[KYHAM] ARES Operators ask to coordinate before going to Florida...

[Pat Spencer, KD4PWL]

 From the ARRL Site:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/09/07/102/?nc=1

Prospective Amateur Radio Volunteers Being Asked to Coordinate

NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 7, 2004--While the need for Amateur Radio Emergency 
Service (ARES) communicators is being met for the moment, it's 
anticipated that ham radio volunteers now assisting in the Hurricane 
Frances response and recovery effort will need relief operators. Some 
have been on duty for several days without much rest. Northern Florida 
Section Manager Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP, (850-626-0620) now is 
coordinating Amateur Radio volunteer resources for the entire 
state--including his section, Southern Florida and West Central 
Florida. Hubbard is helping to match up the need for Amateur Radio 
operators in various counties with those who are willing to help.

  "County emergency managers are contacting the State of Florida 
Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee," Hubbard, said. "The 
Northern Florida Section Leadership is monitoring the tracker system 
which indicates where the needs are." Section Emergency Coordinator 
Nils Millergren, WA4NDA, (850-639-5302) and Section Traffic Manager 
Dale Sewell, N4SGQ, (580-514-1211) are assisting in this effort. The 
Northern Florida Section leadership in turn is recruiting Amateur Radio 
volunteers from within Florida or from outside the state. Radio 
amateurs seeking to volunteer must get an official assignment tracking 
number before deploying to the affected area.

  The Florida Department of Emergency Management only recently put the 
system in place in order to keep track of requests for resources and 
how they're deployed. One advantage is that Amateur Radio volunteers 
who work through the tracking system are covered by Florida liability 
insurance, and those deployed on "official assignments" are eligible 
for reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, Hubbard indicated.

  Radio amateurs from outside Florida who want to help should first 
contact their ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC). The 
out-of-state SEC then will contact Hubbard or Northern Florida Section 
leadership to indicate what resources are available.

  Hubbard says that over the last couple of days, a dozen radio amateurs 
from Georgia, two from Tennessee, and one from North Carolina have been 
assigned to volunteer duties in Lake and Volusia counties in Central 
Florida. Amateur Radio volunteers are providing communication support 
for county and local emergency operation centers (EOCs) and for 
American Red Cross-sponsored shelters.

  ARES members throughout Northern Florida, Southern Florida and West 
Central Florida have been supporting communication for EOCs and 
shelters in their sections.

  The Southern Florida ARES Net is maintaining special sessions 
following the NTS nets on 3940 and 7242 kHz. Approximate local times 
are 6:15 AM, 12:15 PM, 6:10 PM and 10:40 PM Eastern Time. The Northern 
Florida Phone Net meets daily on 3950 kz at 2330 UTC.

  Frances, a Category 2 storm when it made landfall Saturday in the 
vicinity of Stuart Saturday, diminished a tropical storm before 
traversing the peninsula, exiting into the Gulf of Mexico and coming 
ashore near St Marks in the Florida panhandle packing 65 MPH winds. The 
storm now is a tropical depression but continues to dump rain on part 
of the US Southeast.

  The Salvation Army also has mounted a huge response and relief effort 
in Florida and has been making use of Amateur Radio as well. The 
Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN)--active for the 
past three days on 14.265 MHz--has been handling emergency and 
health-and-welfare traffic. SATERN also accepts H&W inquiries via its 
Web site.

  The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) secured operations Monday for Frances, 
but reactivated on 14.325 MHz to keep an eye on Hurricane Ivan, now 
moving through the Windward Islands of the Caribbean with 120 MPH 
winds. The HWN has been working with WX4NHC at the National Hurricane 
Center to relay measured ground-level weather data and damage reports 
from Amateur Radio volunteers in the storm's track. The Hurricane Watch 
Net Web site offers access to the latest weather forecasts as well as 
storm graphics.