Emergency Communications and Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio Entry-Level FCC License 1 Day Study & Exam Sessions in 2011 (PDF)

City Emergency Communications Presentation

Success in saving lives and property is dependent upon timely dissemination of warning and  emergency information to citizens in threatened areas. With the potential threat of earthquakes, wildfires, storms, and hazardous materials spills, it is important for residents to know how the City of Calabasas and the Los Angeles County Operational Area would notify the community before, during, or after an emergency.

It is essential that information be provided timely. Listed are the various ways emergency information- alerts and warnings, may be disseminated in the City of Calabasas:

1. Calabasas City-to-Resident Notification System
   Connect-CTY^™ is our city-to-resident communications service. With Connect-CTY^™, our administrators can send periodic and personalized voice messages to residents within minutes. The Connect-CTY^™ service will be used to complement our emergency preparedness procedures and to inform residents of pressing and important issues such as emergencies and community surveys.
    

2. Los Angeles County Mass Notification System
   Los Angeles County has implemented an emergency mass notification system that will be used to contact County residents and businesses via recorded phone messages, text messages or e-mail messages in case of emergency.  The system, called Alert LA County, will be used by the County’s Emergency Operations Center to notify residents and businesses of emergencies or critical situations and provide information regarding necessary actions, such as evacuations.
    

3. City of Calabasas Website
   Recent emergency information may also be accessed via Emergency Information on the City of Calabasas website.
    

4. CTV - The Calabasas Channel
   The City's cable channel 3 (CTV)
    

5. Radio - Calabasas Radio 1630am - local news
    

   1. Tune in to AM 1630 on your car radio for City of Calabasas emergency broadcast information.
       

   2. Listen to KNX 1070 AM and KFWB 980 AM radio stations for regional emergency alert information for the Los Angeles County area.
       

6. Amateur Radio
   Ham radios are often the primary method of communication following a disaster.
    

   1. CERP Radio Team "CalHam"
      The City of Calabasas has an amateur radio station "CalHam" which community members who are CERP, CERT & FCC licensed, test the system on a weekly basis.  During an emergency, neighborhood information/status reports would be forwarded to the City's Emergency Operations Center.
       

   2. Disaster Communications Service (DCS)
      The City of Calabasas is linked via amateur radio to the local Los Angeles County Disaster Communication Service (DCS). The Lost Hills Emergency Communications Team is the local chapter of DCS and is registered to as a civil defense organization under the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). The team's primary purpose is to supply emergency communications for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the City of Calabasas. Members are volunteer amateur radio operators that supply their talent and equipment in times of crisis.
       

7. Other warning notification systems used in the City of Calabasas include:

   • Mobile emergency vehicles sirens and loud speakers

   • Helicopters using public address systems

   • Door to door notification by Sheriff's Department

City of Calabasas © 2013