| |
CX2SA > ARES 21.05.15 14:24l 519 Lines 28345 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 20772_CX2SA
Read: GUEST
Subj: ARES E-Letter May 20, 2015
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA
Sent: 150521/1221Z @:CX2SA.SAL.URY.SOAM #:20772 [Salto] FBB7.00e $:20772_CX2SA
From: CX2SA@CX2SA.SAL.URY.SOAM
To : ARES@WW
The ARES E-Letter May 20, 2015
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
In This Issue:
-Hurricane Season 2015
-Pikes Peak ARES Has The Backs of Runners in Rugged Colorado Terrain
-Wisconsin Triple Tornado Tabletop and Functional Exercise a Success with
ARES
-Free Spontaneous, Unaffiliated Volunteer Training and Exercise
-Amateurs Support Three Mile Island Nuclear Plan Exercise
-ARES Manual Updated
-Letters: Use a Bow and Arrow to Get Wire Antennas Up
Briefs, Links
-------------
May 13 -- New Nepal Earthquake Keeps Amateur Radio Relief Effort Going.
May 13 -- US Navy-Marine Corps MARS Program to End
May 13 -- Oklahoma Amateur Radio Volunteers Rally as Severe Weather Strikes
May 12 -- Amateur Radio Nets Crucial Link in Maritime Rescues
May 7 -- Amateur Radio Repeater from US Clears Customs in Nepal
May 6 -- ARRL Receives NPSTC Hertz Award
May 5 -- Amateur Radio Continues to Provide Reliable Post-Quake
Communication in Nepal
May 4 -- American-Nepali Disaster Communication Group Calls for Release of
Needed Radio Gear
April 30 -- ARRL Facebook Repost of Interview with Ham in Nepal Draws Huge
Response
April 29 -- Nepal Grants Operating Permission, Call Signs to Visiting Hams,
as Earthquake Recovery Continues
April 28 -- Earthquake Recovery Continues, with Amateur Radio Assistance
April 27-- Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Support Adjusts to a "New Normal"
April 23 -- Amateur Radio Volunteers Activate Emergency Nets Following Chile
Volcano Eruption
Hurricane Season 2015
---------------------
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: May 24 - 30
History teaches that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are
common threads among all major hurricane disasters. By knowing your
vulnerability and what actions you should take, you can reduce the effects
of a hurricane disaster.
Hurricane hazards come in many forms, including storm surge, heavy rainfall,
inland flooding, high winds, tornadoes, and rip currents. The National
Weather Service is responsible for protecting life and property through
issuance of timely watches and warnings, but it is essential that your
family be ready before a storm approaches. Furthermore, mariners should be
aware of special safety precautions when confronted with a hurricane.
Download the Tropical Cyclone Preparedness Guide (PDF) or follow the links
for more information. But remember, this is only a guide. The first and most
important thing anyone should do when facing a hurricane threat is to use
common sense. -- National Hurricane Center
National Preparedness Week is also a good time for ARES and other operators
to test radios and other gear for viability, test and charge batteries, fire
up emergency power generators, and complete their go-kits for possible
deployments. It is also a good time to review your family hurricane plan,
and coordinate it with distant relatives, and neighbors. Present your
neighbors with disaster communications services potentially to be offered by
you and your station. Conduct a meeting of your CERT to plan and drill.
Hurricane season is only one month away. -- K1CE
National Hurricane Center Station WX4NHC to Activate for Annual Station Test
The National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio station WX4NHC will conduct its
annual station test on Saturday, May 30, 2015 from 9 AM to 5 PM EDT (1400Z
to 2200Z). This is the station's 35th year of service at the NHC.
The purpose of the event is to test the Amateur Radio station's equipment,
antennas and computers prior to this year's Hurricane Season, which starts
June 1 and runs through November 30.
This event is good practice for operators world-wide, and familiarizes
National Weather Service (NWS) staff across the country with Amateur Radio
services available during times of severe weather.
WX4NHC senior operators will also be performing operator training. The
objective is to make brief contacts on many frequencies and modes,
exchanging signal reports and basic weather data ("Sunny," or "Rain," etc.)
with any station in any location.
WX4NHC will be on-the-air on HF, VHF, UHF, 2 and 30 meter APRS and WinLink
(wx4nhc@winlink.org) -- subject header must contain "//WL2K". Operations
will be held mostly on the recognized Hurricane Watch Net frequency 14.325
MHz; operators will announce frequency changes. Amateurs can find the
operation on HF by using one of the DX Spotting Networks, such as DX Summit.
WX4NHC operators will also be on the VoIP Hurricane Net from 4:00 PM to 5:00
PM ET (2100Z to 2200Z): IRLP node 9219/EchoLink WX-TALK Conference node
7203. Local southern Florida area VHF and UHF repeaters will also see WX4NHC
presence.
QSL cards are available via WD4R. Please send your card to WD4R with a SASE.
Please do not send QSLs directly to the Hurricane Center address, as they
will get delayed.
Due to security measures, no visitors will be allowed entry to the Center
without prior clearance from the Center's PIO and Security. Only WX4NHC
operators on the pre-approved operating schedule will be allowed entry. For
more information about WX4NHC, please click here. -- Julio Ripoll, WD4R,
WX4NHC, Amateur Radio Assistant Coordinator
"Hurricane Chuck" Affects Florida's Broward County in Functional Exercise
In preparation for hurricane season, radio amateurs in Broward County,
Florida [second most populous county in the state, and 18th most populous
county in the U.S.; Fort Lauderdale is the county seat] were invited by
Miguel Ascarrunz, Florida Professional Emergency Manager and Director,
Broward Emergency Management Division, to participate in the 2015 Broward
County Hurricane Chuck Municipal Services Branch (MSB) Functional Exercise.
This exercise was designed to test the communications viability between each
of the municipalities' EOCs in Broward County and their respective
representatives at the Broward County EOC in Plantation. Participants were
tasked with testing the communication systems available to them including,
but not limited to, WebEOC (an Internet-based emergency management software
program), e-mail, fax, phone, mobile phones, text messaging, satellite phone
and various radio communications systems including Amateur Radio, CERT
radios and 800 MHz radios.
To set the scenario for the exercise, participants were briefed on the
simulated storm: "Hurricane Chuck" was classified as a strong Category 2
hurricane with winds in excess of 100 MPH. Tropical Storm force winds
extended out 75 miles. The hurricane made landfall 15 miles north of Key
Largo at 1800 hours on April 14, 2015. Landfall occurred during high tide,
resulting in a storm surge 4-9 feet above normal, which started flooding
low-lying escape routes hours before landfall. The storm moved through
Miami-Dade County and into Broward County by 0500 hours on April 15.
Tornadoes, moderate structural damage and debris, power and cellular service
compromises rounded out the scenario.
ARES/RACES operators reported to the Broward County EOC to be prepared to
pass traffic when other means of communications failed. During the exercise,
radio amateurs passed situational awareness reports (SITREPs) as well as the
Rapid Impact Assessment reports as they came in from the various
municipalities. Message handlers used the ICS-213 form to send messages to
and take them from the municipal representatives on the Operations floor at
the Broward EOC.
Amateurs participating at the Broward EOC in the radio room included Robin
Terrill, N4HHP, Broward County RACES Officer; Carol Sjursen, KJ4AWB, Broward
County ARES Emergency Coordinator; Barry Porter, KB1PA, Gold Coast District
ARES Training Coordinator; Steve Adams, N4JRW; Bob Hone, N4JQP; and Jon
Kramer, W4JRK. Municipalities activating their radio amateurs and/or CERT
communicators at their EOCs included Coral Springs, Davie, Fort Lauderdale,
Margate and Sunrise. -- Carol Sjursen, KJ4AWB, Broward EC and Robin Terrill,
N4HHP, Broward RO
Pikes Peak ARES Has The Backs of Runners in Rugged Colorado Terrain
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pikes Peak ARES supported the 2015 Falcon 50 UltraMarathon and sister events
this month. A marathon is a tough 26-mile race; a 50-mile ultra-marathon,
even more so. A unique "military heavy" marathon has runners carrying
35-pound rucksacks while wearing boots and a uniform. These were the options
for participants. On Saturday, May 2, 170 runners tested their mettle on the
rugged terrain and high altitude of the marathon course at the United States
Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Of those, 125 were either
ultra-marathon or military heavy marathon runners. They were not alone.
Supporting them was a volunteer team of Amateur Radio operators from the
Pikes Peak district ARES. Twenty-two operators, one of whom was also a
participant in the marathon, set up six stations around the course to track
and report runner progress, coordinate supplies and transportation, and
report any emergencies on the course. This required being up and on the air
before the 6 AM start time and operating past the 8 PM finish line cut off.
Using radios in areas where cell phones often have spotty reception and
using the same techniques that make Amateur Radio a huge asset in disasters,
the ARES operators passed runner progress messages tracking each bib number
as it passed through an aid station.
The system used was Fldigi in the MT-63 2000L mode with Flmsg sending
Incident Command System (ICS) form 213 messages over UHF/FM radios. This
digital system is the same as radio amateurs might use to support Incident
Commands during disasters and emergencies.
The team thoroughly tested and practiced this system under the guidance of
Bill Hecker, KC0ET, in the weeks prior to the event. Messages were
automatically compiled into Al Glock's, KC0PRM, "Bib Track" software,
originally designed to track patients during a mass casualty event. This
software can even predict when a runner should arrive at the next aid
station. In all, over 1070 runner position reports were passed. The hams
also used voice systems for general information, coordination, weather
information, and control as well as APRS to track course sweepers and give a
combined operating picture.
As veterans of public service events will attest, these systems become even
more valuable near the end of a race as the directors try to determine who
is left on the course and where they might be, and the 2015 Falcon 50 was no
exception. According to Mission Coordinator Dan Martin, KD0SMP, when the
race director was desperately trying to find one particular runner and was
faced with possibly calling out search and rescue, the ARES team was able to
show that the person of interest had never started the race and was
incorrectly listed. "It's hard to describe the Race Director's reactions,"
Martin said. "When he saw the database evidence, you could see his relief.
He knew he could get confirmation and when it came, he literally jumped for
joy." Martin said "I could not be more proud to be able to say: 'No sweat,
that's what we do.'"
The Falcon 50 gives PPARES members a great chance to hone their skills for
emergencies and disasters. It is one of the more unique events Pikes Peak
ARES supports as a public service. This was the fourth year of the event and
Pikes Peak ARES is proud to have supported it all four years. The race is
open to all military ID card holders. As Colorado ARES Region 2 District 2,
Pikes Peak ARES is responsible for ARES operations in El Paso and Teller
counties, including Colorado Springs. -- John Bloodgood, KD0SFY, Public
Information Officer, Pikes Peak ARES, Colorado
Wisconsin Triple Tornado Tabletop and Functional Exercise a Success with ARES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Triple Tornado Exercise took place on April 17 and 18, 2015, conducted by
the Ozaukee County (Wisconsin) Sheriff's Office, Division of Emergency
Management and the Wisconsin National Guard 157th Maneuver Enhancement
Brigade. [Ozaukee County is included in the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis
Metropolitan Statistical Area; pop. 86,395. Its county seat is Port
Washington.]
The scenario involved the touchdown of three tornadoes in Ozaukee county of
EF3 to EF5 [Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage] severity with fatalities,
severe injuries, and missing people. The communications tower at the County
Justice Center was destroyed, as were the towers at Mee-Kwon Park and Belgium.
One of the objectives of the exercise was to establish a communications
network independent of permanent existing infrastructure. Both the Division
of Emergency Management and the Wisconsin National Guard requested
assistance from Ozaukee County ARES/RACES (OZARES) for the communications
portion of the exercise. This request was initiated several months prior to
the exercise, and OZARES was involved in the planning phases.
Four communications sites were established. OZARES members staffed all
sites, in addition to personnel from Emergency Management and the National
Guard. The sites were located in Fredonia, Mequon, Cedarburg, and the
temporary Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and National Guard base in
Cedarburg Firemen's Park. An OZARES net control station was established at
the temporary EOC. OZARES communications were conducted using the OZARES VHF
repeater and via simplex using a cross-band repeater system based at the
home of one of the OZARES members. OZARES operators were able to establish
communications among all four sites using the repeater. More importantly, it
was determined that communications among all sites could be successfully
carried out using the cross-band repeater system. Prior to the exercise,
standard simplex communications could not be established on a county-wide
basis. Records of activity by OZARES members were maintained using ICS-213
and ICS-214 forms.
Several other communication system links between the temporary EOC and
outlying sites could not be established. In these cases, OZARES filled the
gaps with reliable communications for both Emergency Management and the
National Guard. Overall, the exercise went very well. Both Ozaukee County
Emergency Management and the National Guard were impressed with OZARES'
capabilities, cooperation and professionalism. The ARES impact to the
operations was also noted by the Adjutant General and his Deputy.
In conclusion, this exercise was an example of Amateur Radio's capabilities
"when all else fails." By participating in exercises such as this,
ARES/RACES groups can continue to demonstrate their skills, professionalism,
and importance in disaster planning to their partner agencies. -- Art
Davidson, AC9CD, EC OZARES (Ozaukee County, Wisconsin ARES/RACES)
Free Spontaneous, Unaffiliated Volunteer Training and Exercise
--------------------------------------------------------------
Points of Light is offering two free online opportunities to help
organizations, agencies, and volunteers better prepare themselves to respond
to disasters of any size.
Management of Spontaneous, Unaffiliated Volunteers Training, in partnership
with Volunteer Florida, May 29, 2015, 2:00-4:00pm ET
Nearly every disaster evokes an outpouring of individuals wanting to be
involved in response and relief activities. These individuals, although
well-intentioned, are rarely trained, experienced, or certified in any
official disaster response function, and therefore can often add to the
already overtaxed resources available to assist the impacted community. This
online training will help organizations with an interest or responsibility
in handling these "spontaneous" volunteers do so efficiently and
effectively. To reserve a spot in this training, please register here.
Operation Volunteer Placement: A Volunteer Reception Center Exercise, June
16, 2015
Operation Volunteer Placement allows agencies and organizations tasked with
the coordination of spontaneous volunteers during a disaster to exercise
their plan in a web-based simulation. Participants work together as a
unified team in establishing, managing and demobilizing a Volunteer
Reception Center.
This exercise is intended for group interaction and should include local
partners involved in the management of disaster volunteers, including EMAs
and sister government agencies, VOADs, and other nonprofits. This exercise
is self-paced and can be accessed between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM ET. It lasts
between 90 minutes and three hours, depending on group interaction.
Note: While intended for group interaction, each participant should
individually register to ensure receipt of post-exercise certificate of
participation. For additional information and to register, click here.
Amateurs Support Three Mile Island Nuclear Plan Exercise
--------------------------------------------------------
[There is a longstanding history of Amateur Radio communications support of
exercises and drills, plans and procedures with officials of the Three Mile
Island Nuclear Power Plant. I remember touring the facility with local and
section ARES emergency coordinators some 25 years ago. For us seniors, the
Three Mile Island accident that occurred on March 28, 1979, in one of the
two Three Mile Island nuclear reactors in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, is
seared forever in our memories. The accident involved a partial nuclear
meltdown; it was the worst accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant
history. The incident was rated a five on the seven-point International
Nuclear Event Scale: Accident With Wider Consequences. -- K1CE]
On April 14, 2015, the semi-annual Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Exercise
was held in south-central Pennsylvania, with ARES groups active in
supporting the drill. York County ARES Emergency Coordinator Sandra Goodman,
N3ECF, reported a successful operation. The drill commenced with activation
notices sent to phones and pagers. Multiple levels of states of emergency
were declared, resulting in evacuation of the 10 mile Emergency Planning
Zone (EPZ). [To facilitate a preplanned strategy for protective actions
during an emergency, there are two emergency planning zones around each
nuclear power plant. The exact size and shape of each EPZ is a result of
detailed planning which includes consideration of the specific conditions at
each site, unique geographical features of the area, and demographic
information. This preplanned strategy for an EPZ provides a substantial
basis to support activity beyond the planning zone in the extremely unlikely
event it would be needed. -- ed., U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission]
Municipal EOCs were included in the evacuation, and ARES operators received
traffic advising that EOC staffs and facilities were relocating to alternate
sites. York County ARES had 26 operators assigned: five operators staffed
the county EOC, two operators each manned ten municipal EOC sites, and one
operator monitored the Pennsylvania EMA (PEMA) HF frequency from home. An
additional six operators checked into the net on standby in case of a real
emergency.
Communications and operations were conducted on two nets: A voice net for
four of the EOCs, and one digital mode net for five EOCs. As part of the
RACES Officer Checklist, radio contact was also established with PEMA HQ, as
well as with Cumberland, Dauphin, and Lancaster County PEMA offices.
Thirty messages were handled, including formal ICS-213 formatted messages.
Lessons learned, according to Goodman: "At the (York) County EOC, I need to
practice more on how to handle the messages coming from EOC staff and
finding a better method of recording and tracking those messages." Goodman
added: "Some of that requires gaining a better acquaintance with the EOC
staff so we know where the incoming message traffic needs to be directed."
And, "overall we had a good experience."
Adams County ACS Also Active
The Adams County (Pennsylvania) Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) was
also active, participating in both the main exercise on Tuesday, April 14,
and the Wednesday, April 15 shelter/decontamination portion. Adams County
primarily functions as a reception county during TMI incidents. The role is
mainly supporting those residents evacuating the counties closest to TMI and
moving into shelters further away, and upwind, from TMI.
On Tuesday evening the ACS had five operators at the county EOC to monitor
traffic from PEMA HQ on VHF, HF and the primary York County VHF frequency,
and pass traffic as needed. The Adams County EMA Director asked that a
message be sent to PEMA HQ and a reply was received from them. This message
was handled using Olivia 8/500, a data mode on 3.583 MHz; Fldigi software
was used for this exchange. Having functional backup communications at the
county EOC is a checklist item for FEMA and PEMA evaluators. Adams County
ACS met the evaluators' requirements.
On Wednesday evening, the ACS was activated by the county EMA to support the
shelter/decontamination portion of the TMI exercise. ACS operators set up a
station at the Red Cross shelter located at the Gettysburg High School. Two
operators manned the shelter. Once the station was set up, contact was
initiated and maintained with the Red Cross office in Harrisburg. The York
County 146.79 MHz repeater system on Reesers Summit was employed. As in the
Tuesday exercise, having backup communications available at the shelter
location is a checklist item for the evaluators. Notably, the FEMA evaluator
interviewed ACS operators about ACS functions and capabilities. During the
final hot wash with all participants, the evaluator mentioned she was very
pleased with the RACES/ACS shelter communications support. Adams County ACS
met the evaluator's requirements for this segment of the exercise.
Lessons Learned
The sole issue was at the high school shelter. The school is built on very
low elevation and the ACS' assigned station location had operators
positioning the tripod-mounted dual band antenna on the east side of the
large five story building. Thus, operators had fair communications coverage
with some repeaters east of Gettysburg but little or no contact north or
west. This is why the York County repeater system was employed. Since the
school is a primary county shelter, a solid solution would be to see if the
school district would allow mounting a permanent VHF/UHF antenna on the roof
with a coax drop to a ground floor room near the gym. Alternatively, another
station location near the shelter where a portable antenna could be better
positioned and yield better omnidirectional coverage could be a work-around.
Overall, the exercise went well and was a good experience for all operators
who participated. -- Don Schmitt, K3DCS, Auxiliary Communications Officer,
Adams County Department of Emergency Services; ARES Emergency Coordinator,
Adams County, Pennsylvania; and Chairman, Pennsylvania South Central Task
Force-Amateur Radio Workgroup
[ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Emergency Coordinator W.T. Jones, W3LUZ,
commented on the exercise operation: "The overall effort that the ARES put
out during the drill was awesome." "The ARES operators in Adams, Dauphin,
York, Lancaster, and Lebanon Counties displayed the highest professionalism
in their operating and that is a tribute to planning, training, and
leadership," said Jones.]
ARES Manual Updated
-------------------
The week following Dayton Hamvention will see the release of the new and
updated ARES Manual. The ARES Manual and NTS Manual have together long been
part of a single publication, The Public Service Communications Manual. The
two manuals will now be separate publications. NTS leadership is currently
reviewing and preparing to update the NTS Manual.
The new ARES Manual includes several new additions - inclusion of ICS forms
213, 205, and 214 for ARES use; an expanded discussion on training
resources; clarification on the role and purpose of RACES; and copies of all
current ARRL MOUs. The update is the first in over two decades and was a
collaborative effort of field organization leaders, federal partners, and
ARRL staff. The new manual will be made available online as a downloadable
PDF.
Letters: Use a Bow and Arrow to Get Wire Antennas Up
----------------------------------------------------
I read your column (Public Service column, May 2015 QST), and noted your
efforts with slingshots and fishing poles to get your wire antenna into
trees. One method that really needs more promotion is the bow and arrow. I
have used it many times and it is superior to the slingshot and fishing rod
because it is more accurate, can reach higher, and the arrow is far less
likely to get the line stuck. I have seen countless lead weights wrap
themselves around limbs, and this does not happen with the arrow. The length
and weight of the arrow has tremendous momentum that carries it through a
tangle of small branches, all the way to the ground. I have never lost an
arrow in a tree.
I use an old child's toy bow made of fiberglass, labelled 25 pounds pull. It
is sufficient when drawn only moderately to get over a very tall tree. I use
wooden practice arrows with the tip made flatter and covered with solder for
weight wrapped in electrical tape, with a rubber furniture tip on the end,
to avoid harming trees or anything else. I have an inexpensive fishing reel
attached to the bow below the handle with an angle bracket. The line ends in
a bowline loop knot (to allow tying a string and pulling it back over the
limb) and it is attached to the arrow with a small piece of masking tape
near the tip and the tail of the arrow. It is important to use weak tape in
case you must yank it loose to allow a stuck arrow to fall and reel in your
line.
It need not be a new, powerful bow. Accuracy comes from drawing it only as
far as needed, not shooting the arrow in to the next county! Part of the
technique is to pinch the line as it passes beyond the limb you chose, and
the arrow promptly drops straight down because the forward movement is
stopped. Dropping straight down means that you will have a clear line-path
when you haul up, and it will not be dragging over numerous branches, far
from the base of the tree.
I have seen this work even with a cherry tree, which has bark of large
flakes that tend to catch the line and snag it irretrievably. If the arrow
does not make it all the way to the ground, some tugs will usually free it
to drop lower by its own weight and pull the line over what it is dragging on.
With practice, I can hit the place I want in one or two tries. I can put the
line over a specific limb in about a 10 foot radius 50 feet up in a tree. It
is easy to go higher.
The bow is no larger or more inconvenient than a fishing pole, and I think
it is a far more effective tool. It is safe, inexpensive, accurate and does
not get lines and sinkers stuck in trees. I hope more hams will try it. --
Scott Rowe, AB8VN, Columbia, South Carolina
ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
Join or Renew Today! ARRL membership includes QST, Amateur Radio's most
popular and informative journal, delivered to your mailbox each month.
Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal. Published bi-monthly,
features articles by top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA
Sprint and QSO Parties.
Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters. Published
bi-monthly, features technical articles, construction projects, columns and
other items of interest to radio amateurs and communications professionals.
Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe to the ARES E-Letter(monthly
public service and emergency communications news), theARRL Contest Update
(bi-weekly contest newsletter), Division and Section news alerts -- and much
more!
Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
ARRL offers a wide array of products to enhance your enjoyment of Amateur
Radio
Donate to the fund of your choice -- support programs not funded by member
dues!
Click here to advertise in this newsletter, space subject to availability.
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/ares-e-letter.
Copyright ¸ 2015 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
