The following information is forwarded from Phil, W4PHS EmComm
posting…
Phil, is part of the Winlink Development Team
When an earthquake or other major incident occurs, frequently the
infrastructure in the surrounding area is knocked out. This creates a
so-called “doughnut hole” where people in the most-impacted area
cannot provide reports via internet or cell phones. Because of this,
USGS partnered with Winlink to provide a way for “Did You Feel It”
(DYFI) reports to be submitted via radio. When Winlink DYFI messages
are received by USGS, these reports are parsed automatically, and the
information is added to their database giving a near-real-time picture
of the extent of damage. The SHAKEOUT exercise on October 19 will give
USGS a good measure of how effective the Winlink radio reporting system
is.
In addition to providing information to USGS, the SHAKEOUT exercise also
is being used by FEMA and other agencies to gauge the effectiveness of
amateur radio at providing ground truth during incidents. This is from
the September 26 FEMA bulletin, which went to all FEMA Regions for their
stakeholders:
“Our primary aim of participating in the October 19th SHAKEOUT ‘Did
You Feel It’ (DYFI) exercise is to underscore the remarkable
proficiency of Winlink. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) will
use this Winlink ‘Did You Feel It’ ground truth data to contribute
to the calculations of their earthquake intensity assessments when
modeling the Modified Mercalli (MMIS) Intensity Scale, a standard index
used for earthquake severity (see Figure 1). This data will contribute
to event response products, like PAGER, a system that provides fatality
and economic loss impact estimates following significant earthquakes,
worldwide, and is used by governments, agencies, NGOs, private
companies, and citizens.
“A secondary and extremely important purpose for emergency management
at all levels to participate in this exercise is to illustrate the
capabilities of the Winlink system to provide situational awareness
ground truth regardless of the specific information gathered.”
DYFI Winlink submissions will go to USGS, the Winlink team, and partner
agencies. They will produce maps showing points of submission, and they
will generate summaries for the AAR which will be sent to FEMA, DHS,
SHARES, and other interested groups.
In addition to U.S. hams, Winlink DYFI reports will be sent by CISA
SHARES members, Air Force MARS members, and hams in Europe, Scandinavia,
and other parts of the world.
You can find detailed instructions about how to fill out a Winlink DYFI
report and send it via radio at this site. Note to specify QUAKE-23 as
a CC address to your submission.
https://winlink.org/sites/defa
Here are links to two sites that will live-stream the exercise and show
real-time maps of Winlink DYFI reports as they are received.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
https://winlink.org/shakeout–
If you have Winlink capability, we hope you will submit a DYFI report at
10:19 on 10/19. Please remember to add QUAKE-23 as a CC address;
otherwise, your report won’t show up on the map or be included in the
AAR.
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