Local Area Communication Centers

If the event of a major island-wide situation the Island Incident Commander (i.e., Fire Chief) has the option to request ARES volunteers set up Local Area Communications Centers (LACC) at one or more of the local fire stations around the island. Additional LACCs could also be established close to particular incidents, say if a command post was set up close to a wildfire or commercial airline crash site. In general these LACCs are likely to be set up in conjunction with Command Posts staffed by Fire Department operations, including CERT volunteers.

Supplies and radio equipment have been prestaged at each of the likely Local Area Communicaiton Centers, and several additional sets of supplies are available as backpack mobile kits.

Local VIFR fire stations on Vashon-Maury Island

VIFR Stations                 Address                                 
Vashon, Station 55           10020 SW Bank Rd.
Burton, Station 56             10330 SW Burton Dr
Tahlequah, Station 57       30241 131st Ave SW
Dockton, Station 58          26316 99th Ave SW
North End, Station 59       11983 Vashon Hwy SW

Seattle Communication Hubs

According to West Seattle Be Prepared, Seattle's Emergency Communication Hub system was originally modelled after Vashon's LACC model. Their system is now much more refined and developed to meet Seattle's unique needs, but we're pleased to have had some role in their creation!

Seattle Communication Hub MissionWhile Vashon is outside Seattle city limits, we still expect to interact with them (and especially our friends at West Seattle Be Prepared and other Seattle neighborhood groups) – since so many Vashon residents work there, and where so many Vashon workers live.

Seattle has adopted and extended Vashon Local Area Communication Center (LACC) model and formed a series of Communication Hubs. Seattle also offers a full-sized map of these hubs. A bit more info is on this blog too.

Process Flow for Seattle's Communication HubsHopefully, Vashon residents working in Seattle should (in the future) be able to go to a hub and get information about options for returning to Vashon and the state of affairs on Vashon.

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