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|    mark lewis to all    |
|    The ARES E-Letter for June 17, 2015    |
|    17 Jun 15 16:27:22    |
      If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:       http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/?issue=2015-06-17              The ARES E-Letter              June 17, 2015       Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE              In This Issue:               * Hurricane Season 2015: Florida Statewide Hurricane Exercise Helps ARES        Plan, Prepare        * Hurricane Center Station Tests Positive        * Exercise Regimen of City ARES/RACES Group in California, A Model of        Excellence        * New Workbook/Workshops are Part Mission Critical in Texas        * Letters: ARES/SAR Operations Save Lives in New Mexico        * ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section: A Hotbed of Public Events, Service        * Santa Clara County (California) ARES/RACES Mesh Networking for        Event/Incident Response        * K1CE for a Final              ARES Notebook              "This has probably been the most significant weather event to hit Texas," said       ARRL South Texas Section Manager Lee Cooper, W5LHC. "We have had major       tropical storms and hurricane events, but the widespread combination of heavy       rains, tornadoes, and flooding all at same time and covering two-thirds of the       state, is pretty much unprecedented for us." Click here for SKYWARN and ARES       reports on the responses to these severe weather events across the       south-central part of the country.              Happy 50th Anniversary to the Hurricane Watch Net. The Hurricane Watch Net       (HWN) celebrated its 50th anniversary on the air, June 13-14. HWN members used       the call sign WX5HWN, operating on 14.325 MHz but with stations active on or       near 7.268 MHz as well. More here.              ARES Activity Reports from the Field Are Important              ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, reminds ARES members       that ARRL HQ needs reports and updates on ARES activities related to severe       weather responses, and any responses for that matter. This information is       important for several reasons: recording ARES activity for ARRL reports,       updating national partners on our activity, and identifying any needs in the       field. Please keep HQ in the loop on activities of ARES groups (and others,       eg, SATERN, MARS, amateurs assisting VOADS). Please remember to complete the       reporting form FSD-157. Reports can easily be made on-line here.              New Edition of the ARES Manual Now On-Line              As reported in last month's issue, the ARES Manual and NTS Manual have       together long been part of a single publication, the Public Service       Communications Manual. The two manuals will now be separate publications. NTS       leadership is currently reviewing and preparing to update the NTS Manual.              The new ARES Manual includes several new additions: inclusion of ICS forms       213, 205, and 214 for ARES use; an expanded discussion on training resources;       clarification of the role and purpose of RACES; and copies of all current ARRL       MOUs. The update is the first in over two decades and was a collaborative       effort of field organization leaders, federal partners, and ARRL staff. The       new manual is available online as a downloadable PDF.              ARRL 2015 Hurricane Season Webinar: July 20              The ARRL 2015 Hurricane Season Webinar is scheduled for Monday, July 20 at 8       PM eastern time, and will run for approximately one hour. Agenda items include       welcome and introductions, a report from the National Hurricane Center Station       WX4NHC team and VoIP Hurricane Net, ARRL Public Information, Canadian       Hurricane Center, Hurricane Watch Net, and ARRL HQ Hurricane Response. More       details to come. Don't miss this opportunity to discuss hurricane season plans       and issues with leaders from the Amateur Radio hurricane response community.                     Hurricane Season 2015: Florida Statewide Hurricane Exercise Helps ARES Plan,       Prepare              ARES members from all three Florida ARRL Sections (Northern Florida, Southern       Florida, West Central Florida) participated in a statewide hurricane response       and communications exercise on May 30, a day prior to the start of the 2015       hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Florida is the 20th       largest state (by land area) and third largest state by population, in the US,       and is exposed hurricanes, and other severe weather such as tropical storms       and tornadoes.              The objectives of this exercise were to evaluate current procedures, identify       areas for improvement, and achieve a collaborative posture with        artner-agencies. A major goal was an assessment of the ability of players to       establish and maintain multi-disciplinary communications networks during a       response to a hurricane incident. Assessment of hurricane preparedness was       also an exercise objective, with adequacy of plans for responding to a       potential Category 3 hurricane land fall addressed, including issues of       resource management, and information control.              During the exercise, players responded to simulated events and information as       if the emergency was real, unless otherwise directed by ARES leadership. ARRL       Northern Florida Section Manager Steve Szabo, WB4OMM, exhorted his ARES team       members to "have fun, work with your peers, and think creatively."              Informal post-exercise debriefings with local ARES groups were held to assess       local group needs, individual operator needs and amendment/modification of       ARES emergency response plans as indicated.       Players and their leaders were advised to conduct exercise activities within       their staffing capabilities and procedures according to their local plans.              Exercise Parameters              Reporting forms were mandated to be ICS/NIMS compliant. Communications modes       were primarily RF-based, and not overly dependent on Internet hybrid systems,       although hybrid platforms in common usage were to be tested, including D-RATS,       Winlink, and others. Power sources were battery/generator-based, independent       of commercial mains.              ARES groups were tasked with activating and staffing their local EOC (real or       simulated); and deploying members to any two partner-agencies (hospital, fire       house, shelter, police/sheriff office, Red Cross, Salvation Army, church,       school or any entity facility in the local community served by the group).       Once on site, ARES exercise players established communication links via an       RF-based mode (on HF, VHF, UHF, with CW/FM/SSB/data modes). Operators obtained       the name of their served agency, its street address and point of contact (POC)       information (name and position/title) and provided it to the county EOC on a       NIMS compliant message form (ICS-213) via the RF communications mode.              In turn, operators at the EOC then checked-in to a net such as a Florida       traffic/ARES net, SARNet, Florida State-Wide Hurricane Net, or used an       Internet-assisted mode such as D-STAR, D-RATS, Winlink2K, SEDAN, or others to       send the information and a test message listed in the communications plan, and       SITREPs to county ARES Emergency Coordinators (EC). The EC in turn sent       activation, deployment locations/POC information, check-in data and messages       to the Section Emergency Coordinators (SEC) as a SITREP. Summaries of all       exercise results were to be forwarded to the Florida State ESF-2 (Emergency       Support Function #2 -- Communications) Coordinator at the State EOC in       Tallahassee before the end of the day.              REPORTS              ARRL Northern Florida Section              Although reports are currently being received and compiled, Section Manager       Steve Szabo, WB4OMM, reported that the exercise was a success from his       perspective in part "because we found some things that didn't work" to address       and correct for possible real activations this season. Section Emergency       Coordinator Strait Hollis, KT4YA, is compiling a section-wide after-action       report. Initial exercise observations included propagation challenges on the       Northern Florida Net on 80-meters, mandating turning to the net's alternate       frequency on 40-meters. Net Manager Mac Ardle, W4NFG, managed the changes to       keep the net going.              A key ARES asset, the Orange City Statewide Amateur Radio Net (SARNet) UHF       repeater was down, preventing many counties from using it. The Statewide       Amateur Radio Network (SARnet) is a network of linked UHF voice repeaters that       serves the State of Florida. "The key to what makes SARnet work so well is       that this network uses dedicated bandwidth that is separate from the       Internet," noted from its website.              Some messages using some modes did not go through, and more message handling       training for operators is indicated for the future. Szabo concluded that all       operators learned something from the exercise, and noted the great numbers of       groups and operators participating. An After Action Report/Improvement Plan is       to be distributed by the end of July.              ARRL Southern Florida Section              ARRL Southern Florida Section Manager Jeff Beals, WA4AW, and Section Emergency       Coordinator Larry Zimmer, W4LWZ, reported that five major Southern Florida       Section counties participated in the Statewide Hurricane drill, including       Broward, Indian River, Lee, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Broward county       ARES/RACES operators activated their VHF network, exercising their local nets.       Operators also made contact with the State EOC in Tallahassee on the SARnet. A       challenge that could not be overcome was to contact the State EOC on HF, and       solutions will be worked out.              Indian River county ARES/RACES participated in a tabletop version of the       exercise with their county emergency management team.              Lee county ARES/RACES operators were able to establish contact with the state       EOC on HF from the Lee County EOC.              Martin county operators activated their EOC and Red Cross facilities. They       were able to make contact with the state EOC both on SARnet and on HF.              Palm Beach county ARES/RACES operators checked into the State EOC net on HF       and on the SARnet from the Palm Beach EOC.              ARRL West Central Florida Section              ARRL Assistant Section Manager Randy Payne, K4EZM, is currently compiling       reports of activity from the section surrounding Tampa, on the Gulf side of       the Florida peninsula. Darrell Davis, KT4WX, Section Manager of the ARRL West       Central Florida Section, noted the critical, on-going process of working out a       framework for how all three ARRL Florida Sections will interface with the       State EOC during hurricane situations. "A great second meeting at the Orlando       Hamcation in February was held to continue that process," Davis said. "All       three of us (Jeff, Steve, and myself) think of our three Sections as three       branch offices of the same organization." "That is the way it should be; we       get together whenever we have the opportunity," Davis concluded. Collaboration       and cooperation, working together, is in evidence in the state of Florida.                     Hurricane Center Station Tests Positive              The National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Station WX4NHC conducted their       Annual Station Test on May 30. This is the 35th year of volunteer public       service by the WX4NHC Group at NHC. WX4NHC operators conduct this event each       year in preparation for hurricane season, which started June 1. The station       was tested on many frequencies and modes, including HF, VHF, UHF, and Winlink,       VHF/HF APRS, EchoLink/IRLP/All-Star, e-mail and on-line forms sharing. All       operators and communications systems performed well.              The WX4NHC test event is also valuable for Amateur Radio operators worldwide,       especially in hurricane prone areas, to test their station's ability to       contact WX4NHC should the need arise during a       hurricane. It was also a good opportunity for National Weather Service (NWS)       field staff to become aware of the unique capabilities of Amateur Radio during       severe weather and disaster situations, when conventional communication modes       fail.              WX4NHC was on-the-air for eight hours. Contacts were made and surface reports       were received from many stations throughout the US, Canada, and countries in       the Caribbean, Central and South America.              The VoIP Hurricane Net on (IRLP node 9219/EchoLink WX-TALK Conference node       7203) worked perfectly and hosted many contacts. More than 40 D-STAR/D-RATS       Surface Weather Reports were received at WX4NHC. The D-STAR//D-RATS net and       reporting was coordinated by John Davis, WB4QDX. WX4NHC managers are excited       of the potential posed by D-STAR/D-RATS modes that can produce hurricane       surface reports in formats readily used at WX4NHC. These reports may someday       fill in a very important gap in surface data during a hurricane that could not       be garnered through other modes.              WX4NHC also participated in the Florida Statewide Hurricane Exercise (see       above story) on the UHF SARnet making many contacts throughout the state of       Florida and with EOC stations. WX4NHC is fortunate to have a SARnet UHF       repeater on campus, courtesy of station manager John McHugh, K4AG. WX4NHC       operators also contacted Ted Okada, N4HNL, FEMA Chief Tech Officer, and FEMA       chief Craig Fugate, KK4INZ. ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey,       KI1U, and Hurricane Watch Net Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, both were heard       loud and clear into WX4NHC. For more information, please visit wx4nhc.org                     Exercise Regimen of City ARES/RACES Group in California, A Model of Excellence              Cupertino ARES/RACES (CARES) provides emergency and public service       communications to the City of Cupertino, California, and adopts a professional       approach to training and exercising, responding and embracing the latest in       technology. Let's take a look at their exercise models, from its website, with       the permission and courtesy of Jim Oberhofer, KN6PE, Emergency Coordinator for       the city group.              To ensure response processes work, CARES complements its training activities       with exercises and public service events. These activities work well in       helping test tools, processes, and procedures with the goal of fine-tuning       them as necessary.              Exercises are designed to test specific aspects of response. There is a       specific set of exercises that are scheduled over a two year period that align       with the key response processes that we (CARES) have been asked by the city to       perform. These include:               * Preliminary Safety Assessment (PSA). This is a field exercise that tests        our ability to effectively pass a fixed-formatted message from the field        to the EOC. The PSA process provides a Cupertino EOC with an early        snapshot of potential damage immediately after an infrastructure-shaking        event, thereby helping the city with their response priorities. This        drill is based on a city Preliminary Damage Assessment Procedure.        * Infrastructure Safety Assessment. This is a full field deployment        exercise where CARES members locate and report on critical        infrastructure assets of our partner/served agencies with the goal of        verifying the asset's state. Once the asset is inspected, its condition        is reported to the EOC and the agency. This drill is based on a city        Infrastructure Safety Assessment Procedure.        * Field Communications Deployment. These are field deployment exercises        where CARES members are sent into the field to provide communications        support. The exercise may indicate deployment to one of the city's CERT        incident reporting points, shelters, medical centers, or as a shadow        assignment (where a communicator stays with an official to assist with        message handling). Assignments may also result in deployment to a        location to make actual or simulated observations based on a plausible        response scenario. This drill is based on a city Field Assignment        Procedure.        * EOC Operations Support. This activity is usually performed in        conjunction with any field deployment that takes place. Its purpose is        to orient responding CARES members with our roles and responsibilities        when assigned to the EOC, the different radio equipment used on the        Cupertino Comm Van, and the kinds of interactions CARES may have with        the EOC staff.        * Emergency Communications Station Exercise. This exercise is to test        CARES' ability to establish and operate a communications facility that        could be used to support the city with backup field-based local and long        distance communications during an emergency or disaster. This drill also        coincides with the ARRL Field Day event, which is the weekend of June        27-28 this year.                     New Workbook/Workshops are Part Mission Critical in Texas              As the role of Amateur Radio in emergency communications continues to evolve,       both Harris County (Texas) ARES and ARRL South Texas Section leadership are       constantly working to provide current, relevant training to the ARES       membership to keep up with the changing requirements and needs of partner       agencies. Training includes the FEMA Independent Study courses IS-100, IS-200,       IS-700, and IS-800. To be in an ARES/RACES leadership position, individuals       may also take the IS-300 and IS-400 courses. Additional coursework is also       indicated, such as the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course       (EC-001) and even the Public Service and Emergency Communications Management       for Radio Amateurs (EC-016) for leadership positions.              Locally, each South Texas ARES district leaders provide weekly on-the-air       training that is tailored to the environment, conditions and needs specific to       the section and district. Harris County ARES has implemented a training       program with all four ARES units conducting the same training approximately 20       times per year. This program is now being carried over to the entire section       where all districts will conduct a similar regimen of training sessions.              In addition, the South Texas section now publishes a personal training       workbook for individual operators that outlines training requirements and       encourages members to demonstrate their skill sets to their EC and have skills       checked off/documented in their workbooks. In order to facilitate this       process, a number of Saturday training events will be held, with the first       session held on Saturday, May 23, 2015. It was attended by 25 Harris, Fort       Bend and Galveston county ARES members who received training on Anderson       Powerpole assembly, demonstrated their ability to field program an H-T radio       with repeater offset and tone, and completed and sent an ICS-213 message form.              The workshop was proven to be an excellent opportunity for ARES members to       test abilities and elevate their games. Disaster/emergency communications       training is a never ending task as is finding ways to demonstrate to our       partner agencies that we are qualified for the job of providing reliable       auxiliary communications services. -- Mike Urich, KA5CVH, La Porte, Texas                     Letters: ARES/SAR Operations Save Lives in New Mexico              ARES is alive and well in McKinley County, New Mexico. ARES there is embedded       with the County Search and Rescue (SAR) organization that has 27 active       members, 15 of whom are Amateur Radio operators. Also included in the       membership is a rope team, two medical doctors, a nurse-practitioner with a       search dog, four EMTs and a paramedic. The group is supported by a local       Med-Flight helicopter transport service to assist in quick searches of remote       areas, and triage.              Four years ago, an incident involving a mountain climber prompted the McKinley       County Fire and Rescue Team to invite the county SAR/ARES to join forces to       improve response and assistance. With this consortium, response times have       improved from hours to minutes. The SAR/ ARES members take the same training       as volunteer firefighters and rescuers. Training includes radio communication       tracking, use of ropes in rescue, emergency medical procedures and wilderness       first aid.              To keep in practice, the group works numerous public events each year,       providing communications, emergency medical assistance and off-road transport       for participants in bike races, motocross events, and the annual Gallup       Balloon Rally.              The group has participated in searches for lost persons and has provided       communications for Fire/Police/Medical personnel and even the FBI in a       forensic evidence collection case.                     Hiker Falls Off of Cliff              In February, 2013, a hiker fell off of a cliff, landing on a narrow ledge 30       feet down that was still 100 feet above the ground. He called for help on his       cell phone and his approximate location was determined by triangulation on the       cell phone signal. Fire Department personnel searched the area, finally       locating him high above on the ledge.              Dan, KE5FYL, Team Leader of the Rope Team that finally rescued the hiker,       studied maps and considered advice of the locals who knew the area, enabling       the team to get positioned above the subject. Rescue gear was divided among       Dan's five man team: long ropes, short ropes, a pickoff harness, webbing,       carabiners, and rappel devices. "I used my 2 meter radio to keep us in contact       with the rest of the team via a local repeater during our climb," Dan reported.              Finding a way up to the top of the mesa above the stranded hiker in the dark       was difficult and took several tries, backtracking and scouting different       approaches each time. The team used a rope to belay members up at a few spots.       The most agile climber in the group was sent up a short technical section with       a couple of spotters, and then he found a good anchor for himself, wrapped the       rope around his body, and belayed the rest of the team as they climbed up.              Once on the top of the mesa, Dan's team moved to the target coordinates, could       see the lights of the rescuers below the subject, and found the subject's foot       prints. "We followed them down the easy part of the cliff, and got to a good       spot directly above the subject," Dan said. The subject was on a one and a       half to two foot ledge about twenty feet below the team.              It was decided to send one rescuer down to the subject to make an assessment.       Another rescuer sat on the edge, talking to the subject, while the rest set up       an anchor and ropes. A rescuer took a jacket, the pickoff harness and a       helmet, and was lowered to the ledge. He attached the pickoff harness to the       subject, and attached it to the rope. Getting the subject down was priority       number one; he had fallen so there was a risk of spinal injury, but did not       have any altered sensations in his extremities. He was cold. An assessment and       plan were quickly adopted, and the rescuer traversed the ledge with the       subject to a point directly below the anchor, and they weighted the rope. The       rest of the team on top of the cliff lowered them down. The subject was taken       to the hospital for evaluation, and did not sustain any substantial injuries.              Jimmy Graham, K5GRA, president of the ARES/SAR team, said he "got into ARES       and emergency rescue services to save lives and we have saved lives." --       Michael Daly, N5SJ, Gallup, New Mexico                     ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section: A Hotbed of Public Events, Service              The ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section has long been one of the most active       sections in the country. Recent events there prove that this is still the case.              York County EC Sandra Goodman, N3ECF, reported on the May 3 Multiple Sclerosis       (MS) Walk in John Rudy Park, York. Thirteen operators participated for the       three-hour period. Operators placed at strategic locations around the mile       long course monitor for medical and other problems with walkers. Three       operators walked the course, embedded with the participants. Operators can       call for assistance quickly.              Thirty operators supported the YMCA York Marathon on May 13. The event is a       qualifier for the Boston Marathon. Several operators worked as Net Control and       at the Finish line, including aiding the announcer by providing runner numbers       as they approached the finish. Operators are placed at nine water stations       along the 26-mile route. Two operators on bicycles followed the runners,       watching for any incidents.              Because the terrain makes it difficult for all locations to reach the local       repeater, a rail trail portion of the course was divided into three zone nets.       Each net covered three or four locations, with operators communicating via VHF       simplex. Each Zone net then communicated with the Main Net Control at the       Finish in York City via the VHF repeater. Operators track the first and last       runners in each direction, and at the end of the race, advise event directors       on other runner movements.              On May 30, 45 Lycoming County amateurs and others from across the section       served with partner agencies to support the Worlds End Ultra-Marathon in       Forksville, Sullivan county. 50K and 100K trail runs were conducted through       Worlds End State Park and the Loyalsock State Forest. Travis Best, W3TMB, was       Communications Coordinator. Loyalsock Volunteer Fire Company personnel brought       IMU-18 (Incident Management Unit), which was used as a Command Post for       communications and was staffed by Amateur Radio operators, Sullivan County EMA       and Pennsylvania EMA personnel. The Montgomery county EMA brought Special Unit       630 and a portable trailer-mounted tower for use at one of the Aid Stations.       Communications were handled using the State of Pennsylvania's OpenSky network       with Amateur Radio 2-meter communications systems as back-up. A portable       2-meter repeater, provided by the Bald Eagle Repeater Association, was used to       extend coverage throughout the mountainous terrain. - Thanks to ARRL Eastern       Pennsylvania Section Emergency Coordinator W.T. Jones, W3LUZ, for compiling       and forwarding these reports.                     Santa Clara County (California) ARES/RACES Mesh Networking for Event/Incident       Response              Broadband data networking via Mesh is picking up speed in areas of the       country. The Santa Clara County (California) ARES/RACES has published a page       of related presentations, documentation, training and resources that is       current as of June 15, 2015. A link to a presentation on Amateur Radio Data       Networking for Event/Incident Communications is included. Check out the       group's activity and page here.                     K1CE for a Final              I had the good fortune of having lunch with busy ARRL Northern Florida Section       Manager Steve Szabo, WB4OMM, last week. Steve is a whirling dervish: He's a       law enforcement professional and emergency manager here in Volusia County,       Florida, and a traveling trainer for ICS/NIMS compliance with the US       Department of Homeland Security.              As busy as he is, Steve is engrossed in and committed to his job as ARRL       Section Manager. He travels across his section almost constantly for club       meetings, hamfests, and emergency management and other meetings. Our ARRL       section is geographically large, a section that includes the Orlando,       Jacksonville, and Tallahassee metropolises, and almost countless tiny rural       farm towns that dot the northern Florida landscape of agriculture, forests,       springs, and rivers, bordered by two oceans.              Steve is a renaissance man in terms of his operating interests: a DXer,       contester, active on VHF, UHF and HF using voice, CW and data modes. Steve has       a good understanding of volunteer management and human nature, and is a good       "people person." We talked about the challenges, problems, issues and concerns       faced by today's Section Manager, from ARES program recruitment, to       volunteers' understanding and embracing of our roles in working with partner       agencies in emergency management, and public safety. Thanks for lunch, Steve!              _______              And last, but certainly not least: Have a great Field Day 2015!! -- 73, Rick       Palm, K1CE, Daytona Beach, Florida                     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. 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