[FLARES] Sarasota Marathon

[Ron Wetjen]

In the early (and I mean early!) hours Sunday, March 4, 18 members and 
prospectives of the Sarasota Emergency Radio Club fanned out to cover 
the Sarasota, Florida waterfront, and assist in the second annual 
Sarasota Marathon, nicknamed The Grouper Run. This marathon is a 
qualifying event for the Boston Marathon.

This was the first year amateur radio provided the vital communications 
for this event. Last year's inaugural event was dependent on cell 
phones, and when the founder was approached this year by KA4BOB -- Bob 
Davisson, the club vice-president offering assistance, we were welcomed 
with open arms and invited to participate in the planning process.

This public service event afforded the club members a great opportunity 
to deploy and gain first hand experience as to what can go right - and 
wrong when called to be the vital communications link in unfamiliar, and 
often stressful conditions. The members involved included seasoned hams, 
many of whom are members of the Sarasota County Auxiliary Communications 
Service (ACS)  as well as a good percentage of first-timers.

SERC communicators manned the start/finish line, thirteen checkpoint 
stations on the route, three medical facilities manned by three 
physicians and forty medical students from a local medical college, two 
supply vehicles, and several key race official shadows. A Net Control 
Station was housed in the Sarasota County Emergency Management/American 
Red Cross communications trailer on the grounds of the elegant John 
Ringling mansion on beautiful Sarasota Bay.

Over 150 hours of planning involving marathon staff, suppliers, 
vender's, Sarasota Police and Fire/EMS Departments, and Sarasota County 
Emergency Management were spent by the hams, and 102 hours (30% in 
darkness) expended on event day. Due to the rather compact course layout 
of the event, and it's proximity to saltwater, communications simulating 
total dependency on simplex operations was used. Valuable experience as 
to what works well -- and what doesn't was gained first hand while 
meeting all the objectives set forth in the Incident Action Plan 
(renamed the Event Action Plan to reassure race officials).

The amateurs participating were:

K4JP - Eddie
K4UOT- Marlin
K9DAV - Dave
K9SRQ - Bob
KA4BOB - Bob
KC3GCQ - Adriaan
KC4FVC - Burt
KD8EKY - Wayne
KI4PJC - Mona
KI4PJD - Christine
KI4RHU - Doug
W2IL - Bill
W3BIS - Rey
W4VIN - Vini
WA1VNP - Joe
WA9TIR - Jim
WB4TJH - Bill
WD4AHZ - Ron


Bob Davisson, KA4BOB