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CX2SA > ARES 21.09.23 18:01l 403 Lines 20696 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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Subj: The ARES E-Letter - 09/2023
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Sent: 230921/1455Z @:CX2SA.SAL.URY.SOAM #:31710 [Salto] FBB7.00e $:ARES092023
From: CX2SA@CX2SA.SAL.URY.SOAM
To : ARES@ARRL
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The ARES E-Letter
=================
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE September 20,2023
- ARESİ Briefs, Links
- Hurricane Idalia Response
- Winlink ShakeOut Exercise Next Month
- Open Letter from the National Hurricane Center's WX4NHC Operators
- September Is Emergency Preparedness Month - Perspective from a
- Pennsylvania County
- Mississippi Conducts Its SET on Hurricane Scenario
- Amateur Radio Helps Air Show Fly High
- Northern Florida SEC W4CPD for a Final: Hurricane Idalia Response
- ARESİ Resources
- ARRL Resources
ARESİ Briefs, Links
-------------------
ARRL New Jersey Sections Sign Agreement with American Red Cross
Hurricane Lee Activations.
Amateur Radio Ops Support Utah Bike Race.
The 2023 Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) will take place on Sunday, October 29
in Washington, D.C., and Arlington County, Virginia. The MCM Ham Volunteers
team is looking for 150 amateur radio operators to support the event by
providing racecourse situation reports.
The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is scheduled for October 7 - 8,
2023. Get Ready, Get SET, Go! - Plan and Prepare now!
Hurricane Idalia Response
-------------------------
ARES and other operators served communities affected by Hurricane Idalia.
Idalia made landfall Wednesday, August 30 on Florida's Big Bend region as a
Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 125 miles per hour. The storm
tracked across Georgia and into South Carolina, and on Thursday morning it
had moved offshore of North Carolina.
ARRL volunteers staffed key positions across the affected region. Section
Emergency Coordinator of the ARRL Northern Florida Section Arc Thames,
W4CPD, led the activation of Amateur Radio Emergency Serviceİ volunteers
within the Section. [See his note at the end of this newsletter - Ed.]
The Florida Statewide Amateur Radio Network (SARnet) was the primary
emergency communications system used during the storm. The system is a
series of linked UHF repeaters that covers the entire state. There were also
HF nets linking counties to the state EOC.
In a message to ARES leadership in the affected Sections, ARRL Director of
Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, reminded them of gear at ARRL
Headquarters that can be deployed if necessary. "We have equipment assets in
our Ham Aid program available to you for loan if you have a need to
backfill. These can be used during long term recovery efforts as needed,"
wrote Johnston.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved an ARRL-requested
emergency waiver to HF symbol rate limits to allow higher speed data
communications in the Amateur Radio Service response to Hurricane Idalia.
Read the waiver (PDF)
Many counties in the ARRL Northern Florida Section were activated. Section
Manager Scott Roberts, KK4ECR, was at the Clay County EOC for 27 hours. "We
had a good number of our Northern Florida counties activated, as well as
other places in the state.There were four shelters open here in Clay County
alone," he said. Roberts said the final information was still being tallied,
but he knew of activations in Duval, St. Johns, Escambia, Marion, and Leon
Counties.
In Ocala, the Marion County Emergency Radio Team (MERT) was activated to
support shelter operations on Tuesday, August 29. Marion County ARES was
placed on standby to support the MERT team and other served agencies. The
county was spared the brunt of the impact. Marion County ARES Emergency
Coordinator Hayden Kaufman, N2HAY, said the activation identified some
opportunities for improvement in the area's disaster response. "We were very
fortunate to have had little to do. However, the activation provided us some
insight on factors that would impede communications in an emergency," he said.
Ham volunteers worked with the County Sheriff's office to ensure the amateur
radio equipment on board the Marion County Mobile Command Center was fully
operational before it was deployed to Madison County, the area most heavily
impacted by the storm.
Kaufman thanked the many local volunteers for their service during the
hurricane. "I am personally proud to be a member of our increasingly
tight-knit EmComm community," he said.
Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said the storm
called for "all hands on deck." Ahead of impact, the intensity and track of
the storm greatly concerned him. "I have been watching and plotting
hurricanes for over 35 years. I have witnessed, many times, a hurricane
cross a state line into another as a hurricane...two states were hit by the
same hurricane. Never have I seen a storm cross three states as a
hurricane," said Graves.
The WX4NHC amateur radio station at the National Hurricane Center was also
active during the storm, as was the Hurricane VoIP Net. - ARRL News Desk
Winlink ShakeOut Exercise Next Month
------------------------------------
The Winlink Development Team (WDT) continues its successful collaboration
with the US Geological Survey to provide real event and exercise "Did You
Feel It?" (DYFI) earthquake intensity reports via Winlink. All Winlink users
are invited to send Exercise Winlink DYFI reports on October 19, 2023, at or
after 10:19 local time with Exercise ID: 2023SHAKEOUT. For step-by-step
Winlink DYFI Exercise instructions and additional information see the
Winlink ShakeOut Website and the details below.
What is ShakeOut?
The Great ShakeOut is the world's largest earthquake drill. It is held
annually on the third Thursday of October, and millions of people
participate all over the world. In 2022 over 45.6 million people registered
their participation. The goal of the ShakeOut is to teach people how to
protect themselves during an earthquake.
Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills across the U.S. are coordinated by the
Southern California Earthquake Center in partnership with ECA, CUSEC, state
and national emergency management partners, with support from FEMA, NEHRP,
NSF, and USGS.
The ShakeOut drill is simple. At the designated time (or whenever works for
you or your organization), participants practice self-protective actions
such as "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" or "Lock, Cover, and Hold On" if they use
a wheelchair.
How to Participate
Register your volunteer radio group for the Great ShakeOut.
Send Winlink DYFI ("Did You Feel It?") exercise reports on October 19,
2023,after 10:19 (local time) to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Exercise ID: 2023SHAKEOUT
Conduct local radio nets or functional radio exercises to test your
group's preparedness.
The Great ShakeOut is also an opportunity to learn more about earthquake
preparedness. Participants can learn about the different types of
earthquakes, how to create an earthquake safety plan, and how to make their
homes and businesses more earthquake-resistant.
The Great ShakeOut is a great way to get ready for an earthquake. Many
preparedness lessons from the Great ShakeOut also apply to floods, fires,
landslides, and other disasters. It is also a chance to connect with your
community and learn how to help others in the event of an earthquake or
other disaster. Look for more details on the Winlink ShakeOut Website in the
coming weeks.
Open Letter from the National Hurricane Center's WX4NHC Operators
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Fellow Ham Radio Operators:
In cooperation with the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, and
WX4NHC, we are asking for your assistance during this hurricane season. The
most important role amateur radio plays in hurricanes is to gather and relay
information to the National Hurricane Center's Amateur Radio Station WX4NHC.
While there are mechanisms to do this, we are always looking for more
assistance in this vital job. You could be the only station in the impacted
area and your Eye Witness Reports or measured data, if you have a weather
station, could be critical to the forecasters. You could be the only station
hearing some other ham calling with a report or needing assistance in a
dangerous situation they are in. Also, you could play the important role in
translating a ham's report into a language that we understand. So, as you
can see, everyone has a part they can play.
WX4NHC on 14.325 MHz is a frequency that you should always monitor during a
hurricane. [More information can be found on the WX4NHC website]. This
frequency is maintained for hurricane reporting and response by the
Hurricane Watch Net. The VoIP Hurricane Net utilizes EchoLink and IRLP to
link stations together over the internet. When HF propagation is not good,
sometimes this is the only way information reaches WX4NHC.
The EchoLink Conference Room is WX-Talk (Node 7203) and IRLP Node is 9219.
More information can be found here. We ask you for your support and
assistance anytime the Hurricane Watch Net, VoIP Hurricane Net, and WX4NHC
are active. The part you play may save someone's life! - Operators of the
NOAA National Hurricane Center Station WX4NHC
September Is Emergency Preparedness Month - Perspective from a Pennsylvania
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
County
------
Since February 2003, "Ready" has been a national public service advertising
(PSA) campaign designed to teach Americans how to prepare for and respond to
emergencies, whether natural or man-made. The goal of the campaign is to get
the public involved and ultimately to increase the level of basic
preparedness across the nation.
National Preparedness Month is an observance each September to raise
awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies
that could happen at any time. The 2023 National Preparedness Month theme is
"Preparing for Older Adults." This year's theme, events, and materials will
focus on preparing older adults for disaster, specifically older adults from
communities that are disproportionately impacted by the all-hazard events,
which continue to threaten the nation. Older adults can face greater risks
when it comes to the multitude of extreme weather events and emergencies we
now face, especially if they are living alone, are low-income, have a
disability, or live in rural areas.
In general, the "Ready" campaign asks all individuals to do four things:
Stay informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur
and their appropriate responses
Make a family emergency plan
Build an emergency supply kit, and
Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies
Blair County (Pennsylvania) ARES volunteers have the last bullet point
covered. However, if you don't have the first three covered, you won't be
"Ready" to help out as a Blair County ARES volunteer.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Ready
Campaign, National Preparedness Month (NPM) is designed to encourage
Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes,
businesses, and communities. The goal is to increase awareness about the
importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take
action.
Locally, hams can subscribe to Blair County's specific alert service. Blair
County ARES volunteers are involved in their community's preparation for,
response to, recovery from, and mitigation of, natural and manmade
disasters. However, they also know you are useless to the greater community
if your family is not taken care of first.
Use September to test your amateur radio equipment. Do you check in to nets
with your home station, which is plugged into the AC mains, and connected to
an antenna mounted on top of a permanent tower? What if the tower was blown
over? What if the AC power mains are down? Try going through the whole month
with just emergency power running your station and use a portable antenna.
Try going portable to check in to the local nets. Review the ARES Emergency
Communicator Individual Task Book for reference and guidance.
Have a radio "go-kit"? Use your radio go-kit during September. See if you
have everything you need in the kit to get a station on the air from a
location other than your home. Take your go-kit and set up away from your
home to check into a net. Not that ambitious? Try doing the ARRL VHF Contest
using just your go-kit station set up on your deck, porch, or patio. Try a
POTA activation!
Take advantage of this year's National Preparedness Month to think about
ways to prepare for emergencies or disasters that could impact your family
and community. For additional information about National Preparedness Month
and ideas on how to better prepare you and your family for disasters, go to
Ready.gov - Drew McGhee, KA3EJV, Editor, Blair ARES Alert! September 2023
Mississippi Conducts Its SET on Hurricane Scenario
--------------------------------------------------
Mississippi ARES conducted its statewide ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET)
on Saturday, August 12, 2023. The Mississippi (MS) ARES team spent the last
7 months planning and training for this operation, and initial reports are
that the SET was very successful. The team operated for 12 continuous hours
beginning at 4:30 AM. Numerous instances of simulation emergency
communications messages were passed via amateur radio networks on behalf of
local, county, and state organizations.
The SET scenario was a landfalling hurricane named ICYMI. ARES county
emergency operations teams as well as state RACES operators got into the
fray. Everyone that checked into the nets received traffic handling
experience as preparation and training for when the real situations develop.
For 2023, there was significant use of NBEMS digital as well as Winlink
email that was directed to the main state level served agency, the
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). While the scenario included
a hurricane, there were also power disruptions, flooding, tornados, traffic
accidents, and even a downed NASA satellite -- the Civil Air Patrol
simulated a search and recovery effort in the Tupelo area. -- ARRL
Mississippi Section News, Malcolm Keown, W5XX, Section Manager
Amateur Radio Helps Air Show Fly High
-------------------------------------
In Tennessee, more than 40 members of the Nashville Amateur Radio Club,
Williamson County ARESİ, and Stones River Amateur Radio Club partnered to
provide operations support leading up to and throughout the 2023 Great
Tennessee Air Show. On June 10 - 11, 2023, the US Navy Blue Angels
demonstration team headlined the show. Tom Delker, K1KY, Air Show
Communications Coordinator, said that amateur radio operators from the
Middle Tennessee Emergency Amateur Radio System have been supporting the air
show since the mid-1980s.
Operators were able to employ multiple technologies during the event,
including simplex radio operations, RF mesh networking, mobile VoIP phones,
IP surveillance cameras, APRS tracking, and weather monitoring and
measurement. Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority Director John Black
and Deputy Director Salil Rai expressed their sincere appreciation for the
team and all those who worked the event. This volunteer amateur support
translates to operations money that can go directly toward community projects.
In addition to the US Navy Blue Angels demonstration team, historic
aircraft, including the Spirit of Detroit DC-3 and the Blue Angels' "Fat
Albert" C-130 Hercules, also highlighted the show.
Event organizers said they expected more than 50,000 people to attend the
event. The next Great Tennessee Air Show is scheduled for 2025. - ARRL
Letter, June 2023
Northern Florida SEC W4CPD for a Final: Hurricane Idalia Response
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ARES volunteers are a remarkable group of individuals who share a passion
for amateur radio and a strong commitment to community service. When
Hurricane Idalia made landfall, these volunteers were already prepared,
equipped, and organized to respond swiftly to the impending crisis. Their
dedication to preparedness and their extensive training made them invaluable
assets during this challenging time.
We directly know of at least 12 counties that activated their ARES resources
to support operations at shelters and emergency operations centers in
preparation for, during, and after Hurricane Idalia. Volunteers from both
Leon and Bay counties provided support to the State EOC radio room. The
volunteers at the State EOC operated a closed net on SARNET, the Florida
statewide repeater network, and monitored HF frequencies. In addition to our
direct support of the EOCs, volunteers from inside and outside of Florida
staffed an emergency HF net that monitored for any counties that might have
lost their ability to communicate using traditional methods such as
cellular, landline, and the internet. We stand these nets up shortly before
a hurricane is to make landfall and work to stand them down as quickly as
possible. These nets are stood up at the request of the Florida State
Division of Emergency Management.
The frequencies we choose for our nets aren't random. They are actually
listed in several FOGs (field operations guides) such as the AUXFOG and
FLCOMUFOG. I would like to extend a deep, heartfelt thanks to everyone
involved in the response to Hurricane Idalia and for those amateur radio
operators that were kind enough to share the airways with us as we responded
when called upon. From our net control stations to those staffing emergency
operations centers, your work does not go unnoticed, and we are thankful for
everything you do to support your communities. - ARRL Northern Florida
Section Emergency Coordinator Arc Thames, W4CPD
______________
ARESİ 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 Serviceİ (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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* CX2SA 1978-2023 - Salto Uruguay *
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