The Camp Fire - Phones, Fires and Failures Alan Thompson - W6WN
Synopsis: One of the big lessons of the Camp and other fires is
People must find more resilient solution to help ensure our communities get timely, life-saving information about fast-moving disasters like the Camp Fire, especially in light of our collective over-reliance on cell phones and the Internet for everything - technologies that, in turn, depend on a trillion dollars of vulnerable infrastructure not to fail.
Here's an outline of the Presentation:
• Time Line detailing the sequence of events that unfolded on November 8, the first day of the fire
• Catastrophic points of failure that impacted emergency communications, alerts, and evacuations
• Our Team's role in restoring damaged cell phone services, and day-lighting the vulnerabilities that caused us to be there in the first place
• Suggestions for actions we can all take right now to help save lives in our own, local communities
• The role that "Community Radio" might play in this effort (this part is only an introduction to a separate presentation)
Bio
Alan first became a Ham at age 11. At the time, he was the 2nd youngest Ham Radio Operator in the US. He let his license lapse, and just came back on air in 2017. Alan is the Owner and Field Engineer for El Dorado Networks in El Dorado County, and is responsible for installing satellite TV and Internet systems in the Western US and Mexico. Projects include work for Facebook, Intelsat, Merrill Lynch/Bank of America and, most recently, he was part of a Disaster Recovery Team that helped restore cell phone service after the Camp Fire. Alan will cover communications failures during the Camp Fire, and offer suggestions on how communities can mitigate similar disasters here. Alan has been in the satellite communications business for 35 years, ever since the "BUD (Big Ugly Dish) Days" in 1983.
See you all there !!
Past Meetings Click on The Year/Month Below For A Past Meeting
The Palo Alto Amateur Radio Association meets on the 1st Friday of the month at 7:00 pm (19:00 J) (except when the first Friday lands on a holiday and typically moved to the 2nd Friday of the month).
PLEASE NOTE: The meeting location has changed. We will now be meeting in Meeting Room H6, in the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto. Further information is below.
Location: Cubberley Community Center; 4000 Middflefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303.
Telephone: (650) 329-2418.
After the meeting, many members gather for beer, pizza, and eyeball QSOs at Pizza Chicago, located at 4115 El Camino Real, in Palo Alto..
Location: https://www.pizzachicagopaloalto.com/
Board Meetings
The PAARA Board meets on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm at the home of Marty Wayne, W6NEV. Address is: 1039 Bryant Way, Sunnyvale, CA. We conduct most of our club business there in order to allow more time for guest speakers and socializing at regular club meetings. Any PAARA member is welcome to attend.
A few meetings throughout the year have pre-defined agenda items. These include:
September Board Meeting
The Nominating Committee is appointed by the President to decide on a slate of candidates to be recommended to the membership.
October General Meeting
The Nominating Committee presents its nominations to the membership at the regular club meeting. Nominations from club members opens at the beginning of the meeting, and closes at the end of the meeting.
