Floods and Fly-away in Ingham

17 Mar 2009

During May and November 2008, Broadcast Australia demonstrated the ABC "frequency agile emergency broadcast system", also known as a frequency agile FM transmitter, antenna and satellite dish (fly-away kit), at various Emergency Expos throughout Queensland.

The demonstrations were designed to show customers, emergency service personnel and community services how such equipment can offer situation-specific communication services in times of emergency.

A fly-away kit is a portable, self-contained mini studio with an onboard transmitter. The mini studio comprises a mixer, CD rack and microphone. The kit itself is quite basic, with its main purpose being to be a temporary transmission solution, allowing local areas the ability to broadcast information and updates to communities in the immediate area, during and following a disaster. These are local radio broadcasts on the FM band.

Within a matter of months following these demonstrations, the Northern Queensland town of Ingham experienced its third wettest wet season on record and major flooding.

Broadcast Australia's North Queensland District Office (which houses an ABC fly-away kit), was put on standby in case the kit needed to be deployed. A week later, with the rains still solidly falling, a request for the fly-away kit to be deployed to Ingham was received. Once deployed, it provided vital communication services to the town.

Deployment of the kit proved to have its challenges.

As the Broadcast Australia team reached the outskirts of town, flood waters receded to around 500mm, providing them with access to the main road into town and enabling them to make their way into the pre-identified temporary transmission site - the local Council Chambers.

The team of technicians were faced with a range of problems including how to get the heavy equipment to the first floor of the building and how to safely mount the fly-away kit's antenna on the building's roof. Support from an in-building lift or a cherry picker would have quickly solved the problem, but the high flood waters removed these options.

The commencement of the special broadcast meant that those still receiving transmissions from the nearby town of Brandon could now access more relevant information including interviews and updates from local emergency service personnel who could issue safety and threat information as it arose.

Continuing rain meant that rising floodwater again cut the town off from the outside world including the Broadcast Australia team who with no alternatives made the Council Chambers their home.

After a week of torrential rain, the Bureau of Meteorology announced what the town had been waiting to hear - rains were easing and there was no forecast in the weather patterns to suggest that flooding would increase.

The waters began to subside and the Broadcast Australia team were able to pack up the fly-away kit and head home. A successful debut for the "kit".

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