[PPRAANet] Hurricane ops

[John Bloodgood]

The ARRL has sent out the following:

1)  "Operating procedures during Hurricane Irma: Please be aware that due to the breadth of this series of weather events, numerous emergency and public service nets are in session, especially on the 80, 40, and 20 meter bands. US licensees are reminded that  Part 97.101 (c) always gives priority to stations providing emergency communications. All stations should be aware that in a large-scale natural disaster, immediate threats to life and property can happen quickly. In order for Amateur Radio to play an effective  role in supporting humanitarian efforts, it is key that all licensees cooperate to minimize potential on-air problems.

Amateurs should also be aware that the primary users on the 60-meter channels are using those channels extensively. Amateur stations, as secondary users, must ensure that their communications are conducted in such a manner to ensure that Federal government  stations, as primary users, can have immediate use of any 60-meter channel. Amateurs, please make sure you are leaving adequate breaks between transmissions to allow the primary stations to use the frequency. If a primary user does break into an amateur contact  on the frequency, the amateurs involved should immediately cease their transmissions."

2)  "At this time, it is ARRL’s understanding that only Amateur Radio Emergency or Amateur Radio Priority traffic is moving in and out of the affected areas. Amateur Radio Health and Welfare communications are being queued up for later delivery into the affected  area, as the emergency and priority traffic eases. 

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, it is human nature for persons outside of the affected area to seek information on their loved ones. Those wishing to send Health and Welfare queries are encouraged to use the American Red Cross’s “Safe and Well” website  to facilitate those contacts: https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php"

I will add that volunteers are reminded not to self-deploy to the affected areas.  If you want to go help, it should be coordinated through the appropriate incident command, emergency management organization, or well established VOAD (Volunteer Organizations  Active in Disasters -- such as the American Red Cross, Team Rubicon, etc.) who can do the coordination for you.    

Also, as the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) reminds us, it is far better to donate cash during disasters than to donate items.  Even when a call is sent out for specific items, cash is better. The pre-organized VOADs  and other agencies usually fill the need for requested items quickly, so by the time a "donation drive" fills enough boxes to warrant sending to the affected area, the need has already been filled. Those donated items create a logistical nightmare, often go  to waste, can spoil or rot, etc. Very often during disasters the people in charge will repeatedly say "please don't donate items".
 
Thanks! 
 
 
 
 
 John Bloodgood, KD0SFY
 Emergency Coordinator & Public Information Officer 
 Region 2 District 2, Colorado ARES (Pikes Peak ARES)
 Follow Pikes Peak ARES at: 
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