On May 10th a fire broke out on the Island of Santa Catalina sparking the largest mobilization of police, fire, rescue and support equipment ever to hit its shores. Half of the Island was under self or mandatory evacuation and the remaining citizens stood waiting to see how the fires course would go.
At 2100 hours a call came into Staff 1 – Sgt. Jeff Jablonsky KI6EXP at the Emergency Operations Bureau. At the request of the Avalon Sheriff’s Station, the Los Angeles County Disaster Communications Service Rapid Deployment Team ( RDT ) was dispatched to the Island.
Its volunteer members answered the call and assembled in San Pedro expecting the worst. Transported by the Los Angeles Port Police on a rescue vessel, RDT members Andy Veek, Robert Tucker, Jason Tucker, Rick Norwood, Tom Turner, James Broadhead and Howard Glober rode rough seas arriving to see an eerie orange glow emitting through the densely packed smoke and ash a little after 0300 hours on Friday. Team Member James Broadhead KG6BNI said, “It was like driving into a volcano eruption. The ash plume was so thick that you could see and taste it.” |
As the wind picked up, so did the fire and as the hours turned into days. The residents of the City of Avalon and Isthmus that normally share the Island with bison, fox and eagles made room for the heroic efforts of over 800 Fire, Sheriff, Coast Guard, Navy, Forestry and Disaster Communications Service personnel.
When it became obvious that this was going to require as many members as DCS could get, the daunting task of staffing for such an extended deployment was coordinated by Debbie Miles KN6YAP. DCO Bill Pomeranz KB6FB was called to begin activating the District 17 Lomita Station members in shifts.
Richard Dargie KG6YZB and Patricia Maynard-Tucker KG6JEF worked most of the activation as a base net and Brenda Lidikay KF6MYL worked tirelessly for days as a scribe documenting messages passed over the air.
Sam Cramer, KD6RQD, Eli Lazarov W6ELI, Harry Jacobs KF6SGU, Harry Almada, James Broadhead, Mark Lidikay, Dwayne Miles, Susan Miles, Marge Miles, Kathryn Bassett, Lou Corosu, Keith Prebble, Frank Myllo, Lory Jefferson, John Belding, Tom Heffron, Deanna Smitha, Phil Barnes-Roberts, Bob Nicholson Deanna Smitha, Tom Heffron and Lew Pearce worked long shifts on and off at the Emergency Operations Center for the next twelve days.
Relief came for the Rapid Deployment Team on Friday afternoon when Gene Roske AE6GR and Rich Whited KG6KJK arrived to man the radio room established at the command post.
During the next 15 hours, through the work of Bill Pomeranz KB6FB, the services of the Catalina Express and Lomita Station DCS Members Chuck Lobb KN6H, Stuart Gorsky K9STU, Mike Hamada KF6UCN, George Carroll, Dee Schuyler KE6ZBV and Staff 25 Jim Albright NB6V, DCS remained active on Catalina Island. |
