The ARES E-Letter for November 16, 2011

[ARRL Web site]

********************************************
The ARES E-Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************

November 16, 2011

Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE <k1...@arrl.net>

In This Issue

IN THIS ISSUE

- HurriQuake 2011
- ARES® Docket
- Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference: Mutual Aid Theme
- ARES Youth Corps Coordinator Appointed in Ohio
- Priority Use of Center of Activity Frequencies for Actual EmComms
- Plan Now to Attend National Hurricane Conference in March
- Letters: More New Technology in Minnesota
- Letters: FEMA Classes
- Recommended Training Courses for ARES Members
- ARRL Michigan Section Combines Programs for Synergy
- K1CE For a Final

______

==> HURRIQUAKE 2011

The week of August 22, 2011 may go down in weather history as one of
the strangest in the Washington, DC area : On Tuesday, August 23, our
area was hit with a magnitude 5.8 earthquake. I'm sure the quake took
everyone by surprise. It sure surprised me. Damage was light, but
widespread, including what looks like about 25 million dollars done to
the National Cathedral, and an as-yet undetermined amount of damage to
the Washington Monument, which remains closed. There was significant
damage to the building housing the ham shack at the Armed Forces
Retirement Home in Washington, DC. That is not good news for the Marine
Corps Marathon radio operators.

Immediately after the earthquake, many cell phone systems buckled under
the load of everyone trying to call everyone else. In College Park,
Maryland, where I work, even the wire line phones had some problems.

Prince Georges County ARES® activated a resource net on the local
repeater to marshal radio resources in case of need. We stood by for
about six hours, but as the evening wore on, we ended the net as it
became clear that normal communications were working again.

The following Saturday night, Hurricane Irene passed just east of the
area. The County Government activated the EOC at 4 PM Saturday and
called for RACES and ARES communications support for storm shelters in
the southern end of the county. RACES operators under the leadership of
RACES Radio Officer Ken Greenhouse, KB3IIE, and ARES Emergency
Coordinator Jim Montgomery, WB3KAS, deployed to two shelters, one at
the Baden VFD and one at the Bunker Hill VFD. As the evening wore on,
power failed at the Baden shelter and the generator there failed to
start. We provided communications as the Red Cross redeployed the
shelter to the Brandywine VFD during the storm.

RACES operators established HF and VHF radio communications with the
State and adjacent county ARES/RACES groups. As the peak of the storm
passed at about 2 AM, a large tree fell across the utility lines at the
entrance to the EOC property cutting off electric power, Internet and
land line phones as well as the cable TV to the facility. It took the
county more than one hour to get the generator at the EOC to stay
on-line. Of course no one could come into or leave the EOC complex
because the tree was blocking the entrance.

Once the generator did come on-line, we discovered that the generator
does not provide power to the EOC radio room. All of the radios there
were useless without AC or DC power. Meanwhile, I maintained contact
with the shelters thanks to my trusty Yaesu HT and the Green Mountain
Repeater Association's 146.61 MHz repeater. The repeater worked
flawlessly through the night and we maintained communications for the
Red Cross personnel at the EOC and in the shelters until the shelters
were secured late Sunday morning.

The county fire personnel started calling it "HurriQuake 2011." Not
many ARES/RACES groups can say that they had to contend with an
earthquake and a hurricane in one week.

Special thanks to the Green Mountain Repeater Association for the
continued great support and the use of the .61 repeater. We literally
could not have done it without them and their machine. - Spence
Spencer, NX3SS <http://www.qrz.com/db/nx3ss>,
<http://www.qrz.com/db/nx3ss> AEC for Operations, Prince Georges County
Maryland ARES

==> ARES® DOCKET

Amateurs Assist with Communications in Aftermath of Rare October
Nor'easter
<http://www.arrl.org/news/amateurs-assist-with-communications-in-aftermath-of-rare-october-nor-easter>
- ARRL Letter

Agreement Inked Between ARRL East Bay Section and Bay Area Red Cross

ARRL Section Manager Jim Latham, AF6AQ, has announced the formal
signing of a local Statement of Cooperation between the ARRL East Bay
Section and the Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. "This is a
significant step as we rebuild the ARES® program in the Section. We now
have a served agency that recognizes ARES locally and that is
recognized by ARES," Latham said in a statement.

The local Statement of Cooperation supplements the national Memorandum
of Understanding between the American Red Cross and the ARRL that has
been in effect since March, 2010 and anticipates increased local
familiarity and cooperation between the two entities. A copy of the
document will be made available for review on the East Bay Section
<http://www.eastbaysectionarrl.org/> Web site.

Latham added: "It is now more important than ever that we be able to
exhibit that we are professional-quality, well-equipped, and
well-trained Amateur Radio operators. To this end, we will be
implementing on-line local ARES registration so that we will have an
up-to-date listing of the Section's members and leaders. We will also
be implementing training and education programs sponsored by the
Section to ensure a common, minimum level of training for members and
leaders alike. Look for additional changes and progress as we organize
and build the ARES program in the Section." [Jim Latham, AF6AQ, is
Section Manager, ARRL East Bay Section; and Emergency Communication
Advisory Committee Representative - Pacific Division].

Detroit Marathon Supported By 60 Operators

The Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon
<http://www.freepmarathon.com/>, held in Detroit, Michigan on October
16, 2011, was supported by 60 radio amateurs from two countries. The
communications effort was organized by the Wayne County Amateur Radio
Public Service Corp <http://www.wa8eoc.org/about.html>, which has
supported the event for nearly its entire history. This event is used
as part of Wayne County ARPSC's ongoing training regimen.

Wayne County ARPSC coordinated ARES members from Wayne, Oakland, Macomb
and Monroe counties and partnered with Windsor, Ontario, Canada hams,
from their Amateur Radio Community Service (ARCS), to support the
world's only marathon that includes a certified underwater mile. The
course features two water crossings, one across the Ambassador Bridge
and one through the Detroit Windsor Tunnel, with the underwater mile
spanning the Detroit River.

Amateur Radio provided health and welfare communications support to
more than 20,000 Marathon participants as well as more than 2,000
volunteers. The event employed multiple controlled nets that relayed
priority medical traffic, course logistical traffic, and security
coordination as well as spectator assistance. The end result helped
facilitate a world class event that included two international border
crossings that would not have been possible without partnership between
ARES and the ARCS ham operators from the US and Canada. -- Doug Scoda,
KD8PKI, Westland, Michigan

==> WISCONSIN ARES/RACES CONFERENCE: MUTUAL AID THEME

"Mutual Aid: Being There for Each Other" served as the theme of the
2011 Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference held in Wisconsin Rapids on
October 22, with 79 present. ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator Gary
Sorensen, W9ULK, served as facilitator of the conference. Former SEC
Bill Niemuth, KB9ENO, reported on an organization that is building a
statewide linked repeater system, while Section Manager Don Michalski,
W9IXG, presented the DEC of the Year award to Ed Jacobsen, KB9KJE,
immediate past DEC for the Northwest District. Howard Fischer, KC9IVJ,
Juneau County EC, won the EC of the Year award.

Stan Kaplan, WB9RQR, updated the group on the Wisconsin ARES/RACES
Winlink Net, and on the free computer distribution program he runs.
[Kaplan has distributed 600 computers to various ARES/RACES groups over
the past 17 years.] Sauk County EC Drew Smith, KC9LJK, gave a talk on
using social media in the ARES/RACES program, and Steve Sell, former
Administrator of Wisconsin Emergency Management talked on "We Need YOU"
- how important ARES/RACES is to the Emergency Management Program in
the state.

Wisconsin Northeast DEC Dave Levorson, N9KNY, ran a session with input
from attendees on "How Our Involvement in Emergency Response Has
Changed Since 9/11 - YOUR Stories." Winnebago County EC Kyle Schaefer,
KC9SDK, gave a presentation on how to approach "Taking Ham Radio into
Your School" on working with primary and secondary school teachers and
students to integrate ham radio into science programs.

Wisconsin Chief RACES Radio Officer Skip Sharpe, W9REL, spoke on why we
must integrate ICS into ARES/RACES in order to become a credentialed
part of the incident response team. Dan Lenz, KB9IME, Assistant SEC for
Training talked about mutual aid and also conducted a review of the
recent statewide SET (Simulated Emergency Test).

The Wisconsin ARES/RACES <http://www.wi-aresraces.org/> Web site has
been revitalized through the efforts of a committee headed by Assistant
SEC for Marketing and Recruiting Kathy Schramm, KB9UAZ, and Webmaster
Richard Engel, K9RWE. Check out the Twitter Feeds shown on the home
page for ARES/RACES and also from Ready Wisconsin, Wisconsin Emergency
Management. Immediate alerting and messaging to the membership is
possible by following the Twitter Feed and arranging for it to forward
messages to a cell phone. -- reported by Stan Kaplan, WB9RQR and
submitted with notes added by Gary Sorensen, W9ULK, SEC, Wisconsin
ARES/RACES

==> ARES YOUTH CORPS COORDINATOR APPOINTED IN OHIO

The ARES Tenth District Youth Corps of Ohio is a team of volunteers
with the mission to educate young people about not only ham radio but
specifically ARES. Kevin Baxter KD8OPX, of Middlefield, Ohio, has been
appointed to the post of ARES Tenth District Youth Corps Coordinator.
Baxter is an active senior at Cardinal High School in Middlefield.

Matt Welch, W8DEC, District Emergency Coordinator for the ARES Tenth
District, says "Kevin is a motivated individual with an evident passion
for the hobby. Since passing the Technician class license in August
2010, he volunteers for many public service events throughout the year.
Most recently, he helped WEBELOS Scouts from Cub Scout Pack 197 in
Burton, Ohio operate the W8TEN station for Jamboree on the Air (JOTA)."

Baxter is a trained SKYWARN Spotter, and a member of the Warren Amateur
Radio Association (WARA) and Lake Erie Amateur Radio Association
(LEARA). - Matt Welch, W8DEC <http://www.qrz.com/db/w8dec>, District
Emergency Coordinator, ARES Tenth District
<http://www.ohioares10.org/>, Ohio Section,

==> PRIORITY USE OF CENTER OF ACTIVITY FREQUENCIES FOR ACTUAL EMCOMMS

Last month's issue included an item on the IARU Center of Activity
Frequencies. It should be emphasized that any frequency on which
ongoing emergency communications is underway needs to be protected.

In the course of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)
consideration of the emergency Center of Activity Frequencies, members
in 2008 noted that priority use of the frequencies is limited to times
when there is an actual emergency in progress, and that they are
available for regular amateur use at all other times. In 2009, the IARU
Administrative Council when noting that all three regions have agreed
on the Center of Activity Frequencies in the 15, 17 and 20 meter bands,
namely, 21.360 MHz, 18.160 MHz and 14.300 MHz, also noted the GAREC09
<http://www.iaru-r3.org/garec-2009/> Statement, while making no
specific reference to the emergency Center of Activity Frequencies,
called upon IARU member-societies, among others, "whenever emergency
communications are being conducted on frequencies that propagate
internationally, to use any available real-time communications
channels, including but not limited to e-mail bulletins, web-sites,
social networking and DX-clusters to draw the attention of the largest
possible number of Amateur Radio operators to on-going emergency
communications, in order to avoid interference with emergency traffic."

In short, amateurs should protect any frequency when it's actively
being used for emergency communications. Otherwise the same standard
applies to the Center of Activity frequencies as to any other amateur
frequency: as stated in 97.101(b), "Each station licensee and each
control operator must cooperate in selecting transmitting channels and
in making the most effective use of the amateur service frequencies. No
frequency will be assigned for the exclusive use of any station."

==> PLAN NOW TO ATTEND NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE IN MARCH

The 2012 National Hurricane Conference, "the nation's forum for
education and professional training in hurricane and disaster
preparedness," will be held March 26-29 at the Hilton Orlando, Florida.
A robust Amateur Radio presence and forums are always on tap.

The primary goal of the National Hurricane Conference is to improve
hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to
save lives and property in the United States and the tropical islands
of the Caribbean and Pacific. In addition, the conference serves as a
national forum for federal, state and local officials to exchange ideas
and recommend new policies to improve Emergency Management.
To accomplish these goals, the annual conference emphasizes:

* Lessons Learned from Hurricane Strikes.

* State of the art programs worthy of emulation.

* New ideas being tested or considered.

* Information about new or ongoing assistance programs.

* The ABC's of hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and
mitigation -- in recognition of the fact that there is a continual
turnover of emergency management leadership and staff.

More details are to come on specific Amateur Radio forums planned for
the Conference. The ARRL is a Participating Organization.

==> LETTERS: MORE NEW TECHNOLOGY IN MINNESOTA

We deployed three new pieces of technology at the Medtronic Twin Cities
Marathon
<https://www.tcmevents.org/events/medtronic_twin_cities_marathon_weekend/>
held last month. We are already using Apple ® iPad ® tablets for
medical tent patient checks linked to our Amateur Radio tracking
system. We deployed an IP phone system between our hospital tent and
the family medical information tent. We set up a pair of Ubiquiti ® 5
GHz commercial grade WiFi link radios on a 1.4 mile non-line-of-sight
path to one of the area EOCs from our data trailer. And finally, we ran
three ICOM D-STAR ID-1 radios at the same time in our data trailer to
three different area repeaters. This marks our fifth year of 100%
reliable D-STAR performance in real world public service medical
communications applications. -- Erik Westgard, NY9D
<ewes...@att.net>, Director, Volunteer Medical Communications,
Medtronic Twins Cities Marathon

==> LETTERS: FEMA CLASSES

I manage a large EMA organization. Most of our volunteers do not
understand what constitutes "Emergency Management." As a result, we
require IS-230 -- Fundamentals of Emergency Management
<http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is230b.asp>for any certification
level in all of our specialties. I recommend adding this course to your
list so ARES operators will more fully understand the environment in
which they work.

For an Amateur Radio operator who wants to do more than "hold a mic," I
would also suggest trying to get into a COML III
<http://www.npstc.org/commUnitLeader.jsp> class, which requires IS-300.
Keep up the good work. -- Garth Kennedy, W9KJ, Naperville, Illinois EMA

==> RECOMMENDED TRAINING COURSES FOR ARES MEMBERS

♦ ARRL Introduction to Emergency Communication-
<http://www.arrl.org/online-course-catalog>Course #: EC-001. This is a
revision of the former Emergency Communications Basic/Level 1 course.
This on-line course is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools
for any emergency communications volunteer. Prerequisites: ICS-100
(IS-100.b <http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS100b.asp>)
(Introduction to the Incident Command System); and IS -700
<http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS700a.asp> (National Incident
Management System). Also recommended, but not required, are: IS-250
<http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is250.asp>, Emergency Support
Function 15 (ESF15), External Affairs; and IS-288
<http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is288.asp>, The Role of Voluntary
Agencies in Emergency Management. The course covers: The Framework: How
You Fit In; The Networks for Messages; Message Handling; What Happens
When Called; Operations & Logistics; Safety & Survival; and What to
Expect in Large Disasters.

♦ Red Cross or AHA combined course in Adult CPR/First Aid/AED Basics
<http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=aea70c45f663b110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default>

♦ FEMA IS-100 (Introduction to Incident Command System)
<http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS100b.asp>

♦ FEMA IS-700 (National Incident Management System)
<http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS700a.asp>

==> ARRL MICHIGAN SECTION COMBINES PROGRAMS FOR SYNERGY

Michigan's Amateur Radio Public Service Corps (ARPSC) encompasses the
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service (RACES) and SKYWARN, the service provided in
cooperation with the National Weather Service. ARES is activated for
mostly any event where a communications need exists within the
framework of the FCC rules. RACES is activated for an incident that the
government sees a need for additional communications support.
Generally, the Governor of a state or their duly appointed
representative makes the call. It is a program administered by FEMA.
SKYWARN is administered by the National Weather Service, of course.
There are four National Weather Service sites in Michigan --
Detroit/White Lake <http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/>, Grand Rapids
<http://www.crh.noaa.gov/grr/>, Gaylord <http://www.crh.noaa.gov/apx/>
and Marquette <http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mqt/>.

Michigan was one of the first if not the first state in the United
States to recognize the need for Amateur Radio operators to be
cross-trained in both ARES and RACES protocols. This aids the process
of assistance provided in the sense that cross-trained individuals who
start out activated as an ARES operator can just change hats and
continue operations wearing the RACES hat as the situation evolves.
This has worked very well, and is due in no small part to several
individuals in the Eighth Region (Ohio and Michigan, in particular) and
most especially to George Race, WB8BGY, former SEC, Section Manager and
Great Lakes Division Director, as well as others.

The Michigan program's mission statement: "Develop the Michigan ARPSC
Program in to a fully integrated communications team ready, willing and
able to provide radio communications support to Public Service Agencies
and the citizens of Michigan." - Michigan ARES
<http://www.ares-mi.org/>, Dale Williams, WA8EFK, Section Manager

==> K1CE FOR A FINAL

It's Thanksgiving time, and in keeping with the theme of giving thanks,
I am reproducing the open letter of thanks from New York City-Long
Island Section Manager Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, to his ARES team and others
in the aftermath of storm Irene. His letter is a gem -- sincere and
heartfelt -- and I thought it deserved a wider audience. Enjoy!

"I hope that you are recovering from Hurricane Irene and that this
finds you, your families, your property and your friends in good shape.
Obviously and luckily, most of the Section weathered the storm without
much damage.

"It's been ten years since Amateur Radio in New York City-Long Island
has been asked to provide communications support for a wide-scale
event. Yes, there have been minor activations of ARES during that time,
but nothing on the magnitude of Irene. Over the years we in the amateur
community have seen how hams around the world consistently provide help
to their communities. And while Irene, thankfully, did not do the
damage locally that we anticipated, we still were asked to support our
community by providing assistance where and when needed.

"It's very hard maintaining interest in staying involved in local ARES,
SKYWARN, and club groups participating in emergency communications when
nothing is going on. Complacency sets in over time. And,
understandably, how many "athons" can you participate in before you've
had enough. In spite of this, when something does happen that warrants
our participation, hams pour out of the woodwork offering their
services.
And the core group of trained hams directs the flow of these
volunteers. Irene was no exception to this. We saw the involvement of
active ARES/RACES members, SKYWARN spotters, and club volunteers who
maintained communications for the American Red Cross and governmental
shelter operations, local and county Emergency Operation Centers, local
Fire battalions, the National Weather Service, and local informational
nets so that club members could stay in touch and bring their friends
and neighbors up-to-date with what is happening in their neighborhoods.
Generally we participate in these events and, as soon as mainstream
communications is restored, pack up and go home. Maybe we get a "thank
you," maybe not. But we always go home with our heads held high knowing
that we provided a service to our community and once again proved why
we are granted our spectrum.

"Having served as an ARES volunteer, DEC, SEC and now SM, I know how
important it is to be recognized for the work we do. To that end, I
want to issue a very public THANK YOU to those in the New York
City-Long Island Section who offered their services and participated in
the effort."

[For a list of the individual operators, clubs and teams that Mike
compiled, click here <http://nli.arrl.org/>]. See you next month! --
73, Rick, K1CE, Flagler County, Florida

The ARES E-Letter is published on the third Wednesday of each month.
ARRL members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their
Member Data Page as described at
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/.

Copyright (c) 2011 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All
Rights Reserved

<http://www.arrl.org/>