Emergency Communications

Motivation

Our Corridor Community Communications Needs

Many times, it’s a large fire that provides the impetus for communities to engage in wildfire mitigation. Along the Hwy. 26 corridor between Sandy and Government Camp, the need for action was prompted by several nearby wildfires (Lionshead, Beachie and Riverside), as well as an 8-day PSPS or Public Safety Power Shutdown by Portland General Electric in 2022 – the second shutdown in two years.

The length of the shutdown and the resident’s inability to get any status updates prompted the community members to search for ways to make the communications systems more resilient during an emergency by increasing the backup power supply to radio towers.

The Communications Workgroup will move their effort on cell tower power supply to the 2027 Legislative Session.

Another more immediate way to make the community more resilient was pursued while finding other ways to communicate if power and cellular communications is lost for whatever reason.

One partial solution has been fast tracked for the Mt Hood Corridor - the Hoodland Emergency Communications Network. Based on GMRS Radio use, 70 people have shown interest in the Network, 35 now have radios.

The GMRS radios are line of site, meaning the signal may be blocked by obstructions such as mountain ridges. To extend the range of the radio network the work group is installing radio repeaters on communications towers in the area. Also, to improve both range and clarity of sound HECN is recommending a Whip Antenna, that is a 13” extension in place of the 5” antenna that usually comes in the box.

Seeking Solutions

The Emergency Communications work group is also working on various options to build in redundancy into emergency communications by using hand held radios. One of those options is GMRS Radios. A GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radio is an Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensed, two-way radio service in the United States that uses UHF frequencies (around 462 and 467 MHz) for short-range, two-way voice communication. To use your GMRS radio you will need to get a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Here are instructions for obtaining your FCC license.

The Hoodland CPO is sponsoring training workshops through the Hoodland Emergency Communication Network (HECN) for dozens of radio operators who will then be able to share radio information with their neighbors and extend the network. If you would like more information about GMRS training reach out to the HECN. The network currently has 30 participating members from Rhododendron to Sleepy Hollow, from Lolo Pass to South Welches Road and welcome all.

For information on the Current GMRS/HECN Network please go to:

www.mthoodwildfirepartnership.org/hecn

Check out this deck for an overview of GMRS Radios.

HAM Radio Service

HAM Radios (Amateur Radio) are another communications option available to the community. Amateur Radio is a popular hobby and service that uses ham radio on the public air space to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones.

They are a key component of radio communication during emergencies due to the intensive training and global reach of these radios on the public airwaves. Those operators have the ability to gather information from distant sites and transmit that information to GMRS Radio owners and vice versa.

There is a group of ham radio operators in the Mt. Hood Corridor that hold regular weekly nets on Sundays. In times of severe weather events and other environmental challenges, they keep their radios on and monitor activity. You see them in CARES at the top of the Emergency Response pyramid. Hoodland Fire offers periodic training on HAM Radio operations.