ORPS EMERGENCY AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS
RESIDENT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RECOMMENDATIONS BACKGROUND The Coachella Valley is a relatively calm place as far as natural disasters go, since events such as hurricanes, tornadoes or serious flooding are absent or very rare. We are very susceptible to earthquakes, being near a number of large earthquake faults, and, problems that could be caused by a 50 year windstorm, heavy rainstorms, or an extended loss of electrical power are possible. ORPS Residents should be prepared for one of these events, with the objective being self sufficiency for a time period of several days to one week. ORPS Residents should: Fill and maintain full water tanks on their RV. This is a benefit that one does not have in a stick built home. Residents with motorhomes should arrive with sufficient fuel in their tanks to run the RV generator for an extended time period. Maintain your propane tanks with adequate supplies to allow cooking or heating water for a time period, don’t wait until tanks are exhausted to refill. Keep enough fuel in your passenger vehicle to drive about 100 miles or more. Maintain adequate supplies of any necessary medications. Keep a few days supply of food on hand for both you and your pets, being mindful that your propane stove and water are all that may be available to heat/cook items. Ensure that you have at least one good flashlight with extra batteries.
The ORPS Emergency Preparedness Committee is operating an amateur radio system to communicate with the Cathedral City Fire Department and the Riverside County Emergency Operation Center through the local Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) during a major disaster. RACES is the volunteer amateur radio operator organization activated by Riverside County to provide communications between county, municipal, gated communities and other Command Centers during a major incident when telephone services are not available. The ORPS RACES Communication Center’s function is to relay information, status and requests for aid to the Cathedral City and the Riverside County Emergency Operations Centers. This will most likely be the primary communications means for ORPS if a severe earthquake occurs and the telephone system is either out of service or saturated with non-essential traffic. If you are a licensed ham radio operator, join our group and learn about the many local ham activities. If you would like information on how to get a license, we can help. For more information, contact: R ICH W RIGHT , Lot 447; G ARY S HARP , Lot 454; J IM K OSKI , Lot 394; R ON G OOKIN , Lot 1153; or leave your name with S USAN in the Board Office. The RACES NET is Thursday, 1900 hours at 145.200, 131.8 pl.
NO TRASH PICK UP Tuesdays or Thursdays
S TEPHEN F RIDLEY Chairperson
Please do not put your Lot trash out on these days as it attracts animals .
ARE YOU COMING OR GOING??? Please inform the Mailroom when you arrive and when you leave . Your box will be closed if you do not wish to receive mail in the desert.
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