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PETUNIA
(Provincial Emergency Transportable Unit, No Internet Available)
The idea behind Petunia was to have a stand alone, emergency radio communications trailer that could be towed almost anywhere in the Province by a standard type vehicle. Various vehicles have been tried but they all suffer from the "Goldilocks Syndrome." That is, they're too high, too heavy, too complex, and / or require too much maintenance, etc. The trailer could be set up near the scene of a disaster (earthquake, fire, flood, etc.) and provide radio communications utilizing the Ministry of Forests extensive network.
Petunia is comprised of:
an
aluminum trailer,
extendable aluminum antenna tower which hinges on the equipment
cabinet,
a steel equipment cabinet housing the
radios
2 dry boxes for storing batteries and chargers, power, antenna and data
cables,
various omni and directional antennae
a portable generator.
The radio gear includes:
2 VHF radios (for communicating with fire
fighters, etc)
2 UHF radio (for linking into the MoF radio
network)
1 Aviation Band radio (for directing air
tankers)
1 Paging transmitter (for paging key personnel)
1 Globalstar base station (for linking to
telephone system)
It was decided that a tent or portable shelter could be used to house the dispatching and office staff if a building was not available at the site. This would allow the trailer to be small, light and low and not require a special, dedicated towing vehicle.
Petunia is just starting to be set up for her first full test at the Pat Bay Air Tanker Base at the Victoria Airport. The portable generator, in the plywood box (now is aluminum box) has just been unloaded from the back of the trailer.
With the addition of a generator, the unit becomes independent of municipal utilities. The main reason for the tower is to get vertical separation between VHF antennae which reduces interference between radios using Forest Service channels.
You can see the Globalstar antenna (white box) on the trailer corner. MoF Staff can call out, on a telephone using a Globalstar Satellite link to a ground base station and then on to domestic telephone lines. Barry Cowan of Radio Operations (Victoria) and Petunia's creator, takes a moments rest before finishing the set up.
The 6 channel console and microphone (on the wood box) with 100 feet /30 meters of cable connected to a receptacle on the trailer, can be set up in a tent like the one in the background. If a building is available the cables could be run through an open window. Petunia can be located almost anywhere. The 5 pagers (in the orange box) issued to key personnel, can be paged with a tone and short message, directly from the console. They are short range and intended for use within the Fire Camp area.
The gray steel cabinet is the heart of Petunia containing 2 VHF radios on Forest Service Channels, 1 Aviation Band radio, 2 UHF Band radio and one paging transmitter. The cabinet works well as a mounting point for antenna that have a magnet mounting base like the UHF and pager antennae. The Globalstar base station is also stored here during transport.
Here Petunia, on the left, is being tested at Chilco Lake in the Cariboo (June 2004). During the 2004 Fire Season, Petunia saw service at a fire near Vanderhoof and also the Fireside fire near the Yukon boarder.