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   http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/?issue=2014-08-20   
      
   The ARES E-Letter   
      
   August 20, 2014   
   Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE   
      
   In This Issue:   
      
    *  A Brief History of ARES   
    *  At Press Time: Initial Storm Iselle Reports from Hawaii   
    *  First Annual Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference   
    *  FEMA and ARRL Sign Agreement; FEMA Administrator Calls Ham Radio   
       "Resilient"   
    *  International News: Thailand's Famed HS0AC Station Refurbished   
    *  ARRL Partners: APCO 2014 Conference and Exhibit A Wrap   
    *  Public Service: Northern New York Amateurs Support IRONMAN 2014   
    *  National Community/Neighborhood Exercise Series   
    *  Letters: Hospital Communications for Hurricane Katrina   
    *  From ARRL News: Links to Current Events   
    *  September is 2014 National Preparedness Month   
    *  K1CE For a Final   
      
   A Brief History of ARES   
      
   As we celebrate one hundred years of the ARRL, we've reached a seminal   
   moment in time when we are sparked to reflect on the past while looking to   
   the future with a sense of inquiry and wonder. That has certainly been the   
   theme of the ARRL's centennial celebration this year. QST has featured   
   fascinating look-backs at pivotal points in the League's and Amateur Radio's   
   history this year, with more to come. Continuing this theme, let's take a   
   brief look at the role of Amateur Radio in public service, disaster, and   
   emergency communications over the past hundred years.   
      
   In the early days, Amateur Radio and hams were considered irritations and   
   nuisances to the "real" communicators - the commercial sector and the   
   military. We were almost outlawed, and ultimately relegated to the "useless"   
   frequencies of "200 meters and down." That was until it was demonstrated   
   that we could actually be of use as a service. In 1913, college   
   students/hams in Michigan and Ohio passed disaster messages when other means   
   of communications were down in the aftermath of severe storms and flooding   
   in that part of the country. A Department of Commerce bulletin followed,   
   proposing a dedicated communications network of radio amateurs to serve   
   during disasters. Five special licenses were reportedly issued. A magazine   
   article noted that amateurs - who were once considered nuisances - were now   
   considered to be essential auxiliary assets of the national public welfare.   
      
   The ARRL was formed in 1914, and disaster response communications as   
   provided by radio amateurs became organized and useful. In 1920, Amateur   
   Radio was used to help recover a stolen car, of all things! Soon, the use of   
   Amateur Radio for natural disasters that we traditionally think of now   
   emerged with hams active in deadly flooding in New Mexico and an ice storm   
   in Minnesota.   
      
   More organization followed, with an "MoU" emerging with the American   
   railroad system for Amateur Radio support when the railroad's wire lines   
   were down: There was an ARRL Railroad Emergency Service Committee. There was   
   even a Q-signal designated: QRR, a kind of land SOS.   
      
   More reports of disaster response communications provided by amateurs   
   appeared in QST, much as they do here in this newsletter today. A major New   
   England flood had amateurs supplying the only efficient means of   
   communications from the devastated areas to the outside world, prompting the   
   chairman of the Federal Radio Commission to say the future of radio depends   
   on the amateurs.   
      
   Hams worked with the Burgess Battery Company for emergency radio power. Many   
   of us old-timers including myself have used those batteries when we were   
   kids for our crystal radio kits; they looked like tall, thick candle   
   columns!   
      
   More organization followed, and traffic handling was recommended as the best   
   way to gain discipline and proficiency to prepare for the efficiency and   
   effectiveness needed in response communications situations.   
      
   ARRL Field Day was started to prepare amateurs for portable operation, as   
   was necessary in disaster situations when commercial power and means of   
   communications were down.   
      
   In 1935, the ARRL Emergency Corps was formed with the goal of having an   
   Amateur Radio Emergency Station in every community -- a goal that remains   
   just as urgent today as it did then! To wit, just look at today's emphasis   
   on the neighborhood and community as "first responder" and on self-reliance   
   in the post-disaster survival chain.   
      
   More "served agencies" emerged as potential partners, including the Red   
   Cross. In 1936, major flooding across a 14-state region served as the ARRL   
   Emergency Corps' first major testing, serving well, and solidifying Amateur   
   Radio's status as a critical disaster response communications asset and   
   public service. Communications operating protocols and the appointment of   
   Emergency Coordinators followed.   
      
   Technical advances supported this evolution. Spark gap transmitters gave way   
   to the vacuum tube, making portable operations more viable. Articles on   
   portable transmitters and receivers appeared in QST. Exploration and   
   experimentation in the VHF region also spurred more development of portable   
   equipment. The development of the variable frequency oscillator or VFO,   
   something that modern generations of hams take for granted, was at the time   
   a liberating breakthrough offering more versatility and flexibility, and   
   more efficiency of course in meeting the demands of a disaster response   
   communications situation.   
      
   World War II meant a shut-down of Amateur Radio, but many hams joined the   
   War Emergency Radio Service, which did provide some communications during   
   the war period for natural disasters. After the war, the ARRL reconstituted   
   its disaster response communications programs and networks, and the first   
   Simulated Emergency Test was run in 1946.   
      
   The Cold War followed, and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)   
   was formed by the government for civil defense (CD) purposes, the forerunner   
   of the modern emergency management model that we know so well today.   
      
   Throughout the sixties and later up to today, the role, procedures,   
   protocols, equipment and techniques of Amateur Radio in public service,   
   disaster and emergency communications continue to evolve, ebb and flow. This   
   evolution is fueled by advances in Amateur Radio technology and its   
   application, lessons learned from each and every incident that involves   
   amateur communications support. - K1CE, based on an excellent article by Gil   
   McElroy, VE3PKD, that appeared in September 2007 QST -- QRR: The Beginnings   
   of Amateur Radio Emergency Communications   
      
   Notable Events on the Timeline of Amateur Radio Disaster Communications   
      
   Far from an exhaustive list, here are a few events involving Amateur Radio   
   communications support over the past hundred years that may help define our   
   role over time and its evolution.   
      
   1906 - Radio amateur Barney Osborne, later W6US, provides emergency traffic   
   handling during the San Francisco Earthquake and fire, according to family   
   lore.   
      
   1913 - Hams provided emergency communications during Midwest storms and   
   floods with spark gap transmitters and crystal receiver sets, as vacuum   
   tubes wouldn't emerge until after World War I and 1919.   
      
   1916 - A national traffic relay system was organized to provide relay of   
   messages cross-country, and 9XE in Illinois originated a message that was   
   received in California in 55 minutes and on the East Coast an hour after   
   that.   
      
   1926 -- The cover of the May issue of QST featured a drawing of a railroad   
   engineer holding an ARRL radiogram with the caption reading "Amateurs Give   
   Emergency Service for Railroads When Wires Are Down"   
      
   1920s - A motor provided emergency power to the plates of newly-invented   
   vacuum tubes in a station of an "RM" - a "Radio Man" - during a Mississippi   
   flood.   
      
   1925 - Amateur Radio provided the only communications (5 watts CW) during   
   the failed rescue attempt of caver Floyd Collins.   
      
   1933 - Radio amateurs at W6BYF provided disaster communications for the Long   
   Beach, California earthquake. Although his house was demolished, famous ham   
   Don Wallace, W6AM, operated a portable station through his surviving   
   extensive antenna farm with the help of the Navy in supporting the relief   
   effort.   
      
   1935 - Predecessors to ARES established. ARRL had a vision of them in 1917.   
      
   1936 - The catastrophic floods of the northeast (from Maine through to the   
   Ohio River valley) wrecked the ARRL HQ station in Hartford (along the   
   Connecticut River), with Amateur Radio again providing support. Famous VHF   
   pioneer and ARRL HQ staffer Ed Tilton, W1HDQ and his wife provided   
   communications.   
      
   1937 - Dr. Joseph Vancheri, W8BWH, was a key relief communications asset,   
   arranging for aid to refugees from the Johnstown floods.   
      
   Late 1930s - Commercial emergency Amateur Radio gear appeared and was   
   advertised: an example was the battery-powered 50-S transmitter from Harvey   
   Radio Laboratories of Brookline, Massachusetts.   
      
   1948 - Flooding of Vanport, Washington, after the rupture of a Columbia   
   River dike prompted an Amateur Radio Emergency Corps response under EC   
   W7DIS, with amateurs using hand-held radios (walkie-talkies).   
      
   1957 - RACES was involved in providing communications support during the   
   Malibu-Topanga Canyon (California) fires. Deputy Chief Radio Officer W6QJW   
   operated under RACES tactical call sign CPT19 and controlled a net on 3995   
   kHz. The Gonset Communicator was an iconic Cold War/Civil Defense portable   
   transceiver.   
      
   1964 - The Great Alaskan Earthquake hit Anchorage, drawing a massive amateur   
   response in handling emergency and health-and-welfare traffic. It was the   
   most powerful earthquake in North American history, and the second most   
   powerful in recorded history of the world. There was sweeping destruction in   
   the city and the region. George Hart, W1NJM, wrote about the amateur   
   response in the July 1964 issue of QST: 314 Alaskan amateurs supported the   
   disaster relief effort, with 1200 more from around the rest of the country   
   actively supporting them. "KL7DVY reports he operated 20 hours on two   
   meters, relaying messages from the Alaska Native Hospital to c.d.   
   headquarters in Anchorage." See the August 2014 issue of QST, Public Service   
   column, "Alaska Shield 2014."   
      
   1979 - Hurricanes Frederic and David wrought destruction on the Gulf Coast   
   and East Coast, respectively. Amateur Radio support of relief efforts was in   
   evidence in both cases.   
      
   That brings us up to the modern era and the emergence of the contemporary   
   emergency management model. A few of the major events beginning in the   
   eighties that come to mind are Hurricanes Gilbert (1988) and Hugo (1989),   
   and the spate of four hurricanes in 2004 that affected us here in Florida   
   extensively. Hurricane Andrew (1992) also wreaked incredible devastation in   
   Florida. Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2012) were game-changers for   
   emergency management thinking and policy for this country. Amateur Radio was   
   extensively involved in all cases. And, of course, Amateur Radio was   
   involved in the colossal relief effort in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.   
      
   [Much of the above was culled from an excellent presentation given at the   
   ARRL Pacificon convention in San Ramon, California, 2010, by Bart Lee, K6VK,   
   ARRL State Government Liaison, ARRL Volunteer Counsel, Historian and   
   Archivist, California Historical Radio Society, and lecturer, Antique   
   Wireless Society. A tip of the ARRL fedora to him. - K1CE]   
      
   At Press Time: Initial Storm Iselle Reports from Hawaii   
      
   Tropical Storm Iselle made landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii on Friday,   
   August 8, 2014. Iselle formed in the Eastern Pacific as Tropical Depression   
   09E on Thursday, July 31. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center assumed   
   forecasting responsibility when the storm crossed 140 degrees longitude as a   
   Category 2 hurricane near latitude 16.4N, heading west/northwest on Tuesday,   
   August 5 around 5:00 AM. Iselle had peaked as a category 4 hurricane the day   
   before.   
      
   The area of the Kau Coast from Cape Kumakahi through South Point received   
   material damage. Many trees fell in the Paradise Park and neighboring area,   
   obstructing roads and power lines. Storm surge pushed bowling ball sized   
   rocks and black sand into beach side homes. Aluminum siding was stripped off   
   of homes. Rainfall caused flooding, mud and debris, requiring clean-up.   
   Hawaiian Electric Company reported 21,900 customers were affected by loss of   
   power. Hundreds lined up for ice, water, tarps and supplies.   
      
   With the anticipated arrival of Iselle, cooperative arrangements with served   
   agencies and Amateur Radio groups were set in motion and activated. Power   
   was lost to Kulani and Mauna Loa repeaters and backup power failed, so the   
   majority of operations took place on the Mauna Kea repeater. Simplex was   
   used extensively on the Big Island.   
      
   The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) RACES and Red Cross (ARC) team   
   set up equipment at the ARC HQ on Thursday afternoon and monitored VHF and   
   UHF frequencies. Operations commenced and ran from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM   
   Thursday, until 4:00 PM Friday when the shelters were closed. HF assets   
   would not be deployed until after the storm had passed, as communications   
   with the three primary shelters were effected through the State RACES   
   VHF/UHF repeater network. Head counts and requests for supplies from   
   shelters were communicated.   
      
   Planning for the event for the amateur community started seven days before   
   landfall. Recognizing that initially it would be a weather event with   
   possible escalation to damage to the counties, the radio communications plan   
   was drafted to use the State RACES VHF repeaters and link them to others in   
   the to-be-affected areas to provide a common channel for the primary purpose   
   of weather reporting. Frequency coordination information was promulgated and   
   a web page was created and updated with frequency plans and expected start   
   times for operations prior to the storm's landfall.   
      
   Two complete VHF/UHF radio systems with Fldigi capability and printer were   
   deployed using commercial power. Battery backup and generator were available   
   in case of power outages. Two person shifts were conducted, with a primary   
   communicator monitoring and the second on shift resting until needed. 12 PM   
   and 12 AM shelter counts and requests from the shelters for additional   
   supplies were taken and relayed to the ARC representative at the DEM's EOC.   
      
   The southeast side of the Big Island sustained a fair amount of damage. Post   
   storm damage assessments were conducted and relayed on the VOAD repeater on   
   Mauna Kea. Starting at 10:05 PM Thursday night, a SKYWARN net announced   
   information and obtained observations on flooding, storm surges, road   
   blockages and similar reports.   
      
   Honolulu County/DEM RACES operations were conducted from 6 PM on Thursday to   
   3 PM on Friday: Repeaters of the linked State Civil Defense (SCD) RACES/DEM   
   RACES repeater system were monitored. Peter Yuen, KH6JBS, reported to the   
   Kaiser High School shelter on Friday after completing his assignment at   
   State Civil Defense.   
      
   For Kauai, the statewide SKYWARN net was accessible on the Peacock Flats   
   146.760 MHz repeater for amateur stations located on the eastern portion of   
   the island. Radio activity on Kauai was light because there was no   
   significant weather there from Iselle.   
      
   Maui ARES activated at the Maui County EOC for SKYWARN operations at 6:00 PM   
   Thursday, August 7, with termination at 3:00 PM the next day after the NWS   
   took down the hurricane warning for Maui and Honolulu counties. The EOC was   
   set up to operate on 40 meters and on the State RACES repeater. Reports   
   received included power outages in the Upcountry Maui area and some reports   
   of damage in the Ulupalakua area. Most stations reported little or no damage   
   and only brief heavy rainfall.   
      
   Tad Miura, NH7YS, on Kauai, noted the effectiveness of the SKYWARN net was   
   largely due to the work of the statewide coordinator, Clement Jung, KH7HO,   
   in building the SKYWARN Amateur Radio structure for Hawaii over the years.   
   Ron Hashiro, AH6RH, the Hawaii state RACES coordinator was also credited for   
   his leadership in coordinating and promoting Amateur Radio public service   
   communications in Hawaii. More on storm operations and lessons learned in   
   the next issue. - from initial reports of Paul Agamata, WH6FM (Big Island);   
   Kevin Bogan, AH6QO (SCD); Mel Fukunaga, KH6H (Maui); Ron Hashiro, AH6RH   
   (SCD/HI EMA); Clem Jung, KH7HO (NWS SKYWARN); Stephen Levy, NH7ZP (ARC); Tad   
   Miura, NH7YS (Kauai); Harvey Motomura, AH6JA (Big Island); Chuck Oh, N6NCT   
   (DEM); and ARRL Pacific Section Manager Bob Schneider, AH6J (Big Island)   
      
   First Annual Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference   
      
   ARES/RACES was a featured part of the largest gathering of tribal disaster   
   preparedness, recovery, hazard mitigation, and homeland security   
   professionals in the country, which took place August 13-15 at the Northern   
   Quest Resort in Airway Heights, Washington. The conference was organized by   
   the National Tribal Emergency Management Council in conjunction with the   
   Northwest Tribal Emergency Management Council, and was hosted at a facility   
   owned by the Kalispel Tribe.   
      
   There are 566 recognized tribes in the United States. The Pacific Northwest   
   is home to 272 of those, and Washington State is home to 29 tribes.   
   Conference guests Jeh Johnson (Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland   
   Security), Senators Mark Begich and Jon Tester, T.J. Kennedy (Acting General   
   Manager, FirstNet, U.S. Department of Commerce), and others spoke to   
   approximately 400 registered attendees.   
      
   As part of the pre-conference activities on Monday and Tuesday, Jack Tiley,   
   AD7FO, and Bob Peterson, KE7RAP, taught a Technician license class and 8 of   
   14 students taking the Technician examination passed on Tuesday afternoon.   
      
   In response to a National Weather Service severe thunderstorm warning on   
   Tuesday evening, Robert Wiese, W7UWC, Spokane County EC, coordinated a   
   weather spotter net on the 147.30 MHz (W7GBU) repeater. While the NTEMC   
   conference attendees experienced the thunderstorm activity, they did not   
   hear this net. However, the description of the net provided very current and   
   relevant additional content for the "Disaster Communications via Amateur   
   Radio" presentation on Wednesday morning. A live "over-the-air" VHF   
   demonstration was held during that class with amateurs located elsewhere in   
   Spokane County. A FEMA Corps volunteer talked briefly with Lori Aberle,   
   KG7IEO, and a description of the coverage area of the repeater by Scott   
   Christiansen, WA7SRC, garnered very positive comments from those in the   
   conference room.   
      
   Idaho Section Manager Ed Stuckey, AI7H, brought in an HF rig on Thursday and   
   his 40-meter dipole antenna was strung between speaker stands down the   
   hallway outside the conference rooms. The Faraday cage building at the   
   Northern Quest Resort inhibited nearly all[NWTEMC-logo.jpg] attempts at   
   indoor HF reception, but the display generated a lot of interest from   
   conference attendees for over four hours after the end of the "Building Your   
   Amateur Radio Station" presentation.   
      
   On Friday, attendees were able to view a live Ad Hoc Mesh Network during the   
   "Amateur Radio Digital Data Communications" presentation.   
      
   The tribal emergency management leaders who attended this conference are   
   quite interested in building an Amateur Radio component into their   
   emergency/disaster preparedness plans. It is up to all ARES/RACES groups to   
   extend a welcoming hand to the tribal communities in their respective areas.   
   If you have a tribe near you, make sure interoperability with their tribal   
   EOC is in your operations plan, invite them to take part in your local   
   drills and exercises, and think about giving the tribe a list of local   
   Elmers they can contact as needed. -- Steve Aberle, WA7PTM, ARRL Official   
   Emergency Station (OES), ARRL Western Washington Section   
      
   FEMA and ARRL Sign Agreement; FEMA Administrator Calls Ham Radio "Resilient"   
      
   The ARRL and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have announced a   
   Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that will enhance cooperation between the   
   League and FEMA in the area of disaster communication. FEMA Administrator   
   Craig Fugate, KK4INZ, and ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, signed the   
   agreement July 18 during the ARRL National Centennial Convention at the   
   Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut. "Radio is one of the   
   most resilient communications technologies we have," Fugate said. "When the   
   power is out and telecommunications are down, the Amateur Radio community   
   can serve as a vital resource in support of emergency responders and   
   survivors during a disaster. This MOA will strengthen FEMA's partnership   
   with ARRL and build upon our work to expand emergency communications   
   capabilities and the use of Amateur Radio in emergency management." Complete   
   report here.   
      
   International News: Thailand's Famed HS0AC Station Refurbished   
      
   Following Thailand's worst flooding in 2011 that killed 800 people, affected   
   nearly 14 million and disrupted the economy, the famed HS0AC Amateur Radio   
   station is restored and now complete with a meeting facility at the Asian   
   Institute of Technology. The devastating flooding in 65 of 77 provinces also   
   destroyed the Amateur Radio facility in central Thailand, which received   
   many donations and offers of help to re-establish it.   
      
   During the flood Thai radio amateurs stepped in to help with disaster   
   response communications and hand out supplies. Working with the Ministry of   
   Public Health they saved almost 1,000 lives.   
      
   The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) used   
   HS0AB for the Government's Flood Relief Operations Command. The NBTC praised   
   the role that radio amateurs played to help people cope with the disaster by   
   providing communications support, especially helpful in flooded areas where   
   several mobile phone cell sites had failed. Government agencies used the   
   Amateur Radio communications infrastructure when their own networks failed.   
   Using their skills and experience radio amateurs kept communicating with one   
   another under adverse conditions.   
      
   Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST) President Jack Hantongkom, HS1FVL,   
   who recently led a restoration team, held an HS0AC open house event on   
   August 3, inviting Thai radio club representatives to attend. Several RAST   
   members donated equipment. Yaesu donated FT-2000 transceivers and IARU   
   Region 3 donated new antennas, mostly monobanders, to be stacked on three   
   towers. - Jim Linton, VK3PC, Chairman, IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications   
   Committee   
      
   ARRL Partners: APCO 2014 Conference and Exhibit A Wrap   
      
   The final session on the last day of the APCO 2014 conference held earlier   
   this month featured a FirstNet Town Hall forum, with the room at capacity;   
   there was lively dialogue between FirstNet officials and more than 100   
   representatives from the 911, first responder, and vendor communities.   
   FirstNet is establishing a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband   
   network dedicated for first responders, and is working with the National   
   Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC), the Association of   
   Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), the FirstNet Public Safety   
   Advisory Committee (PSAC), the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR)   
   program and standards organizations on network requirements and on defining   
   how standards can support building future networks as public safety-grade.   
      
   The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 created the First   
   Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as an independent authority within   
   the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to   
   provide emergency responders with the first high-speed, nationwide network   
   dedicated to public safety. TJ Kennedy, FirstNet Acting General Manager,   
   cited organizations and associations like APCO and how FirstNet is fortunate   
   to have an active forum - the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) - for   
   engaging public safety and state and local government officials on a regular   
   basis. The PSAC has helped FirstNet enhance its understanding of a number of   
   policy, operational, and technical issues affecting emergency   
   communications, including public safety's use of land mobile radio (LMR) and   
   broadband technologies. For this year's conference, FirstNet participated in   
   discussions about the deployment of Next Generation 911 (NG911) and the   
   future integration with the public safety broadband network. [editor's note:   
   APCO International is a longtime ARRL partner. Read the APCO/ARRL MoU here.]   
      
   Public Service: Northern New York Amateurs Support IRONMAN 2014   
      
   Thirty-two Amateur Radio operators from across Northern New York supported   
   the IRONMAN Lake Placid 2014 endurance competition on July 31. Operators   
   established communication stations and worked them for coverage of a three   
   county course area. Vital communications links were established among   
   Emergency Management, EMS personnel in numerous ambulances, Aid Stations   
   along the course route, and for Health and Welfare traffic. "Our   
   communications are coordinated with IRONMAN, EMS, and State, County and   
   Municipal authorities," reported Thomas Dick, KF2GC, ARRL Northern New York   
   Section Manager. Dick said "over the past 15 years of experience with   
   supporting this event, we have helped many of our amateurs refine their   
   communication skills in emergency ICS protocols and technical performance.   
   Many amateurs work long 8-18 hour shifts covering a host of different   
   tasks."   
      
   "We often help ambulance drivers by relaying routing information for various   
   medical facilities, while keeping those en route safe and respecting the   
   traffic routing restrictions imposed by event managers," Dick said. The net   
   controllers keep the supporting amateur up to date with the latest   
   information and relay all Health and Welfare Traffic to authorities. They   
   also keep EMS aware of athletes who are having medical issues and if they   
   need transport to the Med Tent or hospitals. Station operators in the field   
   often track down reports of athletes who are experiencing health related   
   issues such as injuries, cramps, heat exhaustion and dehydration. Each year   
   is different from the next, owing to weather, road conditions and the   
   numbers of athletes competing in the IRONMAN.   
      
   Dick concluded "One thing is for sure from the starting gun at the Lake   
   Placid Beach until the last runner comes across the finish line many hours   
   later is that Amateur Radio volunteers will be there helping the athletes in   
   many ways by providing communications of their health and welfare status and   
   keeping all safe."   
      
   National Community/Neighborhood Exercise Series   
      
   The series of Formidable Footprint exercises for neighborhood, community and   
   faith based organizations continues: On September 27, a hurricane is the   
   scenario. October 25 will feature a solar storm, and January 31 will be a   
   flood scenario. Exercises have also been scheduled for the following   
   scenarios: Earthquake, Influenza Pandemic, Tornado, and Wildfire.   
      
   The Formidable Footprint exercise series has been developed in accordance   
   with Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) protocols.   
   The objective of the exercise series is for CERTs, Neighborhood Watch   
   Programs, Neighborhood Associations, Community/Faith Based Organizations,   
   Citizen Corps, Fire Corps and others to work as a team to become better   
   prepared for the next disaster their community may face.   
      
   There is no charge for participation in any of the Formidable Footprint   
   exercises. For additional information or to register for upcoming exercises   
   please access the following web site today: www.FormidableFootprint.org   
      
   Formidable Footprint Twitter and LinkedIn Groups   
      
   Stay informed regarding future Formidable Footprint exercises by joining the   
   Formidable Footprint Twitter and LinkedIn Groups. - Chris Floyd, Disaster   
   Resistant Communities Group, LLC, Tallahassee, Florida, www.drc-group.com   
      
   Letters: Hospital Communications for Hurricane Katrina   
      
   I would like to add some comments to your recent series of articles on   
   hospital communications. I served LSU medical centers, known as Charity and   
   University hospitals in New Orleans, as a radio communicator during Katrina   
   in 2005, along with my spouse. Before Katrina we participated frequently in   
   hospital drills and other programs to educate ourselves about the hospital   
   and its needs. We were well prepared with backup battery power and spares,   
   both antennas and radios, to get on the air during a hurricane or other   
   disaster. We deployed to the University hospital campus 36 hours before   
   Katrina hit New Orleans, so we were able to make sure everything was   
   operating correctly.   
      
   Some have expressed concerns regarding HIPPA privacy laws: We provided   
   health and welfare messages outbound for patients and staff that week, but   
   at no time conveyed protected information in those communications. All such   
   communications were at patients' request.   
      
   My spouse and I both are trained traffic handlers and net control stations.   
   We manned a simplex net for intercommunication among hospital personnel,   
   both on VHF and an FRS channel, as well as HF for communication with other   
   served agencies, which was our only reliable method of communicating outside   
   New Orleans. HF radio enabled us to effect some evacuation of patients we   
   could no longer serve adequately, as well as to arrange for the delivery of   
   supplies and equipment needed by boat as well as the patient evacuations,   
   sometimes by helicopter.   
      
   Without HF communications capability that week we spent on "hospital island"   
   we would have been severely handicapped in our efforts to provide for the   
   needs of hospital staff and patients. Although we had VHF and UHF FM   
   capabilities we found ourselves using HF assets more because VHF/UHF   
   frequencies did not give us reliable, timely communications with those we   
   needed to reach. However, some UHF repeaters stood up to the challenge and   
   were used by search and rescue, as well as others, but we were not   
   effectively served by VHF and UHF circuits. HF SSB was our primary lifeline   
   to the outside world. Thanks for your recent discussion of these issues in   
   the ARES E-Letter. -- Richard Webb, NF5B, West Burlington, Iowa   
      
   From ARRL News: Links to Current Events   
      
   MARS: "Pacific Endeavor-14" Exercise Stresses International Cooperation   
      
   Radio Amateur Named to FEMA National Advisory Council   
      
   California Hams Activate to Support Shelter Communications Following   
   Wildfire   
      
   SKYWARN Volunteers Muster as Severe Weather, Tornado Hit Southern New   
   England   
      
   Army MARS Demonstrates ALE, Courts Young Volunteers at ARRL National   
   Centennial Convention   
      
   Maritime Mobile Service Network Aids in Separate Land-Based Emergencies   
      
   Ham Radio Aids in Rescue of Injured Colorado Hiker   
      
   September is 2014 National Preparedness Month   
      
   This is the first National Preparedness Month that will also include the   
   America's PrepareAthon Fall Day of Action on September 30. We hope you will   
   join us once again in this major annual campaign.You may find that you are   
   already planning on doing something that qualifies as an AP event. We hope   
   you will find our resources helpful and look forward to hearing about your   
   activities during National Preparedness Month. We are hoping to promote   
   private sector activities both internally and externally - including in our   
   September newsletter. For more tips and information about NPM visit:   
   www.ready.gov/september -- FEMA   
      
   K1CE For a Final   
      
   The ARRL Centennial Convention in Hartford, Connecticut last month was a   
   huge success, and I enjoyed seeing old and new friends alike, along with   
   many readers of the ARES E-Letter. I also appreciated the time that ARRL's   
   Mike Corey, KI1U, and Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY, spent with me going over ARRL   
   programs and consequently, our publications. They were both busy with   
   convention duties, yet graciously managed to spend an hour with me at ARRL   
   HQ. Thanks to both of them. - Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor, Daytona Beach,   
   Florida   
      
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