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A massive, four-day earthquake drill kicks off today June 7th 2016, in the Pacific Northwest.  The region is ripe for what officials say could be the biggest natural disaster the nation has ever seen. The exercise, called ‘Cascadia Rising,’ will test the readiness of responders at all levels of government.

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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee used a satellite phone to help kick off the Cascadia Rising megaquake and tsunami drill on Tuesday

CAMP MURRAY — Even as soldiers and emergency responders teamed up for a massive megaquake and tsunami response drill, Gov. Jay Inslee stressed that Washingtonians must also prepare.

When the megaquake hits, “hundreds of thousands of people will have to wait days, weeks and months for their electricity to be restored,” Inslee said in a news conference to kick off Cascadia Rising.

“They will have to wait a considerable period of time to have water service to their homes,” he added. “So having a basic emergency kit in homes, in cars, in offices, is absolutely essential for everybody who lives in our great state.”

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“Because we were able to get that information (via GSP-1700 Sat Phone), we moved our boat and ended up catching our limit of four giant Bluefin tuna valued at about $20,000.”

When it comes to fishing, Captain Dave Carraro of FV Tuna.com knows a thing or two, having run a successful charter business for the past 37 years, and is now a leading competitor and previous winner of the television show Wicked Tuna

Carraro keeps a busy schedule off land, even flying as a pilot for JetBlue when he isn’t fishing.

“Sometimes we are out on the water for four to five days in a row, fishing around the clock, which can be very strenuous, both physically and mentally. Not to mention the weather can be unpredictable and we can be fighting fish in very, very rough seas,” Carraro said.

While there may be unknowns relative to weather and fish cooperating, one thing Carraro doesn’t worry about is reliable communication: “As a commercial tuna fisherman, I’m constantly in competition with the other fishing captains in trying to find the best spot to catch large Bluefin Tuna,” he said. “Recently, I was 180 miles off the coast of Gloucester at a place called George’s Bank and was out of the reach of cell phone coverage. I was able to use my Globalstar GSP-1700 satellite phone to communicate with other fishermen inshore that were catching. Because we were able to get that information, we moved our boat and ended up catching our limit of four giant Bluefin tuna valued at about $20,000.”

While Carraro used to rely on a single side band radio, he lets his colleagues know that not only is it outdated, but also difficult to use in comparison to Globalstar products and services.

“Communication offshore used to be distorted and difficult to understand. Now we can rely on Globalstar for reliability and crystal-clear call quality at an extremely affordable price point. In addition, the small mobile handset can be taken in a life raft if the need arises – very comforting to say the least.”

Carraro, who has been a fisherman his whole life, describes himself not only as competitive when it comes to reeling in the biggest tuna, but also safety-conscious.

“I now require my whole crew to keep a SPOT Gen3 satellite messenger and tracking device on their primary survival suits. I also keep three SPOT Trace satellite tracking units on our secondary inflatables so we can be easily located in case of emergency.”

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2 Hikers Rescued in Remote Alaska

Two hikers from Georgia and South Carolina were rescued while on a trek to visit a famous abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness on Sunday. The hikers, Michael Trigg, 25, and Theodore “Ted” Ashlund, 27, were nearly swept away while trying to cross the Teklanika River in an attempt to save time on their return.

Everyone remembers the “Magic Bus” from Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction book and subsequent film, Into the Wild – the often-sad survival story of Christopher McCandless who left everything material he had in the world to try and find adventure. That Fairbanks transit bus-turned-makeshift backcountry shelter sits along the Stampede Trail in Denali National Park.

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Rafting Excursion Ends in Fatalities on the Kongakut River

The recent deaths of two women during a rafting excursion illustrate not only how unpredictably dangerous Alaska’s wilderness can be, but also how limited resources are in the nation’s largest state.

The women’s families are questioning why it took so long for help to arrive, but one official notes the nearest rescuers had to travel hundreds of miles and deal with all the logistics that go with it.

In Alaska, the harsh reality is that people are literally on their own when they veer away from the limited road system of the state, which is more than two-and-a-half times the size of Texas but with a population equal to the metro area of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

“Unfortunately, we do not have rescue assets within close proximity of every region in our state, and sometimes capability, proper resources, and timeliness in response to an incident is not immediately available,” Alaska National Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Candis Olmstead said in an email to The Associated Press.

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Hurricane season is just getting underway in the Gulf Coast region.

If you missed Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 15-21, 2016), there’s still time to prepare. While hurricane season started June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30, many in New Orleans and the Gulf South know it’s good to be prepared year-round.

And at all times it seems connectivity should be a priority.

FEMA warns that in disasters small and large, “Phone lines can go down, cell service can be overrun with calls, texts and emails and it can be difficult for survivors as well as first responders to get in touch.” They caution: “This isn’t a far-fetched scenario or intellectual exercise. It’s a reality we’ve seen happen over and over.” FEMA recommends relying on satellite phones in these situations.

In some instances, a satellite phone and satellite technology can mean the difference between life and death, no matter the season. Just ask Michael Herrera, who recently became the 4,000th rescue for Globalstar, a satellite communications company relied upon globally and based in Covington, Louisiana.

Herrera, a retired Houston firefighter and motorcycle enthusiast, was off-roading alone in DeKalb County, AL, last December. He took a hard fall and sustained a broken collarbone, three broken ribs, and a partially collapsed lung. After activating Globalstar’s SPOT device, a location tracking device that can send out a beacon to emergency services and verify your GPS location, Herrera was rescued in less than 40 minutes despite being alone and in a remote area. SPOT averages approximately two rescues per day and to date, has been responsible for more than 4,300 rescues around the globe.

“It’s my angel on my shoulder,” says Herrera, adding that no matter where he rides he feels he’s only “as far as his backyard.” Having been a firefighter and knowing he won’t give up his hobby, Herrera recognizes the importance of having something to fall back on: “I like to have an escape plan.”

Looking back on his rescue, Herrera says that satellite phones or SPOT devices are “something you hope you’ll never need to use.” He adds, “I’m just glad I had it on that day.”

From a management perspective, it (satellite phone backup plan) is most vital in today’s market.

During Hurricane Katrina, more than 20 million calls did not go through, and six out of eight police district buildings had no communications. In some locations it took months to restore service. Many rescue personnel had their service restored and got back to duty thanks to the thousands of satellite phones donated by Covington’s Globalstar.

But emergencies can happen anytime and sometimes they happen when you’re out of cell phone range. Satellite phones have become a trusted device for adventurers, emergency personnel, maritime workers, recreational boaters, oil and gas personnel and anyone who lives, works or plays in areas with limited or no cellular service.

In addition, satellite devices provide business owners and operators the ability to stay connected regardless of cellular service.

Glenn Hanson, VP of Laboratories for Coastal Gulf & International in New Orleans, which services the petroleum and petrochemical industry and includes offshore work, says with constant communication such a necessity in his line of work, having a backup plan to stay connected is crucial.

“From a management perspective, it (satellite phone backup plan) is most vital in today’s market, with safety issues that may arise out in the Gulf of Mexico, or if there’s an equipment breakdown,” said Hanson, whose backup plan with CGI includes equipping the company with Globalstar satellite phones. “Now, we have the ability to communicate right away, whereas in the past we may not have had that.”

“In the event of natural disasters or when we are offshore, we need to have the ability to communicate. We can now communicate within our offices during those circumstances.”

Now, that’s staying connected.

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BAY COUNTY, Fla.

Sixty business and community leaders around Bay County with all different backgrounds came to the Emergency Operations Center for the same reason.

The Bay County Chamber of Commerce held a Disaster Preparedness Seminar Tuesday morning.

Mark Bowen, the Chief of Emergency Services, along with other staff at the EOC, reminded businesses to prepare for an emergency like a fire, flood, tornado or hurricane.

Studies show 25 percent of businesses never reopen following a disaster.

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