[FADCA] Re: Emergency Operations

Wed Dec 22 12:58:29 EST 2004

We (Amateur Radio) have experienced that response from public safety and
elected officials ever since the installation of "two-way radios" in
publicly financed vehicles.  But, all over the country, Amateur Radio has
been used as a "back up" to those publicly funded systems when the
situations dictated the need for more and more flexible communication
resources.

If we don't have the systems in place before they are needed, we won't have
time to build them after they are needed.

In the past the level of commercial systems on trailers (COWS, etc.) were
very limited. Now all an agency has to do is pick up the phone (could be
satellite VOIP) and say "set up or tow or ten up within the next 12 hours".
All it takes is money.  I saw commercial systems come out of the wood work
during the storms we experienced. They were call the congressional members
and saying to them, we are here, send out the word.

Does this mean we need to fold our tents, load a camels and drive off into
the desert? No, what is means is that we need to improve our systems, use
the latest and a variety of systems to provide the kind of communications
disaster response agencies need.

Russ

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joel Yates" <yate4899 at bellsouth.net>
To: "Chuck Hast" <wchast at gmail.com>; "Florida Amateur Digital Communication
Association" <fadca at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 9:10 AM
Subject: Re: [FADCA] Re: Emergency Operations

> >From what I am seeing and reading lately. Some Counties and EOC's are not
> even interested in Amateur Radio helping during or after an emergency.
They
> seem to think their 800/900 MHz multi-channel systems can handle
everything
> now. Oh yes... and don't forget the Cell Phone networks we all know how
> reliable they were during and after the hurricanes.
> ...Joel SYSOP N4JOA BBS
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chuck Hast" <wchast at gmail.com>
> To: "Florida Amateur Digital Communication Association"
> <fadca at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: December 22, 2004 08:47
> Subject: Re: [FADCA] Re: [wl2kemcomm] Re: Lets Get Back To Winlink!
>
>
> > On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:25:35 -0500, Joel Yates <yate4899 at bellsouth.net>
> > wrote:
> >> I agree with David N4ZKF.
> >> What ever happened to Amateur (HAM) Radio?
> >> ...Joel N4JOA Sysop at N4JOA bbs.
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "David Calder" <n4zkf at n4zkf.com>
> >> To: "'Florida Amateur Digital Communication Association'"
> >> <fadca at mailman.qth.net>
> >> Sent: December 22, 2004 07:25
> >> Subject: RE: [FADCA] Re: [wl2kemcomm] Re: Lets Get Back To Winlink!
> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Russ asked:
> >> >
> >> >> Q4.  With Winlink, the use of BBS forwarding may no longer be
> >> > necessary
> >> >> with
> >> >> regard to supporting emergency communications. Is there a way to
Block
> >> >> connections into the network by selected calls?  Is there a way to
> >> >> remotely
> >> >> prevent a BBS from doing it normal forwarding but allow a different
> >> > call
> >> >> on
> >> >> the BBS or a nother BBS from being able to handle emergency
forwarding
> >> > if
> >> >> necessary?
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > BBS's where the best thing since sliced bread for years. Now
something
> >> > new comes along and you want to "block them out"?
> >> >
> >> > Seems like everyone around here wants to play ham/internet radio
> >> > anymore.
> >> > I guess it's time to hang up the bbs after 14 years and find a new
> >> > hobby.
> >> >
> >
> > What Russ was talking about was traffic control during a emergency,
> > reducing
> > the network traffic load to emergency traffic only, but if we build the
> > network
> > deep and wide enough that should not be needed.
> >
> > What is needed are ways to allow for emergency operations without having
> > users come on the channel and slow thngs down, once the emergency is
over
> > things can go back to normal.
> >
> > The medium of exchange is still the FPAC network, granted for Winlink at
> > some
> > point it may enter the wired network for transfer to a server or other
> > service. But
> > most of the network is still radio.
> >
> > I believe that most if not all BBS ops now days will do whatever they
have
> > to
> > do to reduce traffic flow to only that needed for the duration of the
> > emergency.
> > I.e. non-essential bulletins and other non-emergency traffic put on
hold.
> >
> > I do not believe we have to shut off a BBs unless that system insist on
> > hosing
> > the network with non-emergency stuff and that only if the network can
not
> > handle
> > it.
> >
> > The best way is to build the network to handle the traffic and be done
> > with it.
> > Right now I do not think there is enough traffic to even worry about
> > it. If there
> > is, again I believe that any BBS sysop will as one of the first steps
> > after a
> > emergency happens, take steps to reduce traffic flow to only that needed
> > for
> > the emergency operations.
> >
> > I think that one of the first steps in the deeper wider concept is to
> > start looking
> > at moving away from 1k2 data rate as soon as possible. Keep the port
> > around
> > but add a 9k6 port and start getting users to transition to that
> > speed. Part of our
> > service as amateur radio operators is to attempt to keep up with
> > technology,
> > we are not doing a very good job of it. Still using 50 year old voice
> > technology
> > and 25 year old data modulation technology. At the forfront we are not.
> > Yet
> > there is much we can still do, by extending and modernizing our network
we
> > can provide services during emergencies that others can not do. Even
with
> > our
> > old technology.
> >
> > E-mail with WinLink and other solutions is part of the updating that
> > is constantly
> > going on. You have been running a BBS for years now, that was the
> > precursor
> > to the e-mail server of today. What we need is more work  on bringing
the
> > two
> > technologies together into one, there will always be a need for these
> > devices,
> > but the technology that is behind them will change, we have to keep up
> > with
> > it.
> >
> > -- 
> > Chuck Hast
> > To paraphrase my flight instructor;
> > "the only dumb question is the one you DID NOT ask resulting in my going
> > out and having to identify your bits and pieces in the midst of torn
> > and twisted metal."
> > _______________________________________________
> > FADCA mailing list
> > FADCA at mailman.qth.net
> > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fadca
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> FADCA mailing list
> FADCA at mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fadca