PORT HADLOCK — The first day of the Cascadia Rising disaster simulation was a helpful exercise for Jefferson County first-responders but was not at all realistic.
“We call this ‘fairy dust,’ ” said Bob Hamlin, Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management director.
“There is no way we would be able to do all this on the first day. It’s just not possible.”
During the drill, local and state agencies — as well as many residents— are practicing how to respond to a 9.0-magnitude quake.
The exercise taking place through Friday in coastal communities throughout Washington, Oregon and British Columbia simulates a subduction-zone temblor off the Washington and Oregon coast, where the Juan de Fuca plate collides and wedges under the North American plate.
Geologists believe major earthquakes occur along the Cascadia Subduction Zone about once every 500 years, the last of which happened in January 1700.
In Clallam and Jefferson counties, the drill included the arrival and set-up of a Joint Incident Site Communications Capability units at Carlsborg Road near Sequim, William R. Fairchild International Airport in Port Angeles and in Port Hadlock.
The regional drill is largely a tabletop exercise for first responders and emergency management officials in Jefferson and Clallam counties as they prepare for possible isolation, lack of electrical power and other hazards after a major earthquake.
However, five neighborhoods in Jefferson County — Cape George, the bluffs in upper Uptown in Port Townsend, Kala Point, Port Hadlock Heights and all of Marrowstone Island — are practicing reporting damages, injuries and needs to the emergency command center.
The command center is on an open area of the Bob Bates Little League field, which is adjacent to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and emergency management offices.
About 25 people participated Tuesday.
There was none of the adrenaline-driven action that would exist in a real-life situation. The training exercise was in slow motion, as people stopped for discussion and to evaluate performances.
Each day this week includes actions that would correspond to a week of the disaster calendar.
On Tuesday, the exercise focused on what Hamlin called “out in the woods” with three generators providing electrical needs.
Today, it will move inside under the assumption there will be no service interruption.
Some scenarios were discussed but not simulated, such as the idea of installing multiple mobile medical units throughout the county.
“Normally we react to single events, but in a disaster we aren’t going to be able to respond to every single person,” said Deputy Chief Ted Krysinski of East Jefferson Fire-Rescue.
“We need to maximize resources, if there is an incident, such as the Port Townsend Community Center becoming seismically unsound — we would set up an ambulance nearby.”
In that case the public would hear about the establishment of a location through word of mouth, as the most common scenario involves the loss of some or all communication.
Agencies participating are the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management, Jefferson County Sheriff, JeffCom, Port Townsend Police Department, State Patrol, East Jefferson Fire-Rescue, the Quilcene Fire Department, the Poulsbo Fire Department, Jefferson County Public Utility District, Jefferson County Public Works, Jefferson County Public Health, the American Red Cross and the Army National Guard.
Port Townsend Police Chief Michael Evans said his normal force includes two officers at a time, who would be overwhelmed in the case of a disaster.
Off-duty officers would be advised to ensure the safety of their own families before reporting to work, he said.
Once the families are taken care of, the officer would then report to the nearest police station to check in.
“I might be in Seattle when this happens so I’d just go to the station and say ‘I’m a police officer, how can I help?’ ” Evans said.
An ongoing Map Your Neighborhood program aims to connect people with their neighbors and plan for disaster.
More than 140 Jefferson County groups have been formed.
“We’re concerned with keeping everyone comfortable and safe,” said Thad Bickling, who heads the Cape George neighborhood group.
“This means getting enough food, water and fuel to last a few weeks,” he continued.
“We are quite isolated out here on the Peninsula and it may be some time before we get any help.”
The Cape George group is an active planner, holding regular drills and communications tests so people know who is living next to them.
Bickling estimated that as many as 3,000 homes in East Jefferson County could be part of the neighborhood groups but an exact number has not been determined.
Some people decline to participate because they have their own plan and resources.
“That’s fine if people don’t want to participate, but they should let their neighbors know they are there,” Bickling said.
“If they aren’t, they could be trapped in a house with no one to help them.”
For more information about Map Your Neighborhood, contact the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management at 360-385-9368 or see www.jeffcoeoc.org; or contact Local 20/20 at PREP@L2020.org or see http://l2020.org/emergency-preparedness.
Cascadia Rising continues through Thursday and will be followed by an evaluation process.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
