[K3PZN-List] Fw: mini-SET, HF Training Nets and Homeland Security

[Lawrence J Solarczyk]

TO ALL ARES members and interested parties:

FYI

73,
Larry WX3F
EC/RO Carroll County

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mike Carr <bamcc@erols.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2003 21:46:16 -0400
Subject: mini-SET and Homeland Security

Fellow ECs,
         Our annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET) will be held the
weekend 
of 4-5 October 2003.
         In preparation for the annual SET, MDC ARES/RACES/NTS will be 
conducting a partial ERP activation in support of Homeland Security
related 
operations on Saturday 23 August beginning at 1200 hours local time.  At 
this time, I would suggest we plan on setting aside 2 hours or so for the

23 August exercise.
         The Department of Homeland Security is organized to varying 
degrees in each of the counties throughout the state.  It is of 
considerable importance for us to reassess our ability to conduct 
communications between all jurisdictions within the Section to be certain

that we are able to support this extremely important agency.
         Therefore I am asking every MDC EC and RO to participate 
personally, or have a designated, trained ARES/RACES member participate
in 
your place.  If you send an alternate for yourself, please select an 
ARES/RACES/NTS member who is able to send and receive formal traffic.
         For this exercise, we will be using our Region Nets 
exclusively.  The HF nets will not be available.  Each EC and RO is asked

to send an ARRL formatted radiogram to the SEC via your respective region

net.  In this message, please indicate your jurisdiction and the number
of 
ARES/RACES members participating in the exercise.  Exercise termination 
notice will be provided by the SEC.

         You may also care to use this exercise period to activate your 
local ARES/RACES net to train in or test operating procedures in your 
jurisdiction in preparation for the SET.

-------------------------------------------------
<snip>
-------------------------------------------------
         For your information, please note the following:

         http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/06/24/2/?nc=1
         http://www.fema.gov/nwz03/nwz03_138.shtm

FEMA And American Radio Relay League Partner In Preparedness Through 
Citizen Corps

Washington, DC -- Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security 
for Emergency Preparedness and Response, today announced an official
affiliation between the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and President
Bush's Citizen Corps initiative. At the ARRL National Conference,
sponsored by "Ham-Com," celebrating its 25th anniversary in Arlington,
Texas, an affiliate partnership was signed between ARRL and Citizen
Corps. The signed partnership will raise public awareness about the use
of Amateur Radio as a public safety resource, provide training and
accreditation for Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, as well as
assist Citizen Corps Councils with public education, training and
volunteer service opportunities that support first responders, disaster
relief organizations, and community safety efforts.

"The affiliation between Citizen Corps and the American Radio Relay
League will help raise public awareness about public safety through the
use of Amateur Radio," Brown said. "I look forward to working with the
American Radio Relay League to expand the role citizens play within
their community to be more secure and better able to respond to
disasters of all kinds."

The agreement adds the ARRL as an affiliate to the four charter Citizen
Corps programs: Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Service,
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), and Medical Reserve Corps.
The ARRL joins the National Safety Council, Points of Light Foundation,
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, National Volunteer
Fire Council, National Fire Protection Association, Save A Life
Foundation, and The U.S. Junior Chamber as Citizen Corps affiliate
programs.

Under the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, Citizen Corps is a
community-based initiative to engage all citizens in homeland security
and community and family preparedness through public education and
outreach, training opportunities, and volunteer programs. Programs under
the Citizen Corps umbrella include federally sponsored programs and
other activities that share the goal of helping communities prevent,
prepare for, and respond to all-hazards. Citizen Corps encourages all
Americans to take an active role in building safer, stronger, and
better-prepared communities.

The ARRL is a non-commercial membership association of radio amateurs
organized for the promotion of interest in Amateur Radio communication
and experimentation, for the establishment of networks to provide
communications in the event of disasters or other emergencies, for the
advancement of the public welfare, for the representation of the Radio
Amateur in legislative and regulatory matters. ARRL is the principal
organization representing the interests of the more than 650,000 U.S.
Radio Amateurs. Because of its organized emergency communications
capability, ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) can be of
valuable assistance in providing critical and essential communications
during emergencies and disasters when normal lines of communication are
disrupted. ARRL conducts emergency communications training and certifies
proficiency in emergency communications skills.



73,
Mike/WA1QAA