[KYHAM] Ky Amateur Radio Emergency Service: 2001 Activity Summary

[Ron Dodson]

As promised, I wanted to give you all a good hard look at
just exactly HOW Kentucky ARES is doing and what trends we
are seeing. Below is a summary of what went on in the twelve
months of 2001 and a comparison of this year's activity
versus those same numbers from 2000, and 1999.  I DO have
the old reports from 1998 here (courtesy of former SEC,
Craig Still), but at that time a different style of report
was used and did not show Man Hours at all.  For this
reason, I did not include them in the multi-year ACTIVITY
summary.

I realize that the numbers skew rapidly in relation to the
NUMBER OF REPORTS RECEIVED each month.  Yet I also see
increased reporting as a sign of  INCREASED INTEREST on the
parts of those reporting their local activity!  Many nets
are also reporting an INCREASE IN CHECK INS which increases
net lengths while also reflecting increased interest on the
part of the average Ky amateur in ARES related activity.

While the number of Public Service Activity Reports (PSAR's)
for severe weather instances and other events can never be
predicted from year to year, the number of hours in public
service events and regular net participation is on the rise
and leads me to feel that the average amateur is indeed
attempting to meet the challenge given amateurs by FCC reps
during  Dayton Hamvention when they suggested that we, "...
Walk the walk and not just talk the talk", of providing a
public service.

Unreported activity can never be counted and I remind
everyone that all of the  reports that I get from you go to
the ARRL in summary form each month.  The ARRL uses these
reports along with those from all the other Sections to
build a record of public service to show the FCC, Congress
or anyone else to justify our continued use of all of our
bands.  Many commercial interests out there with BIG MONEY
would love to buy up YOUR FREQUENCIES and then sell their
use back to you at a monthly fee for some type of
communications medium they designed and have control over
its use.  Amateur Radio is a hobby, yes.  Amateur Radio is
also the bottom line of communications in disasters for
governments, volunteer agencies etc. when all of these
commercial fee services fail to work!  This has been
documented over and over again, especially in 2001!!!!.

One hundred years ago this  past Dec. 12, 2001  Marconi
successfully transmitted the letter "S" in Morse Code from
Cornwall, England to St. John's Newfoundland and opened the
door for amateur radio and all other services. Our
forefathers with names like, Maxim, Handy, and others have
given us a proud tradition of service to our fellow man
through our "hobby" that goes back almost as far.  Keep up
the good work and remember to tell the newcomer's of today
and tomorrow about our past so that we will all have a
future.

THANKS FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!
73 all,

Ron Dodson, KA4MAP
Section Emergency Coordinator,  Ky ARES

*******************************************************************

MEMBERSHIP

Our roll of registered Ky ARES Members has grown markedly
since 1998!
The membership numbers look like this...

December, 1998 -  711
December, 1999 -  738
December, 2000 -  818
December, 2001 -  871

As good as this looks,  I suggest we all continue our
efforts to recruit new hams and introduce them to our public
service traditions as they come aboard our bands.  Clubs,
nets, hamfests and general chat (rag chew) sessions are all
good opportunities to do this.  I also might mention that we
are always losing a few members along as they either move
out of state, pass on or are dropped from local roll lists
for inactivity by their local EC's.  This makes the increase
even more notable!
Keep up the good work!

*******************************************************************

Three Year Activity Totals...

TOTAL OF EC/DEC REPORTS RECEIVED BY YEAR:

2001  -  186
2000  -  155
1999  -  147

Again, as I mentioned on Dec. 31, 2001, April 2001 was a
RECORD MONTH FOR REPORTS!!!  21 reports received !!!!!!
Likewise, June, 2001 saw ANOTHER RECORD ESTABLISHED,
MOST MAN HOURS EVER ON RECORD FOR KY SECTION! ARES!!!
Total number of ARES/RACES events during June 2001: 138
Total Man Hours June 2001:  11,217.7


THE THREE YEAR ACTIVITY BREAKDOWN:

2001
Regular Nets:   1,186   for  57,230.22   Man Hours
Public Service Events:  25 for  1,975.05  Man Hours
EMERGENCY ACTIVATIONS:  38   for  521.15 Man Hours

2000
Regular Nets:   776   for  14,599.2   Man Hours
Public Service Events:  29  for 1,473.7   Man Hours
EMERGENCY ACTIVATIONS:   71   for  1,736.63  Man Hours

1999
Regular Nets:  949  for   8,167   Man Hours
Public Service Events:  22  for  1,888.3   Man Hours
EMERGENCY ACTIVATIONS:  67 for    2,604.6  Man Hours

* NOTE: 1,045 of the 1999 EMERGENCY ACT. Man hours
were from the Y2K operation 12/31/99 -1/1/2000 with state EM
*

GRAND TOTALS BY YEAR

EVENTS               Man Hours
2001 - 1,248              59,732.42
2000  - 876                17,809.5
1999  - 1,038              12,659.9

** NOTE: All 1999 figures also reflect reports received by
previous SEC, Craig Still,
prior to April 1999 when I took office.  Craig gave me a
great group to work with and I appreciate all of his hard
work as my predecessor.  Thanks Ceaig!
_______________________________________________________________

This is a report that we all should take pride in and I
commend everyone who had a part in these activities over the
years.   Every month, we gain new people to Amateur Radio in
Kentucky.  Let's welcome them and encourage their
participation as we train, prepare and respond together to
the events of 2002 and beyond.