FYI

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Jack Smith KE4LWT
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2023 2:32 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: 'Mike Aimone' <[email protected]>; 'Carl A. Clements' <[email protected]>; 'Emmett Price' <[email protected]>; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: [ARES-VA] ARRL/FEMA MOA, ARRL of VA/VDEM MOU, ARES EOP updated, ARES Emergency Operations Plan, and Field Day

Good afternoon,

As many of you noted, the ARRL/FEMA MOA was missing a page. That was the result of the release officer at FEMA not checking to make sure that they sent the whole thing. I know we’ve all meant to attach a file to an email and not, or scanned documents and not caught that some pages stuck together. As the saying goes, “Stuff happens!” In any case, the corrected copy is on the ARRL site and attached.

Now that we have the ARRL/FEMA MOA, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) was able to compare the draft of the work on the ARRL of VA/VDEM MOU and make some minor changes. That’s now on its way to be reviewed by the VDEM Volunteer Coordinator, and then hopefully it can go to the Attorney General for review. Once that’s done, it’ll go to ARRL HQ for review. As a note, all MOUs have to go through legal review to protect us from anything that may come back to bite us. It’s not intended to make life difficult, but to prevent difficulties.

Now that the ARRL of VA MOU is moving forward, I’d like to get some folks together to help me and Marty work on the updates to the VA ARES Emergency Operations Plan. One thing to keep in mind is that the ARES EOP is for when there has been no communications plan developed by our served partners. It does not supersede theirs. Many of our partners do not have a communications annex to their EOP and just rely on us to have one. The local EMs usually have a pretty well developed communications annex to their EOP, but if not this can be offered to them once completed. Shoot me and Marty an email if you’re interested in helping out on this. We’ve already gotten a couple of the major annexes completed (Thank you Wayne N1WR!), and there are probably a couple of more that can be developed as well.

And finally, Field Day! Have fun first and foremost. Make sure you advertise the heck out of it. If you’re using social media, put the #ARRLFD hashtag on it. And remember, Field Day Rule 7.3.5 gives 100 bonus points for sending a message to me, but it has to be a formal message. Make sure and keep a copy. There are lots of low hanging fruit for bonus points, so make sure you grab all you can. It’s not too late to read over the rules and find something else your club/team can use. And remember, VDEM is advertising this too, so make sure you keep an eye out for them and other Emergency Management/Public Officials that may be out visiting. And print the Governor’s Proclamation out and have it at your welcome table. Maybe even have a copy of the ARRL/FEMA MOA there, too.

And finally, send photos of your operations to me! I’ll be posting those on the ARRLofVA facebook page as quickly as possible. And I’ll be up and operating from somewhere, I just don’t know where yet. I’m hoping to be able to operate from a local state park, depending on the weather.

As always, call or email. My office hours for calls are 1bout 1700-2200 M-F, and most of the day on weekends. If I don’t answer right away, I’ll do my best to get back to you on the same day.

73,

Jack R. Smith, VaPEM

KE4LWT

Virginia Section Manager

Representing ARRL members in Virginia

ARRL – the national association for Amateur Radio

Facebook Page: ARRLofVA

Website: http://www.arrlva.com

662-523-0000

[email protected]

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