How Stations Plan For Disaster

[Thundershock MN 169]

With all the recent severe weather the idea for this thread came into my head. We all know how stations advise us how we are supposed to plan in the event of potential disasters. But, how do stations themselves prepare when they are in the line of fire. I think

was posted in one of the severe weather threads. I'm also reminded of

and how their staff had to relocate to WAPT. They also utilized WESH and similcasted with them while they headed to WAPT.

 

Do these station groups actually have a plan(s) in place to deal with certian events? I would think they would. But, both of these examples give me the impression they tend to fly by the seat of their pants. I would think that after Katrina the Hearst stations mentioned (WDSU/WAPT/WESH) along with their other stations in hurricane prone areas now have some type of plan to follow if they have to abandon ship. So, I'll leave it to all you fine folks. I wonder if there are standing plans in the event of emergency. Like in case of Y then do X. If anyone has any other examples or knowledge of plans they can share I would love to hear it.

[tyrannical bastard 3487]

They would be foolish not to. The decision for New Orleans' stations to sub-out their coverage to different places was necessitated due to the gravity of Katrina. WWL was able to use LPB and LSU in Baton Rouge, and WDSU was fortunate have WAPT and WESH as sister stations, and WVUE was forced to have limited operations at then-sister station WALA in Mobile for months, due to the near destruction of their facility in Gert Town.

 

Every station I have worked for (that has been in the danger zone of any tropical weather) communicates with all of their employees and makes participation in hurricane coverage MANDATORY. If staff is on vacation during an emergency, they are required to cut their vacation short or risk being terminated. Every employee's department is responsible for securing parts of the station and facilitating coverage whenever possible.

 

Contingencies are made to broadcast from their towers should the main facility become inoperable. Coverage can also be beamed in from a neighboring sister station should the situation require it.

[bhratbrat 423]

wgno also used wbrz for coverage.

[Ntropolis 593]

WVEC has a backup facility at their Suffolk transmitter site. The area around their studio in Norfolk is prone to flooding during a hurricane.

 

http://www.wvec.com/news/local/WVEC-does-test-newscast-from-backup-facility-163213076.html

[10Viewer 319]

WTSP is in a vulnerable location near Tampa Bay. The station has a backup generator and storm shutters. In 2004 during the hurricanes, the station relocated to low-tech public access studios in downtown Clearwater. Not an ideal location.

 

Makes me wonder if they have changed their plans in recent years.

 

WFLA is also in an evacuation zone, and I believe their back-up location would be the WUSF facility in north Tampa.