[KYHAM] KEN Training for June 2005: Station Self Assessment Tool

[Ron Dodson]

This seemed appropriate for this month to let newer amateurs test
themselves and to remind us "old timers" that we too, need to stay
ready.  I again thank the Va. RACES folks for giving us permission to
use this great assessment tool.  

No, this is not a Kentucky requirement for ARES or RACES, but it makes a
great yardstick to measure your readiness for disaster! See how YOUR
station preparedness adds up...

73,
Ron KA4MAP
SEC Ky

Virginia RACES, Inc. - Member Self Assessment
©1997-2002, James R. "Ric" Sohl, k5ric at arrl.net Adapted by permission.

Background:
This RACES Member Self-Assessment is based upon the concept of an
Internet message written by James R. "Ric" Sohl, in March 1997. Reliance
on Internet, cellular, paging and other personal communication services
for disaster communications has resulted in some notable failures. This
is because these systems are not designed to include the necessary
capacity and system redundancy to handle disaster call volume. Urban
cellular systems are overloaded during everyday highway tie-ups when
citizens stuck in traffic all try to call at once. Public safety has
priority via "ruthless preemption," but these systems remain vulnerable
to single-point failures in their Central Offices and automated
switching. Antenna towers can be damaged by ice, high winds or
lightning. Exercises rarely stress the high probability for substantial
loss of communications services. The advantage of using amateur radio to
supplement disaster communications lies in its inherent flexibility.
RACES can bring more operators and equipment than most localities can
afford to keep in reserve. Operators maintain their equipment in a high
state of readiness, are familiar with it from daily use, technically
trained and able to work around most common problems. When integrated
into local emergency plans, RACES is a valuable communication asset.

Purpose:
This self-assessment is a tool for measuring the readiness of Virginia
RACES operators to provide effective emergency communications,
independent of existing communications infrastructure. In order to
generate an accurate Disaster Readiness Index (DRI) to learn from this
assessment, it is vital that you be completely honest in your responses.
A passing score of 75 is "acceptable" for trainees being aided by team
members to improve.
Active Disaster Response Team members are expected to maintain a DRI of
90. How well do you do?

Assumptions:
Disaster relief organizations are supposed to have trained members, who
are prepared to deal with a disaster.  RACES Disaster Response Team
members are presumed to be trained and prepared, including:

.	Basic First Aid, and CPR training
.	Basic land navigation, map and compass fundamentals, outdoor
survival skills
.	Fire safety, hazardous material and terrorism awareness
.	Ability to travel to served agency locations, carry / set up
equipment needed to support their assignment
.	Understand that disaster response and recovery is hazardous and
dangerous
.	Understand that communication between the disaster site and
surrounding areas is absolutely necessary
.	Understand that separate communications are also required within
the affected incident area
.	Understand that operational efficiency and team safety depend
upon reliable, efficient communications
.	Awareness that no locality is immune from disasters, therefore:
.	Family members are prepared to either evacuate to a safe
location or "shelter in place" and have a "Home Disaster Kit" accessible
with supplies to sustain them for at least 72 hours at home or in a
community shelter
.	You have necessary radio equipment, supplies and safety gear
(hard hat, safety glasses, reflective vest, dust mask, boots, gloves) to
travel to a deployment site and operate for 72 hours until arrival of
your relief team.

If YOU meet all of the above criteria, then YOU and your portable /
mobile radio equipment are needed on a Disaster Response Team to support
statewide mutual aid by Virginia RACES, Inc.

"So that no community in need of essential communications goes without."

Read and carefully consider the following situation assessment, and
respond appropriately to honestly calculate your Disaster Readiness
Index (DRI).
 
Your community has been hit by a disaster. The following conditions now
exist:
.	EAS alert on NOAA weather radio indicates that your community
has activated its Emergency Plan

.	On 2 meters, you hear an Operations Net, so you change to
Logistics to listen to the situation brief.

.	Electric power is out countywide, 1600 poles are down, power
will not be restored for 72 hours.

.	Landline telephone service is lost to 60% of the community.

.	Countywide "fire watch" is activated with RACES communicating
between neighborhoods and EOC

.	Schools, local, state and federal government offices are closed,
except for emergency personnel.

.	Only 40% of public safety repeaters are operational. The rest
will be out of service for 72 hours.

.	Surviving public safety repeaters have 12 hours of battery
backup and generator fuel for 48 hours.

.	Surviving public safety radio system has marginal mobile
coverage in the most densely populated half of the county, but is
affected by terrain / building attenuation and is ineffective in
outlying areas

.	In-building public safety 2-way portable coverage is reliable
only within 2 miles of the repeater.

.	Public safety trunking is inoperative. Tactical communications
must be conducted direct unit-to-unit using only four working out of the
16 channels normally available.

.	Public safety services have pre-empted cellular service.
"Essential" civilian users must wait two hours to get a line, and then
may only use the service for only 3 minutes.

.	Non-public safety radios (transit, schools, public works, etc.)
are reduced to 25% of normal capacity

.	Only NOAA weather, broadcast radio and TV stations more than 40
miles away remain on the air.

.	Cable TV system and satellite TV services are out of service

.	All Internet service providers are out of service

.	25% of fire department, police department and public works
equipment has been destroyed.

.	No gasoline or diesel is available from any underground tanks.
Local government has taken over all above ground storage tanks for
public safety use. If operationally necessary to support disaster
response and recovery, assigned RACES drivers may be authorized only
minimum necessary fuel.
-------------------------------------------------

Part 1- Family Disaster Preparedness
.	Do you have 3 days supply of packaged, nonperishable food for
your household right now? Give yourself one point for each person / day
of nonperishable food available.

.	How many gallons of safe drinking water do you have in portable
containers right now? Take number of gallons) by number of persons in
household, and enter fıgure _____

.	Do you have now: 1) heating, fıreplace, wood stove or space
heater and fuel, 2) cooking equipment and supplies, fireplace, gas/wood
stove, grill, 3) sleeping bags or blankets, 3) extra warm, dry clothes
4) boots, and rain gear, and 5) flashlight and extra batteries to
shelter in place for 3 days? Two points each category, if "yes" to all
maximum score ten points! ____

.	If your supplies are stored in your house, they were just
destroyed with the house by the storm. So salvage what you can, but you
must now deduct eight points from your total! - ____

.	If your evacuation supplies are stored right now in your car,
add 10 points!  ____

.	If your vehicle fuel tank is over half full, and you have a
1A/10-BC fıre extinguisher, first aid kit, blanket, 1 gallon of water
and FM mobile radio 25w in your vehicle now, add 10 points ___	

.	If you have changed your smoke detector battery AND conducted an
Exit Drill In the Home within the last 6 months, add 5 points! ______

Subtotal Part 1- Family Disaster Preparedness - Max. Score This Section
= 35 points  __________

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

Part II - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Equipment Preparedness

Any radios or batteries not used/ tested /recharged within the last 7
days are deemed "out of service"!

.	Do you have a gasoline-powered portable generator to power your
station equipment? If so, give yourself one point per kilowatt of
generator capacity (maximum 10 points)

.	How much generator fuel do you have right now? Assumptions: fuel
(gallons) /fuel
consumption rate = hours @ 50% load, and fuel consumption = kVlr`0.1
gallon /hour. (You may
include automobile or other fuel tanks only if they are more than half
full now AND you have a way to get the fuel out). Allow 1 point for each
hour that you can operate your generator. (If you must run your
automobile engine to recharge batteries, deduct 5 points) 	
.	Deep cycle gel or sealed AGM batteries and cords to connect to
your mobile / base equipment. For each 25ah of battery tested in
equipment use within the last week 1 pt. (Max 10)

.	Dual-band 2 m/440 or 2m/220 mobile, frequency-agile, fıeld
programmable, with 10 memories per band, capable of CTCSS encode and
operation from an external 12VDC source with unity gain or better
portable /mobile antenna and minimum of 25 watts output at 12 VDC (15
pts.)	

.	2 meter FM mobile, frequency-agile, field programmable, with 10
memories, capable of CTCSS encode and operation from an external 12VDC
source with unity gain or better portable /mobile antenna and minimum of
25 watts output at 12 VDC	(10 pts.)

.	Dual-band 2m/440 or 2m/220 HT minimum 2w, frequency-agile, fıeld
programmable, 10 memories per band, capable of CTCSS encode, with
alkaline battery case and adapter cord enabling operation from external
12VDC power source, with a unity gain or better antenna.
If this dual-band HT is a spare in addition to your 25w mobile radio,
add	(5 pts.)
If this HT is your ONLY riq, you may count only.	(1 point)	

.	2 meter HT, min. 2w, frequency-agile, field programmable, 10
memories, with alkaline battery case and adapter cord to enable
operation from external 12VDC source, with unity gain portable antenna.
If this 2m HT is a spare in addition to your 25w mobile radio, you may
add	(3 pts.)  If this 2m HT is in addition to a dual-band HT, but
you have no mobile riq add (1 point). If this HT is your ONLY riq, you
may count only.	(1 point)
	
.	For each amp-hour of HT battery charged / tested in the last
week add 1pt. (Max 10)	
 If all you have is a HT, but you have a "brick amp ~ 25 watts you may
add: (5 pts.)	

.	Portable 2m-packet equipment 25w, separate from the primary
mobile add:(10 pts.)	

.	For each rig not actually tested on-air within the last week
subtract (-10 pts. /rig)	
.	For a home station w/outdoor 2m /440 antenna w/3dB-gain elev. To
30ft. add (5 pts.)	

.	For each spare / portable 3dB minimum gain 2m or dual-band
antenna (3 pts.)	

.	For each portable mast suitable to elevate a VHF/UHF antenna at
least 15 ft.(3 pts.)	
.	For mobile and/or portable HF,  50w SSB with 40 + 75 meter
antenna(s)(10 pts.)	

.	If your mobile / portable HF also has 2m capability, add: (5
pts.)	

.	For each additional:1) 50 ft. RG8-X or better coax, 2) 2m, 220
or 440 HT, 3) unity gain VHF/UHF, 40m+75m HF antenna or 4) 50ah battery
capacity above a station total 200ah, (1 pt.)	

.	For "extra" mobile/portable HF 50w w/portable 40 + 75m antennas
and battery 80ah or other emergency power, which you have inspected /
tested within the last week add:(10 pts.)	
.	For mobile / portable HF 10w SSB but < 50w with 40 +75 meter
antennas (5 pts.)	

.	For each "extra" mobile/portable 25w VHF/UHF mobile rig with
battery 30ah or
other emergency power you have inspected / tested within the last week
add: (5 pts.)	

.	For each "extra" laptop + TNC capable of packet operation from
12VDC add:(5 pts.)	

.	For each portable PC line printer capable of operation from
12VDC add: (5 pts.)	

Subtotal Part 2- Equipment Preparedness - Max. Score for This Section 65
points.	
Total of Parts 1 and 2~ 75 "Pass," is deemed "acceptable for new DRT
trainees"	

A Disaster Readiness index of 90 is expected within 1 year to attain /
maintain full operational status.

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