[CVRC] ARES E-Letter for September 11, 2005

Sun Sep 11 15:31:34 EDT 2005

  =================					
The ARES E-Letter
Special Edition
September 11, 2005
  =================					

Edited by Rick Palm, K1CE

===============================================================
ARES reports, other related contributions, editorial questions or
comments: Rick Palm, K1CE, k1ce at arrl.net
===============================================================

SPECIAL EDITION TWO: HURRICANE KATRINA FOLLOW-UP

It's been quite a week of studying the ARES response to Hurricane
Katrina while keeping a wary eye on storm Ophelia, just off shore
here in Flagler County, on the Florida central east coast. Local ARES
was on alert. We had winds and driving rain as Ophelia tried to
decide which way to turn. Yesterday, it marched to the northeast and
today we have an uneasy, almost surreal calm. But, the sky is clear.

Back to Katrina: I can't remember a more comprehensive ARES response,
especially in terms of inter-county and interstate mutual assistance,
plus the concomitant, unprecedented activity by ARRL HQ staff in
support of that response, ever. Even the Chief Operating Officer
Harold Kramer, WJ1B, worked over the Labor Day holiday weekend. And
word arrived yesterday that the "Hurricane Katrina Amateur Radio
Volunteers Needed Clearing House" now is live on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/agencies/>. The ARRL Letter: "This
database will be the primary means for relief organizations requiring
Amateur Radio volunteers for communication support to list their
needs. Additionally, volunteers looking to help may search the
listings to match up their capabilities with the various
requirements." That is a first, as far as I know. Credit Joe
Tomasone, AB2M, for the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Communications
Volunteer Registration and Message Traffic Database he developed.

On the Northern Florida ARES Net this morning, a report was made that
"renegade" hams were turned away from an affected area and were to be
adorned with "metal bracelets" if they did not leave. Message:
Coordinate your volunteer efforts with your own home ARRL Section
Emergency Coordinator (SEC), or his/her designees. Also, be prepared
to be self-sufficient: "If you need it, you bring it," advised
Alabama SEC Jay Isbell, KA4KUN. - K1CE

"All of us know this will be a months-long effort. Just because we
are unable to immediately send those of you who have registered, that
does not mean we will not need you in the future. Your patience in
awaiting an assignment that may never come is appreciated. The
requirements are likely to change in the future; we are unable to
give any idea of when that will be." - Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, STX SEC

=====================================

IN THIS ISSUE:

+ Northern Texas Response
+ Louisiana
+ Mississippi
+ Alabama
+ South Texas
+ New Orleans
+ Northwest Harris County (Texas) ARES
+ Hillsborough (Florida) Ops Deployment
+ Interoperability Tip
+ On Responder Fatigue
+ Digital Outlets
+ Briefs
+ Response and Recovery HF Frequencies
+ Resource Links
+ Final Note and Prediction

======================================

+ NORTHERN TEXAS SECTION RESPONSE

The NTX Section had been on alert since Monday, August 29.  NTX SEC
Harris Swan, K5MWC, and STX SEC Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, had agreed early
on a plan to make effective use of NTX ARES members in response to
requests from the affected area. That plan was to prepare a list of
people volunteering to go if requested; Reimer would coordinate all
requests for assistance.

NTX ARES has primarily been supporting the West Gulf ARES Emergency
Net, dealing with H/W traffic, and supporting Red Cross, Salvation
Army, and FEMA. Several of the county EOCs requested support as they
anticipated operations with the large number of evacuees expected.

NTX will supplement resources in the affected area, provide support
to local shelter operations and support relief agencies in response
to their requests. The tempo will certainly pick up as time goes by;
NTX ARES is planning for long-term needs. -- NTX SEC Harris Swan,
K5MWC
______________________

The following is culled from a status report by the indefatigable
Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, South Texas SEC: Hurricane Katrina ARES
operations continue in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, North and
South Texas sections, using operators recruited from Louisiana,
Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Florida and other nearby
states and sections.

+ LOUISIANA

ARES continues to support Red Cross shelter and Southern Baptist
Convention debris-clearing operations in St. Tammany parish, where
disaster relief workers are housed and fed at the First Baptist
Church in Covington. In Washington Parish, ARES operators are
arriving to provide critical communication among hospitals and the
parish EOC. Over a dozen operators from Texas alone have traveled to
Louisiana.  Victoria County (Texas) ARES EC John Wagner, WA5VBP, flew
into the New Orleans airport where it was determined that his
assignment was unsafe; he was sent on to serve in Baton Rouge.

Communications among the field teams and the state EOC in Baton Rouge
continues using HF voice on 75 meters and 40 meters.  Surprisingly,
many VHF and UHF repeaters remained operational after the storm's
passing.  Louisiana SEC Gary Stratton, K5GLS, temporarily delegated
his authority to former SM Al Oubre, K5DPG.  Stratton will be working
on restoring the communications infrastructure.

In yesterday's ARRL Letter, Stratton was cited as saying Amateur
Radio was the only means for state officials at the state EOC in
Baton Rouge to communicate earlier this week with parishes above Lake
Pontchartrain.	Also, there was a communication to the EOC from FEMA
that said, "Ham radio is our prime communications with you, and they
should get anything they need."

Reports also have ARES ops even loaning government agencies their
equipment.

+ MISSISSIPPI

The hardest hit areas are perhaps the counties closest to the Gulf
coast, especially Hancock and Harrison Counties.  ARES DEC Tom
Hammack, W4WLF, requested 25 ARES operators for critical
communication among EOCs, hospitals, and shelters.  ARRL Northern
Florida, West Central Florida and Southern Florida Sections are
sending self-sufficient teams to meet this urgent need, and a few
operators are coming from Arkansas.  Hammack said his operators are
sleeping on the floor where they are assigned.	State RACES Officer
and ARES DEC Ron Brown, AB5WF, is working on a staging area for
Amateur Radio responders near the Mississippi Emergency Management
Agency (MEMA) in Jackson. Mississippi SM/SEC Malcolm Keown, W5XX,
received a replacement generator and now has telephone and Internet
service.

[In correspondence with Malcolm, he gave me an appreciation for their
mental status and what they are going through on the ground in
Mississippi: "At this point nobody has much time to document
activities.  Nobody at this point really has a clear enough mind to
put together a coherent story." -- K1CE]

+ ALABAMA

The state capitol of Montgomery was the scene of processing and
orienting Amateur Radio volunteers for Red Cross and other duty in
Louisiana and Mississippi.  Some volunteers will help support
communication at Red Cross shelters set up for evacuees, while others
will provide tactical communication for feeding stations or for
emergency management.  Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, has been
coordinating ham radio volunteers at the Montgomery site. - ARRL
Letter

+ SOUTH TEXAS

The Red Cross reports housing more than 142,000 people in 485
shelters in 18 states.	Texas has over 230,000 people who fled.
Orange County ARES EC Rocky Wilson, N5MTX, has ARES operators
supporting seven Red Cross facilities that include distribution
centers and shelters.  Since being activated on August 27, 35 ARES
operators have provided over 1,200 person-hours, as operations
continue.  ARES groups from adjacent Jefferson and Polk Counties are
providing much-needed mutual aid.

ARES District 14 (Harris County) DEC Ken Mitchell, KD2KW, was
requested by the county emergency management office (HCOEM) to
provide four operators 24 hours per day, on-site at the Houston
Astrodome, and two at the county EOC, beginning September 1.  Since
then, more than 90 operators have provided over 720 person-hours of
direct communications support.	All four county ARES ECs are
providing operators at both sites.

Managing the incoming health and welfare inquiry messages is
overwhelming nearly all NTS resources, especially at the local level.
  To mitigate this, Amateur Radio clubs have been asked to contact
nearby shelters as often as possible to pick up outgoing messages and
process them into the NTS by any available means.

At the request of the state Adjutant General's office, Travis County
ARES EC Don Dudley, AC5YK, facilitated National Guard in Waco with
communication with Guard elements at the Louisiana Superdome.

+ NEW ORLEANS

STX SEC Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, reports: "Amateur Radio operators are
beginning to be sent into areas around New Orleans to support command
and control operations for Red Cross and other disaster relief
operations.  The equipment requirement is VHF and UHF FM.  Portable,
hand-held and mobile stations are needed.  Conditions remain
primitive.  A pass is required from the Louisiana State Police for
access beyond roadblocks.  Similar requirements exist in Mississippi,
where the state EOC is located in Jackson."

+ NORTHWEST HARRIS COUNTY (TEXAS) ARES

 >From Hal Merritt, KD5HWW, EC, Northwest Harris County (Texas) ARES:
"I have a few moments to breathe and share some notes.	We have three
running missions: a deployment near Slidell, an operator in New
Orleans, and the local event.

The local mission consists of serving the mass shelters in Houston.
We saw rapid escalation, much more misinformation than information,
and a dynamic situation.  The core problem was one we've never seen
before: We had trained and drilled on mass evacuations, but not the
reverse (mass incoming evacuees). Our local resources were quickly
overwhelmed, and I pulled the trigger on our MOU with surrounding
county ARES groups.  I am now tasking hams from several counties, but
may be expanding my plea for operators statewide.  The problem is
that there is no lodging of any kind to be had.  Every hotel and
motel is completely full with evacuees.

There is ample local infrastructure, except housing.  The event is
running along the FEMA ICS (Incident Command System) and UC (Unified
Command) scripts. It may seem like chaos to the untrained eye, but it
is a thing of beauty to see it working so well.

Normally, an ARES response team would report to, and be tasked by,
the Liaison person of the FEMA Command Staff.  There, it might be
used as an ICS resource or tasked to Logistics for assignment to Task
Forces or Strike Teams.  Amateur Radio is not yet an official FEMA
Resource Type, but that is being worked on. In this event, the Harris
County OEM called us.  The EOC is attached to ICS under Logistics,
and that is how we fit into this event.  The ICS is on site at the
Astrodome complex.

The ARES response has two locations.  The first team is situated with
the EOC, providing communication for logistics (resource scheduling
and support of the Dome team).	They are making entries into a master
event log, also.

The main effort is in the field, however.  We have teams of four to
six operators.	There is a Team Leader who is in charge.  He/she is
responsible for on-site task assignments and for getting the relief
team quickly up to speed.  The Team Leaders are ARES AECs, or other
amateurs with large public service event experience.

We are running six-hour shifts.  No one is scheduled for more than
six hours, and they have only one shift per day.  Having seen what
happens when someone gets too tired, we would rather do without, than
have someone get hurt; or worse, get other people hurt.  Superheroes
need not apply.

The ARES leadership is focused on coordination.  Every possible task
is being delegated.  Although we are working 12-hour days, the real
action is with the Team Leaders and Net Controls.  No, things are not
being done exactly like we would have done it, but it is getting
done; and generally, with the highest degree of professionalism.
Every time I screw up, there seems to be a number of folks there to
beat me up and get the job done right.

Please relay my deepest gratitude to all that have stepped up to the
plate. - Contact Hal Merritt, KD5HWW, at
<hal.merritt at worldnet.att.net>

+ HILLSBOROUGH (FLORIDA) OPS DEPLOYED TO MISSISSIPPI MAKING A
DIFFERENCE FOR KATRINA SURVIVORS

Six trained communication volunteers from the Tampa Bay, Florida,
area (sponsored by the Hillsborough County EOC) have been in
Mississippi.  Using ham radio while awaiting their deployment with
state of Florida communications assets, they became one of the few
outlets for "I'm Alive" messages out of the area.  With local
operators in the affected area providing communications to local
police, fire, and search teams, there has been limited means of
transmitting H/W messages from the victims to their families outside
the disaster zone.

Members of the Hillsborough team have been visiting shelters and
feeding stations collecting messages from victims.  More than 100
messages have been transmitted from Gulfport to Tampa via the Tampa
Amateur Radio Club, and local hams in Tampa have been making
heart-breaking phone calls to loved ones across the country who had
no word for a week on the fate of their family members in
Mississippi.

The official mission of the Hillsborough team is to set up and
operate EDICs (Emergency Deployable Interoperable Communications
System), a fly-away computer-controlled communications system that
interconnects radios and cell phones of different frequencies and
types so that public service communication can be restored in a
disaster area. It allows the radios that survived to be put to use so
that police officers and firefighters can better coordinate recovery
operations.

The EDICs unit may be tasked to Stennis Space Center in Hancock
County, or to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.  The team is to
deploy with Florida law enforcement teams staged in Gulfport. -- Pete
Kemp, KZ1Z, West Central Florida Section PIO

Gary Sessums, KC5QCN, member of the Hillsborough team writes: "Thanks
for the mention in the ARES newsletter about the Hillsborough County
ARES/RACES deployment.	We are on site in Biloxi and Gulfport,
Mississippi.  We have passed over 100 H/W messages in addition to our
public safety tasking.	We are on the MARS, CAP, and SHARES nets, in
addition to Amateur Radio.  I am trying to arrange relief for the
local ARES/RACES operators at the Harrison County EOC, as those guys
have been running non-stop since before the storm hit."

+ INTEROPERABILITY TIP

Watching in frustration at the breakdown of communications in the
Gulf coast response, I was made acutely aware of the viability of
Amateur Radio in terms of interoperability.  We have the ability to
change frequencies in our radios to serve the location and needs of
the area.

Mobile HF, VHF and UHF radios can be re-programmed on the fly.	With
that in mind, one of the necessary contents of anyone's "grab and go"
equipment should be the manuals, or copies of specific pages, for any
radio they carry with them.

I also write down the necessary steps -- and only the necessary steps
-- to program and use the radio away from the manual.  I word process
the steps small enough so that I can laminate them as part of my
credentials lanyard.  As a backup, I put another credit-card-size
laminated copy in a wallet that I keep separate in a coat pocket or
in the cargo pocket of my trousers. -- Chuck Heron, KD7BWG, DEC, Gila
County ARES, Arizona, Executive Officer, Gila County EMCOMM
(ARES/RACES), <kd7bwg at arrl.net>

+ ON RESPONDER FATIGUE

 >From Fred Leif, W6WTI: Thank you for putting out the special edition
ARES E-Letter.	It is important that hams outside the impact and
support areas have a sense of the service that is being provided so
that we can help explain to our neighbors and the public the vital
role that Amateur Radio is playing.

Amateur Radio serves best while the communications emergency exists.
The full response and recovery from Katrina will take a very long
time, but when the response agencies and recovery teams have
established networks that meet their communications needs, the hams
should be allowed to stand down.  It will be difficult to determine
when this occurs, but the ARES leaders should keep an eye on this
ball.  We don't want "responder fatigue" to the extent that we can't
get operators for the next event.  Bringing our service to bear on
the communications emergency, and recognizing when it is time to step
aside is a vital management function.

+ DIGITAL OUTLETS

Louisiana SEC Gary Stratton, K5GLS, reports "We now have digital
(Pactor/Internet/WL2K) outlets for H/W traffic into the areas noted
below in Louisiana and Mississippi.  National Traffic System (NTS)
traffic can be sent to <ae5v at winlink.org>.  At the point that
destination traffic handlers feel they can take on all comers, the
directions to reach them will be shared. Louisiana towns and
parishes: St. Tammany, Abita Spring, Covington, Folsom, Lacombe,
Madisonville, Mandeville, Pearl River, Son, Slidell, Tangipahoa,
Amite, Hammond, Independence, Kentwood, Ponchatoula, Roseland,
Tangipahoa, Ticfaw, Terrebonne, Houma, Washington, Angie, Bogalusa,
Franklinton, Varnado. Mississippi Towns: Gautier, Ocean Springs,
Pascagoula. - Relayed by Benson Scott, AE5V

+ BRIEFS:

The Ohio Single Side Band Net (OSSBN) was to announce that H/W
traffic will be accepted.  OSSBN Net Manager Connie Hamilton, N8IO,
who is also an Assistant Section Manager, said conditions have
changed, allowing for a reasonable chance of traffic getting
delivered. -- Joe Phillips, K8QOE, Ohio Section Manager

+ HURRICANE KATRINA HF RESPONSE AND RECOVERY FREQUENCIES

The following frequencies and links are the courtesy of John Mayger,
W4DJ.  As far as net activity is concerned, I've been listening
primarily to the Gulf Coast ARES Net on 7285 kHz, and the SATERN Net
on 14.265 MHz, although I'm sure there are many other active nets.
Good propagation to the Florida east coast from those two nets have
allowed me to monitor their excellent, professional work. - K1CE

2802.4	  USB  American Red Cross Disaster
3171.4	  USB  American Red Cross Disaster
5136.4	  USB  American Red Cross Disaster
5141.4	  USB  American Red Cross Disaster
5211.0	  USB  FEMA
5236.0	  USB  SHARES Coordination Network
6859.5	  USB  American Red Cross Disaster
7507.0	  USB  USN/USCG hurricane net
7550.5	  USB  American Red Cross Disaster (primary)
7698.5	  USB  American Red Cross Disaster
9380.0	  USB  USN/USCG hurricane net
10493.0   USB  FEMA
14396.5   USB  SHARES Coordination Network

AMATEUR HF GULF COAST HURRICANE NETS

3845.0	LSB  Gulf Coast West Hurricane
3862.5	LSB  Mississippi Section Traffic
3873.0	LSB  Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
3873.0	LSB  Louisiana ARES Emergency (night)
3873.0	LSB  Texas ARES Emergency (night)
3873.0	LSB  Mississippi ARES Emergency
3910.0	LSB  Mississippi ARES
3910.0	LSB  Louisiana Traffic
3923.0	LSB  Mississippi ARES
3925.0	LSB  Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
3925.0	LSB  Louisiana Emergency (altn)
3935.0	LSB  Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
3935.0	LSB  Louisiana ARES (health and welfare)
3935.0	LSB  Texas ARES (health and welfare)
3935.0	LSB  Mississippi ARES (health and welfare)
3935.0	LSB  Alabama Emergency
3940.0	LSB  Southern Florida Emergency
3950.0	LSB  Northern Florida Emergency
3955.0	LSB  South Texas Emergency
3965.0	LSB  Alabama Emergency (altn)
3967.0	LSB  Gulf Coast (outgoing traffic)
3975.0	LSB  Texas RACES
3993.5	LSB  Gulf Coast (health & welfare)
3995.0	LSB  Gulf Coast Wx

7225.0	LSB  Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
7235.0	LSB  Louisiana Emergency
7235.0	LSB  Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
7235.0	LSB  Louisiana Emergency
7240.0	LSB  American Red Cross US Gulf Coast Disaster
7240.0	LSB  Texas Emergency
7243.0	LSB  Alabama Emergency
7245.0	LSB  Southern Louisiana
7248.0	LSB  Texas RACES
7250.0	LSB  Texas Emergency
7260.0	LSB  Gulf Coast West Hurricane
7264.0	LSB  Gulf Coast (health and welfare)
7265.0	LSB  Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio (SATERN) (altn)
7273.0	LSB  Texas ARES (altn)
7280.0	LSB  NTS Region 5
7280.0	LSB  Louisiana Emergency (altn)
7283.0	LSB  Gulf Coast (outgoing only)
7285.0	LSB  West Gulf ARES Emergency (day)
7285.0	LSB  Louisiana ARES Emergency (day)
7285.0	LSB  Mississippi ARES Emergency
7285.0	LSB  Texas ARES Emergency (day)
7290.0	LSB  Central Gulf Coast Hurricane
7290.0	LSB  Gulf Coast Weather
7290.0	LSB  Texas ARES (health and welfare)
7290.0	LSB  Louisiana ARES (health and welfare) (day)
7290.0	LSB  Texas ARES (health and welfare)
7290.0	LSB  Mississippi ARES (health and welfare)

14265.0  USB  Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio (SATERN)
14300.0  USB  Intercontinental Traffic
14300.0  USB  Maritime Mobile Service
14303.0  USB  International Assistance and Traffic
14313.0  USB  Intercontinental Traffic (altn)
14313.0  USB  Maritime Mobile Service (altn)
14316.0  USB  Health and Welfare
14320.0  USB  Health and Welfare
14325.0  USB  Hurricane Watch (Amateur-to-National Hurricane Center)
14340.0  USB  Louisiana (1900)

+ RESOURCE LINKS

CAUTION: The links presented below are listed as possible resources
for ARES deployment teams.  THEY HAVE NOT BEEN VETTED BY ARRL.	USE
AT YOUR OWN RISK.
-K1CE

Health and Welfare Inquiries can be submitted to:

Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN)
<http://www.satern.org/>; for Health and Welfare inquiries after
hurricanes and other disasters <http://qso.com/satern/emailfrm.htm>.

American Red Cross (H/W Inquiries): 866-GET-INFO (866-438-4636)
American Red Cross donations and volunteering: 800-HELP-NOW
(800-435-7669)
<http://www.redcross.org>

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
(Individual Disaster Assistance): 800-621-FEMA (800-621-3362)
<http://www.fema.gov/>

Hurricane Katrina Survivor Lists and Information:

National Next  of  Kin Registration <http://www.nokr.org/>

Hurricane Katrina Survivors Online Forum and Survivor List
<http://www.hurricanekatrinasurvivors.com/main/>

CNN Hurricane Katrina Survivor List  <http://www.cnn.com/safe>

Globe Coast News Katrina Survivor List
<http://kenburtonne.web116.discountasp.net/Katrina/Status.aspx>

New Orleans <http://www.neworleans.craigslist.org>

WDSU-TV6 New Orleans TV Station <http://www.wdsu.com/news>

New Orleans Newspaper <http://www.nola.com>

Hurricane Housing Information for Victims
<http://www.hurricanehousing.org>

Links to Emergency Management and Related Sites:

<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutlinkem.html>