CALABASSAS, California — Emergency Preparedness In Calabasas, a Fire Safe Council (EPIC-FSC) in collaboration with the City of Calabasas has unveiled a plan to “ensure that residents receive critical information in the event of an emergency, even if power, internet and cable television are out.”

The plan is “a direct response to the communications challenges during the Woolsey Fire, which left many residents literally and figuratively in the dark,” the announcement said.

“During the Woolsey Fire, our community was in chaos,” says Norm Goodkin, communications architect at EPIC. “Residents were literally left in the dark. With no specific evacuation orders, the entire town was evacuated. Residents didn’t know where the fire was or what routes to take.”

“After an initial emergency call asking people to ‘leave the city’, residents had no way of getting any information,” he says.

In response to these communications outages, EPIC’s Emergency Communications for Home Occupants (ECHO) was developed, which uses the expertise of amateur radio operators to relay information from the city’s emergency center directly to residents.

To further enhance this communications network, EPIC is distributing battery-powered radios to any household that requests one. These radios, purchased by the city, are distributed and supported by EPIC. Training is provided by Los Angeles County Disaster Communications volunteers.

Adobe Stock image by Daniel Beckemeier.

Why EPIC-FSC introduced ECHO

“Community is our greatest strength,” said Calabasas Mayor Alicia Weintraub. “I am thrilled that the City of Calabasas has another tool to help residents be even more informed in the event of an emergency. After just 5 minutes of training, all residents have access to the most up-to-date emergency information. EPIC’s commitment to protecting our city is a testament to the strength and unity of Calabasas.”

The city’s AM radio system is now complemented by an amateur radio station strategically located on a hill overlooking our beautiful city. Coverage tests conducted by ECHO’s amateur radio operators have confirmed that the signal reaches all 15 evacuation zones and provides clear reception with the handheld radios.

These radios also operate on Family Radio Service (FRS) channels, allowing residents to communicate with their neighbors.

In the event of a disaster, amateur radio operators send verified information from the EOC to residents and relay messages from residents to the EOC. This two-way communication system allows residents to provide information from across Calabasas, which can then be verified.

ECHO’s reach will expand beyond Calabasas to cover the entire Third District of Los Angeles County. This expansion will include amateur radio operators in each city’s EOCs, CERT teams, and direct communication with the Los Angeles County Disaster Communications Service.

To further improve communications capabilities, EPIC is introducing amateur radio email relay stations to enable digital communications both inside and outside the affected areas.

Amateur radio operators use a combination of personal equipment and grant-purchased radios to build networks that enable voice and data communications. These operators also relay messages using powerful high-frequency radios, ensuring communications throughout Southern California independent of the Internet, cell towers, or phone lines.

To help the community utilize this critical infrastructure, EPIC conducts amateur radio licensing courses and offers training on digital data communications systems.

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