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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 4:14 AM

    My #wildfire #safety protocol (assuming you have done all the wildfire pre-prep earlier in the season). 1. Applies to RED FLAG or near RED FLAG (ie. windy, dry) conditions ONLY. I pay attention other times, but not as much. 2. Pay attention to National Weather Service forecasts, and READ THE NOTES. You want to be aware of direction of wind, timing, and where the biggest threats are. If it's not a RED FLAG, I am not as worried, at least in SoCal (lots of firefighting resources). (cont)

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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 4:16 AM

    3. If there is a RED FLAG warning, I make sure the go bag and everything is ready, and pre-prep the vehicle (load up the go bag, some other stuff... just in case). Pre-stage important docs/checklist/pet supplies by the door or in car. Car outside, pointed towards the driveway. Idea is to be able to load-and-go within 5-30 min (depending on how much warning/time). #wildfire #safety #protocol (cont).

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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 4:18 AM

    4. In RED FLAG, I move all the furniture/flammable stuff away from the house, tuck stuff that might blow around in the sheds (or weighted down with heavy objects). Also dampen down the mulch and plants (only helps to a small degree, but the plants can use it anyway in dry windy conditions). Radios are charged and ready ahead of Red Flag. (cont). #wildfire #safety #tips

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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 4:20 AM

    5. If it is NOT windy in my local area but RED FLAG, use PulsePoint set to my local county (with alerts) for fire incidents to alert me to things, and also have added WATCHDUTY. When I am awake will have the scanner going in the background on low to have situational awareness. HAVING A NON-ENCRYPTED FIRE SERVICE IS CRITICAL here. Can't depend on Internet/cell phone! #wildfire #safety

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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 4:22 AM

    6. If it *IS* windy, SCANNER is on 24/7. I sleep elsewhere in the house with the scanner running so the rest of the family can sleep (no, they do not appreciate the radio chatter). Phone stays ON (normally it is off). #wildfire #safety #tips

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  • MsMeropeMsMerope@sfba.social
    Aug 16, 2023, 4:32 AM

    @ai6yr my scanner is on 24/7 but with the sound turned down/off. Those initial CAN reports are important for us and I don’t want to miss it while waiting for the scanner to turn on!

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  • StarkStark@archaeo.social
    Aug 16, 2023, 5:17 AM

    @ai6yr What type of scanner do you recommend people use? What's a good one for this?

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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 1:56 PM

    @Stark It really depends on where you live and what kind of radio system they use.

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  • StarkStark@archaeo.social
    Aug 16, 2023, 5:46 PM

    @ai6yr Santa Barbara County. Though I have absolutely no clue what kind of radio system they use here.

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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 5:59 PM

    @Stark Aha! Then you are lucky, VHF/UHF, nonencrypted... Most programmable scanners, even vintage ones.

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  • StarkStark@archaeo.social
    Aug 16, 2023, 7:06 PM

    @ai6yr Oh good! Thank you! Although the more I'm looking at radios on Amazon now, the more I'm nervous about unintentionally transmitting on one. Because I know nothing about them. Any recommendations on something that's relatively beginner-proof?

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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 7:09 PM

    @Stark Yeah, don't buy the ones that can transmit, not as a beginner. I'd recommend a used 2000's era Radio Shack scanner, actually. Radio Shack PRO-94 or similar.

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  • StarkStark@archaeo.social
    Aug 16, 2023, 7:18 PM

    @ai6yr Ok, cool. I'll look for one of those then. Thank you so much!

    Oh, also, thank you for posting so much info on the fires up here over the years. It really helped make some close-calls on getting out in time a lot less close than they otherwise could have been a few times.

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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 7:20 PM

    @Stark No problem. Unfortunately, Santa Barbara is vulnerable because it's got so few routes in and out of the area, and the sundowners...

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  • StarkStark@archaeo.social
    Aug 16, 2023, 7:27 PM

    @ai6yr Yeah, where I live up in the hills is a complete fire trap , unfortunately. And it has iffy cell service on top of that. Plus trying to evac horses out of some of the local ranches that are also in the foothills tends to be a bit of a nightmare too during the sundowners.

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  • Volvodadfastvolvodadfast@mastodon.social
    Aug 17, 2023, 10:40 PM

    @ai6yr Can you put this thread on Featured so people can find it in the future?
    (BTW, I sent you an email )

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  • IntelEarthIntel_Earth@m.ai6yr.org
    Nov 6, 2023, 9:52 AM

    @ai6yr Just reading this now, I am the same(parents hate the scanner on at 3:30am)

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  • Joseph AndrianoJosephAndriano@social.coop
    Aug 16, 2023, 11:10 AM

    @ai6yr Seriously, what’s the point of a fire service having encrypted radio traffic? It’s not like there’s any big secrets being revealed there. Monitoring emergency responder radio traffic is responsible situational awareness, not eavesdropping.

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  • AI6YR Benai6yr@m.ai6yr.org
    Aug 16, 2023, 1:53 PM

    @JosephAndriano The encrypted ones generally share the same systems with police departments, and often the police department runs the radio system. PDs are strongly encrypting, because they do not like people knowing what they are doing (wrong approach, but they are on the defensive, caught saying the wrong stuff on radio so many times).

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  • Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UKvfrmedia@social.tchncs.de
    Aug 26, 2023, 3:06 AM

    @ai6yr @JosephAndriano we've got the same all over Europe these days, although in some areas they still use unencrypted pagers (as LTE radio schemes using commercial mobile devices still aren't reliable enough for the Fire Brigade). UK, Netherlands and Norway are moving to LTE for all services but struggling to get the same level of resilience/reliability compared to traditional radio schemes (whether analogue or digital)

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  • Samhain Nightsamhainnight
    Aug 16, 2023, 6:04 AM

    @ai6yr Speaking of, I have to update my bug out bag. Last time I checked it was last summer.

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