Improvements to Multi-Hazard Monitoring Networks in Response to Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Events in California

Session: Regional Earthquake Centers: Highlights and Challenges [Poster]
Type: Poster
Date: 4/28/2020
Time: 08:00 AM
Room: Ballroom
Description: 

The Nevada Seismological Laboratory operates a rapidly expanding, multi-hazard monitoring network that extends throughout Nevada, California, Idaho and Oregon. Since 2013, the lab has expanded from its role as a regional seismic network in Nevada and eastern California, to build a 400+ station network of remote mountain-top wildfire monitoring cameras as part of AlertWildfire. The communication network that supports these cameras provides the backbone for NSL’s multi-hazard monitoring efforts that include seismic sensors for earthquake early warning, meteorological sensors for extreme weather event forecasting and wildfire monitoring and detection. Between July 2018 and December 2019, AlertWildfire installed more than 300 cameras in California as part of a planned 1,000 camera network for complete statewide monitoring. This rapid expansion of the network required a new “tower of opportunity” strategy where existing third-party towers and microwave communication networks operated by regional wireless internet service providers (WISPs) are outfitted with fire cameras and associated equipment allowing the network to grow at a rate of >300 cameras/year.

Prolonged de-energization of the California power grid in Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events during the 2019 fall fire season provided critical tests for the power and telemetry systems that support hazard monitoring networks. Key lessons learned from the AlertWildfire network include: the need for backup battery systems to keep communication systems running during the transition from grid power to backup generators; the advantages of communication path diversity as different communication systems progressively failed during prolonged PSPS events and event response mobilization strength of working with multiple partner WISPs and cost advantages of shared infrastructure for restoring down communication links during widespread events. Due to the frequency and geographic extent of the PSPS shutdowns, these events will drive the backbone power and telemetry improvements needed to operate a resilient early warning network.

Presenting Author: Jayne M. Bormann

Authors