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CX2SA > ARES 23.06.23 19:52l 459 Lines 25209 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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Subj: The ARES E-Letter - 06/2023
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To : ARES@ARRL
=================
The ARES E-Letter
=================
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE June 21, 2023
- ARES© Briefs, Links
- ARRL Elected to Serve on SAFECOM
- Colorado AUXCOMM Supports Southwest Incident Management Team Wildfire
Exercise
- New York State ARES Members Participate in State Communications Exercise
- AUXC Personnel Attend Florida Training Mobilization
- Hospital Nets: An Expanding Role for Amateur Radio
- FEMA Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group Member
Thanks All Healthcare Coalition Pre-Hurricane Communications Exercise
Participants
- ARES© Resources
- ARRL Resources
ARES© Briefs, Links
-------------------
ARRL, FEMA Sign New Agreement - Amateur Radio is as relevant as ever. Former
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, said "The agreement emphasizes the
importance of skilled amateur radio operators in times of crisis and the
role of ARES leadership within the emergency communications space." Fugate
thanked Ted Okada, K4HNL, Chief Technology Officer at FEMA.
RadioMail brings Winlink to iOS devices -- The Winlink Development Team has
announced the release of RadioMail, "a new client app for the iPhone by
Island Magic Co. of Kaua'i, Hawaii. With RadioMail, you can easily send and
receive Winlink emails via telnet or pair with modems to exchange emails
over the air."
ARRL Elected to Serve on SAFECOM
--------------------------------
ARRL has been elected to serve on SAFECOM, a group of national thought
leaders and officials within the emergency communications and response space
that works to set standards used at every level. The program is managed by
the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an agency of
the US Department of Homeland Security.
SAFECOM sets the standards of interoperability procedures, and ARRL being a
part of the group solidifies the Amateur Radio Service as a robust resource
before and during times of crisis. In a letter from SAFECOM Chair, Chief
Gerald R. Reardon said "On behalf of the SAFECOM Executive Board, it is with
great pleasure that I inform you of our offer to join SAFECOM as a member
association. SAFECOM aims to improve multi-jurisdictional and
intergovernmental communications interoperability through collaboration with
emergency responders and policymakers across federal, state, local, tribal,
territorial, and international partners. SAFECOM recognizes the
organization's dedication to emergency communications and interoperability,
and therefore is pleased to extend a membership offer."
ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, said "Gaining a
seat at the table is a major step in strengthening the role and capability
of amateur radio with emergency communication agencies. This will give us
the sounding board and resources we need to set standards and create
training for our Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers that will
better suit AHJ's (Agencies Having Jurisdiction) and partner organizations."
The opportunity for ARRL to provide a more comprehensive Emergency
Communications program is part of the goal the Board and ARRL leadership has
begun to emphasize over the past few years, and this is one more example of
the commitment to do so. ARRL will provide premier resources for the served
agencies to support them in all phases of Emergency Management.
Johnston will serve as the Representative for ARRL on SAFECOM and will be
meeting with that leadership over the coming days to begin the process of
better understanding all the roles and responsibilities that come with being
a member association. "I look forward to working with the SAFECOM leadership
as we move forward and with the ARRL leadership to better serve the ham
community and our served agencies and partners," Johnston said.
Colorado AUXCOMM Supports Southwest Incident Management Team Wildfire Exercise
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last September, Southwest Incident Management Team (SWIMT) members discussed
hosting a full-scale wildland fire exercise for the Hotchkiss (Colorado)
Fire Protection District. SWIMT Incident Commander (IC) Douglas Fritz has
extensive experience in wildland fire and understands that communication
breakdowns are a common denominator in almost all fatal fires.
In light of this, Fritz ensured communications would be front and center in
the planning process. The IC turned to SWIMT Communications Unit Leaders
(COML) Steve Schroder, KI0KY, Colorado AUXCOMM manager, and Emit
Hurdelbrink, W0UAW, Colorado AUXCOMM unit deputy coordinator, to assist in
exercise design.
Over several months, Schroder and Hurdelbrink worked closely with the
planning committee and provided guidance for incorporating interoperable
communication systems into every aspect of the exercise.
The planning committee developed a complex scenario that brought together
local, county, and state resources. It was based on a sudden, rapidly
growing wildfire in the Hotchkiss Fire District in southwestern Colorado.
The script had the SWIMT engaged in scheduled training at Hotchkiss when the
fire began. Because the SWIMT was already on site, it would be called upon
to take command of the incident.
Wildland fire engines from multiple agencies would respond to a staging
area, where each crew would be assigned to conduct structure fire protection
operations at pre-identified homes and properties. At the same time,
additional residents would play the role of evacuees and report to a mock
evacuation center.
The exercise sought to demonstrate the capability of the SWIMT to manage a
significant wildfire incident and provide opportunities for team members to
gain experience and complete items in their Incident Command System (ICS)
Position Task Books.
On April 1, 2023, after months of planning, the SWIMT Simulated Wildfire
Exercise got under way. Delta Emergency Manager Kris Stewart formally
requested support from the Colorado Auxiliary Communication (AUXCOMM) Unit
using the state's WebEOC system. In addition to personnel to staff the
incident command post (ICP) and emergency operations center (EOC), Stewart
requested Colorado AUXCOMM's portable HF radio station. Each Colorado
AUXCOMM member received an ICS Form 260 resource order with instructions for
mobilization and reporting.
In addition to the SWIMT COML staff, Mesa County-based AUXCOMM members Ralph
Grover, AE0RE; Bill Ritchen, AB0LG; Paul Frey, N2COL; Randy Stringer,
KD0NSP, and western region AUXCOMM manager Chip Ferron, N0WKR, traveled to
Hotchkiss to provide on-site communication support.
Two AUXCOMM members were assigned to the staging area where fire engines and
other resources checked in and received their incident action plan (IAP),
including the communications plan developed by Schroder and Hurdelbrink.
Engines from agencies that lacked interoperable communications were issued
800 DTRS (800 MHz trunking system) radios from the Hotchkiss radio cache.
AUXCOMM
The Montrose Amateur Radio Club allowed the use of their new communications
trailer, which was placed at the ICP. Three AUXCOMM members staffed the
trailer and established the incident communication center (ICC). This
arrangement allowed communications staff access to ICP personnel to maintain
situational awareness and yet have a quiet location to coordinate
communications.
A portable HF/SHARES go-box and Chameleon antenna provided the team with HF
Winlink capability, allowing them to communicate with the State of Colorado
and the Delta County EOCs, where additional AUXCOMM partners worked to
support the mission.
AUXCOMM/ARES members from Mesa County staffed the staging area and the ICC.
They monitored traffic on the command channel and participated in using a
medical incident report (MIR) in the Wildfire Medical Plan ICS Form 206 form
to document simulated injuries during an incident within an incident (IWI)
drill.
Ferron was the AUXCOMM manager at the ICC. His team used the Colorado
AUXCOMM portable HF radio station to send ICS email messages to Colorado
Section Emergency Coordinator James Cizek, KI0KN. Cizek used his home
station as a proxy for the HF station at the Colorado State EOC near Denver,
and the team used the local VHF digipeater to exchange ICS messages with
Bill Bear, KC0QXX, Colorado Region Eight Emergency Coordinator, who served
as the AUXCOMM manager and oversaw five additional AUXCOMM/ARES members at
the Delta County EOC.
Throughout the day, AUXCOMM members traded positions and tasks, allowing the
entire team to get hands-on training in relaying routine and simulated
emergency traffic using the HF and UHF/VHF gear. They worked closely with
SWIMT COML Schroder, and other ICP staff. In addition, AUXCOMM/ARES members
were able to complete many items in their task books.
Conclusions and Lessons Learned
After the exercise, Schroder said, "The exercise provided an exceptional
training opportunity, and we feel that we are now better prepared to work as
a team in support of the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and
Emergency Management should a disaster arise." Colorado AUXCOMM is a
specialized incident and disaster response public safety communications unit
comprised of volunteers whose primary mission is to support the Colorado
DHSEM. Colorado AUXCOMM may also support local jurisdictions and agencies
through the state resource mobilization process. In addition to providing
emergency communications, Colorado AUXCOMM works with our emergency
communications agencies, such as the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, the
American Red Cross, and the Colorado National Guard, to develop
interoperability solutions and cooperative agreements. -- Steve Schroder,
KI0KY, and Emit Hurdelbrink, W0UAW
New York State ARES Members Participate in State Communications Exercise
------------------------------------------------------------------------
On April 11, 12, and 13, 2023, members of several New York ARES teams
participated in the New York State Communications Unit Exercise at the State
Preparedness Training Center (SPTC) in Oriskany, New York. The HSEEP-based
exercise was coordinated by the NYS Department of Homeland Security Office
of Interoperable and Emergency Communications (OIEC). The exercise included
more than 60 people from 26 agencies around the state.
The Communications Unit Exercise (COMMEX) is a functional exercise (FE)
designed to establish a learning environment for players to exercise
emergency response plans, policies, and procedures by building all the
real-world systems and networks to solve the communication needs of the
actual exercise in real time as they pertain to a disaster response that is
significant enough to warrant the activation of regional and State
communication assets. The Communications Unit (COMU) was organized, and team
positions were filled with people from cities and counties all over the
state, and included NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control, NYS
Department of Environmental Conservation, and the NYS Office of Emergency
Management.
Trainees Jim Stefano, W2COP; Tony Correa, KD2PTJ; Joe DiVincenzo, AD2DB, and
Peter Newell, KC2WI, all participated as AUXCOMM personnel, along with
Martin Grillo, an NYS-credentialed AUXCOMM evaluator, all working under the
supervision of a Communications Unit Leader (COML). Stefano had completed
his AUXCOMM classroom course at the Dayton Hamvention©, and Correa,
DiVincenzo, and Newell completed their courses at the New York State OIEC
AUXCOMM class last fall. Another ARES member, Jim Herbst, KC2KNJ,
participated as Exercise Director.
Objectives for the trainees were to train, exercise, and demonstrate the
skills required to respond to requests for communications support; to work
as a Communications Unit team; become familiar with working in the NIMS
Incident Command System; and familiarize themselves with the equipment and
procedures NYS OIEC uses when they deploy. Members also had an opportunity
to complete some of the tasks in their AUXCOMM Position Task Book.
The scenario was a flood in the city of Rome, New York that overwhelmed city
resources. Rome requested assistance from several county and NYS agencies
including the NYS OIEC office. The COMU had to develop a communications
plan, and build a Regional Operations Center (ROC) in a classroom at the
SPTC. The COMU, including AUXCOMMs, used a variety of OIEC deployable
equipment and set up radio consoles, laptops, and phones to support multiple
dispatch positions. As the scenario expanded, the COMU team also had to
provide wireless connectivity for the ROC, add additional deployable
repeaters, and provide portables as requests came in.
Conclusion
This was the first time AUXCOMM members had participated in the NYS OIEC
exercise. By all accounts at the hotwash following the exercise, AUXCOMM
members rendered invaluable assistance by providing support as technicians
and as radio dispatchers in the ROC. The AUXCOMM members also had valuable
feedback at the hotwash, which the Exercise Planning Team uses to develop
the next exercise. These volunteer members truly demonstrated the value of
bringing trained AUXCOMM members into a NIMS Communications Unit. NYS OIEC
continues to support training and exercises that include AUXCOMM personnel.
-- Jim Herbst, KC2KNJ, Monroe County, New York ARES
AUXC Personnel Attend Florida Training Mobilization
---------------------------------------------------
From May 21 through May 24, 16 amateur radio operators who previously
completed the AUXCOMM course and were looking to complete their AUXC
position task book were selected to attend Florida's second annual
communications training mobilization, known as "MARCONI II." These 16
members deployed to Lake County (near Orlando), along with Mutual Aid Radio
Communications (MARC) unit resources, as well as staff from the State of
Florida's Communications Unit. Florida is moving toward being an "AUXCOMM
State," meaning that the communications resources that could be asked to
deploy outside of their local county (whether inside or outside of the
state) must complete the AUXCOMM training course as well as the AUXCOMM
position task book. [Volunteers in local counties that don't wish to deploy
outside of their own county would continue to use whatever program they're
currently under, which could be ARRL ARES, RACES, or AUXCOMM.] Florida has
offered one AUXCOMM course so far in 2023, two in 2022 and 2021, and is
working to get more courses available in various parts of the state this and
next year.
MARC units were drilled, along with other deployable local and regional
assets as part of the training week. Each team was a mix of public safety
and AUXC personnel, with several AUXC resources serving as team leaders.
Each region of Florida hosts a MARC unit, as well as numerous other local
and regional assets, that come together when needed, such as most recently
after Hurricane Ian.
During Hurrican Ian, for the first time, AUXC volunteers were deployed as
part of the state deployment. Additionally, cache radios on VHF/UHF and the
700/800 MHz public safety bands, repeaters, gateways, portable trunked
systems, and Satellite systems were utilized. Staff challenged the AUXC
trainees in many ways during the week.
The AUXCOMM training equips volunteers with practical skills, such as radio
operation and data network management, as well as fostering relationships
within the emergency response community under common incident management
concepts. Having the opportunity to practice and prove your skills alongside
professional career response personnel is a great way to learn as well as
get to know the people you may be deployed alongside of during an incident
or even a planned event.
AUXCOMM volunteers attending the exercise received training on topics
ranging from operations of the MARC units to Winlink, and proper go-kit
station setup. The volunteers also had the opportunity to have various
portions of their AUXC position task book signed off by COMT (communications
technicians) and COML (communications leader) staff. Some volunteers were
ultimately able to complete task books they'd already started and have them
signed off on by the SWIC (Statewide Interoperability Coordinator) to be
officially recognized as AUXCOMM resources by the State of Florida.
Additionally, FEMA has announced updates to the National Incident Management
System (NIMS) that officially recognizes the AUXC position as part of the
new Information and Communications Technology (ICT) branch.
Conclusion
AUXCOMM is about more than just amateur radio, as volunteers are trained to
be used in any position in which a communications resource may be needed.
Whether it be amateur radio, SHARES radio, public safety, answering a phone,
or even satellite communications, AUXCs are there to assist wherever they
can be utilized to make a difference. - David Byrum, KA4EBX, published in
QST NFL, June 2023 issue, Marty Brown, N4GL, editor
Hospital Nets: An Expanding Role for Amateur Radio
--------------------------------------------------
By Ira Brodsky, KC9TC, St. Louis, Missouri
Hospital nets deserve a bigger role in amateur radio's future. They not only
serve a patently good cause, they can continue and enhance the ongoing
development of amateur radio, both to better meet emergency communication
needs, and to attract more young people to the service.
Radio amateurs and hospital nets give healthcare providers a powerful
communication tool for responding to disasters, and give the amateur radio
community opportunities to deploy trained operators dedicated to emergency
communication, raise public awareness of amateur radio, and attract young
people interested in community service.
Amateur radio's proven emergency communication value is one of the reasons
it enjoys access to frequencies up and down the radio spectrum. Amateur
radio operators helped rescue people stranded by floods during Hurricane
Katrina, and assisted the American Red Cross following the Sept. 11, 2001
terrorist attacks when commercial telecom networks became overloaded.
Hospital nets build on that record by helping healthcare providers make the
best use of available beds, physicians, and other valuable resources when
disaster strikes.
The amateur radio community has partnered with hospitals and government
agencies to provide communication when landlines, cell phone networks, and
the Internet fail or are impaired. Commercial networks depend on vulnerable
infrastructure and were not designed to handle unusual traffic surges.
Amateur radio provides capacity on demand for communication over any
distance, using voice or data, to and from portable or fixed stations, with
or without infrastructure.
Now is a good time to take stock of hospital net accomplishments, the
remaining challenges to hospital net growth, and the opportunities that
hospital nets present to amateur radio going forward. Today's hospital nets
are highly diverse. Some serve just a few local hospitals, others serve
greater metropolitan areas, and a few serve entire states. Some hospital
nets strictly use analog voice communication, but many support data modes,
and some even support one of the VHF/UHF digital voice formats. Many await
their first activation, while others have years of experience responding to
disasters.
While hospital nets are mainly expected to respond to local disasters,
that's not always the case. "When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017,
patients were flown into Columbia, South Carolina and routed to area
hospitals. In response to a National Disaster Medical System request, for
several days the South Carolina Healthcare Emergency Amateur Radio Team
(SCHEART) manned a redundant communication system in case the primary
systems failed," said Roger Mull, KD4JQJ, District Emergency Coordinator,
South Carolina ARES. [Part 2 will appear in next month's issue -- Ed.]
FEMA Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group Member
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks All Healthcare Coalition Pre-Hurricane Communications Exercise
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Participants
------------
The Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHPC) Pre-Hurricane
communications exercise involved auxiliary communications resources
(including ARRL ARES), and agency use of the Winlink Radio Email System in
portions of FEMA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic) and Region 4 (Southeast). This was
accomplished through both CISA SHARES and amateur radio resources in a most
interoperable and integrated manner. Although the majority of emphasis was
within North Carolina, the field situational awareness "ground truth"
information outside of that state was illustrated nicely. (See the
After-Action Report's Appendix A on page 15).
In a letter to ARRL Director of Emergency Communications Josh Johnston,
KE5MHV, Winlink Administrator and FEMA Regional Emergency Communications
Coordination Working Group (RECCWG) member Steve Waterman, K4CJX, wrote
recently, "Thanks to you and the ARRL ARES leadership for their
participation in making the auxiliary communications portion of this
exercise a success." Waterman also said, "This did not go unnoticed in
jurisdictions that were previously less than enthusiastic toward volunteer
resources, and hopefully will continue to have a positive impact toward the
future use of ARES participation, all under the Auxiliary
communications/volunteer resource banner."
Waterman noted that "Matthew McMahon, the exercise lead and the author of
the AAR grades and certifies Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation
Program (HSEEP) exercises for a living, and this certainly shows up when
reading the document." He added, "This is a perfect model of an HSEEP
compliant AAR from a perfectly executed compliant HSEEP 'pre Hurricane'
exercise." [Waterman is a well-known, leading data communications developer
with the DHS CISA SHARES Auxiliary; FEMA R4 RECCWG AUXCOMM Committee, Chair;
Tennessee EMA COMU, Williamson County; and Winlink Administrator,
Development Team, ARSFI Board of Directors. -- Ed.]
ARES© Resources
---------------
Download the ARES Manual [PDF]
ARES Field Resources Manual [PDF]
ARES Standardized Training Plan Task Book [Fillable PDF]
ARES Standardized Training Plan Task Book [Word]
ARES Plan
ARES Group Registration
Emergency Communications Training
The Amateur Radio Emergency Service© (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs
who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment, with
their local ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public service
when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in
ARRL or any other local or national organization is eligible to apply for
membership in ARES. Training may be required or desired to participate fully
in ARES. Please inquire at the local level for specific information. Because
ARES is an amateur radio program, only licensed radio amateurs are eligible
for membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable,
but is not a requirement for membership.
How to Get Involved in ARES: Fill out the ARES Registration form and submit
it to your local Emergency Coordinator.
ARRL Resources
--------------
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________
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Copyright ¸ 2023 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
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require written permission.
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* CX2SA 1978-2023 - Salto Uruguay *
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