[MDC-EC] Help for Inova Hospital in VA on Columbus Day weekend

[Jim Cross]

To:       All ECs in MDC

From:  Jim Cross WI3N, SM MDC

For:     Distribution to your membership

Hi everyone,

I've received a request from Tom Azlin, N4ZPT, the EC of Fairfax Co, VA.
There is a planned phone outage at Inova Hospital Oct 10-11 from 2200 to
about 0600  and they need amateur radio support from 2000 to 0600.  Below is
the request from Tom.

1.  This will be interrupting a previously planned comms test for the Marine
Corps Marathon on Columbus Day.  We still could use more help with the MCM,
particularly from folks who have D-Star capable radios so I hope that you
will send this to your membership as ARES members are most likely to have
the interest to help.  They may sign up at www.ncacdc.com then will need to
respond to an email generated from the MCM site to get fully on board.

2.  Tom's request is below.   Please have your membership respond directly
to him if anyone is able to help or needs more information.  His email is
n4zpt at cox.net

--------  request for help  --------
Subject: [FairfaxARES] Activation Heads Up
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:54:40 -0400
From: Tom Azlin N4ZPT <n4zpt at cox.net>

Hi.

I met with the the Safety Manager at Inova Fairfax. They are
requesting ham radio support for a planned telephone outage over the
Columbus Day weekend. The planned outage will start at 2200 on October
10th and end no later than 0600 on October 11th. They request our
support starting at 8PM to when they have their phone
system back in place and our hams can be retrieved from the many areas in
the hospital. (it is a bit confusing in the hospital) Primary support will
be between
critical patient care areas in the hospital  with hams also supporting
communications with Inova Fair Oaks and the Fairfax public safety folks.

We have supported Inova in the past for unexpected phone outages as well as
for
exercises conducted for the overnight shift. Is very good they call us so I
hope that
many of you are available to support this activation. They have asked for
55-60 hams
however we do not yet have those numbers. Another dozen or so will get us
close.

Please let me know if you can support this activation by deploying to
Inova Fairfax.

Thanks and 73, tom n4zpt