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Thu Feb 21 15:38:05 EST 2013
Marathon event is typical, but within 15 minutes of the bombings, Eastern
Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, Carl Aveni,
N1FY, issued an ARES Stand-By and requested that amateurs give availability
for the next 24 hours. Within minutes, 20 amateurs offered their
availability.
The ARES sub-regional command center at the Acushnet, Massachusetts EOC
(under call sign WA1EMA) was utilized as a control point to obtain critical
situational awareness of the rapidly changing situation, as well as to
monitor resource nets per a report filed by Acushnet Emergency Management
Communications Officer Ed Caron, KA1RSY; he also serves as the South Shore
Massachusetts ARES District Emergency Coordinator. A total of five Amateur
Radio operators were deployed to this facility. An ARES resource net was
called on the 147.18 Bridgewater repeater with Byron Piette, K1YCQ, as net
control with 11 stations checking into the net.
"In terms of having amateurs within ARES who cannot get directly involved in
the marathon, we have a process where we have them monitor in case of a
situation like what occurred on Monday. That process paid off and
facilitated a rapid response to our request for possible additional
support," said Carl Aveni, N1FY.
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link=3D"#0563C1" vlink=3D"#954F72"><div class=3DWordSection1><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><b><span style=3D'font-family:"Arial =
Black","sans-serif"'>TO: </span></b><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial Black","sans-serif"'>CALV ARES =
STATIONS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><b><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial Black","sans-serif"'>DATE: =
</span></b><span style=3D'font-family:"Arial Black","sans-serif"'>April =
18, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial =
Black","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span style=3D'font-family:"Arial =
Black","sans-serif"'>The Boston Marathon’s Bombing is a reminder =
how quickly a Public Service Event can become totally different =
situation within nano-seconds. Below is a report how the Boston =
ARES went into action after the Government stopped commercial =
communications and/or cell phone circuits became overloaded. The =
foundation of our communication objectives is TRAINING. With the =
inter-structure shut down vital messages and information was still =
delivered to serve agencies. Their training enabled them to =
mobilize equipment and personnel to support agencies for a heighten =
communication incident. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial =
Black","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3Ddate><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>04/16/2013</span><=
/span><span style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> =
<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p><=
/span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>From The American =
Radio Relay League<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>As has happened =
many times in years past, over 200 Amateur Radio operators participated =
in communications for the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, 2013. =
Unlike prior challenging situations such as very warm weather for the =
runners or other weather-related challenges, this year’s marathon =
will be remembered for the bombings that took place at the finish line. =
Despite this heinous act, professional first responders, medical =
volunteers from the American Red Cross that staffed the route, and =
Amateur Radio operators performed magnificently in the face of =
adversity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“Within =
minutes, cell phone systems became overloaded and making phone calls and =
text messages was difficult. Amateur Radio operators performed =
communication duties under duress and performed admirably. No Amateur =
Radio volunteers were injured on the course in this terrible act,” =
said Steve Schwarm, W3EVE, who is the Amateur Radio Course Communication =
Coordinator and associated with a consortium of clubs and groups known =
as Marathon Amateur Radio Communications (<a =
href=3D"http://www.mmra.org/marc/"><strong><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue;text-decoration:none=
'>MARC</span></strong></a>).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“At the =
finish line net control, which was only 400 feet from the initial blast, =
we heard the explosion. I poked my head outside to confirm what I =
thought it was and saw the white smoke. We immediately knew what had =
happened and commenced a roll call of all ham operators and medical =
tents. State Police authorities initially ordered us to lock down =
and post a ham for security watch outside the net control trailer. =
Thankfully none of our people were hurt,” said Paul Topolski, =
W1SEX, Amateur Radio Finish Line =
Coordinator.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Following the =
explosion and roll call, Topolski stated that they began pulling =
together updates and sent the information via the Massachusetts =
Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Web-EOC software tool and provided =
updates via Amateur Radio. Shortly after sending a few updates both =
Boston Police and Massachusetts State Police gave the order for the tent =
area to be evacuated. “In my mind, the course end of things is =
where a lot of work needed to happen as runners eventually needed to be =
stopped, congregated and transported to safety and staging areas,” =
Topolski said. “At the finish line, our job was to check on the =
safety of our people, provide those initial updates and evacuate per =
police instructions. Three of our Amateur Radio operators redeployed to =
the Boston Marathon Course Net Control =
Center.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Across the course =
outside of the finish line after the bombings occurred, first aid =
stations were consolidated to larger first aid stations to pool runners =
for pickup and to keep runners warm as there were enhanced tents along =
the route where runners could be kept warm and hydrated. At the =
Heartbreak Hill first aid station, amateur operators had a complete base =
station setup, including a computer, and were prepared to handle health =
and welfare traffic as required. Several shelters were set up along the =
route at churches and schools, and Amateur Radio operators from secured =
first aid stations went to those shelters, providing communications in =
those areas until runners were moved out of their =
locations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“My role at =
the request of Steve, W3EVE, as event organizer before the race was to =
shadow the course medical tent coordinator for the Red Cross, Kandi =
Finch,” said Rob Macedo, KD1CY, who is also the Eastern =
Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator. “It was a =
challenging position but all organizers on both the Amateur Radio side =
and Red Cross side said things went well in coordinating during normal =
race conditions and particularly after the =
bombings.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>At course net =
control, which was away from the bombings, ham operators controlled =
their nets calmly and professionally while also expressing an =
appropriate level of urgency. Over a dozen amateurs at the net control =
center pooled together to announce messages and keep status of changes =
along the course route as required.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Net Control =
Center Coordinator, Karen Brothers, K1KEB, kept in constant contact with =
MEMA, where Terry Stader, KA8SCP, was stationed. Stader became the MEMA =
‘Ops’ point person at the State Emergency Operations Center =
as runners were transported from the shelters to other staging =
locations. From his location at the EOC, Stader was able to sort out the =
sheltering plan and reception centers for the runners, subsequent =
transport of runners from shelter locations and give out information on =
MBTA bus and train operations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Jim Palmer, =
KB1KQW -- who served as a net control at the Net Control Center -- =
stated that nets were doubled up on operators, to allow one person to =
operate the radio while the other listened and logged priority calls and =
ambulance requests, creating a more efficient operation. “Several =
ambulance requests for dehydration and exhaustion were handled due to =
the runners needing to be stopped,” Palmer said. The specific net =
that Palmer ran also provided a link between the marathon course and the =
American Red Cross in its Cambridge facility. Lou Harris, N1UEC; Frank =
O’Laughlin, WQ1O, and Dan Howard, K1DYO, staffed the Red Cross in =
Cambridge. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Many amateur =
operators who volunteered along the marathon route praised Net =
Control’s support after the bombing. “Net Control did an =
awesome job,” said course volunteer David Wihl, KB1VEG. “The =
workload was busiest after seven hours on the radio, and it didn’t =
let up for another couple hours.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Several young =
radio amateurs from the Clay Center Amateur Radio Club also supported =
Net Control Operations, both as direct net control operators and runners =
for the operation as they have done in the past. This provided a =
tremendous learning opportunity for these young operators, from both an =
Amateur Radio perspective and an overall learning =
perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“Despite =
the total lack of warning in this situation, amateurs followed a creed =
I’ve long since preached since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the =
mutual aid response to those attacks: ‘blessed are the flexible =
for they will not get bent out of shape,’” said Steve =
Schwarm, W3EVE. “Amateurs on the course did what they had to do to =
assure their own safety and runner safety working with the Red Cross =
medical people. They did an outstanding job and I was told so by Red =
Cross organizers as well.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>From an ARES =
perspective, a heightened state of awareness on the Boston Marathon =
event is typical, but within 15 minutes of the bombings, Eastern =
Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, Carl Aveni, =
N1FY, issued an ARES Stand-By and requested that amateurs give =
availability for the next 24 hours. Within minutes, 20 amateurs offered =
their availability.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The ARES =
sub-regional command center at the Acushnet, Massachusetts EOC (under =
call sign WA1EMA) was utilized as a control point to obtain critical =
situational awareness of the rapidly changing situation, as well as to =
monitor resource nets per a report filed by Acushnet Emergency =
Management Communications Officer Ed Caron, KA1RSY; he also serves as =
the South Shore Massachusetts ARES District Emergency Coordinator. A =
total of five Amateur Radio operators were deployed to this facility. An =
ARES resource net was called on the 147.18 Bridgewater repeater with =
Byron Piette, K1YCQ, as net control with 11 stations checking into the =
net.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“In terms =
of having amateurs within ARES who cannot get directly involved in the =
marathon, we have a process where we have them monitor in case of a =
situation like what occurred on Monday. That process paid off and =
facilitated a rapid response to our request for possible additional =
support,” said Carl Aveni, =
N1FY.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>
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