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the various
levels of contamination faced.
I would also suggest that Ralph increase his water storage just in case
he finds the pool shock mix may need to stand for longer than
anticipated, or finds the water may also require boiling. And as the
saying goes: "A watched pot never boils, especially when your family is
thirsty." -- Jeff Sabatini, KI6BCX, Redlands, California
South Texas EmComm Competition
I read with interest in the last issue about the South Texas group
planning for an emcomm field competition in the last issue. They may
want to add the following test to the competition: "Send and receive 5
properly formatted ARRL NTS Radiograms using correct voice procedure
and phonetics." All of the radios in the world are useless unless a
message can get through. It's this last skill that I've found most
lacking in most SET's and other drills. Not knowing this skill results
in message throughput about one fifth the rate of an NTS net where ops
use the skill daily. -- Gary Wilson, K2GW, ARRL Sotuhern New Jersey
SEC, ASM
History of Amateur Radio EmComms
Starting with the issue of October 1925, QST was full of news and
commentary about the Army-Amateur Radio System, about which the
journal's editor wrote in the December 1925 issue, "It seems to us that
this affiliation is about the most important thing that ever happened
to amateur radio in this country." Or as the original story in the
October 1925 QST expressed it (page 23), "If we can put this over it
will be the biggest thing ARRL has ever done."
There's even "new news" from that era. At Dayton this year two members
of that "[truly] original Amateur Radio emergency response
organization" were recognized by posthumous induction into the CQ Hall
of Fame. Ralph Hollis, 4FC, and Forrest Dana, 4AGR, transmitted the
calls that brought Red Cross and Army aid to South Florida in the
Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, which killed 2,000 persons. Their
heroism, fully recounted in QST at the time, should be included in any
commemoration of the beginnings of amateur emcomm. The story would make
great reading for the E-Letter. -- Bill Sexton, N1IN
, Region 1 (New England) Deputy Director of Army
MARS, Pittsfield, Massachusetts
MS-150: Memphis, Tennessee
The Delta Amateur Radio Club of Memphis, Tennessee, is again supporting
our area's MS-150 tour as we do every year. This year's event will be
run on September 11-12. This year, my XYL and I will be operating net
control from our remote audio truck, which does double duty as a mobile
communications post. This is a regular audio control room in a 19 ft
cargo box, acoustically tuned inside. We've built a cover for the
mixing console, giving us a two tiered operating bench 7 ft wide, with
an upper tier for radio equipment, the lower for writing implements,
computer keyboards or laptops.
I have a mast assembly that mounts to the frame for the HVAC unit,
which is positioned above the cab of the truck. With this mast made of
heavy PVC, I can get a dual band antenna at a height of around 25 ft,
in a one man operation. On this mast assembly is a pulley and rope
assembly allowing me to raise HF wire antennas to position quickly as
well. This means that within 20 minutes of arrival I can be operating
on VHF/UHF. Within a half hour of arrival, we can have a couple of
stations operating off of deep cycle batteries, completely with digital
modes. See: www.gatasound.com
- Dick Webb, NF5B, NTS Central Area Net Manager, Eads, Tennessee
Training Aids Available
The Hernando County, Florida, ARES group has released two
presentations: The first is on writing messages for and sending
messages via the National Traffic System (NTS), which is available in
Power Point or PDF format from
http://kc4mts.no-ip.org/Hernando/files.html
(look under ARES and ARRL files). The presentation contains information
on a radiogram, explaining what it is and how to fill out each section
of the form. Included are examples for normal and "booked" traffic and
a narrative has been used to show a typical session of sending messages
by phone and Morse code. References for handouts are listed at the end
of the slides.
The second presentation is on using Digipan software for communicating
using PSK31 and it is available from the same Hernando County ARES Web
site. This tutorial covers connection of the radio and computer,
configuring the software, and getting on the air. Also included is a
narrative of a typical conversation when operating in this digital
mode. -- Alan McGrew, KC4MTS , EC, Hernando
County, Florida
Emergency Management
Thought this might be of interest: <>California to Deploy Nation's
First Mass Mobile Alert System
from Government Technology
-- Thanks, Les Rayburn, N1LF, Alabama
Alabama State Be Ready Day
Alex Davies, W4AVD, Glenn Raines, KA4SZQ and I spent from 9 AM to 2 PM
on September 1 presenting Amateur Radio to several hundred Birmingham
area school children at Linn Park, Birmingham, Alabama. We were set up
next to the Birmingham National Weather Service
Glenn Raines, KA4SZQ, demonstrates Amateur Radio for local students.
tent. This provided a unique opportunity to present a live
demonstration of how hams can serve their community and then send
people directly to the NWS to inquire about training. It was a very
successful day all around! -- Hub Harvey, N4HUB, Jefferson County,
Alabama, Emergency Coordinator
==>
==> 2010 ARRL SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST GUIDELINES AND LINKS TO
REPORTING FORMS
SET planners can download copies of the 2010 SET reporting forms and
the EC Annual Report form and read the Simulated Emergency Test (SET)
guidelines on the ARRL Web Page:
http://www.arrl.org/public-service-field-services-forms
Look for these specific titles on the above-mentioned Web page.
Form A: EC Simulated Emergency Test Report
Form B: NM Simulated Emergency Test Report
Form C: EC Annual Report
Simulated Emergency Test Guidelines: October 2-3
The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test is a nationwide exercise in emergency
communications, conducted by ARRL Section, District and local Emergency
Coordinators, and by Net Managers. Both ARES ® and the National Traffic
System (NTS) are involved. The SET weekend gives communicators the
opportunity to focus on the emergency-communications capability within
your community while interacting with NTS nets. The main SET weekend to
focus on this year is October 2-3, 2010.
During September, the ARRL will be among dozens of organizations and
agencies taking part in National Preparedness Month
. "The Ready Campaign," produced by the
Ad Council in partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), is aimed at making citizen preparedness "a priority for every
city, every neighborhood and every home" in the US. The ARRL encourages
you to consider this year's Simulated Emergency Test and preparations
for it as a demonstration of Amateur Radio's readiness and as an active
participant in National Preparedness Month.
Purpose of SET
1. To find out the strengths and weaknesses of ARES and NTS, the Radio
Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and other groups in providing
emergency communications.
2. To provide a public demonstration--to served agencies such as Red
Cross, Civil Preparedness, and through the news media--of the value to
the public that Amateur Radio provides, particularly in time of need.
3. To help radio amateurs gain experience in communications using
standard procedures and a variety of modes under simulated-emergency
conditions.
The ARRL Web Page is a resource available to you as you prepare for the
upcoming test. Check the ARRL Field Organization Page on the ARRL Web
Site, http://www.arrl.org/public-service-field-services-forms
,
for electronic versions of the SET reporting forms, traffic handling
information, and several other items related to public service and
emergency communications. Please e-mail your SET summaries to ARRL
Headquarters via sewald@arrl.org
or wv1x@arr.org
.
(If you mail them to ARRL via the postal service, the address is: ARRL
Headquarters, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494.
Summary
One of the first steps on the way to a successful SET is to try to get
as many people as possible involved and especially new hams. In a real
emergency, we find amateurs with all sorts of varied interests coming
out of the woodwork. Let's get them involved in SET so they will know
more about how emergency communications should be handled. Promote SET
on nets and repeaters, and sign up new, enthusiastic radio amateurs.
Many of those offering to help will be inexperienced in public-service
activities. It's up to you to explain what's going on to them, and
provide them with useful roles. They may like it so much that they
become a permanent fixture in your ARES or NTS group. For a review of
last year's nationwide Simulated Emergency Test, read the article in
July, 2010, QST, or see the SET announcement in September QST.
==> EMCOMM EAST, SEPTEMBER 18: PLAN TO ATTEND NOW!
The third annual EmComm East emergency communications conference is an
ARRL-sanctioned Amateur Radio event where operators can attend training
sessions on technical topics, learn from served agencies, obtain VE
testing for license upgrades, and interact with other operators from
all over the country. It will be held on September 18, 2010, at St.
John Fisher College, Rochester, New York, from 8 AM to 5 PM.
The featured speaker this year will be Steve Ewald, WV1X, supervisor of
the ARRL Field Organization Team at ARRL Headquarters. Ewald is the
lead staff liaison to ARRL Section Managers and ARRL Field Organization
appointees. He edits the Public Service column in QST and helps support
the ARRL efforts in emergency and public service communications.
Register on-line at the event Web site EmComm East
. A $30 registration fee provides for
continental breakfast and lunch.
==> COMMUNICATIONS ACADEMY LITE - SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 2: FOCUS
ON NEW HAMS
A communications training program, the Communications Academy
, will focus on the needs of newly licensed
hams, as well as those new to CERT, SAR, and other disciplines
involving the use of radios. The program will be an expanded version of
the popular "Beginner's Track" offered at the Spring Communications
Academy. It will provide information on how to select a radio, how to
talk on the radio, operating on nets, and other topics of interest to
new communicators. Registration is open now. The session will be held
at the South Seattle Community College, Olympic Hall--Room 120, in
Seattle, Washington. Click here for more
information.
The Spring Communications Academy will be held April 16-17 at the South
Seattle Community College. -- Marina Zuetell, N7LSL ,
ARES District M Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, Western
Washington Medical Services Communications
==> K1CE FOR A FINAL
In just this issue alone, we have reviewed two major climatic
situations: The Pakistan floods, and Hurricane Earl. The International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the UN specialized agency for
telecommunications, and conducts international radio regulation,
including frequency allocations for the globe. I read with interest a
2008 official statement by its Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré,
HB9EHT, on the subject of climate change, which resonates even more
today. The issue has serious implications for us as radio amateurs in
the field of emergency communications and service to our local
emergency managers and EOCs. Here are some excerpts from his statement:
Climate change is another profound challenge that is at work,
transforming the face of the world. Whatever the underlying cause, at
current rates of extinction, scientists predict that two-thirds of all
bird, mammal, butterfly, and plant species will be extinct by the end
of this century. Not only the species, but the very survival of the
world we live in and the planet itself, is now in jeopardy. Climate
change is a global challenge that the world simply cannot afford to
lose -- not just for our sake, but for the sake of our children.
In the global effort to combat climate change, ITU is continuing to
help developing countries to mitigate the effects of climate change,
including the use of emergency telecommunications and alerting systems
for disaster relief. ITU, in collaboration with its membership, is
identifying the necessary radio-frequency spectrum for climate
monitoring and disaster prediction, detection and relief, including a
promising cooperation with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
in the field of remote-sensing applications.
You can read the full statement here
.
See also the FEMA National Situation Update: Monday, July 19, 2010
,
reporting on "June, April-June, and Year-To-Date Global Temperatures
are Warmest on Record."
There is no value to be added by anything I can say, except it seems to
me that it would be worth your time to discuss the obvious and
well-documented implications with your local served agency
representatives. Also, please evaluate your own resume of emergency
communication training program certifications so that you can make the
greatest possible personal contribution to what it is sure to be a more
demanding emergency and disaster management environment in the very
near future. If 9/11 kicked off the current ratcheting up of emergency
management in this country, climate change and its implications are
certain to keep it going. Here in tiny Flagler County, Florida, for
example, we have a large emergency management commitment, with a staff
and EOC that has just now consolidated and revamped its
volunteer-support functions for more efficiency and effectiveness in a
budget-strapping economy. See news of this effort here
. Flagler County
emergency management requires volunteers to hold certifications in
IS-100, IS-200, IS-700 and IS-800 courses from FEMA. See below.
Here are a few courses to consider:
Introduction to Incident Command System
ICS for Single Resources and Initial
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* Origin: The home of the Emergcom echo (1:116/901)
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