Lt. General Russell Honore, who headed the military response in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, gave a talk "Military Response to Hurricane Katrina" to The Houston Forum on February 13, 2006.which was carried by CSPAN. This talk inspired a training topic presented to the Summit County ARES® group which is as valid today as it was in 2006. The following is a updated version of what was presented in February 2006.
One of the many points made by General Honore was the need for BAG's ("Big Awsome Generators"). Without power you don't have communications or much else. Where do they put the back-up generators that do exist? In the basement! How many gas stations have emergency generators? If you cannot get the fuel out of the tanks, how can you refuel generators, emergency vehicles, evacuation vehicles, or IBB's ("Itty Bitty Boats") when a disaster occurs?
As an amateur radio operator, what emergency power sources do you have available?
Who has generators? If you have a generator, how much fuel do you have on hand? Where could you find additional fuel to keep the generator running?
How many fully charged battery packs do you have for your handhelds? Are you sure they are charged? How long will backup batteries last? Can you charge or operate your handheld off a car battery? Can you recharge batteries with solar cells if the sun is out? Can you use alkaline batteries with your handhelds? Do you have a stock of alkaline batteries on hand?
How would you power your HF rigs?
The time to think about and act on these questions is before a disaster strikes. That means the time to act on these questions is right now.
zeke, AB8OU
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