Images

Check back later more to come!

Disclosure: Pictures and information received are presumed ok by all parties

The responcibility of the submitting person to get approval from those parties

Tophat Exercise

VIR PREOC / PECC

"Radio Room still under construction"

We were operating HF Voice & Data, VHF Voice & Data & UHF Voice & Data

Kevin Hartley, VE7OVY Station Manager

Dick Nimmo, VE7GAU VHF Data

Kevin and Dick message handling

SouthWest PREOC

(Left) Chris Wiedemann (VA7CAW)

(Middle) Jim Hurrell (VE7HUR) Exercise Station Manager

(Right) Mike Andrews (VE7MPA) in the "TOPHAT"

l (left) Onno Oneken VA7OC SWE RERR and Mike Andrews VE7MPA

(Left) Bo Wiedemann (VA7BO)

(Right) Chris Wiedemann (VA7CAW)

(On the Keyboard) Arlene Wiedemann (VE7SUV) doing Airmail

(Forground) Onno Oneken VA7OC

Learning all about Q-Form

Running The TOPHAT Help Desk

(left) - Ian Turnbull (VA7IT) of Terasen Gas

Francois Desmarais, External Relations Director, UBC Transportation and Logistics Club

Helping with Help Desk Calls

(left) - James Longley VE7JMS Station Manager

Kevin Cattell (VE7KMC)

VA7RHS (Richmond Hospital)

Kirsten Jasper, Emergency Coordinator, Richmond, Vancouver Coastal Health

TBA for others

VA7RHS (Richmond Hospital)

VA7VCH (Vancouver Coastal Health EOC)

(Left) - Jody Sydor-Jones VE7JYS, Regional Director, Emergency Management,

Fire Management & Business Continuity Vancouver Coastal Health Authority

VA7VCH (Vancouver Coastal Health EOC)

(left) - Tara Simpson, Regional Manager, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority - Emergency Management Office

VA7VGH (Vancouver General Hospital)

(left) - Barry Collins - VA7BSC

(right) - Ernie Mix - VA7MIX

VA7VGH (Vancouver General Hospital)

Barry Hing VE7BWH (back)

Barry Collins - VA7BSC (front

Bowen Island

Back row left to right: Keith Campden VE7KCX, David Chamberlain VE7DLC, Zoe Thorbergson VE7ZWT,

Bill Brown ERC VA7ZOO, Bob Turner Mayor of Bowen, Tom Mitchell VE7TOM……

Front row left to right: Andrea Kaufman VA7OZO, Bonney McDowell Va7DAX,

and myself Derek Norris VE7MJQ not shown as I am taking the picture

Andrea Kaufman VA7OZO, Bonney McDowell Va7DAX and Derek Norris VE7MJQ

Burnaby City Hall

(Left) Don Buckle (VE7CXU)

Surrey City Hall OPS

Surrey Grab and Go KIT

Surrey Crescent Beach Setup

Surrey EOC Radio Room

New West PD DEOC

Queensborough Community Centre

Delta ARS

(Left Back) Emergency Planner

(Left Centre) Tom Robson (VE7WLF)

(Left Front ) Doug Barry (VE7WLF)

Delta EOC

(Left) Mayor Lois Jackson, Rand Lutman (VE7HRA),

(Right) Tom Robson (VE7DID)

Aerial Photographs

A new aspect of the exercise was the use of an aircraft to survey three simulated disaster sites during the event. Pilot Kevin McQuiggin (VE7ZD) and co-pilot Neeraj Murarka worked with Lee Woldanski (VE7FET) to deploy digital amateur radio in the air. The aircraft circled three simulated disaster sites, digital photos were taken, and these were stored for transmission to the Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centre in Surrey, where they would provide PREOC staff with up-to-the-minute situational information.

One key finding was the speed with which an aircraft can survey a number of geographically-distant sites. All three sites (one on the west side of Vancouver, one in east Vancouver, and one in Surrey) were surveyed and photographically documented in about 20 minutes. Doing a similar survey on the ground would have involved driving times of likely two to three hours start to finish.

While this first deployment of the digital technology in an "aeronautical mobile" environment uncovered some areas in need of improvement, the approach was proven as viable, and this technique will be tested again on future exercises.

Thanks are also due to the regional control centre for NavCanada (air traffic control) who supported the exercise through issuance of special clearances to the aircraft, and to the Pacific Flying Club at Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, BC where the aircraft is based.

E-COMM / Vancouver EOC

South West PREOC (Surrey)