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AE5ME > ARES 17.06.16 17:19l 31 Lines 7082 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Read: GUEST
Subj: ARES E-Letter June 15 Part 3 of 4
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Planning
Planning for the event starts well before the March races. Recruiting volunteers starts in September with pitches at VBARC meetings. Moore starts to meet with organizers to listen to their concerns and offer suggestions. Meetings are also held with the Public Service Committee of VBARC. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) handbook was recently drafted for the volunteers/operators.
Once the volunteers have signed up for the Marathon/Half-Marathon, individuals are assigned to specific locations on the course: 26 operators for the mile markers for the full marathon and 13 for the half marathon; others are assigned to the water stops, the EOC, as drivers and riders for two pick up vans, two supply vans, and the "Tail End Charlie" vehicle, which follows the last runner. Two operators are assigned as shadows for the race directors. Rounding out the assignments is an operator at the start and finish lines, and the operators who serve as net control stations and run the APRS assets. A total of 66 volunteer operators support the marathons.
On the Thursday before the race, the mile markers and timing clocks are gathered from the race organizers and distributed to the hams per their assignments. A pre-race meeting is held that evening to receive materials and instructions, and be briefed on last minute changes. Materials include maps, and clock instructions. Safety vests are distributed to all volunteers. Event organizer J and A Racing provide handsome green jackets with each volunteer's name and call sign sewn on them for identification.
On Friday morning, the vans are equipped for the race: the tail end Charlie van and the two pick up vans are fitted with mobile dual band radios and an APRS radio. Warning lights are attached to the vans, and water, blankets and gloves are put inside. The two supply vans are also fitted with radios. The lead vehicles have a radio and APRS unit installed on Saturday night. All vans are secured for pick up on race day. On Sunday morning, the marathon course is inspected for the proper locations of the mile markers and clocks. Operators then head to the hotel room to set up the net control function.
The net control station equipment consists of two Yaesu FT-8800R dual band mobile radios supplied by the local ARES group, with two Diamond antennas strapped to the upper floor balcony. Two repeaters are used: one for north end of the course and the other for the south end. The net control station is located in the center of the course, yielding good coverage for the mobile and hand held units. The APRS receiver is set up and tested; several computers are booted up. Organizers give the hams a flash drive with runners' data to be loaded onto the net control computer.
The day before, for Saturday's races, net control operators check in the course operators and net control responsibility is transferred to the start line operator who retransmits the countdown to the start, and then the start, for all operators to hear. The start line net control operator individual retains net control priority for several minutes. The operators on the course record and report the first three male and female runners to net control, along with any issues needing to be relayed to the race directors. Minor medical issues are reported to net control and a pick up van is dispatched to take the runner to the finish line or nearest medical tent. In the event of a serious medical problem, all radio communications other than the emergency communications are stopped, and the runner is stabilized and evacuated. When the 8K is over, the VBARC crew supports the other Saturday races.
Sunday activity starts at 5 AM with the operators and net control finalizing details, and troubleshooting. Then, roll is called and on-course stations are checked in. call. The start of the Half Marathon is at 7 AM with up to 10,000 runners, followed by the full marathon at 8:30 with up to 4000 runners. As the runners are on the course, net control and the on-course operators track the runners, report injuries, watch for problems and try to resolve any issues that arise. As the day wears down, radio traffic is mainly runners' needs, supply issues at water stops, location of the vans and securing a mile marker or clock location when the last runner has passed through. The volunteer ham operator is free to leave once his station has been secured.
Once the last runner has crossed the finish line, net control operators secure their station, pack up and leave. Radios, lights and APRS gear are removed from the vans, stowed, and the vans are returned. Race data is collected for the hot wash and planning for next year, and the operators head home.
Tom Moore, WS9B, compiles the collected data and files a report with the race organizers. Moore accepts emails from the volunteers with recommendations for changes for next year. Every suggestion is considered, and results in the Shamrock Marathon radio communications being conducted and coordinated very efficiently by the members of VBARES. Moore and his committee spend hundreds of hours planning, talking to volunteers and using the best in Amateur Radio practice and communication gear, to help the city of Virginia Beach successfully pull off the Shamrock Marathon and other races and runs through the entire year. VBARES members are especially proud of the contributions that they make to the community, and the community shares that pride with VBARES. -- Steve Isenmann, W0JTC, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Ad
HDSCS Follows Up on Issues from Orange County Drill
The Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS) antenna team is starting its follow up at hospitals that exhibited problems during the Orange County (California) Multi-Agency Spring Drill. The HDSCS is a group of about 80 radio amateurs who have volunteered to provide backup internal and external communications for critical medical facilities in Orange County, whenever normal communications are interrupted for any reason. Last year, the HDSCS celebrated its 35th year of service.
Most of the issues seem to be related to recent hospital remodeling or new construction. A few hospitals though, are moving their command centers, or adding an alternate command center, and now want HDSCS assistance to determine the best locations for antennas on the roof and the most appropriate locations for terminations of coax runs.
Later this month, the HDSCS Field Day team will operate Field Day at the Huntington Beach Hospital, which is hosting HDSCS for the 13th year. This year there is a new CEO and disaster coordinator to show what we can do in setting up emergency communications in a major area wide disaster by making use of existing structures, such as flag poles and exterior stairways. In addition, hospital staffers deploy surge capacity tents and portable generators for HDSCS use. With this collaborative effort, the hospital can show accrediting agencies how they work with resources from the community. -- April Moell, WA6OPS, District Emergency Coordinator, Orange Section ARES
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