[MDC-EC] Maryland-DC Section FSD-96 SEC Report

[Steve Beckman]

Monthly Section Emergency Coordinator Report to ARRL Headquarters
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ARRL Section: 
Maryland-DC               Month:   January                Year: 2011
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AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE
Total number of ARES members: 657
Change since last month: +1

Number of DECs/ECs reporting this month: 9
Number of ARES nets active: 27
Number with NTS liaison: 7

Calls of DECs/ECs reporting: N3SEO, KB3ENU, W3JCT, K3UEZ, KB3LJB, KB3FMJ, 
WB3KAS, KB3KKY, and N3SB.

Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 13
Person hours: 137

Number of public service events this month: 0
Person hours: 0

Number of emergency operations this month: 0
Person hours: 0

Total number of ARES operations this month: 13
Total Person hours: 137

Comments:

Anne Arundel County: Supporting the Klondike Derby were N3SEO, K3WD, K3RUP, 
KA2JAI, WB4APR, and K3YLW.

Wicomico County: RACES/ARES Communications Drills were cancelled in 
December because of the holiday and cancelled in January for a weather 
event. Normally, we attend the Lower Shore Chapter of the American Red 
Cross meeting, but their December meeting was cancelled for the holiday and 
their January meeting was cancelled because of the weather. The Lower Shore 
Chapter of the American Cross has now assumed responsibility for the Red 
Cross support in the Accomack and Northampton Counties of the Virginia 
Eastern Shore and there are a number of Amateur Radio Operators that have 
shown interest in emergency service. Wicomico County ARES is providing 
Merit Badge counselors for the Boy Scout Merit Badge College at Salisbury 
University on February 5 and March 5. Every Boy Scout will have a turn on 
the radio during the March 5 'live air exercise', which is also supported 
by the local ARRL, affiliated Delmarva Amateur Radio Club and the Peninsula 
Radio Operators Society. Wicomico County ARES plans to be at the Sussex 
County Hamfest on April 4 at Sussex Technical High School in Georgetown, 
DE. Delmarva Emergency Net: Sundays at 6:30 PM using 3.905 MHz - Primarily 
stations on the Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Eastern Shore.  Net 
Control, Sussex County Emergency Coordinator, Amateur Radio Emergency 
Service (ARES). Local Net: Delmarva Amateur Radio Enhancement Net every 
Monday night at 9:00 PM.  The DAR Net is sponsored by the Delmarva Amateur 
Radio Club which is now an ARRL Affiliated group operating a repeater on 
146.820 MHz PL 156.7 Hz.

Allegany County: The team is including practicing simplex relays in their 
monthly exercises.

Cecil County: The Cecil County ARES group holds a weekly net every Sunday 
evening at 2000 local on the WA3SFJ repeaters (146.850- PL 107.2, 449.825- 
PL 167.9, and 53.830- PL94.8). Primary will be the 2-meter repeater. All 
within earshot of the repeaters are invited to join in regardless of ARES 
membership. Following the net we have a Swap Shop "net" where hams are 
invited to list their ham-radio-related items for sale or trade.

Garrett County: The Garrett County ARES (GCARES) monthly meeting location 
is held at the Garrett County Southern Rescue Squad located on route 135 
east of Oakland Maryland. The next meeting will be Monday February 14th at 
7:00 PM. The GCARES net is held weekly on Sunday evenings at 8:00 PM on the 
146.805, dup PL 123 and is linked to the Target Link Repeater System. All 
traffic is FM voice.

Prince Georges County: Held four regularly scheduled training VHF nets on 
146.61 MHz on Tuesdays at 1930L. Net participation is picking up. The first 
quarterly PRGE ARES Hospital Net of the year was held on January 4. All six 
county hospitals and the County Health Dept and Civista Hospital in 
LaPlata, MD were called up. We had 27 checkins on VHF. This was followed by 
our first ever HF Hospital Net on 3.8205KHz at 2030L. We had 11 checkins. 
This was our first attempt at looking to see how well it would be received 
and how many would answer the 'impromptu' call to join in. HF checkins 
were: KA3AHI (NCS), KB3IIE, KB3HER, N3JFX, N2OMC (St. Mary's County), N3XL, 
W3CB, KB3ENU (Kent County), N3CK, N6UW and W9WNH. On January 17 ARES/RACES 
conducted a clean-up work party at the county EOC in preparation for 
hosting the monthly Citizen Corps council meeting in March. Clean up crew 
included: KB3IIE, NX3SS, N3ADF, N3CK, W3CB and WB3KAS. Our second HF 
Hospital Net was held on the Wednesday of the meeting week, in this case 
January 19. Again it was on 3.8205 Khz at 1930L. We had eight people check 
in from as far away as South Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA! HF checkins 
included KA3AHI (NCS), N3JFX, NX3SS, WI3N, KB3NJK, W9WNH, KB3RPM (MA), 
WA1JIM (PA). In the future, we will have the Hospital HF Net on the Third 
Wednesday of the month at 1930L on 3.8205KHz. All are welcome to join in 
and participate. You can always count on something new and exciting with 
PRGE ARES!

District of Columbia: Preparing to support the upcoming National Marathon, 
Saturday, March 26. Working with the Federal City React and ServeDC (CERT). 
Planning to start a DC ARES Net in April/May timeframe. Identified several 
potential new members. Investigation options for using Digital 
Communications for DC ARES. Looking forward to the MT-63 Demo/Test.

Carroll County: The Carroll County team held an FLDIGI /FLMSG Tech Session 
to get the programs installed and configured, and to get some experience 
with ending ICS-213 and NTS Radiogram message forms. MT-63 performance was 
demonstrated during the session, as we were able to easily copy messages 
across the room from other computers, with only acoustic coupling between 
them. Several teaem members received WebEOC training this month.

Signature: Steve Beckman
Call sign: N3SB
Email - n3sb at qis.net

Please send to ARRL HQ, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 by 10th of the month
FSD-96 (1-04)