[KYHAM] Ky Section ARES Report for Feb 2003

[Ron Dodson]

(1) Section: Kentucky
(2) Month: Feb 
(3) Year: 2003
(4) Total ARES members:  954
(5) Change since last month: + 8
(6) Number of active nets: 13 reporting
(7) Total Sessions: 66
(8) Number of EC's/DEC's reporting this month:  13

(9) Number of nets, drills, tests, and training
sessions:  59 	Number of Man Hours: 858.8  

(10)Number of public service events this month: 0 

(11)Number of emergency operations this month: 7
       Number of Man Hours: 7,276.75  
	(Stand by nets were not included)

(12)Total number of ARES/RACES events this month: 66
       Total Man Hours for Month: 8,135.55

(13) Stations Reporting and Additional Comments:
N4STW, N4ID, WA4RRR, KA4CFW, KA4MAP, K4ULW, NB4K, 
N4KJU, WA4SWF, AG4TY, KE4KWR, N4MOM, KF4FMZ


COMMENTS:  

February saw much response activity in the Ky Section.

Many areas of the state were in a stand by mode at mid-month
as severe icing conditions plagued the northern and north
central parts of the section and flooding threatened areas
to the southern and eastern portions of Ky.  Power outages
and loss of phone service occurred in a good percentage of
the section at one time or another.  Luckily most were only
of hours in duration. However in a few areas, it became a
long, arduous process for both the victims and the
responders (many of whom were also victims of the outages
themselves).  

Area 9's Johnson County EC, John Hager, N4KJU reports;
Paintsville-Johnson County ARES was activated @ 2:00pm on
Sunday February 16,2003 after meeting with local emergency
management personnel.  Activation accomplished through the
145.270 repeater and calling tree. 15 members responded to
the call. Activity consisted of providing communications for
the Paintsville Fire Department and Johnson County Rescue
when commercial power was interrupted. The power was
interrupted for approximately 5 hours. Power was restored to
both repeaters. 

Amateur operators were positioned at all ten county fire
departments and the EOC as per local ARES S.O.G.'s. While
stationed at these facilities the operators assisted in
traffic handling on the 145.270 repeater and national
simplex frequency of 146.520. Also the operators assisted in
operating public safety radios and
helping with non communications needs. A total of 5 health
and welfare messages were handled, 1 Emergency traffic
message and 6 priority messages were handled.  At 3:00pm on
Monday amateur operations was downgraded to stand-by status.
On Tuesday February 18th at 3:00pm Paintsville-Johnson
County ARES was de-activated.  

As bad as this was, conditions were far worse in Area 13
where power was lost to, at one time, a peak of 96,000 homes
and businesses in Lexington and Fayette County. From Sunday
Feb. 16, until the following Monday Feb. 24th, amateurs
provided a key link in the efforts to restore power and
clear debris from the 2" of icing on roadways, trees, lines
and buildings. Amateurs worked from the local EOC, Dept. of
Streets and Roads, emergency heat shelters and the power
utility for the community.  To assist in amateur radio
efforts an  FCC Voluntary Communications Order was in place
from 12:00 2/17/03 to 09:00 2/21/03 on the 444.125, 146.176,
and 147.165 repeaters.  Another machine, the 444.550
repeater was lost due to its tower collapsing under the ice
load.  In the 194.25 hours that this operation ran, 4,369
messages were passed via amateur radio, the responding 36
amateurs racked up a stunning total of 6,798.75 man hours
and estimates are that due to the assistance of amateur
radio in Fayette County alone, local government and
taxpayers saw around $102,315.00 saved by the use of donated
amateur equipment and labor.

-------------------------------

Our ARES program lost a long time supporter on Tuesday Feb.
18th at the passing of Jerry Caudill, K4GEC of our 9th
District.  Jerry lost his battle with cancer on that day and
he will be sorely missed in the days ahead.

Forty-two amateurs from Area 9, southern Ohio and West Va.
dedicated their Feb. 22nd, tri-state training exercise in
Jerry's memory.  This exercise was a simulated child
abduction in a joint effort in which police, using CAP and
radio amateurs as spotters, resulted in the rapid location
of the "suspect vehicle" after fleeing a Wal-Mart parking
lot in Burlington, Oh with a young 'victim'.  It was later
spotted at the Lawrence County Airpark by an amateur radio
operator from W. Va who was participating in the drill. A
rather nice article in the Sunday 2/23 edition of the
Ironton, Ohio Tribune told the story to its subscribers. 

-------------------------------
 
All of these areas of activity are what we in ARES work
toward in preparing ourselves and our stations.
These amateurs have met the challenge and are to be highly
commended for their planning and readiness.

73, 

14)Signed by: Ron Dodson Call Sign: KA4MAP
Ky ARES Section Emergency Coordinator