If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:   
   http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/?issue=2014-01-15   
      
   The ARES E-Letter   
      
   January 15, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE   
      
   In This Issue:   
      
    *  Special ARRL Centennial Open Letter to ARES E-Letter Readers from ARRL   
       Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U   
    *  Editorial: The View from Volusia County   
    *  ARES Visits New Operating Quarters at Major New EOC in Florida   
    *  Public Service Events: Those Liability Waivers   
    *  K1CE For a Final: The MESH Network   
      
   Special ARRL Centennial Open Letter to ARES E-Letter Readers from ARRL   
   Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U   
      
   First off I would like to wish a Happy New Year to our ARES E-Letter   
   Readers, may 2014 be a good one. This year, as most of you are well aware   
   of, is the ARRL's centennial celebration. The festivities began on January 1   
   as W100AW went on the air and W1AW/p stations went on the air from West   
   Virginia and North Carolina. This year there will be many centennial events   
   going on to celebrate 100 years of the ARRL. I would like to take a moment   
   though to talk about one of these events, the ARRL Centennial QSO Party.   
      
   Anyone that has heard me speak at a hamfest or convention knows that the   
   first thing I talk about is the importance of putting your license to use   
   through on air activity. For those interested in public service   
   communications this is our first level of training. There are plenty of   
   opportunities to get on the air: contests, DXing, rag chewing, nets.   
   Contests and QSO parties are great ways to improve operating and traffic   
   handling skills. The ARRL Centennial QSO Party is unlike any other, it runs   
   every day of 2014! The goal is to contact members, field organization   
   leaders, ARRL elected officials, HQ staff and others, and with each QSO you   
   earn points. This is a great opportunity for ARES groups to get new hams on   
   the air and for seasoned veterans to be elmers. You can even create a   
   friendly competition among your ARES group's members to see who can make the   
   most QSOs or points. And it is a good chance to try out new modes, bands,   
   work on awards like WAS, and try your hand at running a small pile up.   
      
   All contacts with ARRL members are worth 1 point, and QSOs with ARES and NTS   
   field organization appointees are worth even more points. You can find more   
   information about the Centennial QSO Party here. And don't forget to upload   
   those QSO's to LOTW. I have made it a personal goal to be even more active   
   on the air this year. To be exact I've set a goal for myself of 500 QSO's   
   per month. My centennial year challenge to all our ARES E-Letter readers is   
   to make that same goal, be more active on the air. I hope to see you in the   
   log! 73, Mike, KI1U   
      
      
   Editorial: The View from Volusia County   
      
   A few years ago, I wrote almost every month about the triumphs, trials and   
   tribulations of the local ARES program in Flagler County, Florida, where I   
   lived at the time and participated in the activities of the amateur   
   community there. The purpose of doing so was to provide readers with a   
   glimpse into an active ARES program to possibly glean ideas from, or at   
   least identify with some of the victories and pitfalls associated with a   
   program's relationships with served agencies, principally the county   
   emergency management and EOC, and its accomplishments and struggles. Not   
   quite a reality TV show, but you get the idea.   
      
   I now live in the county just to the south of Flagler, in Volusia county,   
   where I work at the main city hospital in Daytona Beach, a major resort and   
   vacation destination for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. I met   
   recently with the District Emergency Coordinator Steve Craft, W1SGC, over   
   coffee to discuss his vision of ARES in the county. Craft is a professor of   
   history at Embry Riddle University, is level-headed, well-spoken, and   
   well-versed in Amateur Radio and disaster and emergency response   
   communications. He is currently looking for an EC for the county. He has   
   experienced some of the same challenges that many ECs and DECs share across   
   the country, and I thought I would give you his view of the state of affairs   
   here in Volusia, a hurricane prone part of Florida on the upper east coast   
   of the peninsula.   
      
   After a period of a cool relationship with the large EOC staff in the   
   county, Craft was happy to report that relations are more positive. Chuck   
   Hennis, W4CFH (Team Leader for Hacienda Del Rio CERT and AEC for Volusia   
   County ARES) and Craft worked hard to engage the EOC staff and learned that   
   the new EMA director "wanted to know why we had not been out to the   
   communication room lately." Craft immediately saw this as a positive sign   
   "that we were still viewed as an asset should the county lose all   
   communication." Craft said "we have been quick to show more of a presence at   
   the EOC." [There are a couple of good photos of the new EOC communications   
   room here on the Volusia County ARES website.]   
      
   Craft reported that the EOC underwent voluntary accreditation through the   
   Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP). Craft said that both he   
   and Hennis were contacted by the EOC to "provide information about ARES, the   
   service that we have provided this past year, and other information as it   
   relates to ham radio. The EOC views this accreditation as beneficial and we   
   are glad that we could provide assistance." The EOC staff informed them that   
   it has a $3000 grant to purchase new equipment, and Craft and Ennis have   
   recommended an HF rig and are working to get a vendor or dealer to fill out   
   the necessary paperwork to make this happen.   
      
   Craft is pleased with the inroads they have made, and "as long as we   
   maintain that type of trajectory, we should be able to overcome some of the   
   problems that arose in the last year or so." Hennis and Craft will remain   
   the main points of contact with the EOC.   
      
   There are still challenges to be faced. First, Volusia ARES needs a new EC.   
   This problem will hopefully be resolved soon, and an announcement will be   
   made.   
      
   Second, because ARES has so few members that can deploy, the county   
   emergency management is thinking of rewriting the memorandum of   
   understanding (MOU). "We think it is good policy that the county write the   
   MOU because the EOC is the served agency, and only the served agency can set   
   forth what the mission and expectations would be for ARES and not the other   
   way around," Craft said. Once the mission is laid out, ARES can recruit,   
   train and plan on that basis.   
      
   It is quite possible that the traditional ARES mission of manning shelters   
   may have to be changed. First, there are 37 shelters in Volusia County not   
   to mention possible water/ice distribution points that could be established,   
   but ARES is shorthanded. The EOC is willing to drop some of the requirements   
   to operate in a shelter, but still insists that anyone working in a shelter   
   must undergo a background check. The EOC would like to see a strike team   
   that could go into the field and this means having members who have go kits   
   and the knowledge of how to work in different environments. There is a   
   preference for hams that can go mobile rather being engaged in fixed, base   
   operations.   
      
   Second, a shelter survey performed by ARES a few months back showed some   
   glaring weaknesses in the communications infrastructure. In some cases, no   
   antenna was installed; in several others, no one in the school knew they had   
   an antenna and even after the operator pointed out the antenna, the coax   
   could not be found; some antennas showed need for replacement; in a couple   
   of cases, school principals seemed to not care whether they had an antenna   
   or not because they believe that their school will never be opened as a   
   shelter. This survey, which did not touch half of the 37 shelters, was an   
   eye opener for both the EOC and ARES. The EOC has no control over these   
   shelters. It is up to the School Board to improve the infrastructure at the   
   shelters.   
      
   Third, the County believes that it has enough redundant communication   
   systems in place that the chances are slim, though not impossible, that a   
   shelter would lose all communication. All of this does not mean that ARES   
   would totally lose the mission of supporting shelters -- it just means that   
   some shelters are viewed as most important or vital (such as special needs   
   shelters) and in those few locations, hams would be needed.   
      
   Regardless of whatever MOU the County draws up, ARES will still be dedicated   
   to training and education. One suggestion made by Tom McCombs, N6WTM, at the   
   November 2013 ARES meeting was for ARES to play more of a role in the   
   emerging Community Organizations Active in Disasters sponsored by Volusia   
   County. Through COAD, ARES could educate and possibly recruit volunteers to   
   support the County.   
      
   There may be other opportunities: Craft reported that last month, he and   
   Hennis participated in an exercise at Florida Memorial Hospital "in which we   
   established communication with Florida Memorial-Palm Coast and the Florida   
   Memorial hospital in Lake County. This was an exercise led by Flagler and   
   Lake ARES, but we were able to make a positive impression on the   
   administrations at the hospital here."   
      
   Craft concluded "So we look forward to some positive changes this new year,   
   and to meeting the challenges." He thanked all for their support.   
      
   Observations   
      
   With 60 years now of life experience and observing human and organizational   
   behavior, I think I've honed the ability to assess people rather quickly --   
   their motivations, assets and liabilities, and expectations and dreams.   
   Steve Craft struck me as a DEC who has all of the requisite qualities any   
   ARES program would want in a leader. He exuded self-confidence, while   
   maintaining a healthy sense of humility. He has a droll sense of humor, a   
   perfect defense mechanism for some of the stresses of the job. He presents   
   himself professionally, he's quiet but speaks when he has a point worth   
   making. He speaks with articulation and eloquence. Craft has a realistic   
   appraisal of his ARES program and its volunteers' capabilities, and the   
   right attitude when it comes to working with the served agency, in his case,   
   the EOC. He is enthusiastic, positive, and wants to see the ARES program   
   succeed in the county. He is up on the latest technology, and recognizes the   
   benefits of its applications to his programs. Yet, he also has deep roots in   
   some of the more traditional -- and important in the context of emergency   
   communications -- modes and bands: He is a dedicated CW QRP operator.   
      
   I'm meeting with Craft again later this month with another radio amateur who   
   is a leader in developing Mesh network technology for amateurs, and who has   
   proposed a network to tie together major hospitals in the area, including   
   mine. More on this proposal can be found below. I wish Steve the best of   
   success in ramping up the ARES program here in Volusia county.--K1CE   
      
      
   ARES Visits New Operating Quarters at Major New EOC in Florida   
      
   Amateur Radio operators who represent the staff of the Lake County (Florida)   
   Amateur Radio Emergency Service visited their new accommodations in the   
   recently constructed Lake County Emergency Communications and Operations   
   Center (ECOC) in Tavares, Florida on December 13, 2013.   
      
   The new ECOC building was constructed to house not only the Emergency   
   Operations Center but also the 911 facility for several Lake County   
   communities as well as dispatch centers for the Lake County Sheriff's   
   Office, Lake County Medical Services and police and fire departments for   
   nine Lake County communities. This is a very secure building that will stand   
   up to just about anything Mother Nature could send its way. It was designed   
   to withstand 175 mile per hour winds and if the power goes out a very large   
   diesel generator will supply the needed electrical power. This assures that   
   public safety radio communications will continue to operate when the power   
   goes out and the telephones become inoperable during hurricanes or   
   tornadoes, which are not unusual in Lake County.   
      
   Nine local ham operators were greeted by Thomas Carpenter, Manager of the   
   Public Safety Department-Emergency Management Division, and who deferred to   
   Jason Matthews, K4AUS, and Rob Richardson, KI4NNU, Radio System Coordinators   
   for the Lake County Sheriff's Office to conduct the tour. The pair had a lot   
   to do with the design and construction of the new ARES radio room. This room   
   is located on the second floor adjacent to the main floor of the Emergency   
   Operations Center. It contains two operating positions, which provide   
   emergency radio communications on VHF, UHF and HF that will cover all of   
   Lake County, the State of Florida as well as throughout the United States.   
      
   Position One contains an Icom HF rig F-8100, a commercial radio not seen in   
   most ham shacks, a Kenwood D-710 dual bander, Motorola XPR 7550 (DMR) and a   
   Motorola XTL 2500 P-25 VHF radio. Position Two features a Kenwood TS-570 HF   
   all mode radio, Kenwood D-710 VHF/UHF dual bander, another Motorola XTL-2500   
   P-25 VHF unit, and a Motorola 800 MHz public service radio. With the   
   exception of the Kenwood TS-570, all equipment is controlled by their remote   
   heads at the operating position with the main bodies of the radios located   
   in equipment racks at the rear of the room. All of the gear is controlled by   
   Zetron Model 4010R dispatch consoles at each position. Two flat screen TV   
   monitors are available at each position for functions such as Packet or   
   PSK31. Future plans call for D-Star equipment and D-Rats capability.   
   Operators will be using wireless headsets so there will be little or no   
   local interference between them.   
      
   The equipment racks at the rear of the room also contain back up public   
   service commercial radios for police, fire and EMS services as well as power   
   supplies. All cables come down neatly from the roof of the building to their   
   appropriate radios and are lightning protected with Polyphasers.   
      
   The first impression one gets when they walk into this room is that they are   
   entering a 911 dispatch center with the difference being that this is an   
   ARES dispatch center. In the event of a disaster situation, trained ham   
   operators will be assigned to operate this equipment to augment other public   
   safety radio communications systems.   
      
   Many Lake County hams were deployed during the Ground Hog Tornado that   
   struck the area in 2007. The ARES volunteer members train for these   
   situations by providing radio communications throughout the year for various   
   community events such as the Mount Dora Bicycle Festival or the March of   
   Dimes Walkathon.   
      
   The equipment in the ARES radio room is state of the art and it will make it   
   much easier for amateur operators out in the county to get timely   
   information back to the ECOC, which can be acted upon by other public safety   
   groups such as police, fire and EMS. At other times it will make it possible   
   for ECOC personnel to ask questions of ham operators to better understand   
   conditions at remote locations during an emergency.   
      
   Please see www.n4fla.org or www.k4fc.org for more. -- John T. Luebbers,   
   K1AYZ, Lake County ARES PIO, Tavares, Florida   
      
      
   Public Service Events: Those Liability Waivers   
      
   "Be sure to pick up your T-shirt and sign your volunteer form before the   
   event." Any ham who works public service events like marathons and bike   
   rides has probably heard similar words. Part of the event ritual is a   
   meeting, often an early breakfast the morning of the event, where the   
   communications coordinator sits at a table with a pile of shirts and a stack   
   of forms provided by the served organization. As I have witnessed this   
   ritual, I have seen great care shown over whether the shirt is the right   
   size, but the form is signed without so much as a quick read. Most people   
   have a vague understanding that the form includes some kind of waiver or   
   release of the served organization, but what are you really waiving or   
   giving up in exchange for the privilege of helping this entity? Perhaps more   
   importantly, what liabilities are you taking on when you sign the form? The   
   answer varies with the wording of the form and the law of each jurisdiction,   
   but in many cases you are giving up a great deal and in some cases, you may   
   be putting everything you have at risk.   
      
   In most instances, people are entitled to damages if they are injured due to   
   the negligence of another person or organization and they are liable for   
   injuries to others if they were negligent in causing those injuries. People   
   or organizations are not liable if they or someone for whom they are legally   
   responsible (like an employee) was not at fault. The pieces of paper we sign   
   before events are contracts that change these rules, sometimes profoundly,   
   and never, in my experience, in favor of the volunteer.   
      
   Most every form includes a waiver or release of liability in favor of the   
   event organizer. What if you get hurt? You are probably out of luck, even if   
   you were blameless and the sponsoring organization was negligent. If you   
   incur millions in medical expenses and can never work again, you will have   
   to rely on your own assets and insurance to help you out, because you have   
   given up your rights against the negligent parties and their insurance   
   companies.   
      
   Some forms include broad indemnity agreements. I have seen forms that have   
   said that the ham volunteer would be responsible for any claims arising from   
   or related to the participation of the ham in the event, even if the claim   
   arose solely from the negligence of the event organizer. Let's say you   
   properly set up your portable tower in accordance with all codes and   
   standards. An employee of the event organizer, who has never driven a truck   
   before, loses control of a box truck while driving and texting his   
   girlfriend at the same time and hits your tower, knocking it over on a   
   bystander and permanently disabling him. The event organizer is sued and has   
   a multi-million dollar judgment rendered against them. If you signed the   
   form, you could get the bill for the judgment, the organization's costs and   
   their attorneys' fees. Particularly troubling is that the liability   
   insurance policies many of us have may not cover liabilities assumed by   
   contract, so your insurance company would not help you if you are the victim   
   of such a form.   
      
   In some cases, when I have seen language like that early enough, I have been   
   able to discuss it with the event organizer and get the form changed.   
   Usually this is after I have persisted against the initial "that's not what   
   we really mean" or "it might say that, but we would never do that" or "I   
   don't know, we had a lawyer draw it up." I have also seen hams sign forms   
   with these provisions without a second thought.   
      
   What is the answer? Probably the right answer is that in exchange for your   
   volunteer service, the sponsoring organization should ensure that you are   
   covered by their insurance for claims asserted against you. They should do   
   the right thing if you are injured by their fault while in their service.   
   That is probably not going to happen in most cases. What kind of risk any   
   person takes on or what kind of claims one will release in advance is   
   ultimately a personal decision based on your financial resources and   
   personal insurance coverage. You should know what insurance coverage you   
   have in the event you are hurt or in the event you hurt somebody else and   
   how that coverage could be impacted by any forms you sign. Organizers should   
   provide their form well in advance. That way, the hams can get a legal   
   opinion either individually or collectively as to what they are giving up or   
   taking on when they sign it. With this knowledge, volunteers can make an   
   informed decision as to whether they want to sign it, ask for changes, or   
   simply pass on the event.   
      
   This article is intended to provide general awareness and is not intended as   
   legal advice for any particular situation. Consult legal counsel of your own   
   choosing to determine what impact signing a particular document might have   
   on you. -- Matt Woodruff, KA5YYD, Houston, Texas [Woodruff is a corporate   
   attorney for governmental affairs - ed.]   
      
      
   K1CE For a Final: The MESH Network   
      
   Last year, ARRL reported on the Broadband-HamnetT (formerly HSMM-MeshT)   
   firmware, developed by Amateur Radio operators to provide hams with a   
   high-speed digital wireless communication mesh network that won both US and   
   global awards from the International Association of Emergency Managers   
   (IAEM). The firmware was the subject of a cover story article in the July   
   2013 issue of QST, "A Broadband Ham Network Crosses the Finish Line," by   
   Lynn Jelinski, AG4IU. The firmware is available at no charge via the project   
   website, which describes Broadband-Hamnet as "a high-speed,   
   self-discovering, self-configuring, fault-tolerant, wireless computer   
   network" with very low power consumption and a focus on emergency   
   communication. The current form uses Linksys WRT54G/GL/GS wireless routers   
   and operates on channels 1-6 of the 2.4 GHz ISM band, which overlaps with   
   the upper portion of the 13 centimeter Amateur Radio band.   
      
   Fred Kleber, NP2X, K9VV, the ARRL Virgin Islands Section Manager, reported   
   last year that Mesh was brought to his section and the networking has spread   
   like wildfire. At the time of Kleber's reporting, there were three dozen   
   nodes in the USVI, and more are coming on-line quickly. "We found a source   
   for "rootennas" (outdoor router-antenna combinations) and are in the process   
   of building up those for permanent deployment in strategic locations, i.e.,   
   attended locations with backup power, particularly at radio amateurs' home   
   sites. We also have a cheap mesh go-kit design using kitty litter/food   
   plastic containers."   
      
   A demonstration of mesh network capability was given to the local EMA, VI   
   National Guard, TSA, E-911 and VI PD. "It was well received and we are   
   moving toward designing systems to provide backup voice/data /video   
   communications at key locations: the EOC, E-911, shelters, points of   
   distribution, airports, and ports," Kleber said.   
      
   _______   
      
   Here in Volusia County recently, a sophisticated proposal to network major   
   hospitals for backup emergency communications was put forth by the Volusia   
   ARES dubbed The Volusia Mesh. In a PowerPoint presentation of the proposal,   
   the proponents asked "Is it possible to use RF to send and receive data at   
   Internet speeds on ham radio frequencies without expensive radios? Is there   
   one piece of free software hams can access via RF and/or computer networks   
   where multiple users can: send and receive WL2K email, send and receive   
   Internet e-mail, engage in real time chat in groups and private channels,   
   and share files?" Yes, and yes, are their answers.   
      
   Their proposal to link the five major hospitals in the county was enhanced   
   by links also to the county EOC, all by line of sight, through the use of   
   horizontally-polarized 24 dB gain 2.4 GHz parabolic dishes. A Winlink 2000   
   HF gateway, a VHF RMS gateway, a D-RATS RatFlector platform, and Internet   
   e-mail and WL2K Telnet capabilities rounded out the proposal.   
      
   Current EOC Service offerings are limited to analog and digital VHF, UHF and   
   HF Voice Nets, and a Winlink 2000 capability. Potential additional EOC   
   service offerings under the instant proposal would include: D-RATS   
   RatFlector providing Live chat, messaging and file transfer via Internet,   
   DSTAR digital voice (DV) and data (DD), an Internet Gateway to WL2K via   
   D-RATS Telnet, SMTP Internet email forwarding via D-RATS from RF and   
   mesh-connected D-RATS stations, and mesh webserver for form and information   
   distribution. The ARES proposal also includes point to point server-less   
   video chat with FocusPhone.   
      
   The principal architect of the proposal is a retired Microsoft-Certified   
   Systems Engineer, Mark Friedlander, KV4I, and I am planning to meet with him   
   and DEC Steve Craft, W1SGC, later this month to learn more.   
      
   But the implications are clear to me: just as Public Safety is rolling out   
   its broadband network for many of the same capabilities discussed in Mark's   
   proposal, we as radio amateurs have been given the inspiration by people   
   like Mark for a largely untapped potential resource with almost limitless   
   data communications possibilities that we can bring to the table when   
   approaching served agencies like emergency management and the Red Cross et   
   al. We will be sharing a lot more information and news on the development of   
   our own broadband offerings in the months to come. I'm really excited about   
   the possibilities.   
      
   See you next month! 73, Rick Palm, K1CE, Daytona Beach, Florida, "The   
   World's Most Famous Beach"   
      
      
   ___________   
      
   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!   
      
   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
   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/FandES/field/ares-el/.   
      
   Copyright (c) 2014 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved   
      
   www.arrl.org   
      
      
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   Not only is the Universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can   
   think. - Werner Heisenberg   
      
   --- FMail/Win32 1.60   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.71)