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In a community disaster such as a wildfire or major earthquake, first responders in and around Woodside and Portola Valley may need to connect with each other at a time when their regular communications networks – cell phone towers and radio repeaters – are overloaded.
Anticipating such a situation, the nonprofit foundation that supports the Woodside Fire Protection District recently spent $8,700 for six satellite phones: one for the each of the two Town Halls, one for Station 19 on Jefferson Avenue and one each for the fire chief, deputy fire chief and on-duty battalion chief, Chief Dan Ghiorso told the Almanac.
Along with securing lines of communication with Town Halls and emergency crews, the phones “virtually guarantee our ability to maintain effective communications” with law enforcement, the county’s Office of Emergency Services, utility workers, the Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Guard, Fire Chief Dan Ghiorso said in a statement.
The list of firefighting equipment purchased for the fire district by the Woodside-Portola Valley Fire Protection Foundation since its founding in 2009, according to Ms. Enea, includes tablet computers for all vehicles, backpack vacuum cleaners for flooding and other severe weather, CPR training manikins, thermal imaging cameras, and equipment for the rescue of large animals.
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By Dave Boyce
By Dave Boyce
By Dave Boyce
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I’ll bet they use them for their personal use. That money could have been used more wisely.
“I’ll bet they use them for their personal use.”
You know they probably ALL have cell phones, right? Troll
menlo Voter—please stay out of PV and Woodside affairs.
Glad the Foundation chose to fund these. In a major earthquake or wildfire, information and the ability to coordinate action is critical. As the author and the Fire Chief point out, during such events traditional comms are often overloaded or service is outright unavailable. Smart move to invest in satellite phones.