[MDC-EC] PRGE ARES 2nd Quarterly Health Care Coalition Drill April 5, 2011

[Jim Montgomery]

To: MD-DC EC/AEC Members

My apology if you receive this in duplicate as it is going out to several reflectors.

By now you have seen, either through the SEC or SM monthly reports, PRGE ARES’ involvement in the county’s Hospital Project. Wanda, KA3AHI, AEC for the ARES Hospital Project has been very successful in "wiring up" our six hospitals, the County Health Department and the county EOC with Winlink capability to include team leaders and equipment. We can pass ICS-213 traffic among the hospital coalition, as well as anyone else with an email address during an emergency event. But. . .what if we need help from outside the county. . .better yet, what if you need help from outside your county?

PRGE ARES is seeking to set up a Mutual Aid Supporting Hospitals (hmmmm, MASH?) network among the several surrounding counties in the Washington Metro area.  In an emergency of the worst kind, it may very well be necessary for you to call on your adjacent county ARES group for help.

There is a goal within the MDC Section to wire up as many hospitals in the state (and DC) as possible for EmComm . We (PRGE ARES) would like to see what we can do to achieve that goal. We would like to invite all MDC ECs and AECs supporting their local hospitals/health care facilities to join us on a regular basis, in our Quarterly Hospital Drills. The drills take place the first Tuesday of the calendar quarter (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct), the next one being April 5 at 1930 on the Green Mountain Repeater, 146.61MHz (-) no pl. If you cannot check in via the repeater, check in "digitally" using Winlink 2000. . .and here’s how it works:

Digital Winlink operators send a Winlink message to W3CB at winlink.org anytime between 1900L and 1930L on the night of the drill. He will be our digital liaison for the evening.  He will take the list of "digital checkins" and report it to the voice side of the drill on two meters. W3CB will acknowledge your message and dismiss you from the net.

Items for you to include in the message to W3CB are as follows:
1. Callsign
2. First name
3. Home QTH
4. ARES/RACES Organization
5. Hospital/Health Care facility supporting, else n/a
6. Alternate email address
7. <<any message you desire, but not necessary>>

Subject line for this message should be:

QTC PRGE ARES AEC for HOSPITAL PROJECT 1; pse HXE

Over time, the list of checkins will grow and a tabulated file will be sent out to all who digitally checked in and are providing support to their local hospital/health care facility. I will send the list out at the end of the year, counting on two more drill opportunities for the list to grow.

Consider joining us, and together we’ll see what this endeavor holds for the future.

tnx es 73, de

Jim Montgomery
WB3KAS
PRGE ARES EC
=============