The New XCZ EOC was Initiated

The New XCZ EOC was Initiated

After 11pm Saturday evening, I received a telephone call requesting I staff
our new County EOC due to some storm issues.  Oh boy..  At the XCZ EOC
before 11:30pm, I found a “Level 2” EOC activation begun, the first actual
activation of the new EOC facility.  Then in ham repeater QSO with San
Lorenzo Valley ARES EC Sam WB6RJH in Felton Grove and Hap KQ6YV in Boulder
Creek too, we were able to add a bit of “ground truth” to the EOC’s Common
Operating Picture (COP).  The creek levels peaked and started falling
quickly, and the EOC was demobilized before 1:45am Sunday morning.
County-wide there were trees and wires down and some slides closing roads,
but the largest concern was for neighborhood flooding near waterways.  The
exercise of the EOC was useful, as is every drill, and some needed
improvements were identified.  If the creeks had kept rising, there’d have
been more calls for ham volunteers to staff the Red Cross chapter office and
evacuation centers such as Zayante firehouse, Jade Street Park in Capitola,
and Lakeview School in Watsonville.
Thanks for your preparations to assist.
73, Cap KE6AFE

P.S.  New improved County OES website,
http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/default.aspx?tabid=3251