It’s ON in Depoe Bay
Get amped up for Emergency Power Solutions Rally
Randy Kollars with Depoe Bay Mayor Kathy Short
Story & photo by Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
Wildfires, tsunami warnings, ice storms. Natural disasters fill the news with alarming frequency, but the Central Oregon Coast seems mercifully distant much of the time. So far.
The man-made issue of power outages is much more pressing for local residents, for whom loss of power can range from a minor annoyance to a big hassle.
But the City of Depoe Bay Resiliency Task Group has been working on solutions for when a massive power outage could prove deadly.
The group will present its first Emergency Power Solutions Rally, a mix of preparation and celebration, in Depoe Bay this Saturday, Jan. 25.
The all-day event, held at the Depoe Bay Community Center, will include talks, demonstrations and food.
“We are focusing on the power side of emergency preparedness,” said task force member Randy Kollars. “We will have the first operating hydrogen cell demo in the state of Oregon for large and small applications and host a dance at the end of the day, powered by the hydro cell.”
The latest recommendations for Oregon Coastal communities, that the group used for guidance,
Is to prepare for two to six weeks of isolation and power outage.
“Part of the problem is there is no power produced on this side of the Cascades,” Kollars said. “I describe it like we basically have three power cords coming over the range. Luckily the squirrels don’t chew on those ones like they've done to mine.”
No squirrels, but plenty of other hazards like wind, landslides and fire could knock out the power and affect the lives of people on the coast, particularly the older residents.
“They depend on things like insulin pumps and CPAP machines and the ability to refrigerate medications, not to mention food,” Kollars said. “And since there will be no, or minimal, access to emergency services like the police, fire department and hospitals, locals and visitors will be totally dependent on the local residents and the resources available at that time in the community.”
At the rally, task force members will share the results of the past year of work and be joined by industry leaders, engineers, researchers and system manufacturers that have existing and proven technology and solutions for the very unique needs of Oregon Coastal communities.
“We’re making progress; we’re actually getting some things done,” Kollars said. “What we’ve been talking about will affect all of the Oregon Coast communities, not just ours, but we are lucky in that we have people like retired engineers on our team. Plus, we have a remarkable mayor who cares so much about this issue and is willing to put a lot of time and energy into addressing it. She’s amazing.”
Kollars has also put a lot of his own time into this work.
“For the past two and a half years I have been involved in several emergency planning groups and task groups, including a couple of subgroups of the Depoe Bay City Council,” he said. “I’ve been to classes, workshops and trainings at both the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, as well as various city and Lincoln County emergency preparedness programs.”
The task force has been focusing on long-term solutions, which is what led them to products like the hydrogen fuel cells.
“We are focusing exclusively on green energy solutions,” Kollars said. “Batteries and generators are only a short-term solution. In a major power outage, you won’t be able to get propane or gas after running generators for two or three days at best and you can't pump gas even if there is access to the gas station. You also can't safely or legally store most sources of fuel for generators. Batteries that lasted eight hours to two days cannot be recharged.”
After staring disaster in the face for more than a year, the City of Depoe Bay Resiliency Task Group is ready to party.
Tsunami Zone
The rally begins at 10 am and runs until 8:30 pm at the Depoe Bay Community Center, located at 220 SE Bay Street. For more information, go to cityofdepoebay.org call 541-765-2361.
Schedule
10 am to noon - Session One, community leaders
11 am to 3 pm - Simple hot dogs and fixins available
1 to 3 pm - Session Two, options for your home or small business.
3 to 5 pm - Q&A and networking
5 to 6:30 pm - potluck, please bring something to share
6 to 8:30 pm - celebration dance and concert