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Subj: ARES E-Letter October 16, 2013
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The ARES E-Letter October 16, 2013
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
In This Issue:
- From Your Editor: ARES E-Letter Goals for its Ninth Year
- News in Brief
- On the Colorado Flood Disaster Response
- San Joaquin Valley SM Commends Wildfire Team
- CERT Training in Denver to Include ARES
- Volunteers Needed for Marine Corps Marathon Operation
- ARRL Iowa Section ARES Code of Conduct
- Essay: Amateur Radio is an Application Mash-Up
- K1CE For a Final
From Your Editor: ARES E-Letter Goals for its Ninth Year
--------------------------------------------------------
This issue of your ARES E-Letter marks the beginning of the ninth year of
its publication as an ARRL monthly electronic periodical. The first issues
came in September, 2005, during the Hurricane Katrina mega-disaster. Those
issues contained much network and other critical information from the field,
with anecdotes of amateurs performing yeoman's work directly in the path of
harm's way. The initial circulation was a little over 8,000 subscribers. For
almost a decade now, the circulation has ballooned to more than 37,000
subscribers. I am proud of that number, not as a reflection on your editor,
but as an indication of the incredible growth of interest in the field for
Amateur Radio as an emergency communications, disaster response and recovery
radio-communications service that works so well on a strictly volunteer,
unpaid basis, simply out of a collective desire to help our neighbors in
distress.
I had a long conversation with the ARRL Headquarters Emergency Preparedness
Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, recently to set some new direction and goals for
the newsletter for the immediate future: First, as the Headquarters' lead
staffer on ARES, HQ emergency response planning and operations, and served
agency liaison, Corey would like to see more "ink" devoted to
state-of-the-art, pioneering and envelope-pushing of emergency and disaster
communications modes, systems and networks; he cited as examples the efforts
of some groups to develop a broadband network for Amateur Radio public
service operators (see, for example, http://www.hsmm-mesh.org/) similar in
concept, if not scope, to the up and coming, much-publicized Public Safety
broadband service development. For an amateur broadband network to exist,
use of the frequencies in the GHz ranges would allow for the necessary
speeds/bandwidth, of course, which, while enhancing our ARES volunteers'
ability to meet the ever-more demanding needs for sophistication in services
by emergency managers, would also serve to justify our access to those
higher frequency ranges that are coming under ever-increasing pressure from
commercial interests. Thus, as editor, I am seeking contributions of reports
of such efforts from the field to stimulate the research and development of
such activity on a broader scale. Henceforth, that will be one of the new
pillars of direction for this newsletter.
Secondly, it will be the goal of this newsletter to focus on the ARES
operator's service to his neighbor in an emergency or disaster situation.
I've written and reported on the CERT program as a vehicle for this
re-focusing on the neighborhood radio amateur concentrating on neighborhood
communications and the immediate protection of safety of life and property
at the street level. Essentially, the notion is that the "ham at the end of
the street" helps prepare and train his/her neighbors (as a CERT) in
disaster effects mitigation and, of course, radio communications in advance
of hurricane season, for example. And when it hits the fan, he/she is able
to activate the CERT, and effect the neighborhood emergency operations plan,
with part of that plan being the establishment of a communications link to
the world outside of the neighborhood: family, friends, and also the city or
county EOC. The focus would be on limiting the radio amateur's travel to his
neighborhood, and not so much on having him have to drive his family station
wagon on potentially perilous road conditions to a distant EOC or Red Cross
shelter. (Those facilities could be served by a radio amateur that is "in
the neighborhood" of the EOC or shelter; that ham who could simply walk
around the corner to it).
Radio amateurs are decentralized, found in just about every neighborhood
across the country, and are the naturals for the most local emergency and
disaster response. The professional responders are not decentralized: they
are located in a handful of service facilities around the town, city or
county, and in major situations, may not be able to respond to a
neighborhood for hours, days or even weeks. The radio amateur, properly
trained of course, is in the best position to respond to his neighbors
because he is already there. (A good place to start for basic education and
training is by reading "The Future of ARES is CERTain," in the January 2013
issue of QST, in the Public Service column).
A radio amateur and CERT trainer was just recognized by the White House.
From an ARRL report: The White House this week (October 13) recognized Matt
Brisbois, KI6RBS, of Newport Beach, California, as part of its Champions of
Change program. The Newport Beach Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
program coordinator "has trained and mentored more than 1000 residents,
business and community leaders, and educators, resulting in the highest
per-capita volunteer-to-resident ratio for CERT programs in all of
California," a City of Newport Beach news release said. CERT, a FEMA
program, seeks to train members of the community to prepare for and assist
in the event of an emergency or disaster; Amateur Radio training and
communications are among the Newport Beach CERT activities. Brisbois, a fire
department life safety specialist, was one of 18 individuals selected this
year as "Champions of Change for Community Preparedness and Resilience."
In summary, this is where we see the evolution of ARES headed: towards more
sophistication of services in demand by the professional emergency managers
and consequently the use of higher frequency band and bandwidth
applications; and the trend towards reducing the focus of the operator to
the neighborhood versus the big EOC on the other side of the county -- kind
of a micro versus macro approach. I am taking this opportunity as editor of
this newsletter to solicit readers' reports and stories along the above
lines. Let's focus on these developmental issues going forward into our
ninth year of publication. - Rick Palm, K1CE
News in Brief
-------------
IARU Emergency Communications Workshop Debuts in Cancun, Mexico --The first
IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop, held September 24-25 in
Cancun, Mexico in conjunction with the IARU Region 2 XVIII General Assembly,
explored international issues facing Amateur Radio's response to emergencies
and disasters. Sponsored by IARU Region 2 and the ARRL, the event was
co-chaired by ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, and IARU
Region 2 Emergency Coordinator Dr. Cesar Pio Santos, HR2P. Full story here.
Participants in the workshop represented countries throughout IARU Region 2
as well as observers from IARU Regions 1 and 3.
Representatives of the US Army Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS) met
with ARRL staff at League Headquarters October 2 to discuss ways the two
organizations might collaborate in emergency response activities. Army MARS
Region 1 Director Bob Mims, WA1OEZ, headed the delegation. Mims, who is also
manager of the Army MARS National Net, said most of the discussion centered
on how ARRL Headquarters and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
could interact with MARS during its national-level test of backup
communications set for early November, and going forward. Full story here.
The US Army MARS gateway station at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, is operating on
its normal schedule during the government shutdown, but routine
administrative activity is on hold, computer systems are down, and no
membership paperwork can be processed for the duration. As a civilian
contractor not covered by the shutdown, Operations Officer David McGinnis,
K7UXO, is completing final preparations for the November 3-4 national
communications exercise. The national net is functioning normally. -- US
Army MARS news release
On the Colorado Flood Disaster Response
---------------------------------------
The Colorado flash flooding disasters and ARES responses of September 2013
are well-documented in QST, the ARRL Letter, on the ARRL website and
elsewhere, but some excellent coverage of ARES reports of sophisticated
modes/applications like ATV, PSK, and APRS in use; newspaper and network
television coverage, letters of appreciation from survivors; and some
fantastic photos can be found on the Colorado Section Manager website here.
Don't miss it.
I was struck by many of the accounts, but of special note were the efforts
of the Boulder County ARES group, which has a history of serving emergency
management officials by providing fast Amateur Television imaging to give
managers a visual on what was happening on the ground: "Boulder County ARES
group hams either communicated from the Boulder County EOC, one of the
shelters at Niwot High School or Lifebridge Christian Church, from one of
the flood isolated towns in the mountains west of Boulder, or on the flight
line of the Boulder Municipal Airport sending live ATV pictures from drone
aircraft of the search and rescue, and evacuation efforts to the Boulder EOC
and via uStream across the country. Some of these hams doubled as
communicators for the Boulder County and American Red Cross Disaster
Assessment Teams as well, providing ham radio, the only communications
available at the time, and automatically transmitting their DAT vehicle
positions via APRS. There are many other ARES teams around the Front Range
with similar activities and hours to report. The total number of volunteer
hours provided by the ham radio community will be in the thousands and all
at no cost to their cities and towns."
And this report on APRS use: "The Boulder County Land Use and the American
Red Cross Disaster Assessment Team both requested ham radio operators to
ride along and provide their VHF radio communications back to the Boulder
County EOC because there was no other reliable source of communications to
be had at the time. These hams also carried APRS gear along with them and
provided complete time, location and distance data along their routes. That
APRS info has proven valuable in the aftermath for showing what areas have
already been surveyed." For these info leads, thanks go to John Murphy,
KCJPO, ARRL PIO for Adams County (CO) ARES, who also passed along this
additional report, which reflects much of the activity as typical of many
ARES groups across the region: Region 1/District 1 ARES was deployed on
September 12 in response to the September Front Range major flooding and
road closures. A shelter was setup in the Adams City High School on that
afternoon. The Red Cross started to setup the shelter and quickly discovered
that cell phone coverage for that area was poor. A request for Amateur Radio
operators to provide communications was sent to Red Cross Headquarters, and
the call went out to R1D1 ARES in Adams County for support. Within two
hours, Amateur Radio communications were setup and providing a clear link to
the Red Cross Headquarters, and the Colorado State Emergency Operations
Center (EOC). The shelter saw an influx of 150 to 200 people with 150 people
spending the night. With the communications link open, food, water, cots and
a dumpster were provided for the shelter. The shelter manager was greatly
appreciative of ARES efforts and said "we made things happen." The shelter
was open for 30 hours then demobilized.
San Joaquin Valley SM Commends Wildfire Team
--------------------------------------------
ARRL San Joaquin Valley Section Manager Dan Pruitt, AE6SX, had this to say
about his team of operators involved in wildfire communications over the
summer: "If you were involved with emergency communications, then you were
paying attention to the Fire Outlook this month [August]. There were a
number of smaller fires in San Joaquin Valley but the Rim Fire tested our
resources. We worked with familiar organizations, but in Central San
Joaquin, there were new people in the leadership positions. We handled
ourselves professionally and expertly. We served the agencies as they
requested and that we mostly trained to accomplish. Nothing ever goes
exactly as planned. We put untested skill sets into practice (such as the
use of the PSK mode). This allowed us to be more effective. I would have to
say these are not unusual conditions. I did not receive any bad reports.
This makes me very proud of ARES and all Amateur Radio volunteers. I am
honored to be affiliated with such mindful and considerate citizens."
Amateur Radio volunteers had supported the Red Cross and local government in
the wake of the gigantic Rim Fire, in and near California's Yosemite
National Park and the Stanislaus National Forest, finally standing down
after 16 days on duty. The initial call out on August 19 responded to a
request to assist the Red Cross in setting up an evacuation center in
Groveland, California. More information here.
CERT Training in Denver to Include ARES
---------------------------------------
A full scale training exercise for CERT training grads needing a graduation
exercise to complete their training is scheduled for next week, October 20,
2013, in Denver, Colorado. All Denver CERT trained students will serve as
the responders for the graduation exercise. Role players (about 100) are
needed to play injured citizens in a disaster scenario. Participating CERT
training graduates are being asked to bring a friend to serve as a role
player. Assignments will be given the day of the exercise. Denver-area ARES
personnel will support the exercise with radio communications. Participants
will receive a go-kit. Registrations and information can be found at
http://www.denvergov.org/DenverCERT. "This is an excellent opportunity to
participate and help prepare our communities for times of disaster," said
Carolyn H. Bluhm, Community Preparedness and Relations, Office of Emergency
Management and Homeland Security, City and County of Denver
More information on the CERT program can be found here. More info on CERT
disaster-emergency communications here. And ARES/Amateur Radio-specific
information can be found in the article, "The Future of ARES is CERTain," in
the January 2013 issue of QST, in the Public Service column).
Volunteers Needed for Marine Corps Marathon Operation
-----------------------------------------------------
There are only 45 more days until one of the premier Amateur Radio supported
public service events takes place: the Marine Corps Marathon. The
communications support is a joint effort between Amateur Radio operators in
Maryland, DC and Virginia. ARRL Maryland/DC Section Manager Jim Cross, WI3N,
reports "We are still uncomfortably below the threshold of volunteers that
we need." Cross says "If you've never done anything like this before, don't
let it scare you. After signing up, there are team leaders who will match
your equipment to the task and work with you to explain the task and how to
accomplish it." Cross adds that "In general the major need is for eyes on
the course, although if you have digital mode skills, we have a job for you!
" There is also an all hands briefing that will be held on Saturday, October
19, for more instruction. Registration and further information can be found
here: www.ncacdc.com - ARRL Maryland/DC Section News
ARRL Iowa Section ARES Code of Conduct
--------------------------------------
[editor's note: Here is a good code of conduct for ARES members, as
promulgated by Iowa ARES officials. - K1CE]
Whereas the ARRL Iowa Section ARES members are the personification of
Amateur Radio to the public and to the governmental and quasi-governmental
agencies they serve, they elected to publish guidelines for ARES registered
volunteer behavior. Although these are not conditions for participation, the
Iowa leadership strongly encourages each ARES member to abide by these
standards:
ARES members will conduct themselves with respect and courtesy to those
whom we serve. We will be listeners and communicators.
ARES members will not act as or be perceived as agents or employees of the
agencies whom we serve. We are a serving agency and have no authority to act
on behalf of the agency.
ARES members will not use profanity, vulgar language or language or
expressions which may be considered derogatory when in public.
ARES members will not park in restricted areas, unless specifically
authorized or invited to do so by the agencies we serve.
ARES members will not use flashing lights while vehicles are underway. Use
of flashing yellow lights is permitted only when vehicles are stationary for
the purposes of collision avoidance. If in doubt, please inquire with Net
Control and they will request clarification from the Emergency Operation
Center.
ARES members will not solicit contributions or gifts, merchandise or
services from any individuals or businesses while using the name of local
EOC or the phrase Emergency Services. All solicitations using the name of
Amateur Radio Emergency Service or associated, related names must be
approved in writing by those associated agencies, in advance. No ARES member
(including ARES leadership) is authorized to use the name of the agencies
without their prior written permission.
ARES members will not use the logos or identifying marks of the agencies
that we serve without prior approval in writing by those agencies.
All prospective ARES members must be able to pass their respective County
EOC credentialing requirements. These requirements are not negotiable.
(adopted March 10, 2012).
Essay: Amateur Radio is an Application Mash-Up
----------------------------------------------
During presentations on Amateur Radio contributions to emergency and
disaster response, invariably questions arise from non-hams trying to
understand how it is that Amateur Radio is such an effective and reliable
communication system, available to the public at no cost, but is also an
avocation. Hams invariably respond by emphasizing Amateur Radio's use of
modern technology, the dedication of individual hams to their public service
role, that hams bring their own equipment to the service, the non-pecuniary
nature of ham radio, et cetera.
Yet the public remains puzzled. Except for the non-pecuniary aspect, those
answers also apply to the commercial systems. And the public seldom
understands the cost savings anyway. I offer the following as a better
approach for explaining Amateur Radio value in emergency and disaster
response radio communications services.
In today's Internet-savvy culture, Amateur Radio's distinguishing
characteristic for emergency service communications is that it is an
"Application Mash-up." It is a primary reason that Facebook, eBay, et cetera
are so successful. Let's examine three principal characteristics of Amateur
Radio under this moniker.
Operating time. Individual hams operate frequently. Thousands of hams
practice their skills and ensure their equipment is fully operational every
day of the week, not just during some pre-scheduled emergency communication
test.
Operating Interests. Hams have diverse interests and a variety of talents.
Some try to operate independently of the commercial power grid. Others
operate at very low power, gaining practice in techniques to overcome
adverse conditions. Some only use home-brewed antennas, learning exceptional
antenna construction skills. Many operate nets where they control traffic
flow, and routinely switch frequencies to overcome poor conditions. These
and innumerable other examples develop thousands of special skills that
contribute to instant value added to Amateur Radio and hence the public,
over other systems.
Self-sufficiency. The skills hams acquire in all of the above allow
overcoming the most adverse of conditions. Hams have no expectation that
their "IT Department" will come and fix their computer, or that an
electrician will restore their power sources, or some other repairman will
arrive to fix failed equipment. Hams do it all themselves. The ham operating
in an emergency situation is self-sufficient.
The web-centric definition of "Application Mash-up" is: "An application that
combines data and/or functionality from more than one source." When an
emergency occurs, what do hams do? They bring astonishing diversity of
talents and assets to the table, in terms of capabilities, as the commercial
infrastructure fails due to a number of factors. This is a human and
equipment resource treasure that cannot be duplicated by any amount of money
from any government or private resource. It is the essence of how Amateur
Radio is the emergency communication service that never fails.
So when someone asks why Amateur Radio When All Else Fails? The answer is
simple: "Because Amateur Radio is an Application Mash-up." -- Charlie
Ristorcelli, NN3V, Poway, California, nn3v@arrl.net
K1CE For a Final
----------------
As promised, following up on previous issues' closing remarks, I spent some
time this past month downloading and operating the NBEMS suite of programs
and utilities for multi-mode digital operation with a sound card (no hard
TNC or other special "black box" needed; nor, Internet or other digital
infrastructure). The software is free and easily downloadable at
www.w1hkj.com/nbems. A good overview of the suite can be found on the ARRL
website here. Essentially, as the website overview states: "Narrow Band
Emergency Messaging Software (NBEMS) is an Open Source software suite that
allows amateur radio operators to reliably send and receive data using
nearly any computer (Windows, Mac, and Linux) and any analog radio without
requiring a dedicated digital infrastructure or specialized modem hardware.
NBEMS works on both VHF/UHF FM and on HF. In a presentation you will learn
the basics of sending and receiving data using Fldigi. You will also see how
to easily send and receive verified files and forms using Flmsg. NBEMS is
the standard digital emergency/disaster communications package for Western
PA ARES." A good update on the NBEMS suite was published just recently, in
September 2013 QST, pages 70-71. Development has focused on making the
programs and utilities more user friendly, to reduce the risk of errors when
operators are under stress from an emergency situation. A real life hospital
account is included.
My initial experimentation with NBEMS has been very satisfying. There is
nothing more exciting to get a new program to work on the air - and that was
the case with me and NBEMS. And, well, truth be told, its flagship fldigi
has become my personal default program for DXing at night on 20-meters
(around 14.070 MHz) using PSK31. The waterfall is better, the tuning is
better, and works well to dig the data out of seeming nothingness.
I tried the flmsg utility, and its value as a tool for completing and
transmitting common Incident Command System (ICS) and ARRL forms is in
evidence. I practiced completing an ICS-204 form and an ARRL Radiogram form,
and then mock-sending them (with my radio's output power off) via the new
fldigi feature Autosend, which eliminates the multiple steps needed to send
a form before the function's adoption.
As I mentioned, this report covers only my initial trials, and I am looking
forward to trying some of the modes other than PSK31 - and gaining new
thrills! Congrats to the NBEMS developers on making an open source program
so available and as an obvious tool in the emergency communicator's tool
box. - K1CE
_________
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