Sacramento ARES was invited to participate in a live simulation of a delta levee breach in the Sacramento Delta. The Sacramento County OES, along with other counties, first responders, and contracted repair and logistics teams, simulated live response and reactions to a levee breach. Sacramento County focused on such a boil/breach near Walnut Grove.

Our ARES team was kept at a staging location until an unannounced “communications failure” occurred effectively stopping communications between the Sac County EOC and the Walnut Grove ICP. While the actors reacted to the comms failure, our team arrived at two separate locations – the Walnut Grove ICP and a remote field ICP – and quickly established radio communication with the EOC over 2m repeaters. We also demonstrated Winlink capabilities to pass messages and resource requests to and from the EOC.

The actors were genuinely impressed that…

1 – Our ARES team exists purposefully for such scenarios

2 – Our ARES team is quick to respond and efficient in our communications

3 – Our ARES team can pass along digital communications (Winlink) from the field

Once “normal communications” were re-established, the teams gathered at Walnut Grove and invited the actors to see our setup and equipment.

A big thank you to our ARES team members who were available to demonstrate our skills on the steamy August day.