As our Fall Simulated Emergency Test was in full swing, a message came across 7245 Mhz, “This is not a drill – I repeat, this is not a drill”, the message said. “There is a major natural gas leak in the Town of Bridgewater and people are being evacuated as we speak”! The leak caused the evacuation of a 3 to 4 block area. Carl Aveni-N1FY, ARES Emergency Coordinator for the area, was already at the Town of Bridgewater EOC with N1XTB-Phil McNamara.There were also several other Amateurs from Carl’s team available and ready to assist. The Sturdy Hospital ARC and SEMARA ARES teams were placed on stand-by status to provide additional Amateur Radio Operators to assist if necessary. Word was passed as a priority message via the HF 40 Meter Net on 7245 KHz to MEMA Framingham to both Massachusetts State RACES Radio Officer Tom Kinahan-N1CPE and Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Mike Neilsen-W1MPN. A shelter was opened and an Amateur Radio Operator was sent to the shelter. The shelter did not get any people as most of the people who were evacuated went to friends or other family members homes. The situation was monitored until roughly 2:00 PM when the Emergency Management Director for the town of Bridgewater released the Amateurs from the activation at the shelter and EOC.
Look for a story on the actual S.E.T. exercise, later in the week.
N1IV – EMA PIC