March 2023 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER 5
EPPS
By JOHN MCLAIN AND SANDY BATTE
The Emergency Preparedness and Public Safety Committee ( EPPS ) is springing into action to celebrate the arrival of our back-up emergency generator . Our brand new 60-kilowatt diesel generator arrived in Charbonneau on Friday , Feb . 3 . The generator is a long-awaited , vital addition to our community ’ s emergency preparedness plans .
Even short-term power loss in the community can put a significant number of CCC residents at serious risk . People at greater risk of power outage health impacts include older adults and people who depend on electric medical devices such as oxygen concentrators . These populations often have more health problems , medication needs and / or limited mobility .
Climate change is presenting weather changes that impact power vulnerabilities more frequently , i . e ., windstorms , ice storms , fire and heat domes that challenge the power grid . The likelihood of CCC needing to provide a warming or cooling center is increasing . A Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake will disrupt our lives for a long period of time . In the immediate aftermath , the generator will give us time to attend to the most vulnerable in our community until help can reach us .
The EPPS Emergency Operations Center ( EOC ) will be located in the Activity Center . The generator is capable of providing power to the ground floor to allow vital communications and activities to proceed . Solar energy , stored in batteries , will provide 24 hours of electricity until the generator is in place .
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Station 54 has no backup generator and has proposed that in a power loss event it would like to bring its rig to the Activity Center to “ camp out ” and have a power source . This would be an obvious advantage to CCC for emergency health issues .
Initial testing of the generator ’ s capabilities went off without a hitch ! As soon as better weather arrives , we will announce another testing drill and invite anyone interested to come by and celebrate our newest addition to emergency preparedness .
Would YOU like to be a part of the EPPS Team ? There are many opportunities for involvement . HOA captains provide a safety net for their neighbors in times of emergency . Medicallytrained residents can step forward when normal 911 assistance is not available . Neighborhood Watch leaders help our community stay aware and safe . Have you been trained in Incident Command protocols ? Do you know something about radio communications ? Your skills , experience and expertise are welcome ! Contact Sandy Batte , sebatte @ gmail . com , or Patrick Donaldson , pfdforbes @ aol . com .
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COURTESY PHOTOS
Celebrating the arrival of CCC ’ s emergency generator are ( left to right ) Sandy Batte , Larry Sjogren , Rick Schram and Jerry Baker .