[FLARES] ARRL BOD Report on ARES

Thu, 14 Aug 2003 11:07:34 -0400

notes add please follow along.....

----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Ron Wetjen" <[email protected]>
To: "'Florida ARES'" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2003 10:05
Subject: Re: [FLARES] ARRL BOD Report on ARES

> Evans Mitchell kd4efm / afa2th fl wrote:
>=20
> >>The job of ARES is not to generate "H&W" traffic (which would be the =
job=20
> >>of the NTS to forward).  The job of ARES is to support and/or =
supplement=20
> >>local communications efforts and pass any messages directly between=20
> >>local or state officials and agencies.
> >=20
> >=20
> > might not be but how would you suggest we handle this if we do not =
have an=20
>  > established nts traffic net on a certain frequency and at a
>  > certain time...??
>=20
> Why even worry about that?  Any "traffic" ARES generates, is either=20
> "local" point-to-point traffic (i.e., EOC to Red Cross)=20
> section-to-section (i.e., SFL to WCF), or statewide traffic (i.e., =
State=20
> EOC to sections).  We're talking DIRECTLY to who we need to talk to.=20
> Where is the need for NTS in this situation?

you drive a GOOD talk Ron, but I have to recall on an old but relibale =
way of passing information...
call Dave (ae4mr), pass to him information about an incident that has =
happened and you need a list=20
of supplies about 7 items long and you need them immeadiately..... Polk =
County has them on great supply.....
This must be something that requires memory to make this happen =
now......over the air point to point, like you are
pointing out here..

Now, tell dave to pass this information on to ummm jack, wx1jad, and in =
the same context
have jack pass this up to virgil, kg4fcd, and then have virgil pass it =
on to me. BUT WAIT
heres the requirement, NO PEN, NO PAPER, NOT WRITING, JUST PASS IT DOWN =
THE LINE IN REAL TIME.

do you think what you told dave would be the same thing word for word =
when it gets to me?????

I will let you think that one out for a second and a half........

TIME IS UP..............

>=20
> Local ARES "traffic" is usually a status report, request for supplies, =

> bulletins, etc.  This is handled as everyday talk on the radio or =
simply=20
> handing the microphone to the Emergency Management director to talk =
with=20
> the Red Cross director.  No need for NTS here either, since the two=20
> people who need to talk, are talking DIRECTLY to each other!
>=20
> Going back to your question, "how would you suggest we handle this if =
we=20
> do not have an established nts traffic net on a certain frequency and =
at=20
> a certain time...??"
>=20
> For what purpose?

OK I can now answer this correctly:=20

THE PURPOSE OF NTS TRAFFIC IS FOR PRECISE AND ACURATE=20
INFORMATION FROM ONE PLACE OF ORIGIN, TO ONE PLACE OF
DESTINATION, IN DETAIL THAT IS ACCURATE AND PRECISE AS TO
THE NEEDS OR CONCERNS FROM WHICH THE TRAFFIC WAS MADE FOR.
example as follows, please say out loud over HF in poor/ less then =
normal conditions.....

BT
POLK NEEDS TEN PORTABLE TENT CITIES, TWO POTABLE WATER TRUCKS
5 ELECTRIC CREW FROM FP&L AND TECO SENT TO BARTOW X
BT
DAVID CASH POLK EM

now ask your self this, SELF? did they ask for portable water trucks or =
POTABLE WATER TRUCKS???
was something mentioned about portable tin cities??? huh, what do that =
really want??? augh......
or did I HEAR this wrong????

Was this an accuate account as to real day situations??? or dead on the =
money?

> If you're worried about how we'll all talk to each other, we've =
already=20
> got that part covered.  When a section is activated, you can find nets =

> on the following frequencies:
>=20
> West Central Florida ARES 3911 or 7281 kHz
> South Florida ARES 3940 kHz
> North Florida ARES 3950 or 7275 kHz
> State RACES 3990.5 or 7253.5 kHz
>=20
> These nets are well established and well known.  If someone needs to=20
> talk to Sarasota County, the EOC (and/or Red Cross) is on 3911 or 7281 =

> ... just give us a call!  No need for NTS.
>=20
> (If you're really worried about sending NTS traffic, Florida Midday =
Net=20
> 7247 kHz.)

OK, under certain rules of Part 97, this would be justified, but wait, =
Polk is not under an
emergency and I am, well, slacking in the code department and well, =
K4WCF is offline and
I you something and HF is the only source of getting information back to =
you, AND I am the
only one who is at the net control site with HF on hand, do I call you =
and risk my License or wait?

me... I would wait, but under an emergency, you better belive I am =
trained to communciate, and WILL!

>  > I sure I can give the turtle net the H&W and then the intercomm's
>  > would be routed through ARES.
>=20
> Simply answer this.  What kind of ARES traffic are you generating that =

> would need NTS?  Look at it this way.  To send NTS traffic, you're =
going=20
> from point A, to point A1, to point A2, to point A3, to point A4, =
before=20
> finally getting to point B.  ARES traffic is going directly from point =
A=20
> to B!  Why add the extra steps (and time) if you don't have to?  It=20
> makes no sense to operate that way in an ARES situation.

Ron, good input and output here, i have to give it to you.....

my answer: TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT IS SHORT, ACCURATE
AND PRECISE TO THE INFORMATION THAT IT HAS IN IT.

SUPPLIES NEEDED, FOOD, WATER, ELECTRIC CREWS, TENTS, NATIONAL GUARD
ASSISTANCE...=20

I must add one more foot in this, people can time out repeaters with =
talking about
what happened and what needs to be done, NTS (traffic handler) would =
tell
someone what they need and it would be DOCUMENTED and can be recalled
on paper better then memory, besides, how many times have you open your =
head up to pull
out that message that came from STATE EOC about an hour ago? and the DIR =
wants to
send a reply back on it.....???

>=20
> It seems like we have a solution (NTS) ... but no problem (traffic to=20
> send using NTS).  From what I've read the ARRL wants to know ... how =
can=20
> we tie ARES into NTS?  If ARES operates as I describe above (which I=20
> think is the norm), then there is no need for NTS in an ARES =
situation,=20
> and that's exactly what the ARRL report concludes.  When the ARRL =
asked=20
> the NTS folks what they can offer ARES ... they couldn't come up with =
an=20
> answer.  That should tell you plenty.
>=20
> Ron

Good comments Ron, Keep it up!!!

Evans F. Mitchell
KD4EFM / AFA2TH
Polk County EC
Polk ARES Group
Polk County Florida

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.    =20

Signed: Evans F. Mitchell kd4efm at arrl.net
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.509 / Virus Database: 306 - Release Date: 8/13/2003