Ready or not, ‘disaster’ happens

Four-day drill will put local residents on alert, agencies on learning curve

By Daniel Savickas

The Portland Tribune, Oct 2, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (5 Reader comments)

In two weeks, the fire bureau’s year-old mobile communications center will undergo a four-day test when a mock terrorist attack unfolds at Portland International Raceway.

DANIEL SAVICKAS / TRIBUNE PHOTO

A terrorist organization known as the Universal Adversary will set off a radiological dispersal device — also known as a dirty bomb — at the Portland International Raceway in two weeks.

Shortly after, the group will carry out similar attacks in Phoenix and the U.S. territory of Guam.

But do not fret — the attacks are fakes, part of a four-day Homeland Security disaster-preparedness drill called Top Officials —or TOPOFF — 4.

A news conference to officially announce the drill will be held Thursday in the governor’s ceremonial office in the state Capitol.

Three such drills have been held so far. Seattle took part in TOPOFF 2 in 2003, and officials there said Portland will benefit from the upcoming one.

“It was a very difficult and very expensive exercise to put on,” Seattle Deputy Police Chief Clark Kimerer said. “But the learning opportunities were just immense.”

The Portland Bureau of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services expects its year-old mobile communications center to play a big role in the local drill.

The $940,000 center is capable of patching together every type of radio frequency, allowing responders from multiple jurisdictions to communicate freely. Audio and video feeds also can be routed into the center or streamed to other agencies off-site.

“Historically speaking, the biggest problem at an emergency scene has been communication from one agency to another,” Deputy Fire Chief Glen Eisner said.

The command center also has a complete weather station, cameras that allow responders to safely monitor disaster sites, and infrared cameras to detect hot spots while fighting fires. It also allows emergency responders to coordinate a plan off-site with real-time information from the affected areas.

The city is taking steps to deal with any increase in 911 calls that result from the drill. The emergency management office is mailing postcards to residents in the areas where the mock attack and other activities will be staged to inform them that the drill is not a security risk.

According to the agency, people can call 211 to learn what to expect in their neighborhoods and for other information about the exercise.

City Commissioner Randy Leonard, who oversees the Bureau of Emergency Communications, said staff will work overtime to handle any increase in 911 calls caused by the drill.

“I think we’re ready,” Leonard said. “Hopefully people will understand it’s practice; we’re doing a lot of publicity to inform people of the drills. One way to get ready for a disaster is to get people out there assuming roles and finding glitches in the system.”

To help pay for the drill that begins Oct. 16, Portland area governments secured $2.5 million in Homeland Security grant money. None of Portland’s general fund money will be spent on it.

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