NOAA

Suitland, MD — U.S. National Ice Center’s (USNIC) Information Technology Department Head, Mr. George Wachira, accepted an Esri Special Achievement award in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the 2022 Esri User Conference on behalf of USNIC’s workforce, July 13.

USNIC was selected from more than 100,000 of Esri’s GIS mapping-software users for achievement in automation, analysis and product generation workflows.

“We [USNIC] are proud to accept this award marking our workforce’s exceptional talent and expertise,” said USNIC Director, CDR Casey Gon. “This award is testament to our center’s hard-work and dedication to enhancing support of the U.S. Navy’s larger mission.”

The Esri Special Achievement award is presented to worldwide user-sites in recognition of outstanding work with GIS technology.

In building new SIPAS tools for the ArcGIS Pro environment, USNIC is pioneering the ArcGIS Pro Standard Development Kit (SDK) technology to meet mission requirements, and is an organizational leader in technology development. USNIC products were also featured at this year’s Esri Federal GIS Conference, which highlighted successful use of GIS to meet customer needs.

The Esri User Conference is the world’s largest GIS conference and brings together GIS professionals to connect and showcase the latest advances in their tech community.

USNIC is a multi-agency center—subordinate to Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command—operated by the Navy, NOAA, and Coast Guard and provides global to tactical scale ice and snow products, ice forecasting, and related environmental intelligence services for the United States government.

Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command directs and oversees more than 2,500 globally-distributed military and civilian personnel who collect, process and exploit environmental information to assist Fleet and Joint Commanders in all warfare areas to make better decisions faster than the adversary.

For more information, please contact:

National Ice Center

Command Duty Officer

Voice: (301) 943-6977

E-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: @usnatice

Facebook: @usnatice

The U.S. National Ice Center is a tri-agency center operated by the Navy, NOAA, and Coast Guard and provides global to tactical scale ice and snow products, ice forecasting, and related environmental intelligence services for the United States government.

September is National Preparedness Month. Are you ready? Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Throughout the season, an average of three tropical storms and two hurricanes occur in Hawaii. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announces a below-normal 2022 Central Pacific hurricane season with two to four tropical cyclones predicted this year.

Although forecasters predict less tropical storms than normal, emergency management officials urge residents to make a family plan and to prepare an emergency kit in case of a potential storm.

“One of the most important pieces of advice to prepare for hurricane season is to start now,” said Will Luna, emergency management manager for Navy Region Hawaii. “Oftentimes you see people don’t take hurricane preparation seriously until the hurricane is upon us. It’s better to have an emergency preparedness kit all filled out so you don’t need to worry about fighting the crowd to get supplies.”

One of the most common habits that people often run into is complacency. Warren Ferguson, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam emergency management manager emphasizes the importance to prepare.

“When you’re living in Hawaii with blue skies and wonderful temperature, it is easy to forget about the things that can potentially go wrong, it is very common for people to get complacent,” said Ferguson. “One of the things that I continue to stress to people is to plan ahead – make a plan, build a kit and stay informed during hurricane season.”

“One of the biggest issues we have is that we are on an island, 95% of our supplies come in from the mainland through the Port of Honolulu,” added Ferguson. If during a hurricane that port was taken out or deemed unusable, we could potentially wait for a long time before we get our supplies reestablished, so it’s important in Hawaii for everyone to have a 14-day supply of food and water ahead of time to be prepared.”

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency website at ready.hawaii.gov provides a plethora of information to get ready such as knowing the nearest hurricane shelters, a boater’s hurricane safety manual, and building a kit.

“Another good thing is to do a lot of research in terms of preparation. There are a lot of good websites, most notably Ready.gov that provides a lot of information such as how to make a plan, how to build your kit and how to understand the different TCCOR (Threat Condition of Readiness) terms on what they mean,” said Luna.

What is TCCOR? TCCOR is a system that is used on military installations to help prepare for destructive weather from a Tropical cyclone.

There are five stages of TCCOR, according to Ready.navy.mil:

– TCCOR 5: Indicates that we are in hurricane season. This is not the absence of threat; it just indicates that any storm/hurricane is greater than 72 hours away.

– TCCOR 4: Indicates that a possible threat of destructive winds will occur in 72 hours.

– TCCOR 3: Destructive winds of force are possible within 48 hours.

– TCCOR 2: Destructive winds of force indicated are anticipated within 24 hours.

– TCCOR 1: Destructive winds of force indicated are occurring or anticipated within 12 hours.

For a complete list on what to include in your emergency preparedness kit, visit the Hawaii Emergency Management website at ready.hawaii.gov.

Article By Hamna Khan, Technology and National Security Fellow (JPRA)

On April 28th, 2022 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Search and Rescue Office Chief, Dr. Lisa Mazzuca, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Satellite Products and Services Division Chief, Mr. Thomas Renkevens, visited the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA) Headquarters on Fort Belvoir to meet with its Director, Col Anne-Marie Contreras and her staff to discuss NASA’s second-generation emergency beacons, the Satellite-aided Search and Rescue (SARSAT) program.

As a Chairman’s Controlled Activity of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, JPRA facilitates Personnel Recovery stakeholder activities across the Department of Defense and the Interagency. Beacon and reporting technology is of primary interest to JPRA as a means to continually advance its support to isolated personnel.

Satellite-aided Search and Rescue (SARSAT)

The SARSAT program is an international organization that provides space-based relay of distress signals, or alerts, from emergency beacons that use the 406 megahertz (MHz) frequency. SARSAT provides the alerts to search and rescue (SAR) authorities globally. The original satellite-aided search and rescue architecture has long since provided capability for aviators and sailors. However, NASA has recently identified a need for quicker response times and more accurate location data than the original system could accommodate.

Last week’s meeting was organized by the JPRA J7/9 Division Chief, Mr. Steven Kelly and the Technology and National Security Fellow, Ms. Hamna Khan, who is a researcher focused on 406 MHz emergency distress beacon technologies.

Along with NASA and NOAA, JPRA invited members from the U.S. Coast Guard SARSAT Program, the Department of the Army Personnel Recovery Branch, key policy representatives from the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.

Past meetings were arranged at JPRA headquarters to promote collaborative conversations on the future of emergency beacon technologies within the Department of Defense. In particular, Dr. Mazzuca and her team from NASA’s Search and Rescue Office, shared the latest technology developments for 406 MHz emergency distress beacons and discussed the possibilities and challenges ahead for the 406MHz emergency distress beacon ecosystem.

Next Steps

JPRA will continue advocating next generation emergency beacons throughout the Joint Staff for additional research and development as well as defining joint requirements. JPRA looks to assist in any formal acquisition activities to take full advantage of emerging SARSAT technologies as a means to assist the Military Departments with personnel recovery capabilities.

FORT LEE, Va. – During September, National Preparedness Month focuses attention on the merits of planning for the next emergency.

Whether that emergency is manmade or by Mother Nature, service members and their families can count on their commissary benefit to help them save nearly 25 percent on items for their survival kits.

“We’re seeing floods in Eastern Kentucky, wildfires in California, and we know the season’s first major hurricane is right around the corner,” said Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Saucedo, senior enlisted advisor to the DeCA director. “We don’t know when the next disaster will strike, but we do know that eligible shoppers can visit their commissary to get their emergency items now at significant savings.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s theme for this year’s National Preparedness Month is “The life you’ve built is worth protecting. Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.”

The Preparedness Month website is separated into several compartments, most notably the following sections:

• Disasters and Emergencies: Subsections explain the disasters and hazards that could impact your location and give information on how to get emergency alerts and where to evacuate.

• Make a Plan: Subsections explain how to build an emergency kit, practice a fire escape plan, prepare for an emergency without going broke, stay “tech ready,” plan for assisting individuals with disabilities, preparing pets for emergencies and more.

To help service members and their families prepare their survival kits, DeCA sets up an annual severe weather promotional package from April through Oct. 31 with discounts on the following items: beef jerky and other assorted meat snacks, soup and chili mixes, canned goods, powdered milk, cereals, batteries, airtight bags, weather-ready flashlights, tape (all-weather, heavy-duty shipping and duct), first aid kits, lighters, matches, lanterns, candles, hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes. Specific items may vary from store to store.

How do you prepare for the next crisis? Planning is the first step and emergency preparedness officials recommend a disaster supply kit that includes the following items:

• COVID-19 protection – reusable or disposable face coverings, disposable gloves, hand sanitizers, disinfecting wipes and hand soap

• Water – at least one gallon daily, per person (three-day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home)

• Nonperishable foods – canned meats, fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, raisins, cereal, crackers, cookies, energy bars, granola, peanut butter, and foods for infants and the elderly (three-day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home)

• Paper goods – writing paper, paper plates, paper towels and toilet paper

• Writing utensils – pens, pencils (manual pencil sharpeners) and markers

• Cooking items – pots, pans, baking sheets, cooking utensils, charcoal, a grill and a manual can opener

• First-aid kit – including bandages, medicines and prescription medications

• Cleaning materials – bleach, sanitizing spray, and hand and laundry soap

• Toiletries – personal hygiene items and moist wipes

• Pet care items – food, water, muzzle, leash, carrier, medications, medical records, and identification and immunization tags

• Lighting accessories – flashlights, batteries, candles and matches

• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)

• Duct tape and scissors

• Multipurpose tool

• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates and insurance policies)

• Cell phone with chargers

• Family and emergency contact information

• Extra cash

• Emergency blanket

• Maps of the area

• Blankets or sleeping bags

For more information about disaster preparedness, go to the DeCA website for lists of resources. For more resources to prepare for emergencies, go to Ready.gov and the Department of Homeland Security’s National Preparedness Goal webpage.

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.

By Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Crane, Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs Office

JACKSON, Ky. – Of the many residents in Eastern Kentucky affected by the historic flooding, some were Soldiers in the 207th Engineer Company working out of the field maintenance shop (FMS) at the Kentucky National Guard armory.

After the shop flooded last year, the Soldiers put together a plan to make sure the equipment didn’t get damaged assuming the creek’s water level would only rise to the same level as it had previously.

One of those Soldiers was Army Sgt. Ronnie Banks, a maintenance section leader with the 207th Engineer Company. He’s a full-time technician as a production controller at FMS 6, which sits on the North Fork Kentucky River, whose waters rose to over 43 feet on July 28.

Banks is originally from Harlan County but recently moved to Jackson in May with his wife Holly and their two children.

When he left his home Thursday morning, there wasn’t water on any of the roads leading to the armory from his house. When the flooding happened last year, a few of the roads had standing water on them, so he wasn’t even thinking it would be an issue for his home or work.

“I first got here (the armory), the water level was maybe three or four feet off the edge of the fence line, and we thought we had lots of time,” said Banks. “So, we just we started working, moving equipment and executing our plan.”

With the rains slowing down after a full night of rain before, the Soldiers at the armory didn’t think anything of the water levels as they continued moving equipment.

“It’s crazy how fast everything happened,” he continued. “Mr. Hudson was tracking the water level projections on his NOAA app and saw that it was projected to rise less than 39 feet, which was about what had happened last year.”

Warrant Officer 1, Jacob Hudson was the incoming supervisor for the FMS shop who wasn’t even officially in the position until Aug. 1. Hudson had spent the night before at the armory since he feared that the river would rise a lot earlier.

Hudson, Banks, Sgt. 1st Class Chadd Robertson and some additional Soldiers who had come over from the Richmond CSMS to help move equipment said they continued doing what they could to move what they could until they realized the water was going to continue to rise higher than projected and they needed to get out of there.

“We were having to wade through waist deep water in the shop as we were still trying to get stuff out,” said Banks. “We were throwing anything we could save in totes to pack out of there.”

With totes in hand, the group gathered what they could and started to make their way to the parking lot which sits about five feet higher than the shop was. As they exited, they made a line and had to push their way out of the door because the water in front of the door was holding it back.

It was by that time the water had reached the road that runs in front of the armory, essentially blocking them from getting out with their vehicles. Cell service had gone down, leaving them without a way to communicate with anyone outside their local vicinity.

As Banks worked, he prayed that his family would be safe since he wasn’t there with them.

“I’m just praying and trusting God to take care of us and everybody else involved just kept praying the whole time,” he said.

After a Soldier with service was able to get a few texts out, they found out the gas station across from Banks’ house was under water and that’s when he knew that his house was probably in trouble.

“I knew if the Go Time station was underwater, my house was underwater,” said Banks. “I just prayed again that the Lord would protect my family and make sure that they’re alive and safe. I trusted that he was going to take care of them and knew they were in good hands. I just had this feeling of peace really come over me about it.”

With a supernatural peace, Banks continued on till the call came for them to get out of the armory.

Meanwhile at Banks’ home, his wife had gotten the children out of the house, as well as their cousin who was in town visiting, up on a hill behind their house where a fellow National Guardsmen who lived nearby, was able to rescue them in his kayak and get them all to a safe dry spot.

The Soldiers, who were there on orders, took a set of railroad tracks to another side of the town where they were picked up by the highway department and taken to safety.

At the armory, Banks and the two other Soldiers sat and watched the water fill their workplace.

“We were thinking that since it was getting dark, we were going to need some kind of shelter,” said Banks. “We had saw a church that had an overhang and thought about crashing on the porch because it was covered but before we could do that, Robertson’s friend reached us and invited us to their place since they had power still.”

And that’s where the three men stayed until later the next morning when they could go back to the armory and see the damage to their shop.

According to Banks, there was nine and a half feet of water that filled the FMS shop and 18 inches of water that had reached the armory. The high waters had also reached the parking lot and the vehicles parked at the armory got waterlogged and ruined, Banks’ truck being one of them.

With his truck a total loss, fellow Soldier Sgt. 1st Class Adam Spencer, husband of Staff Sgt. Deborah Spencer, the one who picked up his wife and two children and brought them back to her house to stay, loaned him his truck.

Finally, with a way to get back home, he was able to see the damage about a day and a half later.

Five and a half feet of water had filled the first floor of his home, destroying furniture, carpet, walls, flooring, food, and boxes of items they had yet to unpack from the move. The waters displaced furniture all around the house making it difficult for Banks to even enter the home.

“Our refrigerator was blocking our back door and a couch was blocking

the front door so we had to climb in over the furniture to get into the

house,” said Banks.

With all the damage to his house, Banks has been able to find many resources and funds to help him rebuild.

He has received help from USA Cares which he heard about from Sgt. 1st Class Adam Spencer. USA Cares is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 in Radcliff, Kentucky, that exists to help bear the burdens of service by providing military families with financial and advocacy support in their time of need.

“We’ve received $3,000 in Lowes gift cards from USA Cares,” said Banks. “It will definitely help me get started faster with the rebuild process getting the drywall, insulation and flooring.”

As the task of clearing out their house is daunting, Banks and his wife find the silver lining to the whole situation as they had talked about remodeling since they moved in three months ago and now will get the opportunity to do so.

He also feels blessed to have some many people reach out and help his family in the past month.

“It means a lot to know that there is help out there”, said Banks. “I’m kind of reluctant to accept help sometimes but I really do need the help and it’s going to help us rebuild so I’m thankful for it.”

While they rebuild, they are living in a camper given to them by a church ministry out of Indiana called Frontline Ministries. The camper is sitting in the Spencer family yard since they had already been staying there at their home.

He also wanted to be able to thank the many others who were involved personally since the flooding last month.

“I’d like to thank Larry Thompson (brother of Staff Sgt. Joanna Thompson in the unit) who was the neighbor that got my wife and kids out of the house.”

Mike and Cynthia Feltner, the family who housed us the night of the flood.

The Spencers for taking my family in and letting us stay on their land in our camper

The Spencer’s dad who helped me do a lot of work to the house as well as Sgt. 1st Class Adam Spencer and Staff Sgt. Kevin Barrett.

Samaritan’s Purse who stepped in and helped us a lot.

The lady with a real estate agency in Lexington who bought $500 worth of lumber to help fix my subfloor and floor joists.

My friends from my previous active duty units that donated money to a GoFundMe account set up by my brother to help us out.

Several members of my family that have donated clothes, money, gift cards, and food to us.

My family member who is currently active duty who took leave and drove

up from Fort Bragg to bring us supplies.

The family in Alabama that drove up with donations from their church, twice already.

My church, Jackson Church of God that has helped us with food, supplies and helped me set up dehumidifiers to get my house ready for drywall.

They have also been giving supplies to anyone affected by the flood, despite having been flooded as well.

My commander, Capt. Matthew Peterson, and his wife who brought clothes, shoes, and toys for my kids, which really helped them. They call him Captain America now.

And the We Care for America foundation with assistance from Kimberly Adkins, the Soldier and Family Readiness Specialist.”

“I pray that the Lord blesses them exceedingly and abundantly beyond what they can imagine, just like He is doing for us,” he said.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Alaskan Command invited federal and state emergency response partners to participate in exercise Arctic Resolve 2022 at the combined headquarters of Alaska North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, Alaskan Command, and 11th Air Force, Aug. 26.

The ALCOM-hosted, interagency exercise aimed to create a shared understanding of each organization’s roles and responsibilities through all stages of disaster response and defense support of civil authorities.

“Over the last several months, Alaskan Command collaborated with federal, state, and local emergency response partners to create a realistic training scenario,” said U.S. Army Col. Jacob Peterson, ANR and ALCOM chief of staff. “This was an invaluable experience to establish best practices and help everyone involved understand how we can work together if our command is called upon to assist in a real-world natural disaster or with emergency response. While we hope that day never comes, and recognize the ability of the state to expertly respond, it is part of the Alaskan Command mission to be ready if and when needed.”

The first of the three-day exercise consisted of a series of academic briefings pertaining to the nature of seismic activity, natural disaster emergency preparation, and the Alaska Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s role in disaster response.

The Alaska DHS&EM provided exercise attendees the opportunity to experience Alaska’s Earthquake Simulator, a mechanized environment that allows individuals to safely experience a simulated 8.0-magnitude earthquake.

Jeremy Zidek, the Alaska DHS&EM public information officer, said many individuals come to Alaska from places that don’t experience earthquakes often, and it is critical that they are trained on one of the biggest risks of the state.

“We brought out the earthquake simulator to educate people about the risks and hazards we face in Alaska,” said Zidek. “We have more earthquakes than the rest of the United States combined and we’ve had the second largest earthquake ever recorded. This is certainly earthquake country, so people really need to know what to do.”

Day two of the exercise shifted toward an interagency tabletop exercise where key personnel from ALCOM staff and emergency response partners walked through a simulated joint response to natural disaster scenarios.

Organizations such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 10, the DHS&EM, and the U.S. Coast Guard, discussed protocol for their respective operations.

“This exercise provided a shared understanding of our partners’ capabilities and actions in response to a crisis, and it informed our staff how we could best support their efforts if called upon,” said U.S. Army Maj. Christopher Behm, chief of Joint Training and Readiness Division for ALCOM and Arctic Resolve 2022 exercise planner.

Maintaining that relationship is a necessity as ALCOM is responsible for conducting DSCA activities within the joint operations area. The sheer size of the Arctic region and the distance between first responders and areas outside of the southern region of Alaska pose significant challenges, making synergy between emergency response partners essential.

During the final day of the exercise, ALCOM staff met emergency response partners at the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer to study how seismic activity in the region is monitored and responded to not only in Alaska, but across Canada and the continental United States.

The exercise will continue over the following week with additional exercise scenarios and further collaboration between ALCOM and interagency partners.

BALTIMORE – Ships from around the world sailed into the Port of Baltimore, kicking off Maryland Fleet Week and Flyover Baltimore (MDFW), Sept. 7, 2022. This year’s MDFW includes ship tours, Baltimore Inner Harbor flyovers, static displays, and Fleet Week festivals at multiple locations throughout Baltimore Sept. 7-13, both in-person and online. This is the third time Baltimore has hosted Fleet Week.

Participating ships include dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), Freedom-variant Littoral Combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21), Military Sealift Command (MSC) Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport USNS Newport (T-EPF-12), Canadian Royal Navy Kingston-class coastal defense vessel HMCS Moncton (M-708), U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin (WLM-555), and Danish Tall Ship Danmark. National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA), and Army Corps of Engineers vessels are also available.

Flyover units include Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 2, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 1, Fighter Squadron Composite Twelve (VFC-12), Training Air Wing 4 (TW4), Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadrons 14 & 15 (HM-14; HM-15), and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (VMM-365) with flights scheduled Sept. 9-11.

Rear Adm. Nancy S. Lacore, Commandant, Naval District Washington, discussed the partnership between the Navy and Baltimore.

“Fleet Week is a tradition for Baltimore and the U.S. Navy that goes back years,” said Lacore. “Past Fleet Weeks proved just how magnificent this historic city, its port, and its people are and how skilled you are as partners to the Navy and planning and executing such a complex event. We are glad to be back for Fleet Week.”

MDFW is an opportunity for the citizens of Maryland and the City of Baltimore to meet Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen, as well as see firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services. More than 2,300 sea service members are expected to participate this year.

For more information on ways to enjoy MDFW fleets, flights, and festivals, visit mdfleetweek.org. Follow @mdfleetweek on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter for an insider perspective through virtual ship tours and behind the scenes experiences.

SANTA RITA, Guam — Multiple local, federal, and maritime partners responded to an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, or EPIRB, activating Saipan on Sept. 6.

An EPIRB is a vital search and rescue distress tool, and it transmits a signal picked up by a satellite which then informs the team at the nearest U.S. Coast Guard rescue coordination center.

“In this case, the activation seems accidental,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Brian Koji, U.S. Coast Guard Joint Rescue Sub-Center supervisor. “In the case of an accidental EPIRB activation in Guam or Oceania, contact the U.S. Coast Guard Joint Rescue Sub-Center in Guam at 671-355-4800 and provide them with the beacon’s ID to cancel the false alert. This action prevents unnecessary searches and keeps responders fresh to address emergent cases.”

The EPIRB involved in this case was registered by a previous owner, and that person relocated to the U.S. mainland after selling the associated boat in 2016. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Bureau of Motor Vehicles, responsible for maintaining boat registrations, could not find a valid registration beyond 2016, meaning the new owner of the vessel and EPIRB did not register their boat as required by law.

As a result, CNMI Department of Public Safety teams searched the east side of Saipan and conducted vessel checks at Smiley Cove Marina with no successful results. The prepositioned ships anchored on the west side of Saipan used their equipment to narrow down a potential search area.

A U.S. Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter crew from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 out of Anderson Air Force Base with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia member deployed. Using a handheld direction finder, they flew over several points on Saipan and homed in on a location on Capitol Hill with a boat in its yard.

The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched an officer, along with members of DPS, to conduct interviews of persons with homes in Capitol Hill with registered boats, and no residents confirmed they owned an EPIRB. However, after these visits, the EPIRB signal ceased indicating a depleted battery or someone switching it off.

Beacon registration is free, easy, and required by law. Federal law requires registration of all EPIRBs in the NOAA SARSAT Beacon Registration Database, free and accessible to all beacon owners, at https://beaconregistration.noaa.gov/RGDB/.

Owners must validate their beacon information every two years to ensure their contact information is up-to-date. Current beacon owner information allows search and rescue responders to work more efficiently and can decrease response time during distress situations.

Search and rescue personnel respond immediately to every activation of a distress beacon. It also narrows down search areas considerably and allows responders to reach someone in distress much faster than if they only have a report of where a mariner intended to go. As a reminder, accidental activations happen, but calling to cancel false alerts is non-punitive, helps protect SAR personnel, and ensures valuable resources are available to respond to actual distress cases.

-USCG-

The Mill Creek Channel is getting an update.

There are two fish ladders along the Mill Creek Channel: one at the Division Works – the yellow bridge near the project office – and one at the Diversion Dam, just across the river from Rooks Park.

The fish ladder at the Division Works was updated in 2020. Now, work is underway to construct a new fish ladder at the Diversion Dam.

The current fish ladder at the Diversion Dam was built in 1982 and does not meet the current criteria that define a successful fish ladder.

A fish ladder is a series of steps or slots that fish can navigate to “climb” past a dam or other structure in the river. The effectiveness of a fish ladder depends on many factors including the width of the ladder, the amount of water flow and the height of each step. These factors determine how difficult a ladder may be for fish to climb.

At the Diversion Dam, the plan is to design a fish ladder that is wider and has more steps than the current ladder. This would make the ladder easier for fish to navigate and would meet the criteria set by NOAA Fisheries standards. The current fish ladder exposes fish to turbulence and high velocities, which raises concerns for steelhead, Chinook salmon and bull trout returning to spawn in Mill Creek.

“The new fish ladder will have improved attraction flow and passage through the ladder itself, significantly reducing the amount of time fish will not be able to pass the Diversion Dam and reach spawning habitat in the upper Mill Creek.” Fish Biologist Chris Peery said.

Additionally, a channel would be built next to the ladder to allow easy passage for juveniles traveling downstream. There are also plans to construct a low-flow channel to prevent fish from being trapped in the stilling basin directly in front of the dam when there is very little water in Mill Creek.

“It’s a complex project and a great opportunity to partner with other agencies to improve conditions for the fish,” Project Manager Karen Robison said.

The Walla Walla District is working with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, NOAA Fisheries, local tribes and the Tri-state Steelheaders, to develop the new fish ladder.

The project is still in the initial design phases. The new ladder is expected to be built on the opposite side of the river from the current fish ladder. This would put it on the same side of the river as Rooks Park.