TMO Repeaters Aid in "Narrows" Fire
By Bill Wood, WB6FXJ
All three JPL ARC Table Mountain repeaters were used to provide emergency communications during the recent Narrows fire in the San Gabriel Mountains. Starting on August 15 and continuing for the next week, both the San Bernardino County Emergency Communications Group and the California Highway Patrol amateur radio auxiliary made use of the repeaters for communications in the area near Wrightwood. Radio amateurs from both groups were dispatched to the area to provide backup communications for state and county officials in areas where the official radio circuits were marginal.
The 223.96 MHz repeater provided a reliable path between Wrightwood and the San Bernardino County Emergency Operations Center in Rialto and was cross-linked to the 145.28 MHz repeater so that team members who did not have 220 radios could stay in contact. The CHP communications auxiliary used the 447.325 MHz repeater to maintain communications between CHP units that were controlling traffic in and around the fire area.
While the fire was turned back from Wrightwood by aggressive work by the 2400-plus fire fighters, aerial tankers and helicopters, it was necessary to evacuate a number of scout camps in the Jackson Lake area to shelters in Phelan, located just north of the Wrightwood area.
Ron McGuire, KN6NB, Chief Radio Officer of the San Bernardino Communications Group, said in a letter of thanks that: "your system truly proved its worth when it was needed to provide vital communications from the Wrightwood Fire Station to various other facilities such as the County EOC. Although there were other frequencies that may have been utilized, knowing your system overlooks the Wrightwood area, it enabled our group to remain in contact and plan a strategy. I was able to remain constant communications with both the EOC in Rialto and the Advance Team in Wrightwood through the use of your system."
