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Subj: ARES E-Letter December 17, 2014
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From: CX2SA@CX2SA.SAL.URY.SOAM
To : ARES@WW
The ARES E-Letter December 17, 2014
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
ARRL/Public Service News Synopsis/Links
Indiana Group Tests On an Ice Storm Scenario
Cross-Borders ARES Exercise Tests Northeast Communications
Amateurs Support Utah Desert Wilderness Rescue Training Exercise
Letters: On Contacting the Police for a Distant Emergency
Mt. St. Helens, Again, 34 Years Later
Letters: Former OFDA Communications Specialist on Emergency versus Disaster
Broadband-Hamnet Expands to Include Another Ham Band
Feedback: Winlink and Internet Independence
Tips for Public Service Communicators
K1CE For a Final
ARRL/Public Service News Synopsis/Links
---------------------------------------
Philippine Hams Support Emergency Communication for Typhoon Hagupit
Amateur Radio volunteers in the Philippines activated emergency nets on HF
and VHF as Typhoon Hagupit -- called Typhoon Ruby locally -- raked slowly
across the islands, weakening as it went. "As Typhoon Hagupit entered its
third day, ham operators continued to provide essential traffic as the storm
progressed through Philippine territory," reported Philippine Amateur Radio
Association (PARA) Chief Operating Officer Thelma Pascua, DU1IVT. Members of
the Ham Emergency Radio Operations (HERO) -- the PARA equivalent of the US
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) -- were active. More here.
Homeland Security's 2014 National Emergency Communications Plan Incorporates
Amateur Radio
The US Department of Homeland Security's 2014 National Emergency
Communications Plan (NECP) has incorporated Amateur Radio in its mix of
media that could support and sustain communications in a disaster or
emergency. The NECP is "the nation's over-arching strategic plan for
enhancing emergency communications capabilities and interoperability
nationwide," DHS said in announcing the updated plan on November 12.
"[A]mateur radio operators...can be important conduits for relaying
information to response agencies and personnel when other forms of
communications have failed or have been disrupted," the NECP states. More
here.
MARS Volunteers Reach Out to Amateur Community to Test Interoperability
The Army and Air Force branches of the Military Auxiliary Radio System
(MARS) merged their long-distance radio networks in late October for a
48-hour Department of Defense-sponsored contingency communications exercise.
The plan also called for MARS members -- using their Amateur Radio call
signs and operating on amateur frequencies -- to establish two-way
communication with ARES leadership or members in as many US counties as
possible. More here.
Indiana Group Tests On an Ice Storm Scenario
--------------------------------------------
An ice storm hitting Hendricks county, Indiana was the scenario for this
year's ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET), conducted by the county's ARES
organization, and held October 18. The exercise planning committee for this
year -- AEC of Operations Gordon Cotton, KD0EWM; AEC of Liaison Bill Gouge,
AA9EG; Technical Director Chris Harrison, KD9BIX, and Net Control Dave
Leimenstoll, N9XOQ -- spent several months working out test details and
frequencies. The main mission goal was to get the hams in Hendricks County
to switch to different radio frequencies on the fly as conditions dictated,
efficiently, over the course of the exercise. The group decided to use two
of its "pigs" (portable to-go kits) on cross band frequencies, which would
be used as the back-up radio system in the event the primary repeaters fail
during a real emergency. The pigs were placed at two county Emergency Radio
Network (ERN) locations (in Danville, and Brownsburg.)
The exercise commenced with the start-up of the group's SKYWARN weather net
on one of the repeaters (147.165 MHz). NCS Bob Burns, W9BU, made periodic
announcements to the effect that should the repeater fail, the net would
resume on the ARES repeater (147.015 MHz). Efficiency was tested when this
scenario was almost immediately put into effect: All 13 participants
switched over to the ARES repeater and the full ice storm scenario was
commenced. While the ARES repeater and net were humming along, it was
announced that should this repeater fail, simplex operation and designated
channels would serve as the primary communications conduit. Then, pursuant
to the plan, the repeater did go down due to a "blown fuse in the power
supply." The 13 participating hams had to switch radio frequencies again,
channels varying according to where they were located for effective
coverage. The group now turned to depending on the pigs for continuance of
communications coverage and exercise success. Use of the pigs picked up
where the repeater left off, allowing for cross band and single band simplex
operation. They worked and all SET participants finished the exercise.
This year several specific tests were conducted successfully. For example,
the ERN stations (three in total) are situated around the county for the
purpose of supplying operators with different capabilities. One of these
stations is placed inside a pole barn that is located near Danville atop one
of the highest ground elevations in the county. Another station is located
at the Hendricks County Communications Center in Plainfield, and the third
station will soon be located at the water works facility near a radio tower
in the town of Brownsburg. Currently these stations are made up of antenna
and coax only. The radio is installed at the site only during an actual
emergency or disaster - kind of "plug and play"). SET participants used
simplex radio tests previously at two of these locations showing ARES
leaders would be able to reach over 90% of hams with HT's only, in the
county. This exercise proved that statistic again.
In another test aspect, the county's "hospital hams," radio amateurs who are
pre-qualified to run the Amateur Radio stations at each hospital, were
involved: They played out their role on the ARES hospital simplex net, and
were in communications with the county EOC. It was a good exercise plan,
implemented effectively and efficiently, and added value to the Hendricks
County ARES planning, preparation and capability for when the real thing
happens. -- Ron Burke KB9DJA, Hendricks County, Indiana, Emergency Coordinator
Cross-Borders ARES Exercise Tests Northeast Communications
----------------------------------------------------------
A special 40 meter "Cross-Borders" net was held in the northeast
region on the morning of December 13 on 7262 kHz. The purpose was to test
the pathways for that band (40-meters) and time between operators from
Maine, New Hampshire, and bordering Canadian provinces. The exercise was a
result of Maine Emergency Management Agency Communications Manager Steve
Mallory's suggestion that Maine hams put extra effort into training and
drilling with neighboring states and provinces, since disasters do not
recognize borders.
Maine ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Phil Duggan, N1EP, was net control
and had 33 stations from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont check into the net. Several
state/provincial ARES and other emergency coordinators participated, as did
New Hampshire SEC Wayne Santos, N1CKM.
Most signals were easily copied during the net by all. One surprising
outcome for some was the fact that a couple of the stations that had
the strongest signals were using modest power (25-40 watts) and their
antennas were verticals.
Duggan plans similar events in the future, most likely on a quarterly
basis, and will encourage all New England states, as well as the
Maritimes and Quebec provinces to join in the fun. Some exercises will
include using the Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System suite of
programs and digital modes that Dave Freese, W1HKJ, and his team have made
available for Amateur Radio use. -- Phil Duggan, N1EP,
Maine ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Amateurs Support Utah Desert Wilderness Rescue Training Exercise
----------------------------------------------------------------
On November 3-6, 2014, the members and operators of Utah's Sinbad Desert
Amateur Radio Club (SDARC) participated in a wilderness-based rescue
training exercise in conjunction with the Emery County Sheriff's Office Rope
Rescue Team, Emery County Search and Rescue Rope Team, Black Dragon Rescue
Systems and National Guard Civil Support Teams (CST) from New Mexico,
Colorado, Idaho and Oklahoma.
The training took place among the high red rocks and deep canyons of Utah's
picturesque San Rafael desert in eastern Utah. The exercise consisted of
multiple medical emergency rescues, from one of the many canyons that are
favored by climbers and hikers alike. The 300-foot vertical medical rescues
were exciting to watch.
Emery County Sheriff's Office brought their emergency response vehicles to
the desert deep canyon site, which included the recent addition of their
Amateur Radio/Public Safety Communications trailer.
All on scene communications by Public Safety and the Military were run on
VHF hi-band frequencies, and supplementary communications for the event were
handled by members of the Emery County ARES group who are all members of the
SDARC. Amateur contacts were handled on 40 meters and 2 meters using the
SDARC's extensive 2 meter repeater system, and 2 meter simplex, and HF
contacts were made to the State of Utah Department of Public Safety EOC at
the State capitol.
Logs were maintained of all communications between the National Guard CSTs
and Emery County rescuers. Special thanks went out to all members of the
SDARC who spent many hours working the radios and logging during the
exercise, modifying the trailer and installing the communications equipment.
Exercise organizers and evaluators stated that communications during this
exercise were the best they have ever been for any of their exercises in
this type of remote location and that the Sinbad Desert Amateur Radio Club
is a valuable asset to Emery County and the State of Utah.
For more about Amateur Radio communications in eastern Utah, please visit
the Sinbad Desert Amateur Radio Club website. -- Bret Mills, WX7Y,
Castledale, Utah
Letters: On Contacting the Police for a Distant Emergency
---------------------------------------------------------
In re the recent ARES E-Letter report [Med Emergency in Washington's High
Forest, October 15, 2014 issue] on the two hams in a remote site in the
mountains, trying to help an accident victim close to their location, and
contacted an out of state radio amateur asking for help. The ham called his
local 911 office. For future reference, all police departments are
interconnected through their state information system. In Arkansas, it is
the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC). If I had received that 20
meter contact for help, I would have called my local Sheriff's office and
they would have looked up instantly the local Sheriff's office where the
accident had happened or the State Police. Any time any operator becomes
aware of a possible emergency from out of state, he or she should contact
their local law enforcement organization. For example, our police department
got a call from a California police department that they got word from a
local citizen there that a person in my town was trying to commit suicide
and we were to stop it. Call your local police department first or have the
party you are talking to call their local police department. -- Stewart
Nelson, KD5LBE, Mayor, Morrilton, Arkansas
Mt. St. Helens, Again, 34 Years Later
-------------------------------------
HEART, the Hospital Emergency Amateur Radio Team, spans multiple counties in
Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington, and was active during the Oregon
ARES/RACES SET on November 22. Going by the moniker AshEX, the drill
centered on a simulated eruption of Mt. St. Helens. HEARTNET, with Kathleen
Resburg, KE7AJH at the helm as NCS, effectively handled urgent
communications between hospitals in four counties. The simulations involved
patients with respiratory problems, alternate transportation of emergency
patients via high-clearance vehicles (when air and ground ambulances could
not be used because of the ash fall accumulation), hospital water shortages,
evacuation and distribution of patients from nearer the volcano in
Washington State, reporting patient counts to the Oregon Office of Emergency
Management, power and antenna problems, and even an influx of patients who
had just returned from Africa and were running high fevers. Messaging was
tactical, as opposed to formal, and went well. Lessons were learned, but as
always, those will help prepare HEART members for the "big down" down the
road. -- Steve Aberle, WA7PTM, ARRL Official Emergency Station (OES), ARRL
Western Washington Section
[Resburg is Amateur Radio Coordinator for Portland VA Medical Center in
Portland, Oregon, and President, Hospital Emergency Amateur Radio Team
(HEART), Portland Metropolitan Area. She is a member of the Washington
County ARES, Oregon. - ed.]
Letters: Former OFDA Communications Specialist on Emergency versus Disaster
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A matter of language to consider: the difference between an emergency and a
disaster. IMHO, these words are not interchangeable. So, what's the
difference? An emergency is an event that must be addressed quickly to avoid
more serious consequences. Examples: a gas leak, broken power lines on the
ground, a heart attack, a localized fire, a nasty road accident, etc. A
disaster is a catastrophic event that exceeds the ability of the community
to cope. "Community" can be small, as a household; or large like a region or
a country. The important distinction is that responding to a disaster
requires help from OUTSIDE the affected area.
The lava flow in Hawaii is a disaster ONLY if Hawaii can't handle the
situation on its own.
Hurricanes, like Andrew, Katrina, and Sandy, created disasters because
victims in the affected areas required outside help. A point to keep in mind
is that, in a disaster, local responders (including hams), may be as
affected by the disaster as everyone else in their community and, therefore,
will not be able to respond.
This distinction, needing help from outside, gives hams a huge advantage in
disasters -- we're used to working with each other taking advantage of
common frequency plans and on-air protocols, no matter where we're from. -
Art Feller, W4ART, Communications Specialist (retired), Office of US Foreign
Disaster Assistance (OFDA), Agency for International Development (AID),
Department of State
Broadband-Hamnet Expands to Include Another Ham Band
----------------------------------------------------
Broadband-Hamnet has announced a new firmware release, the most recent in a
series of advancements that build on the Ubiquiti firmware released for the
2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz amateur bands earlier this year. With this BBHN 3.0.0
release, Broadband-Hamnet now includes the Ubiquiti M9-series airMAX
devices, giving hams use of the 900 MHz band for mesh networking.
Among the release's new features is the ability to easily control the
spectrum utilization of the RF links. -- Jim Kinter, Jr., K5KTF, BBHN
Webmaster
Feedback: Winlink and Internet Independence
-------------------------------------------
Quoting from a reference to Winlink 2000 in the ARES E-Letter article Late
October Exercise to Test MARS-ARES Interoperability, October 2014 issue,
"Only one ARES/Amateur Radio contact per county is needed, but more are
okay. The contact must be person to person and cannot rely on
Internet-linked repeaters, Internet connectivity systems, or
store-and-forward e-mail systems, such as Winlink . . ." FYI, Winlink now
does NOT require the Internet for operation. It will operate as a mesh
network system without the use of the Internet as a radio-only system. There
is no Internet involved. This occurs automatically in the Hybrid Winlink
2000 system. - Steve Waterman, K4CJX, Winlink network administrator, Winlink
Development Team, President, Amateur Radio Safety Foundation, Inc. (ARSFI)
Tips for Public Service Communicators
-------------------------------------
Here is a great set of tips from the St. Louis (Missouri) Metro ARES/RACES
Group, with the permission and courtesy of EC Steve Wooten, KC0QMU, and AEC
for Operations Gary Hoffman, KB0H.
Things to avoid saying on the air, Number 1
"Okay, I'll do it. But it's not actually my job. The guy who's supposed to
do that is always away from the table doing something else." The other
operator doesn't want to hear any of that and it ties up the frequency. Make
a note of your complaints in your log and bring them up at the debriefing,
but keep them off the air. -- Gary Ross Hoffman, KB0H
The value of tactical call signs
Tactical call signs such as "Shelter 5", "Net Control", and "EOC" are
descriptive and give immediate information. They can be very useful during
planned events and during emergencies. Do not, however, forget to include
your FCC call sign at ten minutes intervals and at the end of each contact.
Never alter a message
Do not alter a message, even to correct a typographical error. What you
think is right may actually be wrong. Moreover, any change you make might
subtly alter the meaning of the message. Send or write it exactly as you
receive it.
Do not use VOX
VOX stands for voice activated transmitter. VOX devices are handy gadgets,
but should not be used in an emergency setting. Ambient noise might activate
the transmitter and tie up the frequency. Also, you do not want your casual
comments to go out over the air.
You are your own safety officer
When setting up or operating a station of any size, the very first thing on
your mind should be, is it safe? Am I going to irradiate anyone with RF
energy? Could my battery spill acid? Can it fall on anyone's foot? Have I
created an electrical hazard? Could anyone trip over my feedline or get
poked in the eye by my antenna? The safety of your station is your
responsibility. Make sure that it cannot harm you or anyone else. -- KB0H
Every piece of equipment can break, including you
We all have limits. Don't overtax yourself during a deployment. Watch for
signs of fatigue, stress, adverse reactions to the environment and so forth.
Stop and take a break if you need one. It is better to have a silent radio
than a fresh casualty. -- KB0H
Listen to the Net Controller's instructions
One of the most common mistakes on regular nets is that operators assume
that they know what the Net Controller is going to say. They miss the Net
Controller's instructions and wind up giving inappropriate responses. This
can be calamitous in an emergency situation. One way to develop the habit of
paying attention is to write down the key elements of what the Net
Controller is saying. You might be surprised to find that it's not always
the same thing. -- KB0H
Keep it brief
Air time is precious, especially when there are numerous operators on the
same frequency. Refrain from over-explaining things, engaging in personal
greetings and chats, and anything else that might prevent important traffic
from getting through. -- KB0H
Are you following procedures?
Operating procedures are developed from many hours of examining what went
wrong during disasters. Familiarize yourself with the procedures and
practice them in exercises. Arriving at a disaster scene and trying to
freestyle it will only cause problems. -- KB0H
Check the transceiver for overheating
Digital modes are great for sending forms, long lists, images and so forth.
They also use a lot more duty cycles of your transceiver than ordinary voice
communications. Check to make sure that your rig is not overheating. Reduce
the transmit power level if your unit feels hot. -- KB0H
Have fuses handy
Much of your equipment has one or more fuses. Check each item, make a list
of the fuses you might need, then put together a small fuse kit. Be sure to
replace any fuses you wind up using. -- KB0H
Yes, you are ready to participate
Caution is good, but don't let it prevent you from participating and
volunteering. Everyone makes mistakes on their first try, or first dozen
tries, and everyone survives them. You will find that most other hams will
be sympathetic and supportive of your efforts. -- KB0H
Don't avoid the exercises
It's a mistake to ignore an exercise because you are already familiar with
what it is about. There are always surprises, new elements, and things that
you've forgotten. Your presence will also help those participants who are
less familiar with the exercise's concepts. -- KB0H
Keep learning
Everything is dynamic, including emergency communications. Procedures and
techniques that were standard ten years ago are out of date today. Never sit
back and feel that you've learned everything you'll need to know. -- KB0H
You brought your radio to the emergency, but will you be able to power it?
Antenna connectors are fairly generic, but what about power connections?
ARES groups around the country use Anderson Powerpoles as the standard power
connector on their equipment.
Push THEN Talk
Pause for a second after keying up your transmitter. It may be slower to
react than you realize. -- John Weis, N0UFB
Maintain a fire extinguisher near your battery charging station
This applies primarily to larger batteries, but every battery is a chemical
device and you will be pumping energy into it. Having a fire extinguisher
handy is a reasonable precaution. -- Jim Conley, N0OBG
Mark your equipment
Be sure that every piece of your equipment is marked with at least your name
and call sign. After the emergency, you'll want any property you left behind
to find its way back to you.
It's going to be noisy, so have a set of headphones
It's always a good idea to have a set of headphones around, but it may be an
absolute necessity in an emergency. You may be placed in an area where other
operators are working on different bands, you may be out in the open, or you
may even be in the middle of a noisy shelter. A headset should be a vital
part your equipment. You can't communicate if you can't hear.
Outdoors isn't indoors
Even in an urban or suburban setting, working outdoors isn't like working
indoors. You may have taken your equipment into consideration, but don't
forget yourself. Think about your allergies, the sun, heat, cold, bugs and
everything else that might affect you. Treat your outside deployment or
exercise as if it were a camping trip and prepare for it accordingly. -- KB0H
Think about next time
During every deployment or exercise, think about the next time. You will
always find that something is missing, broken, doesn't work as expected,
wasn't planned for and so forth. Keep a mental record, or better still a
written one of everything that is wrong. Be sure to look it over carefully
after the event so you will be better prepared next time. -- KB0H
Eat
Do not skip meals just because things are busy. You may not think that you
need to eat anything, but volunteers have suddenly fainted without feeling
any early symptoms that something was wrong. At the very least, consume an
energy bar or a quick snack. --KB0H
Is no one responding on the secondary frequency?
If you have a transceiver capable of handling two frequencies simultaneously
and no one is responding on that second channel, the problem may be as
simple as the volume has been turned down. -- KB0H
See the complete list of excellent tips on the St. Louis Metro ARES/RACES
website.
K1CE For a Final
----------------
Happy Holidays from your editor, here in Daytona Beach, Florida, the
"world's most famous beach." Thanks to readers and all the contributors to
the ARES E-Letter, now with almost 40,000 subscribers nationwide. See you
next year! -- Rick Palm, K1CE
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