[KYHAM] KEN TRAINING for April 1, 2002: PREPARING FOR FUTURE TERRORISM Part 2

[Ron Dodson]

This week we will be concluding this training segment using
the remaining portion of an article from the April 2002,
WORLDRADIO magazine.  This copyrighted article from pages 6
and 7, written by Jerry Boyd, K6BZ is used here with the
written consent of the author, K6BZ and Rick McCusker, WF6O,
WORLDRADIO Editor and we thank them for allowing us its'
use.

Ron, KA4MAP
SEC Ky ARES

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PREPARING FOR FUTURE TERRORISM, (conclusion from last week) 
By Jerry Boyd, K6BZ

One thing clear from the tragedy of 9-11 is the
ABSOLUTE NEED for all responders to such events to be
intimately familiar with the "Incident Command System"
(ICS). ICS was used exclusively by federal, state, and
local agencies to coordinate the efforts of responders
who descended on the various scenes.
	Amateur Radio operators are responders. We need to
respond effectively. To do so we must be conversant
with ICS and how it works. There are two easy ways to
gain that familiarity. One is to enroll in the ARRL's
Continuing Education EMCOMM courses. They are now
offered "on line" or, in many places, in the classroom.
The second is to take the Federal Emergency Management
Agency's (FEMA) home study course on basic ICS. It is
available via the FEMA web site: www.fema.gov. A third,
but slightly less convenient way to gain the necessary
knowledge is for your ARES, RACES or other group to be
trained by your local fire department or law
enforcement agency.
	Traffic handling is the major contribution which
amateurs will make at and near the scene o terrorist
incidents. The ARRL numbered radiogram format, which,
historically, has been what amateurs have learned, has
a role to play. That role is in regards to Health and
Welfare traffic passed on behalf of organizations such
as the Salvation Army and American Red Cross.
Participation the National Traffic System (NTS) will
help make you proficient in that type of message
handling.
	There are other kinds of communications
(administrative, operational, and tactical messages)
that are even more commonly used in the response to
events such as we experienced in September. Those types
generally do not use the ARRL format. For that type of
traffic, "radiograms" are too cumbersome and our
"clients" (agencies and organizations we serve), do not
want more than brief, accurate, verbal messages. To be
an effective communicator for those types of messages,
you need to learn and practice "plain language" message
handling skills. Your local ARES or RACES VHF net is an
excellent place to engage in that endeavor.
	The attacks on 9-11 "raised the ante" on past
incidents (previous WTC bombing, USS COLE bombing, U.S.
Embassy bombings, etc.) The next level, which we may
well see, will likely include weapons of mass
destruction (WMD), WMD events can be biological,
chemical, or nuclear. We know from the anthrax mailings
that biological assaults are both possible and deadly.
The government of Iraq has used chemical weapons.
Nuclear materials are available enough that "dirty
bombs" can be manufactured by terrorists. A dirty bomb
is an explosive charge with radioactive materials
attached. While not a nuclear weapon in the common
sense, such a weapon can, never the less, contaminate
the immediate area of the explosion with fatal doses of
radioactive material.	
	It is now common practice in any suspected terrorist
incident for specialists from the Center for Disease
Control (CDC) and the military to respond immediately.
One of their functions is to sweep the area for any
evidence of WMD's and, if found, to implement the
necessary precautions. Such personnel did respond to
both the WTC and Pentagon sites. Fortunately the
planes' hijackers carried aboard no contaminants.
	What is the learning point here? In future terrorist
incidents Amateur Radio EMCOMM responders may be
delayed in deployment to "ground zero" or elsewhere
until scene safety can be established. Further, EMCOMM
personnel may be required to wear issued safety gear
(biohazard suits, breathing apparatus, etc.) perhaps
for prolonged periods of time. That will require a
level of fitness exceeding the level required in the
past. Responders may also needed to take prophylactic
medications (ala the military's controversial anthrax
vaccination) as a measure to prevent becoming victims
themselves when working in a potentially contaminated
environment.
	There is much to be learned from the past if we are to
adequately prepare for the future. It is indeed
unfortunate that for Amateur Radio EMCOMM personnel the
future may well include more responses to terrorist
incidents. Now, perhaps more than ever before, it is
time to take our preparations seriously.

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REMINDERS:

Activity Reports due this week.  Be sure and add your 
SSPM manhours and net to your monthly totals.

E-Town Hamfest April 6, at the James R. Pritchard Community
Center.

April 7th, at 2:00 AM: Daylight Savings Time Begins.  
KEN continues to operate on the same local times 
each Monday as will The Goodwill and Information Net,
Monday-Friday. 

Louisa Hamfest May 4.