[ARRL-OK] Personal Preparedness WAS Fw: Re: [Ares-races] Suggested Protective Measures

[Lloyd A Colston]

>From Mr. Obrien comes these questions.

If you can answer them, you ARE prepared.

Don't forget your personal items, such as medicine, reading glasses,
clothing, etc. You will need those items to maintain while you are
serving the public.  Remember, prepare your PERSONAL disaster plan.  Your
PERSONAL disaster kit contains the items necessary to move the mission of
your Plan.

Let me know how more I can help.

Lloyd Colston             Mayes County Emergency Management
Pryor, OK USA           http://www.geocities.com/mccem
        Don't let Yesterday take up too much of Today.

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Andrew J O'Brien" <obrienaj@netsync.net>

With the recent  "alert" status change, radio amateurs may want to review
their preparedness, not necessarily for terrorism threats but for any
emergencies.  With that in mind, I have  put together a series of
questions
designed to assist you in reviewing your level of preparedness.  Please
feel
free to share the list with other groups but please give credit to
Chautauqua County ARES.   Remember,   or role is usually that of
rendering
assistance to local EMS and area hospitals.  Assistance to local Red
Cross
and/or Salvation Army branches is also a common ARES/RACES mission.

Andy KB2EOQ
Chautauqua County ARES
Emergency Coordinator

-----------------------------

So, in addition to factors that assure your family's safety (see the
communication at the bottom of this email)  the ARES/RACES member may
want
to address these matters:

Power?  Do you have emergency power that will enable you to use a radio? 
Is
that generator working?  Do you have charged batteries?  Do you have
re-charge capabilities?

Do you have a back-up power source that will allow you to operate Packet
,
PSK, or other digital modes in the event of an emergency?  When did you
last
use a TNC?  is it still working?   Have you considered soundcard/PC
packet
via laptop?

Do you have a fully portable station?  If not, what would you need to
make
you station fully portable

Do you know where your ARES/RACES I.D. card is?

Do you know the frequency of your local packet node?  Do you know how to
enter a packet BBS and send a message?

Are  your amateur radio transceivers working?  When did you last test
them?
Did you test them for all bands?  When did you do a comprehensive SWR
check
for each band?

If you have motorized antenna arrays, do you have a backup power source
for
them?

Do you have spare runs of coax , with connectors, or other feedline that
can
be used if existing feedline is "bad".

What bands can you operate on?  Do you know the frequencies/bands that
your
local, regional, state, and national ARES/RACES use for drills and real
emergencies.

Do you know who in your area  you can reliably work via simplex,  low
power,
on 2M or 70CM?

When did you last participate in a simplex drill/exercise?

Do you have  the phone numbers , email addresses, callsigns or others in
you
local ARES/RACES chapter?

When did you last check into a ARES/RACES net on HF?  Do you remember the
frequencies they use?

Do you know which HF band, under normal conditions,  is best suited for
communication within 200 miles of your QTH? Daytime of night time?

In the event of communications  problems associated with a
electro-magnetic
pulse, do you know which frequencies will have a better chance of being
effective?  Do you have equipment less likely to be damaged/impaired by
an
EMP?


When did you last pass formal radio traffic? Do you need to brush up on
these skills?

Can you work 10 meter FM repeaters?  When did you last do this?  Are
their
frequencies/off-sets and tones stored in you rig or written down
somewhere?
These repeaters offer  international reach and might be of use in an
emergency.

Do you know the frequencies for NTS traffic , both VHF and HF, for your
region?

Do you know the international calling frequencies for emergency and
health
and welfare traffic?

Do you have ability to  automatically "beacon" your station's I.D. and
coordinates? Consider PIC based circuits for automated low power
capability
in this regard.

Can you copy CW at a slow speed.,  at least enough to carry out a basic
QSO?
Do you have a list of CW abbreviations available?  If no CW ability, do
you
at least have a copy of the Morse code that you can refer to?

Do you know the national HF and VHF APRS frequencies?   Have you ever
sent a
text message via APRS?  If needed ,in an emergency , could you do this?

Is there an IRLP/ECHOLINK/WIRES node in your area?  Do you know how to
use
it?

If your local ARES/RACES leadership is unavailable do you know what to
do?

If your local ARES/RACES gathering place (Red Cross, Hospital, School,
etc)
is quarantined do you have an alternative site?  Does that site have
emergency power.

If ARES/RACES needed MORE hams than they have on the roster due to a real
emergency, do you know other hams that can be contacted and asked to
assist?

Do you have a pair of headphones?  They can help in weak signal
conditions

Prepared by Andy KB2EOQ
Chautauqua County  ARES (New York