California Wildfire Response
California’s 2020 wildfire season has come with extra challenges that every disaster first responder is apprehensive of. With COVID-19 being a virus that attacks your respiratory system, adding smoke from raging wildfires places everyone at a higher risk of contraction. Health officials urged communities to take more time than usual to prepare for wildfire events. Over four million acres in California have burned this season, and millions of people are still recovering from the 22 major wildfires in the state that have caused power outages, structural damage, and major health risks to citizens. With fire season beginning earlier and ending later each year, there has been an increasing number of areas of critical need, and a higher demand for more deployable resources.
Disaster response not only focuses on steps to recovery but it highlights the importance of preparedness. Whether it is preparing shelter, meals, a reassuring voice, or masks, disaster relief groups all across the country have aimed to protect communities from the potential climate disasters before they occur.
Currently, our Solar Emergency Response Team (SERT) is in California to provide support by deploying clean energy to communities in need. So far, we have focused our limited clean energy resources on multiple partnerships that focus on different aspects of the preparedness and response of disaster relief.
Shelter
Access to an emergency shelter is crucial during a season of unexpected disasters. In mid October, Footprint deployed our largest domestic solar trailer "T5" to back-up the Cloverdale Citrus Fair Emergency Evacuation Center. According to the Fair’s maintenance staff, the solar equipment was “able to power all of Warner Hall, including lights fans and many outlets.”
This is the first time we've successfully powered permanent infrastructure with one of our solar trailers, proving that mobile clean energy is effective even for building-scale power needs.
The trailer has previously been used at emergency and non-emergency events for pop-up tent phone charging stations, lighting, refrigeration, and sound equipment. However, the success of the solar trailer to provide power to a permanent infrastructure shows promise for future opportunities on how to power shelters and other emergency buildings safely and sustainably.
The “T5” solar trailer was able to power the Cloverdale Citrus Fair Emergency Evacuation Center via a manual transfer switch—a huge success!
The “T5” solar trailer from above, powering the Emergency Evacuation Center.
Communication
Information Technology Disaster Response provides communication during disaster relief.
Another critical resource to have during major disasters is communication. Information Technology Disaster Resource Center's (ITDRC) is providing essential communications support to wildfire response agencies across the Pacific Coast region. In September, we solarized their Emergency Communications trailer to help maintain reliable, sustainable electricity to keep communications on-line. Special thanks to SimpliPhi Power for donating one of their state-of-the-art lithium batteries for this project!
Deployable Resources
Currently, we are finalizing assembly of our first Solar Emergency Response Vehicle to provide a mobile workspace for regional disaster workers, all powered by clean energy! This SERV will also be able to supply mobile solar energy and storage space to those affected by disasters, helping more of us build back better.
The new Solar Emergency Response Vehicle is being finalized in California.
As fire emergency response slows down, we are coordinating with partners to identify and fill long term recovery needs.
Special thanks to our incredible partners: LG Solar USA, Sol-Ark Solar, New Use Energy Solutions, Industrial Solar Consulting, ITDRC, Simpliphi Power, and many more for making these deployments possible.
If you are interested in lending a hand to communities affected by the fires in the West, please make a donation today!