Role of the Geological Survey and the Forest Service in preparing for and responding to natural hazard events, as well as the current status of mapping and monitoring systems.
The people of the Kodiak Archipelago have a long history of responding to challenges and emergency situations. Just as our islands are renowned for their natural and rugged beauty, the resiliency of our people is a fundamental part of our unique home on an isolated island in the North Pacific.
The site that ultimately became the
Our long history with disaster doesn't mean we've become fatalistic or paralyzed by fear. It has instead instilled in us a core sense of civic-mindedness and community spirit that were on full display a week ago during our most recent earthquake and tsunami evacuation. In many respects,
Readiness is a community responsibility. We all have our integral roles to play, from individuals to elected officials. My testimony today will discuss how the
The ESD has the option to call in support from the
The
At
One such critical need and safety priority is our fire station. Along with protecting the
However, the fire station is an aging 60 year old structure, and the 1964 tsunami came within 10 feet of inundating this facility. During Tuesday's event, as soon as our fire fighters could regain their footing, they were immediately preparing their evacuation of the station to get themselves, our priceless Fire, Rescue, and EMS vehicles, and a stockpile of emergency supplies out of harm's way and to higher ground in order to continue protecting our community no matter what the evening held in store for us.
Fortunately, we were not hit by a sizeable tsunami, but once the all-clear was given and they returned to the station, we discovered that it had sustained significant structural damage from the quake itself - and the full extent of this damage cannot yet be fully realized until the building finishes settling after this most recent tremor (please refer to the included document "
Another area of concern is in our emergency communications abilities. Patrol officers of the
While
1. Insufficient Staffing;
2. Lack of a PA Capable System;
3. Insufficient Radio Capability;
4.
5. Inadequate Communications Repeaters and Receivers
Insufficient Staffing
Our EOC staff is only large enough to handle the first 24 hours during a major event, at which point the ESD would need to request assistance from the State EOC. This is particularly acute in our
Public Address Systems
We need to upgrade all of the tsunami warning sirens to a PA capable system, such as the type used in
Radio Capability
Radios are also a critical need for
The City and Borough have done extensive research and planning to determine the extent of any upgrade and/or replacement of radios, software, and accessories. We believe that it is necessary to procure fifty-five (55) portable radios and forty-four (44) mobile radios to meet the needs of the local First Responders (ESD personnel, police, fire, and ambulance services). Rough order of magnitude costs for these upgrades is
Repeaters and Receivers
These are the systems that allow the
The main repeaters are located on
There are three receiver sites with comparators, gateways, and switches that select the best signal from each radio transmitting to the
In sum, the anticipated cost of upgrading our communications capability to meet preparedness objectives ranges between
Kodiak Public Safety Facility Shortfalls
The
The City has broken this project into phases. Phase I of this project already funded by the City was used to study and select a future site. It included the removal of an old building, site grading, and other work following the demolition of the old building. Phase I is 95% complete. Phase II would involve site acquisition, design and construction. We have estimated that the cost of this phase is
The role and importance of the
Coast Guard Base Kodiak is the largest
Recommendation
The cost of full upgrading the communications capability and public safety facilities to meet preparedness objectives is staggering.
In earthquake zones, such as
Read this original document at: https://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=8181A18B-EB3A-4A80-ACBB-44258758C857
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