[BARC-List] More on FD

[KA1MOM at aol.com]

After the discussions at yesterday's breakfast and a trip by most of those 
present at the breakfast to the Clay Science Center on the Dexter School campus 
near Lars Anderson Park, Bob Phinney (Pres., Clay Center ARC) has put together 
the following proposal for the school officials.  Is there any comment 
relative to this possibility vs. Lars Anderson?  Evidently the distance between the 
two sites (about 450 meters) is beyond the limit for merging sites (about 300 
meters).  The Dexter site is at FN42kh, N 42.308, W 71.137.

-= KA1MOM =-
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Proposal for Clay Center Event

Event: Amateur Radio Field Day

When:  Saturday, June 26, 2:00 p.m. until Sunday, June 27, 2:00 p.m. 

Hosts: The Clay Center Amateur Radio Club (CC-ARC) and the Boston Amateur 
Radio Club (BARC)

Location:  Main Ball Field in front of Clay Center 

Participants:  About 30 Amateur Radio Operators

Background:  Each year a national organization called the American Radio 
Relay League (ARRL) sponsors a "Field Day" on the weekend after Fourth Full 
Weekend in June.  On this weekend, Amateur Radio Operators operate from the field, 
as a simulated emergency test or public demonstration.  In the ARRL EMA Section 
(all Mass counties east of Worcester Co.), as many as 26 clubs participate 
from public parks, schools, and fields to contact as many other stations as 
possible on amateur radio bands.  Field Day is more than a contest or 
QSL/Certificate Operating Event.  For most clubs, it is part contest, part camp-out, part 
public relations demonstration, and part emergency-operations exercise.

Affiliations: The Amateur Radio Emergency Service in Eastern Massachusetts 
(EMa ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their 
qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service when 
disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in ARRL or 
any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in the 
ARES.  EMa ARES maintains close liaison with the Massachusetts Radio Amateur 
Civil Emergency Service (RACES), as well as the National Weather Service Taunton 
Office's SKYWARN program.

History:  BARC has been operating from the top of the hill at Lars Anderson 
Park for the past several years.  This year the Town of Brookline has booked 
several weddings for the top of the hill and has offered BARC a less desirable 
area on a lower elevation and sloping ground.  They have asked if the Clay 
Center ARC would be interested in co-hosting the event with them in order to use 
the ball field in front of the Clay Center. 

Benefits:  The Clay Center and the Dexter and Southfield Schools would 
benefit from the good public relations exposure as an educational institution that 
promotes science and reaches out to the community.  Even though the CC-ARC is 
very new and has few members at present, in future years there would be 
excellent educational benefits to CC-ARC members if we helped host this event 
annually.  Although the BARC has been working to educate the public about the 
benefits of Amateur Radio, their club would benefit from having the assistance of an 
experienced educational institution behind them.  The public, and particularly 
our schools and the Brookline schools, would benefit from being able to visit 
the Field Day event and see Amateur Radio services in operation.  The club 
members would have an information booth set up with fliers and educational 
materials, and members would give tours of the different radio stations operating 
during the event.

Logistics:  There are a lot of details that would need to be ironed out 
before the event.  Here are some of the major ones:
1. Toilet facilities:  BARC has had to rent a porta-potty in the past.  
Ideally it would be nice if we could give them access to a bathroom in a building 
without giving access to the entire building.  There may be a way to do this on 
the end of the gym or from the flagpole courtyard.  They also would like an 
outdoor hose or spigot.  
2. Sleeping tents:  Since this is a 24 hour simulated emergency event, 
station operators work in shifts, some working the night while team members sleep in 
pup tents.  These could be set up in an area away from the "public" areas 
where radio stations operate under awnings and canopies.  Sleeping tents could go 
by the pool and gym while radio stations could be set up nearer the Clay 
Center.
3. Vehicle access:  For security the main parking lot should be closed for 
the weekend.  Since vehicles are not permitted on the ball field, access to the 
faculty lot near the gym for club members would be via the service road behind 
the main field.  The public would be restricted to parking near the Clay 
Center and on the Athletic Facility deck.
4. Gates:  Only the main gate would be open so that traffic must come up the 
hill to the Clay Center and nowhere else.  The rink gate can remain closed, 
and signage would be placed along the driveway to direct cars to the Clay Center.
5. Hours of Operation:  Although the radio operators will work the full 24 
hours and will need time before and after the event to set up and pack up, the 
public would be invited only at specific hours.  In past years the public hours 
have been Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 
2:00 p.m.  These hours could be further restricted if appropriate.
6. Food and drink:  The club members would need to be permitted to bring 
their own meals and drinks in coolers and to barbecue on a portable grill.  No 
alcoholic beverages would be permitted.  It is not their style anyway for a 
public relations event as important as this.
7. Electricity:  None.  The point of this event is to simulate emergency 
conditions, so the rules are clear.  Radios are operated from batteries in the 
field, and small generators are used to recharge batteries when needed.  Lighting 
is by battery power as well. 
8. Fire protection:  From past event photos it is clear that fire 
extinguishers are prominently placed in key locations.  We can make that a requirement.
9. First Aid:  Although we probably would not need a first aid station per 
se, we can require that a first aid kit is centrally located.  
10. Building access:  There would normally not be a need for building access 
other than as noted above, but it might be an added educational component to 
have tours of the observatory during certain hours of the "public" access time.
  
Any other logistics questions or issues should be raised in the next few 
days, since we would like to have a final approval from the Schools by next week.

Submitted for approval, 05-09-2004
Robert F. Phinney, Technology Director
 
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