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CX2SA > ARES 22.07.12 00:45l 381 Lines 20556 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: ARES E-Letter July 11, 2012
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From: CX2SA@CX2SA.SAL.URY.SA
To : ARES@WW
The ARES E-Letter July 11, 2012
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
"NR 3 R N4FR 23 FRANKLIN TN JUNE 23
RICK PALM K1CE
AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE
"WILLIAMSON COUNTY TN ARES OPERATING FIELD DAY FROM EASTERN FLANK
BATTLEFIELD PARK IN FRANKLIN X APPROX ONE HUNDRED ARES MEMBERS PARTICIPATING
X 73
"GARY HEDDEN - W8JFP
EMERGENCY COORDINATOR
WILLIAMSON COUNTY TN ARES"
Way to go, guys! Hope everyone had a good Field Day. - K1CE
____________
In This Issue:
-ARRL to Host Webinar on Amateur Radio Response to 2012 Hurricane Season:
July 17
-Tropical Storm Debby Spawns Severe Weather and SKYWARN Response
-Colorado Wildfires Response
-Minnesota Flood 0f 2012 - Hams Respond
-Letters: On Upgrading
-Tips: DIY Equipment Labeling
-Letters: US Virgin Islands Section Works with EMA/EOC
-Training: ARRL Courses Updated
-Letters: Sometimes We Get Noticed
-K1CE For a Final
ARRL to Host Webinar on Amateur Radio Response to 2012 Hurricane Season:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 17
-------
The ARRL will host a webinar from 8-9:30 PM EDT Tuesday, July 17 (0000-0130
UTC Wednesday, July 18) to present information about the 2012 hurricane
season and the Amateur Radio response. The program will offer presentations
from representatives from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and WX4NHC
(the Amateur Radio station at the NHC), the VoIP Hurricane Net, the
Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) and the ARRL. Webinar registration is open to all,
but this informative web session will be of particular interest to those
amateurs in hurricane-prone areas. If you are interested in emergency
communications and hurricane preparedness and response, you are invited to
attend this online presentation.
The following items will be included in the webinar:
-Opening remarks and introduction of presenters.
-Meteorological Overview of the Upcoming Season, presented by VoIP Hurricane
Net Director of Operations and ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency
Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY.
-Amateur Radio WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center: Who We Are and What
We Do and How to Contact WX4NHC and Submit Surface Reports During a
Hurricane, presented by WX4NHC Assistant Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R
-WX4NHC Weather Initiatives: APRS, ON-NHC, CARMEN and CWOP Programs and
Equipment, presented by WX4NHC Coordinator John McHugh, K4AG
-ARRL Coordination and Interface, presented by ARRL Emergency Preparedness
Manager Mike Corey, KI1U
-VoIP Hurricane Net, presented by Rob Macedo, KD1CY
-Hurricane Watch Net, presented by Hurricane Watch Net Assistant Net Manager
Tom Gerard, KB3ONZ
-Q&A Session and Closing Remarks
To register for this webinar, please click here.
Tropical Storm Debby Spawns Severe Weather and SKYWARN Response
---------------------------------------------------------------
On Sunday, June 24, 2012 Tropical Storm Debby spawned severe weather in
Pinellas County, Florida, particularly in the Pass a Grille area of St.
Petersburg. The Pinellas County SKYWARN net was activated around 10:35 AM
with the issuance of a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. The net remained active
at several different alert levels for just over 11 hours, until 9:45 PM that
evening. In all, 27 Amateur Radio operators checked in to the net and the
four operators who rotated duties as the net control.
The most significant event occurred in the evening, when one of 10 tornadoes
spawned by Debby touched down in southern Pinellas. At about 8:14 PM, a
Tornado Warning was issued for Pinellas County as radar indicated a tornado
near Ft. Desoto Park, moving north. The Net was immediately moved from
standby to code red. For Pinellas county, code red means severe weather is
imminent. At 8:23 PM, Jack Satterfield, W4GRJ, reported multiple
transformers blowing in the Pass a Grille area and advised that his son's
house located just south of his location had a window blown out. This report
was relayed to the NWS within 1-2 minutes. The NWS put this report in a
Severe Weather Statement released shortly afterward. W4GRJ made follow up
reports of roofs torn off of a couple of buildings and power lines down in
Pass a Grille, all of which were relayed to NWS.
Post storm surveys by the NWS indicated an EF-1 tornado with winds of 80-85
mph had touched down in Pass a Grille at 8:21 PM and lifted at 8:25 PM. The
tornado had a path length of 3.3 miles and a width of 50 yards. The tornado
actually started as a waterspout that then moved onshore. Damage included a
tourist rental building that had the top unit removed/destroyed; fortunately
no one was in this top unit.
When asked about the way the reports were passed on to the National Weather
Service, Justin McBride, KJ4REU, Pinellas SKYWARN Coordinator replied, "Our
net maintained contact with the National Weather Service throughout the
event using the NWS online chat system, which allows us to interact directly
with the forecasters in real time and quickly relay reports received from
our spotters." Justin added, "This event highlighted the unique ability of
SKYWARN Amateur Radio operators to get reports to the NWS well ahead of
other sources. The reports of the tornado damage in southern Pinellas from
the spotter located in Pass a Grille were relayed to the NWS approximately
10 minutes before 911 and the media received and/or relayed the
information." Asked to summarize the performance of the SKYWARN spotters,
McBride said, "Our SKYWARN activation for Tropical Storm Debby underscored
the value of training, organization, and frequent practice in our program,
which allowed us to respond effectively to the situation. Although
ultimately the damage and injuries associated with this storm system were
only minor to moderate, the event gave us additional experience, which will
better prepare us for future, more severe events." - source: Kevin Poorman,
KV4CT, West Central Florida Public Information Coordinator
Colorado Wildfires Response
---------------------------
Thanks to an extremely dry season, portions of Colorado have been ravaged by
wildfires. As of July 5, only a handful of the fires are considered
extinguished or fully contained, with the majority considered still active.
According to InciWeb, almost 170,000 acres are affected by 11 active fires.
Since June 9 -- when the High Park Fire, the first of the wildfires began --
hams in Colorado have been assisting with disaster communications, providing
communications support to the State and served agencies. Complete report
here. -- ARRL Letter, ARRL Web SIte
Minnesota Flood 0f 2012 - Hams Respond
--------------------------------------
Northeast and north central Minnesota recently suffered one of its worst
rain fall events in many years. As much as 10 inches of rain inundated this
part of the state, and its effects will be felt for many years as recovery
takes place.
A powerful low pressure area moved into the region from the Pacific
Northwest on the heels of previous systems that had saturated the ground in
the Upper Midwest. Along with another moisture laden front from the south,
the stage for flooding was set. The National Weather Service had been
warning of the potential for flash flooding in the days preceding the
arrival of the system, and with the ground saturated, the potential became a
reality as the area of low pressure moved slowly across the region on June
19 and 20. Torrential rainfall from severe thunderstorms that trained along
the front caused havoc as many communities and counties were affected. Homes
and businesses were flooded, and roads and bridges were either dangerously
compromised or washed out by rushing flood waters.
Lake County Emergency Coordinator Jeff Nast, KCMKS, reported that Northland
SKYWARN was activated from 1800Z on June 19 until 0145Z on the next day.
Lake County RACES/ARES was also activated on June 20 to provide emergency
communications for a fiber cable failure at the Knife River expressway bridge.
Cook County officials requested disaster response communications for the
hospital in Grand Marais. All communications were severed during the storm,
and the hospital was without contact with the hospitals in Duluth. Pat
Scully, NWSI, made the request and a communications response resulted. "We
were without phone, cell, Internet, and 911 service for approximately 12
hours," reported Jayne Fingerman-Johnson, NUYQ, of the Cook County ARES
Response Team (CCART). "We set up our Amateur Radio station at the Cook
County Northshore Hospital to provide communications to the outside world."
Garry Hooghkirk, KDDHB, Bob Schulz, KCNFB, and Tom Kurtovich, KBLSS,
responded to the St. Louis County EOC in Pike Lake. Gary Hanson, KDCVO,
Dave Leslie, KC9MKJ, and Doug Nelson, AAAW, activated the Douglas County,
Wisconsin EOC to coordinate communications to Grand Marais as well as for
net controls for a Duluth/Superior net to record road closure information to
help travelers trying to get through the area. "We had people running net
control from the Douglas County EOC, and St. Louis EOC was also manned,"
Nast reported. "We also had a presence at the NWS during the net." [See more
info, links here.]
Nast activated the EOC in Two Harbors for Lake County. Bob Hoyt, KCEIM and
Grant Forsyth, KCWUP went up to the radio desk at the National Weather
Service office in Duluth to become real time providers of any weather
information needed. Garry Hawkinson, WELH, set up and monitored 7.250 MHz
SSB as a back up.
Bill Fleischman, KCZZL, located phone numbers for Life Flight to establish
hard wire communications with them if needed. Ham communicators handled
closure information and a doctor replacement issue. Dave Miller, WNWO, was
instrumental in coordinating many facets of the response. Several local
amateur operators went mobile and called in damaged areas to the net.
A call for help came in from MPR (Minnesota Public Radio): One of their
reporters had a relative living up the shore in Two Harbors, and hams were
able to give her information so that her Dad's medical supply service could
get supplies to him.
Regular communication services were restored to the Northshore communities
and the amateur response was no longer required. Thanks to the active
participation by many local ARES members, a ready and capable multifaceted
response resulted. Thanks to all operators who took time from their own
issues to make Amateur Radio work in this time of need. While the severity
and widespread magnitude of the flooding exceeded expectations, the hams
were still able to meet the challenge. Once again, Amateur Radio proved
itself as being the one reliable means of communication in a real emergency
when all else fails. -- KDCI's Radio Newsletter, July 2012 issue; by Doug
Nelson AAAW, with contributions by Jayne Fingerman-Johnson NUYQ, Kenny
Broshofske KDCI, and Jeff Nast, KCMKS
Letters: On Upgrading
---------------------
Thanks for the excellent commentary in the June ARES E-Letter about license
upgrading. In recent years, I have seen a large number of new hams join the
hobby specifically so they could become involved in disaster response work.
They have become a valuable community asset, yet have limited themselves to
the VHF/UHF frequencies in the false belief that only VHF/UHF frequencies
are necessary in an emergency.
Mike's article presents very convincing reasoning as to the need for these
individuals to extend their capabilities by upgrading. Well Done! -- Dale
Williams, WA8EFK, Vice Director, ARRL Great Lakes Division
Tips: DIY Equipment Labeling
----------------------------
Here is an interesting DIY project for labeling your equipment with tape.
This tape should be fairly permanent if you use pop rivets to fasten it to
something. Seems like it would make a good equipment ID for when you have to
take expensive stuff into the field (emergency exercises, Field Day, or
actual emergencies). And several locals swear by E-6000 glue as an
alternative for application of the labels. --Rick Herndon, K5FNI, Mathis,
Texas; Life Member, ARRL; Official Emergency Station
Letters: US Virgin Islands Section Works with EMA/EOC
-----------------------------------------------------
Thanks for the nice tribute to NP2B in the last ARES E-Letter. lt will be an
honor to continue John's fine legacy. [Fred Kleber, K9VV/NP2X is the new US
Virgin Islands Section Manager, taking the reins from longtime SM John
Ellis, NP2B, who stepped down recently after exemplary service to the
section -- ed.]
John and I have been working with VITEMA, the Virgin Islands Territorial
Emergency Management Agency for a little over a year. We have built up their
St. Croix EOC comms center from scratch. While the agency had most of the
equipment, they needed assistance to assemble it and operate it. We were
able to obtain leftover hardware and assistance from FEMA to assemble a
fully-functional emcomm center.
We have been working closely with VITEMA mangament and the VI National
Guard. It just so happens that the VITEMA Director is also a Brigadier
General in the Guard. We participate in the weekly FEMA HF net (FNARS) and
are in the process of organizing a weekly HF net between key governmental
agencies in the VI and Puerto Rico.
Last year we activated for a couple of tropical storms that were in the
area. Our goal is to continually "push the bar higher" and be even better
prepared for another direct strike. Being on a small Caribbean island means
that evacuation is much less of an option. This places a much greater
importance on emcomm as the bulk of our post-storm relief will come from
"off-island." I can tell you that my previous CERT, NHC, NIMS, ICS and ARRL
emcomm training has proven invaluable in this exercise.
There are some photos of our progress on the VITEMA website. We will be
hosting license classes shortly for VITEMA and TSA personnel. Hopefully this
will lead to even more KP2 activity! While the comms stuff is cool, the best
part is that we have made life-long friendships within VITEMA and the
community. These too will be invaluable when the "rubber hits the road" and
we have to pull together in the aftermath of a storm. -- Fred Kleber, K9VV,
ARRL USVI Section Manager, Gallows Bay Station, Christiansted, VI
Training: ARRL Courses Updated
------------------------------
The former Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (AREC) series of three
levels of emergency communications courses has been reconfigured into two
new courses: An introductory course for radio amateurs who want to volunteer
to provide services for public service and emergency communications, and a
course for leaders and managers who are responsible for training and
coordinating response efforts. The course descriptions for both of these
courses that make up the ARRL's ARES training program can be found in the
ARRL Online Course Catalog. Links to register for each course are included
in the course descriptions.
Introduction to Emergency Communication
The Introduction to Emergency Communication course (#EC-001) is an update of
the former Level 1 course. It is designed to provide basic knowledge and
tools for any ham who wants to serve as a Public Service volunteer. It also
provides an opportunity for non-hams who rely on communications in emergency
situations to learn about Amateur Radio and its unique role in emergencies.
The course is offered online using the Moodle online learning platform. When
you register for the course, you will need to demonstrate completion of two
FEMA course pre-requisites: Introduction to the Incident Command System
(ICS-100 [IS-100.b]) and National Incident Management System (IS-700). This
is a mentored course. You will be assigned to correspond with an experienced
radio amateur who will be your resource for any questions you have about the
course content.
Public Service and Emergency Communications Management for Radio Amateurs
The Public Service and Emergency Communications Management for Radio
Amateurs course (#EC-016) is designed for Amateur Radio operators who will
be in leadership and managerial roles, organizing other volunteers to
support public service activities and communications emergencies. In this
course, participants will learn how radio amateurs prepare and organize to
support local community events and, when working in coordination with
governmental and other emergency response organizations, how to deploy their
services to provide communications when needed in an emergency.
This course is available online on the ARRL website to all League members.
The course can be accessed without a fee or enrollment directly through the
ARRL website. To view the course, you must be logged into the ARRL website
as a member, or as a "Guest" member. This is a self-study course that you
may complete at your own pace.
Letters: Sometimes We Get Noticed
---------------------------------
I wanted to share this story of interest to others who volunteer and support
their communities in times of need. After recent major forest fires in the
mountains above Colorado Springs with the loss of several lives and 350
homes lost, and a resulting 32,000 evacuees, flash flooding became our next
urgent concern. Our local RACES team was activated by the Sheriff's Office
to act as spotters for rising streams and possible flash flooding.
On a recent night as I stood in rain on the center span of the steel
pedestrian bridge about 20' above a dark raging torrent of Monument Creek's
muddy water, a passerby stopped to observe with me and comment about how
amazingly fast the water had come up. I quickly agreed and said "Yeah, my
buddy and I have been here awhile watching it and you should have seen it --
it went from just ankle deep to chest high in a matter of seconds!" Seeing
my yellow safety vest he asked if I was with the city works or other agency.
I said, "No, we're just a bunch of ham radio operators who volunteer our
time to the county; we're actually with the El Paso County Sheriff Office."
I then went on to explain there was similar flash flood spotter teams
strategically placed throughout the county watching streams rise and then
using our radios to report observations back to the EOC. He said, "It's
great to know someone's out here watching our backs!" He then turned and
extended his hand to shake mine and said "Nice to meet someone on the front
lines." He thanked me for being there and then went on his way.
I must say I wore a proud smile as I walked back across the bridge in the
drizzle realizing that yep, that's what we do alright; we're out here
watching our community's back while they sleep, watch TV, and live their
lives. It sure felt great and meant a lot to be paid a huge unsolicited
thanks, especially from someone who probably is sleeping a little better
tonight knowing that someone has his back! -- Steve Galchutt, WG0AT,
Monument, Colorado
K1CE For a Final
----------------
ARRL HQ sends regular and current notices of interest to disaster response
communicators via Twitter. Follow ARRL's EmComm news at Twitter:
@ARRL_EMCOMM. I am also active on Twitter: Follow @K1CE.
Keep cool! 73, Rick K1CE, Daytona Beach, Florida
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