliary power), . particulary RACES *, to support communications within the local area between key operational points, with the state control cen- ter, and with other points in the state in the absence of land - line forms of communication (other than messenger and direct observation). JUSTIFICATION: Certain disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and nuclear blast can be envisioned which would disrupt all forms of communication dependent upon land -lines or centrally- supplied power. In order to effectively respond to such a situation, the capabilities of alternate communications facilities such as those available from the RACES organization must be known. Periodic tests are useful in demonstrating the capabilities of such organizations, providing training to individual operators to decrease response times and increase efficiencies, indicating problem areas which may be re- medied before an actual disaster is encountered, and yielding experience in interfacing various agencies to respond in a cohesive manner to a single disaster. ASSUMPTIONS AND OVERVIEW: A tornado will be assumed to strike in * A list of abbreviations is included at the end of this exercise. -2- Bryan near College Station and Texas ABM University (see map) and to disrupt all communications in the Bryan - College Station- . Texas ABM area dependent on land -lines or lacking auxiliary power. In particular, all telephone service and direct DPS communication with the state control center in Austin will be assumed to be stopped. Before the tornado strikes, RACES will aid in tornado spotting and reporting. After the strike RACES will assist in damage reports and supply all communications be- tween key operating points in the local area and between the main EOC in Bryan and other points in the state. Public agencies will be involved according to their internal plans and procedures for co- ping with this type disaster. REACT will assist with damage reports, with health and welfare traffic as required by the RACES Officer, and with other disaster - related support. The Red Cross will support the exercise by responding to requests for information on the health and welfare of individuals and by giving other disaster - related support requested by Brazos County Civil Defense. DATE OF EXERCISE: The exercise is scheduled for June 19, 1980 beginning at 5 P.M. PLAN COORDINATION: This plan will be sent in draft form to all affected agencies and their immediate response to Brazos County Civil Defense is requested, particularly if a negative response -3- or major changes are desired. Further coordination will occur at the regularly scheduled meeting of Brazos County Civil Defense Officials at 5 P.M., June 2, 1980, in the Civil Defense Office at the County Courthouse. All participating and affected agencies are invited to that meeting. EXERCISE ASSESSMENT: The agencies involved (listed elsewhere in this exercise plan) are requested to submit a report in writing to Brazos County Civil Defense by July 3, 1980. The report should include these items: list of problems or deficiencies observed (either with their own or other agencies), suggested corrections of problems or deficiencies, general opinion of test, and general opinion of readiness of county to respond to an actual disaster of this type. AGENCIES INVOLVED: Public Brazos County Civil Defense • Brazos County Sheriff's Department Bryan Police Department College Station Police Department Texas AW Police Department Department of Public Safety (Local) Department of Public Safety (State Control Center) -4- Civic or Volunteer RACES REACT Red Cross RESPONSIBILITIES: A list of minimum responsibilities assigned by the Brazos County Civil Defense organization has been prepared. Accomplishment of these minimum responsibilities will hopefully assure a useful and successful test; however, each agency invol- ved is urged to involve more than the minimum number of workers listed in the scenario and undertake more than the minimum responsibilities assigned. For example, an internal exercise by one of the law enforcement agencies to protect a damaged area to prevent looting or provide for utilities repair might be undertaken in conjunction with this plan. The following is a list of respon- sibilities: Brazos County Civil Defense - overall test responsibility; plan preparation; staffing of TWC; announcement of tornado warning; coordination of tornado spotting and damage assessment; and coordination and direction of relief effort from main EOC after strike. RACES - tornado spotting and reporting (a RACES member will supply the actual report of a tornado strike in the appropriate area); communications between EOC's and communications with the DPS state control center in Austin after the strike; requests from outside the local area for health and welfare information -5- on individuals; use of message forms in the format of the American Radio Relay League for communications operators (the necessity for use of written message forms for communications operators was no- ted in the College Station exercise of April 8, 1979); maintenance of appropriate communication logs; and other duties as assigned. Bryan Police Department - activation of EOC upon receiving tornado warning; activation of internal emergency plan; establish- ment of RACES communications with other EOC's and emergency points; maintenance of a status board and an adequate map of the area (lack of a status board and area map, and people to maintain them were noted as a serious flaw in internal communications in the EOC during the College Station exercise of April 8, 1979). College Station Police Department, Brazos County Sheriff's Department, Texas AM Police Department, and local Department of Public Safety - activation of EOC's upon announcement of tornado warning; and a logical sequence of messages to other participating agencies such as would be anticipated in a real tornado disaster (note: these agencies will provide support assistance to the af- fected area and initiate related message traffic generated by emergency situation). REACT - tornado spotting and reporting; requests for health and welfare information on individuals, and other duties as assigned. Red Cross - response to requests for health and welfare in- formation about individuals; initiation of message traffic appro- priate to the situation, and other duties as assigned. -6- State Control Center (DPS) - communication with the Brazos County area during this simulated disaster. SCENARIO: The following scenario is that of a rapidly developing tornado problem. (See map for area of strike.) Only major ele- ments are present. The minimum personnel required to support this exercise are listed in each case. However, we urge that this exercise be used by the agencies involved to test their own facilities and personnel as they feel necessary, and as such tests would fit the major problem and lend realism to it. We also urge • that as many observers as could benefit from this test be invited and positioned by the agencies involved to gain the maximum benefit. Time Action Agency Location Min. Personnel 19 June Tornado watch TWC O &M Bldg. 1 (TWC) 1700 announced 1 (RACES) EOC's manned BPD BPD -EOC 1 from each CSPD CSPD -EOC PD, SO and TAMUPD TAiMUPD -EOC DPS (local) SO SO -EOC DPS DPS -EOC RACES communication RACES MSC Bldg. 1 (RACES) center manned • -7- 1700 -1730 Tornado spotting and TWC O&M Bldg. reporting RACES local area As required. REACT local area 1725 Tornado reported. RACES See map 1730 Tornado disrupts Bryan -near communications dependent CS and TAMU on land -lines or central (see map) power supplies 1731 RACES requested to RACES BPD -EOC 5 (1 RACES establish communication CSPD -EOC member assigned with BPD, CSPD, TANUPD, TAMUPD -EOC to each EOC) SO, and DPS (local) SO -EOC DPS -EOC Notify State Control CD O &M Bldg. 1 (CD) Center (DPS) RACES 1 (RACES) 1745 All clear given on TWC O&M Bldg. As before severe weather for RACES BCS area (teminates TWC) 1730 -1800 Civil Defense EOC CD BPD 1 (CD) located with Bryan Bryan EOC 1 (BPD) EOC which is main EOC 2 (RACES) (other EOC's remain manned as before) -8- 1731-1830 Damage assessment; RACES other EOC message REACT As before. As before. traffic as required EOC's 1830 -2000 Health and welfare RACES 1 (Red Cross) message traffic REACT (others as before, Red Cross except EOC's may be shut down) -g- VEHICLE MOVEMENT: Equipment (and manpower) participation will be determined by agencies involved and non - government vehicles will . operate under non - emergency traffic conditions, obeying all nor- mal traffic laws designed for non - emergency traffic. RADIO MESSAGE TRAFFIC: Radio operators participating in this exercise will conform at all times with Federal Communication Commission rules and regulations. They will observe strict cir- cuit discipline and follow, explicitly, the directions of net control stations and other directing officials. Net control stations and traffic handlers will identify all communications activities as simulated in support of this exercise. An on -the- air announcement will be made by the RACES officer prior to com- mencement of the exercise that it is a simulated emergency. Net control stations periodically will make the same announcement during the course of the exercise. Written message traffic will conform to the American Radio Relay League format. Message pre- cedence will be preceeded by the word "simulated ", i.e., simulated emergency or simulated priority. In the event an actual emergen- cy arises during the exercise, the RACES officer will terminate the exercise and take action as appropriate to support the situation as it actually exists. -10- MAP: Path of the tornado strike. Generally, the tornado is assumed to travel from southwest to northeast, beginning north- west of the intersection of Villa Maria and Finfeather and travelling generally northeast as shown, stopping at Camelot Drive. • The path is about four blocks wide. •,.... 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I, ..,‘ \ \ \ .1, : z ' vi \ /. /N . \\..... •r* .X,`„z. ., - 4) •,,... -,\%: , 51044.. �• e [Fes `o �� c .. -.......!0.' , 1 •,.� u . s % stO\ .4. \ • . : :'...,.."., --„ %...... 5 : „, - , %., ,-.** .- 71 li `....• '. ,e•f•je • / . , ' ,.,;.•,. ,... .11,1`; e 4 . .: ...... , : --'- 00 - - % \ i P ,.:4 ' / 2s, -11- ABBREVIATIONS BPD - Bryan Police Department CSPD - College Station Police Department CD - Civil Defense DPS - Department of Public Safety EOC - Emergency Operation Center MSC - Memorial Student's Center (located on Texas ABM campus) O&M - Oceanography and Meteorology Building (located on Texas AJM campus) RACES - Radio Amateurs Civil Emergency Service REACT - Radio Emergency Action Communication Team SO - Sheriff's Office TAMUPD - Texas A&M University Police Department TWC - Tornado Warning Center BRAZOS COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE - TORNADO WARNING DIVISION EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS MAY 1980 TAMU COMMUNICATIONS CENTER FAA SHERIFF DPS Mrs. Heine 845 -4311 Flight Service 696 -8784 779 -1717 846 -0012 845 -5171 696 -8785 822_-7373 ___ 846 -3731 (H) 846 -6854 Control Tower 696 -4419 775 -1505 Saxon - 823 -8790 Emergency Opr. 845 -1111 Admin. Ofc. 696 -0363 (Rural Fire) EMERGENCY UNITS RADAR STATION POLICE DEPARTMENTS Rauch 845 -2122 Radar Room 845 -6016 Bryan: 822 -9411 845 -3752 Emergency Line 846 -7428 822 -1202 845 -7641 County Warning Officer: Admin. 822 -9418 (H) 779 -5709 Moyer 845 -6015 College Sta: 696 -8864 Jones, C. (H) 822 -1133 (H) 846 -5130 911 Youngblood 822 -4081 Assistants: Univ.Police 845 -2345 Harris (REACT) 845 -3642 Brenton (H) 693 -1324 Emerg.Line 845 -5111 (H) 693 -3000 Huebner (H) 696 -5475 ' Comstock (RACES) 845 -4951 Janac (H) 779 -4788 (H) 693 -1181 ' , CIVIL DEFENSE OFFICIALS A & M WEATHER STATION County: 822 -7373 SCHOOLS Judge Holmgreen(H) 823 -0364 Weather Station 845 -4329 Dir:Canglose 845 -6016 Bryan: Weather Recording 845 -6429 (H) 846 -9049 Burns 845 -3126 Summers (H) 822 -4377 (H) 846 -4130 779 -1655 779 -5441 FIRE DEPARTMENT Bryan: St.Joseph 822 -6641 City Mgr. -Clark 779 -5622 Mrs.Ribardo(H) 822 -1720 Bryan: (H) 779 -1874 Church Ofc. 822 -2721 Central Sta. 822 -7531 Allen Academy 779 -0066 Emergency Calls 779 -1411 College Station: Bounds (H) 846 -4055 City Mgr. - Bardell 696 -8868 After 5:00 822 -0808 College Sta: (H) 696 -7588 696 -8280 Huebner 845 -6645 College Station: Emergencies 911 (H) 696 -5475 696 -8893 TAMU: Dir:Stiteler 845 -4227 (H) 846 -0960 HOSPITALS SCHOOL BUSES Bryan 822 -1347 Bryan: TELEPHONE COMPANY Lambert 779 -3220 St. Joseph 779 -3777 (H) 779 -8295 Spotter Coordinator: Mike Thompson 779 -4736 College Sta: Dispatcher 779 -8105 Goodwin 696 -8893 TEXAS HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT (H) 693 -8492 Zeigler 779 -2165 TAMU: (H) 822 -2875 NEWS MEDIA Trans.Enter. 779 -0812 Erwin, Bobby 822 -3636 Burnett (H) 779 -0849 (H) 823 -5214 KAMU - TV 845 -1526 Radio Dispatcher: KBTX - TV 846 -7777 Melvin Ryan 779 -2165 846 -5728 (H) 823 -5737 KAGC - AM 779 -1510 NWS - WACO Turner (H) 779 -6765 I I KAMU - FM 845 -5613 817- 754 -8353 KTAM /KORA -AM /FM 822 -1240 AIRPORT 822 -2511 Hotline 779 -3962 Easterwood Tony Nemec (H) 272 -8005 Harry Raisor 845 -4811 WTAW - AM /FM 846 -7788 (H) 693 -5261 (FM) 846 -0011 Coulter Field 823 -8640 Watkins 846 -7788 Roy Tribbey (H) SAME Watkins (H) 822 -6174 KWCB (Navasota) 825 -6484