[BCVHFA] Fwd: ARES E-Letter for September 03, 2005

[K8CM]

F.Y.I.; information on Katrina included in the ARES Newsletter.

73  <>  Carl


>Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2005 01:15:39 -0400
>From: ARRL Web site <memberlist at www.arrl.org>
>Subject: ARES E-Letter for September 03, 2005
>To: K8CM-1 at cinci.rr.com
>Original-recipient: rfc822;k8cm-1 at cinci.rr.com
>
>**********************
>The ARRL ARES E-Letter
>Special Edition
>September 2, 2005
>**********************
>
>Edited by Rick Palm, K1CE
>
>=================================================================
>ARES reports, other related contributions, editorial questions or
>comments: Rick Palm, K1CE, k1ce at arrl.net
>=================================================================
>
>SPECIAL EDITION: HURRICANE KATRINA
>
>"I know many people would like to move now. Please don't. I know many
>of you want to enter the fray, come to the coast and get involved.
>Please, not yet. Transportation and logistics, including volunteer
>groups coming in, must be done in an orderly manner or we may only
>add to the chaos and confusion." -ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP
>
>=================================================================
>
>IN THIS ISSUE:
>
>+  Message from Southern Florida SM Sherri Brower, W4STB
>+  Volunteer Disaster Communications Registration Data Base
>+  First Contact: Southern Florida's Experience
>+  Gulf Coast ARES Emergency Net
>+  Louisiana Situation
>+  Alabama Situation
>+  Mississippi Situation
>+  Northern Florida Mutual Assistance Team Effort
>+  On Special Assignment: Hillsborough County (Florida) ARES/RACES
>+  HF ARES Net Frequencies, Other Frequencies, Key Station Activity
>+  ARRL MOU Partners' Activity
>+  New Product: PowerFlare might be helpful for responders
>+  Editorial
>+  Final Note to Deployers
>=================================================================
>
>Numerous reports are coming in on the devastation and relief
>response, including ARES, manifested by Hurricane Katrina. This
>special release addresses initial ARES responses and planning.
>Everyone has seen the media reports and the public notices of various
>governmental agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations, so they
>will not be reiterated here. The purpose of this edition is to share
>early reports and stories of what our fellow ARES members are doing
>in the field in response to one of the worst natural disasters to
>beset the United States. These efforts are only preliminary, and in
>no way represent the total ARES effort, which will evolve over the
>hard hours, days and weeks to come. - K1CE
>________________________
>
>+  Message from Southern Florida SM Sherri Brower, W4STB
>
>"We are all concerned about the people in the path of Katrina's
>destruction. Many of us have friends or family in the area, others
>have friends and co-workers with friends or family in the area. At
>this time information into and out of the affected areas is sporadic.
>  Our fellow hams are overloaded with requests for food, water and
>rescue. They cannot handle health and welfare traffic at this time.
>Nor can I. Go to <http://www.satern.org/>  with such requests.  [See
>story below - ed.]
>
>"Here's how you can help now.  Keep frequencies with any kind of
>relief traffic clear -- that means listen only, don't be a policeman.
>Have patience. If you want to go to the area to assist with
>communications or other activities, contact the Red Cross or other
>relief agencies. They have required training courses before you can
>be deployed, so do not be surprised if you are told "no." Donate
>money. Coordinate your travel offer for ARES mutual assistance with
>your SEC. Do not attempt to travel to the area on your own." -W4STB
>____________________
>
>+  Volunteer Disaster Communications Registration and Message Traffic
>Data Base
>
>South Texas SEC Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, adds "The immediate action is
>for ARES leaders in adjacent and nearby sections to identify ARES
>volunteers who are qualified and willing to travel into the
>[affected] areas." He also reported the establishment of a "Volunteer
>Disaster Communications Registration and Message Traffic Data Base" -
>see <http://katrina.ab2m.net/> He added this caveat: "Before
>registering, consider there are unlikely to be any hotel or motel
>rooms available; any accommodations that are available are likely to
>be primitive and makeshift. Water suitable for drinking or even
>washing is expected to be scarce. Unless you are presently mentally
>and physically prepared for complete self-sufficiency for at least
>several days, please do not immediately register.  Not everyone needs
>to be in the first wave of volunteers; the recovery effort will last
>weeks and perhaps months, requiring an extended volunteer pool."
>___________________
>
>
>+ First Contact: Southern Florida's Experience
>
>August 25 and 26, 2005-- Hurricane Katrina first crossed paths with
>the U.S. in south Florida. Jeff Beals, WA4AW, ARRL Southern Florida
>Section Emergency Coordinator, reported that county ECs advised him
>of several activations and responses. In Martin County, the EOC was
>activated with resource and tactical nets operating in support of Red
>Cross HQ, shelters and the EOC. Palm Beach and Broward Counties saw
>the same level of activity. Miami-Dade County ARES supported their
>EOC and shelters, with ARES/RACES DCAT teams assisting Red Cross with
>damage assessment and food distribution. Tactical communications were
>provided for all of the above operations. There were no activations
>in Glades, Lee or Hendry Counties, according to Beals. The Southern
>Florida ARES Net (SFAN) held four special sessions on August 25 and
>26.
>_____________
>
>
>+ Gulf Coast ARES Emergency Net
>
>As Katrina exited the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, the Gulf
>Coast's uneasiness turned to alarm when the massive storm came ashore
>near the under-sea-level port city of New Orleans. A new Battle for
>New Orleans was soon unfolding.
>
>South Texas SEC Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, informed us of Gulf Coast ARES
>mutual assistance: "The South Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi ARRL
>sections have had a mutual assistance agreement, primarily focused on
>providing net control stations for HF nets.  See
><http://www.laarrl.org/emergops.htm>.  Accordingly, the Gulf Coast
>ARES Emergency Net began operating Monday, August 29 on 3873 kHz and
>7285 kHz, and health and welfare traffic nets are operating on 3935
>kHz and 7290 kHz."
>
>As of today, Friday, September 2, the West Gulf ARES Emergency Net
>remains active on 7285 kHz days and 3873 kHz nights, handling
>emergency and priority traffic only. The net has been operating 24/7.
>Health-and-welfare traffic is being handled on 7290 kHz days and 3935
>kHz nights. [As this is being written, I am listening to the net on
>7285 kHz: they are performing a very professional job. -ed.]
>
>Other sections are also providing mutual assistance. See related
>stories below.
>________________________
>
>
>+ Louisiana Situation
>
>Early on, Louisiana SEC Gary Stratton, K5GLS, said ARES teams were on
>hold since no one was allowed to go into many areas of southern
>Louisiana.  Following assessments, the nature of the ARES role could
>be determined. Louisiana SM Mickey Cox, K5MC, said that Richard Webb,
>NF5B, from New Orleans was on the air from the Louisiana State
>University Hospital. He had reported early that sections of New
>Orleans were under water. Louisiana Assistant Section Manager Mike
>King, W5MP, from Slidell, also was on the air Monday helping provide
>communication from a hospital on the north shore of Lake
>Pontchatrain.
>
>Now, ARES in Louisiana is supporting various relief organizations.
>Stratton said most efforts have gone toward assisting with emergency
>management and search-and-rescue operations. He says he has ARES
>members ready to roll once state authorities reopen the hardest-hit
>parishes that have been closed off to outsiders. "We have people on
>standby from all over northern Louisiana and from the South Texas
>Section basically champing at the bit trying to find out when they
>can go," Stratton told ARRL. "It's a very tough wait."
>
>Volunteers have been or will be deployed into the areas that are not
>cordoned off, Stratton said. He also said most of the emergency
>activity has been on HF, as repeaters were knocked out or have
>exhausted emergency power resources. He noted that some systems north
>of Lake Pontchatrain were coming back on line, however, as power is
>restored. ARES volunteers from Bossier and Caddo parishes are being
>deployed into areas that are still open. "We're handling a lot of
>traffic from down there that ends up being made by cell phones from
>people in the affected area to relatives to people up here in
>Shreveport," Stratton explained, "and they call the 911 center in the
>Bossier area, and we have a radio link from our EOC to Bossier." From
>there the traffic goes onto the HF net.
>________________
>
>
>+ Alabama Situation
>
>Staff in Newington also talked with Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK,
>by telephone, in northern Alabama. Power outages occurred as Katrina
>moved through the northern Alabama region, bringing flooding rains
>and high winds. SKYWARN nets were very active, too, according to
>Sarratt, who handled a volunteer shift at the Huntsville National
>Weather Service (NWS). ARES groups throughout the state and
>especially in central and south Alabama were providing communications
>for their local emergency management agencies, and Red Cross
>chapters.
>________________
>
>
>+ Mississippi Situation
>
>Mississippi Section Manager Malcolm Keown, W5XX, in Vicksburg, was
>initially reported on the air using generator power. His area had no
>electrical power or telephone service, so reports so far have been
>scant. We did receive this: "the West Gulf ARES Emergency Net will
>activate . . . check-ins will be limited to served agency
>representatives as well as stations with emergency, priority, and
>weather related traffic or stations in the affected storm event area
>with information or inquiries."
>
>Radio amateurs wanting to volunteer for ARES work were advised to
>contact their District Emergency Coordinator or county Emergency
>Coordinator.  A list of the Mississippi DECs and ECs is available on
>the section website: see <http://www.arrlmiss.org>.
>
>Now, ARES members are active in the three hardest-hit
>counties--Harrison, Hancock and Jackson. Assistant Mississippi SM
>Edwin Franks, AD5IS, reported people have been calling him at home to
>get information about friends and relatives in the stricken area. DEC
>Thomas Hammack, W4WLF, in Gulfport, has been among those volunteering
>at the Harrison County EOC. Amateurs in the three counties have been
>using HF, VHF and UHF resources to support emergency management as
>well as the Red Cross, The Salvation Army and the Baptist Men's
>Kitchen. Amateurs also have been handling considerable
>health-and-welfare traffic, he said.
>
>Mutual Assistance to Mississippi: About a half dozen radio amateurs,
>including the aforementioned Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, were
>preparing to head to Jackson, Mississippi, as part of a Southern
>Baptist Disaster Relief trip. They will provide communications and
>other assistance for the relief group. Another group from Alabama
>will be heading on to southern Mississippi or Louisiana once
>assignments are confirmed.
>____________________
>
>
>+ Northern Florida Mutual Assistance Team Effort
>
>Storm riding veteran and Northern Florida SM Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP, is
>gathering a team to assist neighboring Mississippi upon clearance and
>coordination by the Florida State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC).
>Northern Florida SEC Joe Bushel, W2DWR, stated that radio amateurs
>going should be prepared to spend a week in the area. VHF, UHF and HF
>capabilities will be needed as well as digital, ATV and SSTV modes.
>Bushel asked DECs for lists of volunteers. "Do not depart without a
>Florida-issued Tracker Number," advised Bushel and Hubbard. Tracker
>Numbers will only be available from them. The Northern Florida ARES
>Net (3950 kHz) and Phone Net (3940 kHz) are good sources for
>deployment information.
>___________________
>
>
>+ On Special Assignment: Hillsborough County (Florida) ARES/RACES
>
>Gary Sessums, KC5QCN, Hillsborough County EC, reports that his
>ARES/RACES organization has been tasked by the Florida Division of
>Emergency Management (FDEM) through the Emergency Management
>Assistance Compact (EMAC) to deploy the State of Florida Emergency
>Deployable Interoperable Communications System (EDICS) and the State
>of Florida Mutual Aid Radio Communications (MARC) Unit to the
>Mississippi Gulf Coast in support of Hurricane Katrina recovery
>operations.
>
>In addition to the public safety communications equipment they will
>be deploying, team members will interface with Amateur Radio, the
>Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS), Civil Air Patrol (CAP), and
>the Federal government's SHARES HF radio system. They will also
>attempt to pass health and welfare traffic via amateur radio.
>
>The team was also tasked with providing communications support
>locally in Tampa for the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)
>airlift of hospital patients from the flooded hospitals in New
>Orleans to local hospitals in Hillsborough. ARES/RACES operators are
>stationed at Tampa's airport and at the Hillsborough County EOC to
>track plane landings and patient head count information.
>
>The team that was selected to deploy had taken the required courses,
>including the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course
>(ARECC), and have specific skills needed to accomplish the mission.
>
>[Late note: This team is en route to the affected areas as this is
>being written-ed.]
>__________________________
>
>
>+ Known ARES HF and VHF Operations
>
>The following is a list of ARES net frequencies that may be active,
>courtesy of East Central Florida DEC designate Jay Musikar, AF2C:
>
>3873 kHz Louisiana ARES Emergency (night)
>3873 kHz Texas ARES Emergency (night)
>3873 kHz Mississippi ARES Emergency
>3910 kHz Mississippi ARES
>3923 kHz Mississippi ARES
>3935 kHz Louisiana ARES (health and welfare)
>3935 kHz Texas ARES (health and welfare)
>3935 kHz Mississippi ARES (health and welfare)
>3950 kHz Northern Florida ARES
>7273 kHz Texas ARES (alternate)
>7285 kHz West Gulf ARES Emergency (day)
>7285 kHz Louisiana ARES Emergency (day)
>7285 kHz Mississippi ARES Emergency (day)
>7285 kHz Texas ARES Emergency (day)
>7290 kHz Texas ARES (health and welfare)
>7290 kHz Louisiana ARES (health and welfare)
>7290 kHz Texas ARES (health and welfare)
>7290 kHz Mississippi ARES (health and welfare)
>
>Other reported frequencies:
>
>7298 kHz Kessler AFB, Mississippi operator is Alan Deaton, KU4WN.
>7666 kHz Kessler AFB, Mississippi (Note: this frequency is outside
>the amateur band).
>
>VHF Operations:
>
>444.200 MHz pl 114.8 New Orleans repeater is operational and EOC in
>Baton Rouge is monitoring; 147.380 MHz North shore of Lake
>Ponchartrain; 147.241 MHz pl 114.8 is operational from East Jefferson
>in New Orleans.
>
>Active Station Operations in Affected Areas:
>
>WB5LHS [Louisiana Office Of Homeland Security And Emergency
>Preparedness Club Station], Baton Rouge EOC and links to FEMA; W5SLA
>[Ozone Amateur Radio Club] Slidell (Louisiana) National Weather
>Service Office; Larry Kirchner, KG7FF, Meadow Crest Hospital in
>Grenta, Louisiana; Danny Smith, KC5EST, EOC Bay St Louis, Mississippi
>(between New Orleans and Biloxi); Tom Miller, AC5TM, working on Levee
>Pumping Stations; Bruce Kachline, KD4WDD, in port at Oak Harbor
>Marina, Slidell, Louisiana, accepting incoming e-mail to
>KD4WDD at winlink.org; Oris Grim III, N4CND, hauling materials for FEMA;
>N4ARC, American Red Cross, Orlando, Florida.
>_______________________________
>
>
>+ ARRL MOU Partners' Activity
>
>American Red Cross: The American Red Cross is providing a safe haven
>for nearly 4,000 evacuees in more than 230 Red Cross shelters, from
>the panhandle of Florida, across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
>Georgia, and Texas. The Red Cross is launching the largest
>mobilization of resources for a single natural disaster involving
>thousands of trained disaster relief workers, tons of supplies, and
>support. The Red Cross relies on donations to do its work. The best
>way to help is by making an online contribution to the Disaster
>Relief Fund at: <http://www.redcross.org/>.
>
>More Red Cross: Earl Leach, WX4J, relayed this ARC message: "The Red
>Cross has the same problems with communication as the general public.
>We heed all directions from public officials, and do not enter areas
>until they are deemed safe. The Red Cross does not have information
>on the well being of any individuals. Our phone lines are being
>overwhelmed with calls, and we appreciate the desire to know how
>people fared during the storm. Medical and government officials will
>contact families in serious cases if necessary. The best way to help
>the Red Cross assist those affected by the storm is to remain patient
>and help us keep our phone lines open for emergencies only."
>
>The Salvation Army: Reports have the Salvation Army's SATERN net
>handling more than 12,000 H/W message requests. The net directs
>inquirers to the SATERN web site <http://www.satern.org>, with the
>on-the-air SATERN net looking for emergency traffic only. There has
>been "no traffic out of the storm zone at this time." Look for the
>SATERN net on 14.265 MHz, or possibly 40-meters as conditions
>dictate. SATERN National Net Director Jim Adams, WA0LSB, says the net
>is activating daily at 1400 UTC and continuing until 20 meters
>closes. "We estimate that approximately 1000 Amateur Radio operators
>are checking into the SATERN net each day," he said. "Most of them
>have traffic and are an excellent source for relays and traffic
>handling. Each day, we are able to pass many pieces of traffic."
>
>An ARRL report had SATERN volunteers helping with rooftop rescues:
>"Amateur Radio was instrumental in saving several stranded flood
>victims this week in Louisiana and Mississippi."
>_____________________
>
>
>+ New Product May Help: PowerFlare Safety Light of Possible Use for
>Deployments
>
>An ARES EC and police officer, Kenneth Dueker, KB6BPM, in Palo Alto,
>California, has invented the PowerFlare Safety Light
><http://www.powerflare.com>. According to his note, the PowerFlare
>safety light is about the size of a hockey puck, contains
>ultra-bright LED lights, and is durable enough to be run over by
>large trucks. Uses include: traffic safety, illumination and
>signaling in emergency (earthquake, hurricane, power failure) light,
>and Emergency Response Teams.
>
>The safety product is built in California and is currently in use by
>law enforcement, fire departments, and other first responders, as
>well as road construction and other users.  ARRL and ARES members may
>be interested in PowerFlare. Source: Kenneth Dueker, KB6BPM,
>PowerFlare Corporation President and CEO, e-mail:
>kdueker at powerflare.com
>_________________________
>
>
>+ Editorial: Interoperability a Key Role for Amateur Radio
>
>National Public Radio (NPR) featured a brief interview with a
>Louisiana state senator yesterday, who made the observation that
>their biggest problem is communication among the various responding
>agencies. That comment brought back memories: interoperability among
>agencies has been a long time, deeply entrenched problem, and is
>fostered in part by poor coordination and planning, or to put it less
>politely, "turf protection." It's a manifestation of human nature and
>organizational behavior, I suppose.
>
>Reader Don Lamont, WD5AAH, commented: "My only problem is that I have
>watched TV all day on the terrible destruction caused by Katrina and
>listened to the government complain about communications. Will we
>spend another billion dollars on communication gear that won't work
>when they need it or will we call out the amateurs to provide the
>communications."
>
>So, here we have a new event that presents another perfect
>opportunity for ARES members: fill the interoperability gap. That
>opportunity will manifest itself in countless places, with countless
>agencies in the days and weeks to come, as the Gulf Coast slowly
>recovers. When the time comes for post-recovery evaluations, ARES may
>find itself written into more inter-agency communication plans, with
>more government and agency support. At least that's what we should
>work for, when we get to that point down the long, hard road to come.
>-- K1CE
>___________________________
>
>
>+ Final Note to Deployers:
>
>"Caution" should be the keynote of those ARES members getting ready
>to deploy to the affected areas. Make no mistake about it: you are
>going into harm's way. There will be the usual gross hazards-the
>weakened buildings and trees, the water, and debris. And there will
>be unseen hazards from the microbial world. Before departure, see
>your local clinic for shots that will likely include tetanus,
>Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, among others. Be sure that you are
>prepared physically to endure a harsh environment, without the usual
>creature comforts, including a bathroom. Also be prepared for the
>mental hazards: you will see things that will be psychologically
>disturbing. You will endure fatigue that you have never felt before.
>It is a fatigue that you will feel to the core of your being.
>
>But, know one more thing: We on the periphery will be with you in
>spirit, and will be in front of our radios to support your efforts by
>relaying your messages and offering words of encouragement.  We are
>proud that you are one of us. - K1CE
>
>======================================================================
>The ARES E-Letter is published on the third Wednesday of each month
>by the American Radio Relay League--The National Association For
>Amateur Radio--225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200;
>fax 860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org/>. Jim Haynie, W5JBP,
>President.
>
>The ARES E-Letter is an e-mail digest of news and information of
>interest to active members of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency
>Service (ARES).
>
>Material from The ARES E-Letter may be republished or reproduced in
>whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit
>must be given to The ARES E-Letter and The American Radio Relay
>League.
>
>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Palm, K1CE, k1ce at arrl.net
>Delivery problems (ARRL direct delivery only!): ares-el-dlvy at arrl.org
>
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>
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>
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>publication.
>======================================================================