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Subj: ARES E-Letter November 19, 2014
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The ARES E-Letter November 19, 2014
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
In This Issue:
120 Operators Support the 2014 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Well-Known Eastern Mass SKYWARN Group Activated for Nor'easter
ARRL Seeks Nominations for International Humanitarian Award; Deadline
December 31
Letters: More on Operating in Winter
SET 2014 Success Stories
Letters: On Formidable Footprint Exercises
Update on Hawaii Lava Flow "Slow Motion Disaster"
ARRL Partners: Safety Tips from Red Cross
120 Operators Support the 2014 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
---------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, October 12, 2014 - One hundred twenty radio amateurs provided
communications support for the 2014 Bank of America Chicago Marathon and its
2000 volunteer medical teams that work at 20 Aid Stations, two in-course
field medical tents and the main medical facility in Grant Park. New for
this year, the teams also walked with the nine Triage units who attended to
runners within Grant Park. The hams communicated back to the ambulance
company if further medical support was needed. Some of the ham operators on
these teams walked as many as nine miles in the Park.
The historic and long-running Bank of America Chicago Marathon is the
pinnacle of achievement for elite athletes and everyday runners alike. On
race day, runners from all 50 states and more than 100 countries set out to
accomplish a personal dream by reaching the finish line in Grant Park.
Most of the amateurs were deployed to the Aid Stations and helped the
medical teams with communication issues. This was the sixth year that the
ham radio community has supported this event. Operators came from four
states and from cities as far away as Madison, Milwaukee, Indianapolis,
Peoria and Pittsburgh. Twelve local ham radio clubs were represented. One
team has come from Peoria every year for the past six years, and provides
their own lodging and then drives back at the end of the event.
Six local repeaters, and several simplex channels are employed. Many of the
stations and communicators needed to be operational by 6:30 AM to let
organizers know when the medical teams arrived and to assure that their
medical services and supplies were in place and ready. Once the race begins,
the hams continue to support the ambulance company and medical teams with
information about transports and supplies.
Eight operators worked at the Forward Command tent, alongside event
officials, Chicago City Services and other agencies, providing health and
welfare traffic to the medical doctor in charge, the medical logistics teams
and the ambulance company.
An event that attracts more than 2.5 million spectators and 45,000 runners
only can happen with the support of many people. There were 12,000
volunteers, for instance. The 120 radio amateurs are a relatively small part
of the enormous operation but provide a level of redundancy to the multiple
levels of communication systems the event organizers use. Rob Orr, K9RST,
serves as volunteer Lead, and needs more volunteers for next year. Contact
Orr at k9rst@arrl.net. - ARRL Illinois Section News
Well-Known Eastern Mass SKYWARN Group Activated for Nor'easter
--------------------------------------------------------------
WX1BOX, the Taunton (Massachusetts) SKYWARN Amateur Radio Club station that
has often served as a model of excellence for the rest of the country, was
activated for a late September nor'easter storm that caused strong to
damaging winds and heavy rainfall. Nationally-known SKYWARN figure Rob
Macedo, KD1CY, Eastern Massachusetts Assistant SEC and ARES SKYWARN
Coordinator reported "At the height of the storm, fifty thousand people were
without power and reports at one point were coming in as fast as one or two
per minute." Rainfall of 2-5 inches, with isolated 7 inches, caused flooding
during the morning commute. The WX1BOX Amateur Radio team was thanked for
their efforts by the National Weather Service Taunton forecaster team. -
Eastern Massachusetts Section News
[Check out the excellent website of the WX1BOX SKYWARN program here. -- ed.]
ARRL Seeks Nominations for International Humanitarian Award; Deadline
---------------------------------------------------------------------
December 31
-----------
As Amateur Radio operators provide public service and promote international
goodwill and understanding, the International Humanitarian award is
dedicated to those amateurs who, through Amateur Radio, are devoted to
promoting the Welfare of mankind.
The selection of the recipient of the award is made by a committee appointed
by the President of the ARRL. Any licensed radio amateur world-wide, or
group of amateurs, who by use of Amateur Radio skills has provided
extraordinary service for the benefit of others in times of crisis or
disaster, is qualified to receive the award.
Nominations for the award will be accepted by the committee from a licensed
radio amateur, governmental or any other organization that has received the
benefits of the radio amateur's extraordinary service within the last 3
years. In the event that no nominations are received, the committee may
determine possible recipients or may decide to make no award in a given year.
All nominations and supporting materials for a given year's award must be
submitted in writing in English to "ARRL International Humanitarian Award,
225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111," in sufficient time that they are
received by December 31. A summary of the actions of the nominee that
qualify the recipient for the award must be included, along with statements
from at least two references including names and addresses for verification.
The award is to include the following elements: An appropriate plaque or
medallion to be presented to the recipient(s) at a home convention or event
within the US, or the ARRL National Convention or a mutually agreed upon
arrangement to be made with recipients residing outside the USA. An article
describing the extraordinary achievements of the recipient(s) is to be
written for use in QST, other ARRL venues and consumer magazines.
Letters: More on Operating in Winter
------------------------------------
I appreciated your article in the November 2014 issue of QST (Public Service
column) on operating in winter and the cold. I'd like to add several points:
It's better to travel in a small group (3 or 4 minimum) so that if one is
hurt and/or a victim of exposure, an evacuation can be started immediately.
Use the buddy system, developed by scuba divers to ensure immediate rescue
and life support if indicated.
Operators in the field should dress in layers, and have a personal
thermometer and wind chill charts to have a realistic assessment of
conditions, and thus risks. Batteries drain faster in the cold so insulate
yours for longer life. Have a personal heat source such as chemical hand
warmers not only for your hands, but tucked in shirt pockets under your
jacket and/or pants pockets to keep the body's core warm for better
functioning and safety.
Have a comprehensive knowledge of the area in which you are working, and
carry a map and compass (plus a GPS receiver), and know how to use them.
Your eyes are among the most
important navigational aids that you have, so protect them with ski goggles
and/or sun glasses, approved for the demanding operating environment (glare
from snow, etc.). -- Frank E. Bonneau Jr., N7WCF
SET 2014 Success Stories
------------------------
Idaho SET Sees Upswing in Participation for 2014
Michael Meier, WB7RBH, is Idaho's Section Emergency Coordinator and Public
Information Coordinator, and is always looking for ways to get more of the
state's amateur community involved with public service communications,
including the annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET). Meier's ARES
organization plans for and participates in the SET, and tries to tailor
their operation for the state's diverse geography, including mountains and
plains. For the past three years, they've concentrated on message handling
and the use of recognized message formats, while tracking depth and breadth
of statewide participation by message totals and origins. After-Action
Reports helped identify strengths and weaknesses.
This year, however, was different, reported Meier. "One of the counties
(Latah) was planning a county wide exercise, which involved 24 hours of
operation and testing of almost all modes including voice, digital, and cw.
Bill Ward, K9GRZ, the planner of this operation, wanted to know if Meier
could help him recruit other counties to give them more check-ins to lend
more realism. So, SEC Meier started a campaign to get the word out via
numerous outlets, including the state's ARES website www.idahoares.info, and
also through email, club notifications, and posted news.
The SET plan developed legs, and interest grew rapidly. Planners put a net
control in a tent out in the wilderness, running nominal transmitter power,
portable antennas, and purposefully less-than-ideal operating conditions.
"We wanted to simulate conditions realistically to hopefully see what would
happen in the real world," said Meier. Stations in several counties were set
up at the local EOCs, while others teamed up and "went portable" like a
Field Day operation.
Starting on October 11, per a previously agreed upon protocol, stations
employed HF SSB for the first 20 minutes of each hour, then digital PSK31
for the next 20 minutes, and finally cw for the last 20 minutes. Stations
working all three modes were kept very busy, with the operation continuing
non-stop for 24 straight hours. Local ARES groups and nets were also
encouraged to take VHF-UHF check-ins and relay those stations into the
larger operation. Net frequencies and bands were changed smoothly on the fly
as propagation and conditions dictated.
When all activity and messages were tallied, Idaho had 1400 check-ins to the
SET in 24 hours. On HF, 619 SSB contacts were noted from 24 Idaho counties
and eight other states, with 88 individual stations participating. There
were 219 cw contacts made from all six Idaho ARES Districts, eight other
states and by 24 individual stations. PSK31 was popular, with 127 contacts
made from 12 counties, five other states, and 31 individual stations. On
VHF, 424 contacts were made by 96 stations.
An overall total of 1389 contacts were made by 239 stations. According to
Meier, some 5.3% of Idaho Amateur Radio operators participated, "which is
outstanding," he said. "I am so inspired by our Idaho Amateur Radio
operators and ARES," Meier concluded. "All of our ARES operators stepped up
and conducted a fantastic SET 2014; this one is going to be hard to beat."
SET 2014 - Operation Shaky Endeavor in Missouri
-----------------------------------------------
The morning of the fourth of October started cold with the forecast for a
sunny but cool fall day. The page went out to operators at 9 AM to respond
to a staging location near a major shopping mall in St. Peters, Missouri.
The SET scenario indicated a severe earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic
Zone that had also triggered a large quake in the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone
near the Illinois/Indiana border. These quakes resulted in significant
damage in the St. Louis metro area, including all surrounding counties. St.
Charles County ARES responded to the page and about 20 volunteers arrived to
assist in the damage assessment exercise.
ARES operated for and in four operations centers in St. Charles County and
performed damage assessment in areas throughout the county. Agencies
including the National Weather Service, St. Peters Law Enforcement, Mall
Security, St. Charles County Sheriff's Department, four Emergency Management
agencies and two hospitals were contacted, totaling 11 agencies in five
communities.
The St. Charles County Division of Emergency Management allowed ARES to use
their Mobile Command Center at the staging site and as the location for
operation of the simplex net. The higher level net was operated from the
County Emergency Operations Center in downtown St. Charles. The exercise
concluded at 1230 hours and all participants were requested to meet at the
County EOC where the hot wash was held and lunch was provided by the St.
Charles County Division of Emergency Management.The group was addressed by
Bill Grimsbo, N0PNP, the St. Charles County Emergency Coordinator (who is
also the Missouri District C Emergency Coordinator), Jeff Young, KB3HF, the
Missouri Section Emergency Coordinator, and Capt. Dave Todd, Director of the
Division of Emergency Management. "Again this year, we learned much about
what works and what does not," said Grimsbo. "Next year, we will apply the
lessons learned to help us improve our disaster communications systems and
techniques."
Lessons learned from last year's SET that were applied this year included:
Separating antennas and getting the simplex net antenna up about 20 feet
solved the communications issues experienced last year with coverage;
ensuring there were at least three people at Staging at all times reduces
the work load of the NCO; and mobile two-man teams is a must to ensure the
communications does not interfere with driving.
Some areas to improve identified this year included: the EOC to EOC and
Agency to Agency traffic should be restricted to the EOC net, not handled at
staging, which should handle only the traffic with the field teams; better
logging of damage assessments is needed; reports and traffic at staging was
difficult to manage and it might be better to have the field teams fill out
damage assessment reports rather than reporting them over the air.
Special thanks went to Dave Kampmann, WS0Z, and Shelley Lasater, KD0WAB, for
the many hours of effort they put into exercise planning and to the ARRL for
supporting ARES and providing this opportunity to participate in a
nationally recognized activity like the Simulated Emergency Test. ƒ??
William Grimsbo, N0PNP, St. Charles County ARES Emergency Coordinator
Letters: On Formidable Footprint Exercises
------------------------------------------
In re your note in last month's issue on the Formidable Footprint exercises,
there is NO CHARGE for participation in any of the exercises. Not only are
they FREE, the exercises are good. Locally, we used one to help Scouts get
one of their merit badges. The Solar Storm exercise would be one Amateur
Radio operators should do together and for their community. -- Lloyd
Colston, KC5FM, Director, Altus Emergency Management, Altus, Oklahoma
[For more information on the Formidable Footprint series of exercises, click
here. From its website: "A team of national, regional, state and local
agencies and organizations have undertaken an effort to develop, conduct and
evaluate a recurring series of disaster exercises entitled "Formidable
Footprint". This series of exercises serves as an opportunity for community
and faith based organizations along with governmental agencies to assess
their capability to prepare for, respond to and recover from a variety of
natural disasters which affect communities and neighborhoods across the
United States."-- ed.]
Update on Hawaii Lava Flow "Slow Motion Disaster"
-------------------------------------------------
Bob Schneider, AH6J, Pacific Section Manager, reports the front of the Puna
lava flow is still stopped. "However, there are now several breakouts along
the side and the first house has been destroyed. There is no forward
movement as of today, November 12," he reported. "The result of the side
breakouts is that the flow is getting wider."
In an ARRL news report dated October 29, amateurs were drafting plans in
case they needed to activate in response to the Puna lava flow. Lava flows
are nothing new to many Hawaiians, said Schneider, who called it "a
slow-motion disaster." ARRL deployed Ham Aid kits to Hawaii for a possible
lava flow response. Schneider said DECs have been establishing area-specific
ARES standard operating procedures in the event of an activation.
Conventional telecommunication systems were working and power to the area
was still holding, he said. Hawaii Civil Defense authorities deployed a
remote emergency operations center to the affected region in September.
ARRL Partners: Safety Tips from Red Cross
-----------------------------------------
Bitter cold temperatures and snow are hitting two-thirds of the country,
exposing people to dangerously frigid weather and causing home heating
systems to work overtime to keep everyone warm. The American Red Cross is
urging people to use caution when heating their homes in these cold
conditions and offers way to stay safe during the deep freeze.
HOME FIRE SAFETY -- Seven times a day, someone in this country dies in a
home fire. Heating fires are the second leading cause of these fires which
occur more often as cold weather sets in and people turn on their heating
system. The Red Cross has launched a nationwide campaign to reduce the
number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent over the next five years
Heating a home can be expensive. Almost half of the families in the United
States use alternate heating sources such as space heaters, fireplaces, or
coal or wood stoves to cut costs while staying warm. These supplemental
heating sources can be dangerous if not used properly. The Red Cross offers
the following safety tips on how to prevent heating fires:
ƒ?½ Keep all potential sources of fuel like paper, clothing, bedding,
curtains or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, or
fireplaces.
ƒ?½ Don't leave portable heaters and fireplaces unattended. Turn off space
heaters and make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before
going to bed or leaving home.
ƒ?½ Place space heaters on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as
ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep
children and pets away from space heaters.
ƒ?½ When buying a space heater, look for models that shut off automatically
if the heater falls over.
ƒ?½ Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
ƒ?½ Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep your fire in your fireplace.
Make sure it's large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
ƒ?½ Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and furnaces
professionally inspected and cleaned once a year.
WINTER STORM SAFETY -- Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm
during cold weather, as well as gloves and hat. Other safety steps include
the following:
ƒ?½ Bring pets indoors. If that's not possible, make sure they have enough
shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.
ƒ?½ If you lose power, go to a designated public shelter to stay warm.
ƒ?½ Avoid driving in sleet, freezing rain, snow or dense fog. If you have to
travel, keep a disaster supplies kit in the car.
ƒ?½ Check on your elderly neighbors. Help those who may need special
assistance, including people with disabilities and children.
ƒ?½ Before tackling strenuous tasks such as shoveling show, consider your
physical condition.
ƒ?½ Know the signs of hypothermia - confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and
severe shivering. If someone has these symptoms, they should get immediate
medical attention.
ƒ?½ Watch for symptoms of frostbite including numbness, flushed gray, white,
blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy feeling skin. --
American Red Cross
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