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To : ARES@WW
The ARES E-Letter July 15, 2015
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
ARES Links, Briefs
ARRL 2015 Hurricane Season Webinar Set for Monday , July 20: Don't Miss It!
Anatomy of a CERT: Oceanside (CA) CERT
Spring Severe Storm SET a Success in Pacific Northwest
Critical Partnership: CERT Joins with Amateur Radio Club for Field Day in
West Central Florida
ARRL Los Angeles Section Promoting Membership in Infragard
Heat: Summer's #1 Killer
Letters: Liability Waivers
Editorial: The Critical Need for Amateur Radio Embedded in CERTs
ARES Links, Briefs
------------------
June 29, 2015 - Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015 has special significance
for ARES registrants and leaders. As this measure now resides in both
chambers of Congress, ARRL Website Has New Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015
Page. June 28, 2015 -- States, Counties, Communities Recognize the Value of
Amateur Radio, Field Day June 25, 2015 -- Ohio ARES "NVIS Antenna Day"
Concludes That the Truth is Up There June 16, 2015 -- Oklahoma Amateur Radio
Clubs Join Forces to Support Cycling Event
ARRL 2015 Hurricane Season Webinar Set for Monday, July 20: Don't Miss It!
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The ARRL will host a 2015 Hurricane Season webinar Monday, July 20, getting
under way at 8 PM EDT (July 21, 0000 UTC). The approximately 90-minute
session will address the role of Amateur Radio during the 2015 Hurricane
Season. Anyone interested in hurricane preparedness and response is invited
to attend this online presentation.
Topics will include a meteorological overview of the current season; Amateur
Radio station WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center: Who We Are and What
We Do; ARRL Media and Public Relations; the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN); the
VoIP Hurricane Net, and ARRL coordination and interface.
The program will include presentations by representatives of the National
Hurricane Center and WX4NHC, the VoIP Hurricane Net, the HWN, the Canadian
Hurricane Centre, and the ARRL. Webinar registration is open to all, but
should be of particular interest to radio amateurs in hurricane-prone areas.
The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session. Register online. -- Mike
Corey, KI1U, ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager
Anatomy of a CERT: Oceanside (CA) CERT
--------------------------------------
The community of Oceanside, California, located north of San Diego along the
coast, has a population of 180,000 and is approximately 42 square miles in
size. The community has an energetic CERT (Community Emergency Response
Team) program, along with a vital Amateur Radio communications support
group. Like many California coastal communities, Oceanside is exposed to
numerous hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, severe weather, flooding,
and wildfires.
CERT members understand that following a major disaster, first responders
who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the demand
for these services. Factors such as number of victims, communication
failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency
services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. People
will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate
lifesaving and life sustaining needs.
Oceanside CERT is "about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety,
and doing the greatest good for the greatest number." CERT is a
citizen-based, neighborhood-centric approach to emergency and disaster
effects mitigation and adaptation where citizens will be initially on their
own. Their early actions, based on their training, planning, resources and
communication capabilities, can save lives when government responders are
not available: citizens can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat
victims with basic medical interventions, search for and rescue victims
safely; and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective.
In 2005, the Oceanside Fire Department started the community's CERT program.
The program was initially funded by a County grant and supported with a
small budget from the Fire Department. After much planning and work, the
first class of 25 citizen-trainees graduated that year.
Since then, the program has grown: it now has more than 400 trained citizens
with an elected board of directors to oversee and manage the group. The Fire
Department serves as program advisor and sponsoring representative to the
San Diego County CERT Council. About 125 of these dedicated volunteers are
active members that continue to attend quarterly training sessions and
participate in city EOC drills, various community fairs, civic events and PR
opportunities.
Oceanside CERT is authorized by the Oceanside Fire Department, the San Diego
County Unified Disaster Council, and the San Diego County CERT Council.
Oceanside CERT Amateur Radio Team
---------------------------------
The active Amateur Radio Team is a subcommittee of Oceanside CERT,
consisting of over three dozen licensed radio amateurs. Their team's goal is
to have at least 4-5 hams within each Fire Service Area.
Team Chairman Joe Gardeski, N6JO, reports "we combine the radio
communication skills learned from our avocation, training and licensing,
with the principles learned from our CERT training, toward the purpose of
helping our families, friends and neighbors with communication during time
of emergency or disaster." Gardeski adds "And we have fun doing it!"
Amateur Radio Team members plan and train to operate from their homes and
outside in their neighborhoods if necessary, using portable, mobile and base
station equipment to link them to each other and officials, forming a
communications web throughout the City of Oceanside.
Team members conduct an on-the-air "Weekly Net" exercise taking 25-30 radio
check-ins from all eight Fire Service Areas within the City, with Linda,
KJ6DPT, arranging a different Net Control Op at the mic each week to rotate
the training opportunity.
Gardeski says "we hold a Monthly Meeting where we get together for planning
and training. We do several field tests and drills per year."
Gardeski adds "we volunteer our time and provide our own radio station
equipment, with the focus on improving our station performance and radio
operating skills." "We gladly extend a helping hand to others within
Oceanside CERT interested in learning more about Amateur Radio, obtaining
their ham license, and finding economical equipment to get started." "We
educate fellow hams about the benefits of receiving CERT training."
Learning from the widespread southern California power outage three years
ago and with Fire Dept. support the Amateur Team designed and installed
their own coordinated WF6OCS FM repeater on 144.505 MHz. The repeater is
100% solar/battery powered and has been running 24/7 continuously for 2-1/2
years. The Team presently is building out their broadband digital mesh
microwave infrastructure and expects to have over half of their eventual
twelve off-grid nodes on-air by year's end, thus adding digital capabilities
to the CERT ham backup plan. Future plans include a linked UHF FM repeater
for improved coverage of the downtown and beach tourist areas.
"The key point is that we offer a potentially critical extra level of
communication for Oceanside CERT and the community during time of
emergency," Gardeski concluded. - Thanks to Oceanside CERT Chairman Joe
Gardeski, N6JO, N6JO@arrl.net, and Oceanside CERT Program Coordinator Ted
Fritz, KJ6IXE, for their courtesy and permission to publish portions of
their excellent website www.oceansidecert.org
[Editor's note: In my correspondence with N6JO that led to this article, he
wrote "Oceanside CERT is but one group among many other fine CERT groups all
working toward the same preparedness goal. If your work and ours encourages
others to join this effort, then local communities will be better prepared
during time of disaster/emergency, and you and we will have done a good
service for our fellow hams, and other communities and neighborhoods across
the country."
Joe also wrote "It is just a fact of life that, during the first 72 hours of
a major disaster, individuals and their families and neighbors will need to
provide for themselves as best as possible while the authorities deal with
higher priorities. Oceanside CERT and similar such programs help equip
citizens in local communities with awareness and basic skills, which
hopefully rolls up to better preparation at the national level. It follows
that anything we can all do to encourage our fellow hams and their families
and friends to participate in free CERT training would result in better
prepared communities and neighborhoods, where initial neighborhood and
community self-reliance will be the order of the day. "-- K1CE]
CERT Program Update
According to FEMA, there are 2,200 registered official CERT programs across
the country. To be registered as an official CERT Program, the program must
be operated by a local emergency response organization such as your local
Fire Department or Office of Emergency Management and endorsed by the local
Citizen Corps Council if your community has one; conduct the CERT Basic
Training Course and a CERT exercise at least once a year; and have a point
of contact to be posted with other program information on the national CERT
website. There are also individuals and individual teams sponsored by
official CERT programs that are not included in this count. To find an
official CERT program near you by ZIP code, check here.
You can learn about the training available, history of exercises and
responses, and contact information for your nearest CERT program.
The May 2015 CERT E-Brief includes stories about the Daisy Mountain, AZ Fire
Department and Whatcom County, WA CERT programs and their recent efforts in
response to flooding in their communities and surrounding areas, a CERT best
practices guide developed by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
for local programs, the Charlton County, GA CERT program's important role in
emergency response and recovery in a community with very few professional
resources and capabilities, and the Erie County, PA CERT program's response
to disrupted water service at a local correctional facility. You can read
the issue here.
Spring Severe Storm SET a Success in Pacific Northwest
------------------------------------------------------
While hurricanes and tornadoes receive much publicity across the central
portion of the U.S., the Pacific Northwest is not lacking in the severe
storm arena. Remember that extratropical cyclone which roared up the
Oregon/Washington/BC coast back in 1962 (Columbus Day Storm of 1962) and is
a contender for the title of most powerful recorded in the U.S. in the 20th
century?
Using a realistic severe storm scenario, the Clark County (Washington) ARES
(CCARES) held its Spring 2015 Simulated Emergency Test (SET) on May 30.
Fifty CCARES members participated at partner agency locations throughout the
county. These included the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency,
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center,
Vancouver Fire Department (stations 7 and 10), East County Fire and Rescue,
Clark County Sheriff (West Precinct), and Battle Ground Police Department.
The SET included a full simplex path check between agency locations, formal
message passing on simplex (with repeater backup), an operational period
changeover, a shift of the primary net for the SET over to a different
repeater (which operators had to manually enter into their radios), many
real-life inspired simulated injects into the exercise, and several
operational site visitations by an ARES Assistant EC. The CCARES extended
thanks to W7AIA and KB7APU for the use of their repeaters for this event.
Lessons Learned
Every exercise and activation spawns topics for future training and
practice, and this SET was no different. Those topics include better
distribution of tasks between members, parallel operation of multiple
stations at served agencies, effective allocation of radios between voice
and data, tactical call sign use, practice using procedural words in
messaging, more experience with digital modes and templates, establishing
mentors for specific training topics, and additional practice at portable
operations.
CCARES Emergency Coordinator John Gainsborough, KM7LJ, recorded this SET as
a success in nearly all the exercise evaluation categories. Planning for the
Fall 2015 SET is already underway, as is response planning for the four-day
Cascadia Rising 2016 regional exercise next June. -- Steve Aberle, WA7PTM,
ARRL Official Emergency Station (OES), ARRL Western Washington Section
Critical Partnership: CERT Joins with Amateur Radio Club for Field Day in
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
West Central Florida
--------------------
Amateur Radio operators from The Upper Pinellas (Florida) Amateur Radio Club
and East Lake CERT practiced emergency/disaster communications skills and
demonstrated their capabilities before the public at their ARRL Field Day
site at the end of last month. Together, the two organizations boast a total
of 72 Amateur Radio operators ready for service when called upon. Pinellas
county lies to the east of Tampa with a population of about one million on
the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Clearwater is the county seat, and St.
Petersburg is its largest city.
East Lake CERT is part of the Community Emergency Response Team program, a
FEMA initiative that educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards
that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response
skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and
disaster medical interventions. Using their training, CERT members can
assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when
professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members
also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more
active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
Using the call sign KV4CT, club member-amateurs operated five positions on
the HF and VHF bands. The first eight hours of operation was streamed live
on the Internet. More than 200 contacts were made with stations in the
continental US and Hawaii, Canada, and the Caribbean. They operated off the
grid on battery, solar, and portable generator power to simulate the
conditions that might exist after a disaster. Operators also demonstrated
Amateur Radio to the general public and allowed Technician class licensees
to try HF communications.
East Lake CERT Participates
East Lake CERT licensed operators had two firsts: Heidi Termulo, KM4JSU,
made her first HF contact (on 15 meters), and Ryan Saliga, KM4DOZ, also had
his first HF contact (with W1AW, of all stations!). Saliga was so excited he
couldn't remember the call sign he was to use for Field Day!
East Lake CERT meets monthly at East Lake Fire Station 57, in Palm Harbor,
which is northwest of Tampa Bay. The CERT hosts a weekly communications
training net on the W4AFC repeater.
CERT and Amateur Radio Together
The joint exercise bringing the Upper Pinellas ARC and East Lake CERT
together showed the critical importance and public benefit of the
relationship between programs like CERT and Amateur Radio. Participation was
excellent. This mock emergency set-up for communication - Field Day -- every
year hones skills so when participating groups are needed and activated,
seasoned operators will be able to fill in gaps when other systems are
overloaded or non-existent. Having an active CERT program in neighborhoods
as well as a community of trained and practiced Amateur Radio operators
bring major disaster response capability to the table. -- Andy Miller,
KJ4FEC, Vice President, Upper Pinellas Amateur Radio Club, Florida
ARRL Los Angeles Section Promoting Membership in Infragard
----------------------------------------------------------
In Los Angeles, according to the ARES page, ARRL Los Angeles Section
website, "ARES members are invited to join InfraGard, a public-private
partnership managed by the FBI with the purpose of sharing information
concerning protection of our nation's critical infrastructure. Communication
is one of those critical elements, and ARES is recognized as playing an
important role.
"Applicants for InfraGard membership undergo an FBI background investigation
and, once cleared, will receive a membership document, regular e-mailed
security briefings, access to the secure InfraGard Internet site and
invitations to a variety of training sessions. The passing of the background
check may prove useful in a variety of other ARES partner-agency engagements
where absence of a background check might otherwise delay or preclude our
involvement.
"InfraGard membership is not mandatory, but Los Angeles ARES leadership
encourages all members to consider submitting applications."
From its website, "InfraGard is a partnership between the FBI and the
private sector. It is an association of persons who represent businesses,
academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies, and other
participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent
hostile acts against the U.S." - ARRL Los Angeles Section ARES
Heat: Summer's #1 Killer
------------------------
Twenty years ago this summer, a heat wave struck Chicago, leading to the
deaths of nearly 750 people during a single week. The Chicago heat wave of
1995 tragically demonstrated that heat and humidity can be a deadly
combination. These factors put a lot of stress on the human body and can
lead to serious health conditions such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or
even death. The more extreme the temperature, the shorter the amount of
exposure time needed to fall ill.
Heat waves have the potential to cover a large area, exposing a high number
of people to a hazardous combination of heat and humidity. In fact, heat is
typically the leading cause of weather related fatalities each year. High
temperatures and humidity are common in numerous locations across the
country. However, when temperatures spike and humidity is on the rise in
areas of the U.S. that are not accustomed to these conditions, people don't
necessarily understand that they need to take action to stay safe.
The Heat Index is a measure of how hot it really feels when relative
humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature. High humidity
levels combined with hot conditions can be extremely dangerous. Limit your
outdoor activities during these periods. - National Weather Service
Letters: Liability Waivers
--------------------------
I received my amateur license in the 1950s in Chicago and joined the
emergency communications group of that era, which was called Civil Defense.
When there was activation, we simply grabbed our radios, showed up at our
assignments, and operated/communicated as a service to the public.
In 1967 when I moved to Palo Alto, California, I joined the local ARES/RACES
organization. We participated in city drills, bike-a-thons and charity
walks. We were issued special identification badges by the Palo Alto Fire
Department so we would have access to the EOC and be identified as emergency
responders.
Over the years, I've participated in a number of activations and
assignments. We simply showed up where needed to provide service to the
city, Red Cross, or race organizer, with no special paperwork required, we
just did what was needed to be done.
In the last few years, our city's EOC was reorganized, and now all amateurs
are asked to sign a form before they could work for the EOC. It stipulated
that the ham was participating in the event for their own benefit and that
the city and all related entities would be held harmless in the event that
the ham suffered any mishap while participating in the event.
This form seemed inappropriate, given that we were volunteering our services
for the benefit of the EOC and the public, not for our benefit.
Months ago, I was asked if I would be available for a local bike tour for
which I'd provided communications for many years in the past. A few days
before the event, I was sent a similar form that all participants were
required to sign. Having committed to support the bike tour, I did not feel
right backing out at the last moment, so I signed the form, but gave notice
that if such a form were going to be required next year, I would not be
available to serve.
Hams have invested in equipment and taken specialized training to be able to
provide communications in the field as a public service. It seems to me that
whoever we are serving should provide themselves with whatever insurance is
required to make the "hold harmless" agreements unnecessary. - Rich Stiebel,
W6APZ, Palo Alto, California
[We published a related article in this newsletter, January 2014 issue. It
shines a light on Stiebel's and others' concerns. Incidentally, all back
issues of the ARES E-Letter are archived here. - ed.]
Editorial: The Critical Need for Amateur Radio Embedded in CERTs
----------------------------------------------------------------
This issue of the ARES E-Letter has focused on the Citizen Corps/CERT
program for good reason: we as radio amateurs are potentially critical links
in the community and neighborhood disaster survival chain. During the
immediate aftermath of a disaster, "first" responders will likely be
overwhelmed and not available to assist you, your family and neighbors. Your
neighborhood could be isolated for a period of time. You will be first
responder, relying on your own interventions for survival, mitigation of,
and adaptation to, disaster after-effects. The best approach to personal
disaster management I've seen is the CERT program, and under its umbrella,
the development of your own neighborhood emergency response team. It will
require drafting of a neighborhood plan, and recruitment of members to be
trained in basic emergency support functions such as First Aid, light search
and rescue, fire management, and, of course, communications for intra-team
coordination and with the outside world.
There are a number of radio communication services that are available to the
average citizen (Family Radio Service, General Mobile Radio Service, and
Multi-Use Radio Service are examples), but none come close to the breadth
and depth of utility of the amateur service. Radio amateurs are found in
almost every neighborhood across the country and should be key members of a
neighborhood team. Without communications there can be no coordination.
Without coordination, there cannot be an effective response mounted to
potentially save the lives and property of you, your family members and
neighbors.
The ARRL recognizes this: In June 2003, ARRL became an official affiliate
program of Citizen Corps, an initiative within the Department of Homeland
Security to enhance public preparedness and safety. A Statement of
Affiliation was signed and made ARRL an affiliate under the four charter
Citizen Corps programs -- Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Service,
Community Emergency Response Teams, and Medical Reserve Corps. The 2003 SoA
demonstrates the ARRL's commitment to community emergency preparedness
through the Citizens Corps programs.
Indications are for larger and stronger storms, more sea-level encroachment
and severe flooding, wildfires, and droughts. Now is the time to start your
own CERT program and neighborhood emergency response team and plan to
involve your family members and neighbors to be ready for All Hazards, to
meet them when you may be isolated and on your own for hours, or even days
or weeks. -- K1CE
__________
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