Emergency Communications Training Exercise Scheduled for Lewis County This Weekend

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Lewis County Emergency Management and the Lewis County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group will be participating in a statewide emergency communications exercise on Saturday.

This exercise will help test the ability to support the community’s needs during a disaster that has caused a long-term connectivity and power outage, according to a media release from the county.

“Exercises like this provide us with the opportunity to test our emergency readiness throughout Lewis County,” County Emergency Management Deputy Director Andy Caldwell said. “The ARES volunteer communication specialists play a vital role in our county’s disaster response plans — these volunteers are remarkable individuals who dedicate their time to being prepared to help our county in times of need.”



The ARES team will be using amateur radios to receive messages at the Lewis County Emergency Operation Center (EOC) from communication specialists in Pe Ell, Winlock and Packwood. Once the messages are received at the EOC, they will be relayed to the State Emergency Operations Center. This process ensures all the communities in Lewis County can stay connected in the worst of circumstances, according to the release.

Those interested in learning more about how amateur radios are used in Lewis County during disasters can contact Lewis County Emergency Management at 360-740-1151.