[KYHAM] Ky Section ARES Report For March 2004

[Ron Dodson]

(1) Section: Kentucky
(2) Month: March
(3) Year: 2004
(4) Total ARES members:  1,012
(5) Change since last month: +3
(6) Number of active nets reporting:  19
(7) Total Sessions: 87
(8) Number of EC's/DEC's reporting this month: 21
(9) Number of nets, drills, tests, and training
sessions:  86   Number of Man Hours: 1,322.25

- NOTE 696.1 of these were Ky Amateurs work over the 4 day EQ 
exercise 3/21-3/24 with KyEM and other agencies.

(10)Number of public service events this month: 0
Number of Man Hours: 0
(11)Number of emergency operations this month: 1
        Number of Man Hours: 5

(12)Total number of ARES/RACES events this month: 87
        Total Man Hours for Month: 1,327.25

(13) Stations Reporting and Additional Comments:
KY4NU, N4STW, KC6GNV, K4SDI, N4ID, KA4IGR, K4SAC, N4COT, N4VDJ, 
KA4MAP, KG4CNZ, K4TXJ, NB4K, W4SOU, KE4KWR, KG4HMN, WA4SWF, 
AG4TY, KT3K, N4MOM, KC4WZO

COMMENTS:

Busy month for Kentucky in March!  While participation was way 
down for the Ky Severe Storms Drill on March 9, great interest 
and activity was shown in support of the simulation of an 
earthquake along the New Madrid Fault System similar to those of 
1811 and 1812.  These were the largest quakes ever recorded in US 
History and while at the time the area was limited to cabins and 
other primitive shelter, western Ky now is full of industry, 
commerce, and large areas of population to include Paducah and 
Murray. Much infrastructure for phone and internet communications 
as well as natural gas lines that feed the whole eastern seaboard 
pass through this region.  From early in the pre-dawn hours of 
March 21, until 1 PM on March 24, the exercise carried on. 
Agencies involved included but were not limited to; FEMA, US 1st 
Army, Ky Division of Emergency Management, Ky Army National 
Guard, the 41st NG Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support 
Team, Local officials and responders of western Ky, Civil Air 
Patrol, Ky ARES and Ky Army MARS.  This exercise, the first of 
its kind and scope in Ky, made history for another reason. This 
was the first time ever that a forward EOC was established nearer 
to a disaster site for the coordination of such an operation. 
Amateur radio and MARS supplied the bulk of communications on the 
first day and into the early week as the exercise progressed. 
Once portable repeaters were placed in strategic sites for 
resumption of EM communications channels and the load lessened on 
amateurs, other communications experiments were then conducted to 
gain information useful in future events in the region. Major 
"Hub" EOC's were in McCracken and Marshall Counties in Area 1, 
Hopkins County EOC and the KyEM Forward EOC in Muhlenburg County 
of Area 2, Daviess County of Area 3, The state EOC in Franklin 
County and the American Red Cross Office in Fayette County, Ky. 
Amateurs from many areas also took part in some form or fashion 
during the exercise. The US First Army and KyEM send their thanks 
for all of the wonderful support by tha amateur community in this 
effort.

Severe storms are beginning to rear their head in the area as our 
first spotter nets activated this month for a short period.

73

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