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Subj: ARES E-Letter October 6, 2010
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The ARES E-Letter October 6, 2010
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
The View from Flagler County
----------------------------
Flagler County Emergency Services, the governmental agency responsible for
the management of the large county EOC, has elected to change the way it
coordinates with volunteer groups, including several emergency
communications groups. ARESİ will be incorporated under this new structure.
Instead of having volunteer communicators and operators serve the EOC via
liaison with leaders of the volunteer groups, emergency management will now
seek to manage the volunteers directly by having each volunteer apply for
and be trained for specific duties under the direct supervision of EM
officials.
From the EM Web site: "Without trained and organized volunteers government
cannot properly respond to or recover from the impacts of large disasters.
Flagler County Emergency Management is accepting applications for volunteers
under the Division's new volunteer program. The Flagler Emergency Management
Volunteer (FEMV) organization will be open to all residents of Flagler
County. All volunteers in this organization will be trained, issued uniform
shirts and an identification badge. FEMV members will be under the direction
of Flagler County Emergency Management . . . for preparedness, response,
recovery and mitigation efforts. Volunteers who have previously provided
services to Flagler County, whether direct or through a volunteer agency,
are requested to complete an application immediately. Recruitment and
training dates will be posted . . ."
Our job as ARESİ operators in the county is to continue to support the EOC
to the best of our abilities and training, under the new management
approach. There is, of course, the continuing role of our EC Robbie Creal,
KG4HUF, to provide internal leadership, recruitment and training for our
ARESİ organization.
______
Early indications are that the massive communications support effort for
this past weekend's major MS-150 event here in northeastern Florida was a
huge success, according to EC KG4HUF. More on the effort in next month's
issue.
___________
In This Issue:
The View from Flagler County
ARESİ Digest
ARRL Introduces First Challenge Coin
Major New Northern Florida Plan Unveiled
Junior ARESİ Program in Florida
Idea: Neighborhood HamWatch Program
Letters
K1CE For a Final
___________
ARESİ Digest
------------
Congratulations to Douglas County (Oregon) EC Jerry Eifert, AE7ER, of
Roseburg, who has won the Oregon Volunteer of the Year Award. A fine
newspaper article tells the story here.
2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season
With nine tropical storms and four hurricanes, the 2010 season has been a
busy one. Beginning with Hurricane Alex in June, hams at WX4NHC -- the
Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida --
and weather spotters around the country have kept an eye on these storms.
Hurricane Earl came in late August and early September, Hurricane Karl in
September and then Hurricane Igor made its way across the Canadian
Maritimes. The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and
will continue through November 30. Read more here. - ARRL Letter, September
23, 2010 issue
Southeast Plans Major SET Effort
For two years in a row, Alabama has finished fourth in the country out of 52
participating sections in the annual ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET).
Jefferson County alone scored 555 points in 2009, placing the county in
fourth place in the country out of 330 county/local level participating
groups. Jefferson County's score alone was higher than the scores of 27
states/sections. However, despite Calhoun and Jefferson counties both
scoring over 500 points in 2009, Alabama's total fell by over 900 points.
This appears to be due to fewer groups participating (14 in 2008, 12 in
2009) and lower scores (11 groups scored 168 or higher in 2008, only five
scored 168 or higher in 2009).
So Jefferson County EC Hub Harvey, N4HUB is asking his operators "what are
you doing to be ready, resilient and responsive"? His organization plans to
participate with Shelby County as a partner this year in a "Metropolitan
SET." They will activate several served agency stations and are asking nine
Jefferson County hospitals with Amateur Radio equipment to participate.
This year's SET will be like no other: The Alabama, Northern Florida and
Georgia Sections are all participating together in an exercise dubbed
"Hurricane Jay." The Alabama State EMA will be participating, with EC Les
Rayburn, N1LF, activating the State EOC. Jefferson, Shelby, Talladega, and
Calhoun counties are all on board with plans for this year's SET. Harvey
asks, "can we be number ONE in more than just football this year"? -- Hub
Harvey, N4HUB, Alabama Emergency Manager, Jefferson County ARESİ Emergency
Coordinator [Harvey was recently awarded Advanced Level Professional
Certification by the Alabama Association of Emergency Managers - ed.]
ARRL Introduces First Challenge Coin
------------------------------------
This month, ARRL and the Amateur Radio community celebrate the 75th
anniversary of ARESİ. To help commemorate this milestone, ARRL has
introduced an anniversary Challenge Coin. The die-struck, one and one half
inch brass coin depicts, on one side, the ARESİ 75th anniversary logo in
gold with red, white and blue color fill. The other side of the coin
includes the ARRL diamond logo against a hemisphere of the world. "Around
the perimeter of the ARESİ logo are the words READY, RESILIENT and
RESPONSIVE," said Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Mike Corey,
W5MPC. "These words represent the critical need that ARESİ activities have
provided, and will continue to provide into the future. The Challenge Coin
honors the service of ARESİ volunteers and all Amateur Radio operators that
respond to the call of public service. We hope ARESİ volunteers will enjoy
the honor of having the first Challenge Coin issued by ARRL", said Corey.
While there are many stories about the origin and history of challenge
coins, these medals have been popular with organizations and leagues for
decades. Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R added, "Challenge Coins are
probably most common among the military and civil service organizations.
These mementos are often used to commemorate a special occasion or to show
loyalty among individuals that share pride and affinity for a particular
service or agency. The coins are even popular among police, fire and EMS
officials." The coin is struck with the year-of-issue, which in this case is
2010. Five diamond shapes on the coin's head signify the five ARRL pillars:
public service, advocacy, education, technology and membership. "We hope
this is the first of a series of Challenge Coins for ARRL," said
Inderbitzen. The ARESİ 75th Anniversary Challenge Coin, as well as
commemorative t-shirts and mugs, are available directly from ARRL
http://www.arrl.org/shop/Emergency-Communications/.
Major New Northern Florida Plan Unveiled
----------------------------------------
A Herculean effort by a panel of leading Florida radio amateurs has resulted
in a new emcomm plan for the large and disaster-prone ARRL Northern Florida
section. The new plan was announced by Section Manager Paul Eakin, KJ4G,
reflecting changes in emergency management and radio communications over the
course of the past few years.
The major change is that the new plan is centered on NIMS ICS protocols. It
refers to a section-wide ARESİ data base that meets the requirements of the
section's major served agency: the Florida State EOC at Tallahassee. The
data base includes records of NIMS, ICS and ARRL course certifications, FCC
addresses, resource typing for filling deployment assignments, contact
information for next of kin, and limited medical data. (More on the data
base below).
As an example of standardization, plan co-author David Miner, W4SKG, the
Assistant DEC of the Capital District, reworked the Incident Command System
message form ICS 213 to incorporate the ARRL Radiogram format. "The Northern
Florida Section is adapting this form as our official message form," said
Eakin. "The Florida State EOC has stated that all traffic coming into and
going out of the facility will be required to have a contact person,
authority notation and phone number to be accepted as valid." "This is for
tracking purposes; our new integrated form has provisions for phone numbers
and authority positions," Eakin said.
The Plan
The new Northern Florida ARESİ Emergency Communications Plan (download at
bottom of page) serves the local Emergency Manager and the local community
Amateur Radio operator to promote relationships that will best serve the
emergency communication needs of their communities under the ARESİ banner.
The plan has two purposes: The first is to provide professional Emergency
Managers with an understanding of who, what, and how Amateur Radio
volunteers can assist in the emergency communications function. The second
is to provide a systematic method for Amateur Radio operators to voluntarily
deliver supplemental radio communication services when requested by local,
state and national-level Emergency Managers. The plan provides Amateur Radio
operators with a consistent, effective and scalable communications response
framework under the ARESİ program.
The plan recognizes that the National Incident Management System (NIMS) is
the national standard that promotes interoperability among the various
disciplines and agencies. ARESİ members are expected to have an Incident
Command and management organization that emergency managers and responders
in the field can easily recognize and work with. In emergency situations,
the ARESİ organization serves that purpose by having various section
officers and appointees assume emergency response duties. Each local ARESİ
(city or county) should consider adopting an emergency organization
structure that conforms to the NIMS standard also.
The plan delineates different levels of response: Local (city or county)
level; State level; and National level. To facilitate responses, the
Northern Florida section maintains the Northern Florida ARESİ Data Base
(NFLDB) of Amateur Radio operators who have registered to serve at the state
level in times of communication emergencies. The data base contains a formal
record of each volunteer's demonstrated radio communication performance
capabilities, education courses successfully completed, and stated personal
deployment requirements so that assignment of individual operators to
emergency deployment missions can be made. When state level requests for
services are received by the Section, this data base will be the only
repository from which deployment selections will be made.
Activation Levels
As for levels of activation, "No Alert" is the normal situation for Amateur
Radio communications: No state of alert or emergency exists.
When a situation arises, affected ECs and DECs may declare any of three
levels of alert of their organization. Level III is the "monitoring phase"
and alerts operators in a specified area or functional unit (such as a net)
that their services may be needed on short notice in the next 24-48 hours.
Level II is a "partial activation" and constitutes an operational status.
Level I is the highest possible level of alert in an emergency
communications operation. It is useful for controlling HF circuits when
heavy traffic and large numbers of stations may increase channel load on nets.
When distress traffic is being handled on any emergency net or frequency,
the activated level is automatically Level I and remains so until all
distress traffic has been cleared.
"Full Scale Activation" can be declared at the Section level only by the SM,
by issuance of a Priority bulletin to be transmitted on all active net
frequencies. It applies solely to nets and geographic areas designated in
the formal order.
The "Stand Down Phase" authorizes DECs and ECs to begin the stand-down
process of the activation. Stand Down is permissive only; it does not
require that operations be shut down in the specified area. It simply
advises the designated DECs and/or ECs that no apparent reasons exist for
continuing operation unless they have local requirements.
Any portion of the Section Plan can be activated in support of any incident
in the State of Florida and/or whenever the FEOC is activated, and
specifically when mid-state relay is necessary to support operators in other
ARRL sections requiring relay to/from the FEOC.
Net Operations
The plan calls for use of both the NTS standard ARRL message format and the
ICS-213, as they are similar in purpose, but remain different in structure.
Emergency Management and EOC personnel are going to be using the ICS-213
format, but messages received from other sources will likely be in the
standard ARRL format, unfamiliar to Emergency Management officials. The
ARESİ operator should place the ARRL-formatted message into the body section
of the ICS-213 before delivering it. Thus the ARRL message remains intact,
and the Emergency Management official has a document he understands. Using
these procedures will enable the uninterrupted flow of message traffic, and
the messages will be in a format familiar to the users and recipients.
State EOC Messages Protocol
The Florida State EOC accepts any and all messages from any source. However,
its staff prefers an Amateur Radio liaison of only one licensee, regardless
of where in the state an incident might occur. For practical purposes, the
contact person is the Northern Florida Section Manager or his/her designate.
Amateur Radio operators will be deployed to the FEOC only upon the EOC's
request, and these amateurs will be trained by the FEOC, the STM and the
Capital DEC.
Given the size of Florida and the fact there are three ARRL Sections within
the state, there are times when an incident might occur and not impact the
Northern Florida Section. In such cases, the Florida EOC will need to
establish amateur communications with the Section where the incident is
located, and the Northern Florida Section will need to mobilize to support
such communications.
"Mid-State Relay" Stations
When HF conditions are poor, stations in the central part of the state
(along the I-4 corridor) will be used as "Mid-State Relay" stations. They
will stand by on a selected HF frequency to assist in communications when
the Florida EOC needs direct contact with a station too weak to copy in
adverse conditions.
The GATEway Voice Network System
The "GATEway Stations" are a group of operators who are in constant VHF/UHF
contact with the Florida EOC, regardless of where in the state an incident
might be. The FEOC prefers all traffic to come through the gateway system,
properly formatted and identified. These operators are an elite group. They
are WINLINK-qualified, hold FEMA certifications and are all appointed as
ARRL Official Relay Stations (ORS). Their function during any activation is
to serve as a liaison point to the FEOC, using whatever mode(s) is mandated
by the FEOC for that incident.
The "GATEway Network" is comprised of selected HF voice stations that also
have access to local VHF/UHF voice networks. When alerted, typically, each
District will have a GATEway Station available on the HF North Florida
Emergency Net (NFEN) and on the District VHF voice network.
A GATEway cannot function without VHF links to the County EOC and other
local points designated by the EC or DEC. ECs are strongly encouraged to use
the County and District VHF nets and avoid using HF at all, if possible, for
local communications. This reduces congestion and confusion on the HF
Emergency Net and expedites all traffic.
Vetting by Local and State Agencies
ARESİ operators are subject to a criminal background check. To qualify for
official deployment requires the operator to provide a Florida Driver's
License ID number when registering in the Northern Florida Section Database.
Deployment for emergencies directed by the Northern Florida Section will not
be authorized unless the operator has voluntarily submitted the necessary
information to be officially listed in the Northern Florida Data Base.
ARESİ Training Requirements
In Northern Florida, the following course certifications are required:
1. ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Courses
o Introduction to Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (EC-001)
o Advanced Emergency Communications (Combined L2 and L3 ). Requires SM
recommendation and approval. For DECs and above.
2. National Incident Management System Courses
o IS-00100 - Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS 100)
o IS-00200 - IS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents (ICS 200)
o IS 00700 - National Incident Management System (NIMS) an Introduction (ICS
700)
o IS-00800 - A National Response Plan (NRP,) an Introduction (IS 800)
o IS-00802 - Emergency Support Function (ESF-2) -- Communications
The new plan was drafted by a fantastic team and reviewed by Florida State
EOC staffers John Fleming, WD4FFX, and James Montague, K4IMO. The team
leader for the project was Andy Gausz, KG4QCD, from the Lake Monroe Amateur
Radio Society (LMARS) club, who worked many hours coordinating, composing,
proof reading, researching facts and working with the whole team. Other team
members were Rick Harrelson, WB4ULT; Ron Mettler, WB4GHU; bud Thompson,
N0IA; Mike Lee, WB6RTH and David Miner, W4SKG. There were several amateurs
who, after reading the first published edition, sent in valuable corrections
that will enhance the document: W3EQJ; Carl Zelich, AA4MI; Neil Lauritsen,
W4NHL; and Alan McGrew, KC4MTS. [Congratulations on a superb job, gentlemen.
-- K1CE]
Junior ARESİ Program in Florida
-------------------------------
The Duval County (Jacksonville, Florida) ARESİ organization has found a way
to incorporate the growing number of young hams into their activities. The
entry level path there is through their Junior ARESİ program. It serves
effectively as a method to train and retain those who are under 18 but still
want to be involved in ARESİ functions. Check out the Duval County Junior
ARESİ Program Web site, or contact General Dailey, KD4VVZ, for more info.
This type of operation might just be what your group needs as well. -
Northern Florida Section News, Paul Eakin, KJ4G, Northern Florida Section
Manager
Idea: Neighborhood HamWatch Program
-----------------------------------
The goal of the Neighborhood HamWatch program is to provide a way for every
capable Amateur Radio operator who isn't involved in a deployed active ARESİ
operation to serve his/her community in an emergency communication role.
HamWatch amateurs are good communicators, and have ample stations with
emergency power they can use during periods of extended communication
outages that often follow major disasters. These amateurs augment the active
ARESİ volunteers and are active participants of the emergency communications
system at the neighborhood level.
Program objectives include: 1) Communicate neighborhood conditions to local
EOCs. Emergency Managers will be provided access to first-hand information.
They will handle heath and welfare messages, report crime and fulfill other
communications needs. 2) Relay information from local Emergency Managers
back to their neighbors so they are better informed of relief efforts.
Participation in the program requires operators to have the desire and
capability to use their licenses to help their neighbors. There is no
special training or equipment burden necessary. A valid license and a
2-meter/UHF radio and/or HF rig will do the job.
Neighborhood HamWatch operators also communicate with ARESİ stations that
are in direct contact with local government EOCs. Because of commercial
outages, this may be the only link to the outside world for a neighborhood.
Operators describe neighborhood conditions, medical needs, and dangerous
situations to Emergency Managers and staff. Emergency Managers can relay
messages back to neighborhoods.
How to get started? An informational brochure is available here, which will
help explain the program and can be printed by local hams and distributed to
their neighbors. This will acquaint neighbors with their next-door Amateur
Radio operators and establish the Neighborhood HamWatch groups. ARESİ ECs,
and NCS's can help by including a check-in option for Neighborhood HamWatch
operators during or immediately following training nets so participating
hams can begin establishing contact familiarity.
For more information contact: Andy Gausz, KG4QCD, President, Lake Monroe
(Florida) Amateur Radio Society; Neighborhood HamWatch Coordinator, from
Northern Florida Section News, Paul Eakin, KJ4G, Northern Florida Section
Manager
Letters
-------
[Ralph Phillips, P.E., KE5HDF, of Houston, Texas, responds to the comments
of Jeff Sabatini, KI6BCX, Redlands, California, in the last issue. - ed.]
Jeff Sabatini, KI6BCX, made some very good comments about my hurricane plans
discussed in the August 11, 2010 issue, and I appreciated them. I do need to
re-think the use of pool shock to convert pool water to drinking water. The
mix I use lists the only ingredient as calcium hypochlorite. Bleach uses
sodium hypochlorite. I will contact the manufacturer to ask about other
"inert" ingredients. Jeff's other points were valid also, and I have taken
them into consideration:
ú I store 10 gallons of drinking water before the storm (some people store
up to 50 gallons for a family of four).
ú I freeze as much water as I can in plastic bottles and tubs. It helps
preserve my food and provides cool water to drink as it melts.
ú Filtering: 4-5 layers of cheese cloth removes almost anything
non-microbial. Coffee filters do well also.
ú Sewage and hydrocarbons: My home sits on the highest point for a mile or
more; storm water has never risen past the curb of the street, even during
TS Allison, which flooded 80% of the city. There is very little chance of
contaminated water entering my swimming pool.
ú My plan is to drink the stored water first and use pool water only if the
outage lasts beyond 3-4 days.
ú I have a propane grill with 2 large bottles of gas, plus a natural gas
line I can hook up (I can convert the grill easily).
I do appreciate Jeff's insights and comments. Even though my location is
safe from flood water, others will not be so lucky and need to be made aware
of the hazards you mentioned. I will write back with what the pool shock
manufacturer says about using it to sterilize drinking water. -- Ralph E.
Phillips, KE5HDF, Houston, Texas
K1CE For a Final
----------------
Congratulations to the framers of the major, new rewrite of the Northern
Florida Emergency Communications Plan. It not only provides an excellent
platform for section activations, but also serves as a fine template and
model for local, county, and other section efforts.
_____
I'd like to hear from other groups around the country who have had their
local or county EOCs change to direct management of volunteers, like Flagler
County recently did, discussed above in "The View from Flagler County." What
were the impacts on your local ARESİ programs, the good, the bad and the ugly?
See you next month! 73, Rick, K1CE, Flagler County, Florida
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