[MDC-EC] January 2009 FSD-96 Maryland-DC ARES Section Report

[Steve Beckman]

Monthly Section Emergency Coordinator Report to ARRL Headquarters
______________________________________________________________________________________
ARRL Section:   Maryland-DC             Month:  January         Year: 2009
______________________________________________________________________________________

AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE


Total number of ARES members: 643            Change since last month: +4 
(+, -, or same)

Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 10  Number of ARES nets active: 35 
# with NTS liaison: 11

Calls of DECs/ECs reporting: K3UEZ, N3SEO, AJ3X, KB3LJB, KB3KKY, KB3FMJ, 
WB0EGR, WR3F, KB3ENU, N3SB.

Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 
17          Person hours  193

Number of public service events this month: 
5                            Person hours 556

Number of emergency operations this month: 
3                           Person hours 104

Total number of ARES operations this month: 25                        Total 
Person hours 852

Comments:

MDC Section: The section provided communications support for the 
Presidential Inauguration on January 20. With an expected turnout of over 2 
million visitors in DC, ARES was asked to provide backup communications for 
hospitals, shelters, and EOCs. Fortunately there were no major incidents.

Allegany County: NBEMS interest has increased in this jurisdiction. There 
is now a Western Maryland NBEMS Yahoo Group. Details as they emerge.

Anne Arundel County: The group supported the Klondike Derby with the 
following members: K3YLW, KA2JAI, K3RUP, KA3CUQ, WB3CGE, W3NI, N3SEO, 
K3TED, K3YH, KB3HUR, KB3QNA, N4GUN, K8JW, KB3KTA, KB3KFA, K3ZWZ. Anne 
Arundel also provided communications support for the Presidential Inauguration.

Baltimore County: On January 17, while the PEOTUS train traveled from 
Philadelphia to Washington, BaCo provided backup and supplemental 
communications support positioning personnel at the County Command Center, 
State Department of Human Resources Baltimore City Operations Center, DHR's 
Shelter at UMBC and the MEMA JOC in Reisterstown. From 1600 hours January 
19, through 0100 hours January 21, BaCo ACS personnel provided backup and 
supplemental communications support to DHR at their Operations Center in 
Baltimore City, their shelter at UMBC and MEMA's JOC in Reisterstown. BaCo 
ACS personnel also acted as the Net Liaison for other jurisdictions in the 
State.

Carroll County: The group was placed on stand-by from January 16 to January 
20 by Carroll County OEM to be ready in case of incident during the 
Presidential Inauguration and events leading up to it. Carroll has also 
completed a draft operating procedure for the HF radio at the EOC.

Cecil County: The group is maintaining a steady pace with monthly meeting 
and weekly nets. The Cecil County ARES Net is conducted every Sunday 
evening at 2000 local time on the Chesapeake Bay Radio Association (CBRA) 
146.850 FM repeater (negative offset). Access tone is 107.2 but is required 
only between 2100 and 0900 which means it is not required during the net. 
Our backup is the CBRA 449.825 FM repeater (negative offset). Access tone 
is 167.9 and is required 24 hours. The net is open to all hams within range 
of the repeater. ARES membership is encouraged but not required.

DC: Provided limited support to the Inauguration of President Obama. 
Special thanks to Stephanie Hancock, KB3OVZ, of Frederick, MD, for her 
support at the Inaugural activities, our only volunteer except for myself. 
Beginning efforts to try and build-up a Washington, DC, ARES capability. 
Lack of Inaugural support shows the weakness in relying on operators from 
the suburbs to help in the city. When the going gets tough, we are 
(unfortunately) on our own. Began preps for the National Marathon in March.

Garrett County: The group is also maintaining a steady pace with monthly 
meeting and weekly nets. The Garrett County ARES net is held weekly on 
Sunday evenings at 8:00 PM on the Outback Repeater System (primary 
repeaters 146.805 and 145.33 dup PL 123). All traffic is FM voice. Our 
monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of the month at 7:00 PM.

Harford County: Several HARCO ARES/RACES members participated in various 
inaugural support activities from Jan 17  Jan 21, 2009.

Howard County: The group was activated for a twelve hour period during the 
January 17th stop by President-elect Obama in Baltimore and his party's 
subsequent train travel through neighboring Anne Arundel County.  The group 
was activated again for twelve hours on Inauguration Day, again, to backup 
communications for Howard County Emergency Operations.  Activation in this 
case involved providing 2 operators located at the Howard County Emergency 
Operations Center for twelve hours on the 17th and fourteen hours on the 
20th beginning at 0700, standing by and ready to call out additional RACES 
(and ARES) operators to locations designated by the staff of the county EOC.

Signature:   Steve 
Beckman 
Call sign: N3SB
Please send to ARRL HQ, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 by 10th of the 
month             FSD-96 (1-04)