[W1SMH] Fwd: The ARES E-Letter for December 17, 2014

[Ray Cord via W1SMH]

Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
Get the new AOL app: mail.mobile.aol.com



On Thursday, December 18, 2014, ARRL Web site <memberlist at www.arrl.org> wrote:

If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/?issue=2014-12-17



December 17, 2014       Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
ARES E-Letter Archive ARES Home ARRL Home Page 

 

ARRL/Public Service News Synopsis/Links
Indiana Group Tests On an Ice Storm Scenario
Cross-Borders ARES Exercise Tests Northeast Communications
Amateurs Support Utah Desert Wilderness Rescue Training Exercise
Letters: On Contacting the Police for a Distant Emergency
Mt. St. Helens, Again, 34 Years Later
Letters: Former OFDA Communications Specialist on Emergency versus Disaster
Broadband-Hamnet Expands to Include Another Ham Band
Feedback: Winlink and Internet Independence
Tips for Public Service Communicators
K1CE For a Final
ARRL/Public Service News Synopsis/Links
Philippine Hams Support Emergency Communication for Typhoon Hagupit

Amateur Radio volunteers in the Philippines activated emergency nets on HF and VHF as Typhoon Hagupit -- called Typhoon Ruby locally -- raked slowly across the islands, weakening as it went. "As Typhoon Hagupit entered its third day, ham operators continued to provide essential traffic as the storm progressed through Philippine territory," reported Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA) Chief Operating Officer Thelma Pascua, DU1IVT. Members of the Ham Emergency Radio Operations (HERO) -- the PARA equivalent of the US Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) -- were active. More here.

Homeland Security's 2014 National Emergency Communications Plan Incorporates Amateur Radio

The US Department of Homeland Security's 2014 National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) has incorporated Amateur Radio in its mix of media that could support and sustain communications in a disaster or emergency. The NECP is "the nation's over-arching strategic plan for enhancing emergency communications capabilities and interoperability nationwide," DHS said in announcing the updated plan on November 12. "[A]mateur radio operators...can be important conduits for relaying information to response agencies and personnel when other forms of communications have failed or have been disrupted," the NECP states. More here.

MARS Volunteers Reach Out to Amateur Community to Test Interoperability

The Army and Air Force branches of the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) merged their long-distance radio networks in late October for a 48-hour Department of Defense-sponsored contingency communications exercise. The plan also called for MARS members -- using their Amateur Radio call signs and operating on amateur frequencies -- to establish two-way communication with ARES leadership or members in as many US counties as possible. More here.

Top

Indiana Group Tests On an Ice Storm Scenario
An ice storm hitting Hendricks county, Indiana was the scenario for this year's ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET), conducted by the county's ARES organization, and held October 18. The exercise planning committee for this year -- AEC of Operations Gordon Cotton, KD0EWM; AEC of Liaison Bill Gouge, AA9EG; Technical Director Chris Harrison, KD9BIX, and Net Control Dave Leimenstoll, N9XOQ -- spent several months working out test details and frequencies. The main mission goal was to get the hams in Hendricks County to switch to different radio frequencies on the fly as conditions dictated, efficiently, over the course of the exercise. The group decided to use two of its "pigs" (portable to-go kits) on cross band frequencies, which would be used as the back-up radio system in the event the primary repeaters fail during a real emergency. The pigs were placed at two county Emergency Radio Network (ERN) locations (in Danville, and Brownsburg.)

The exercise commenced with the start-up of the group's SKYWARN weather net on one of the repeaters (147.165 MHz). NCS Bob Burns, W9BU, made periodic announcements to the effect that should the repeater fail, the net would resume on the ARES repeater (147.015 MHz). Efficiency was tested when this scenario was almost immediately put into effect: All 13 participants switched over to the ARES repeater and the full ice storm scenario was commenced. While the ARES repeater and net were humming along, it was announced that should this repeater fail, simplex operation and designated channels would serve as the primary communications conduit. Then, pursuant to the plan, the repeater did go down due to a "blown fuse in the power supply." The 13 participating hams had to switch radio frequencies again, channels varying according to where they were located for effective coverage. The group now turned to depending on the pigs for continuance of communications coverage and exercise success. Use of the pigs picked up where the repeater left off, allowing for cross band and single band simplex operation. They worked and all SET participants finished the exercise.

This year several specific tests were conducted successfully. For example, the ERN stations (three in total) are situated around the county for the purpose of supplying operators with different capabilities. One of these stations is placed inside a pole barn that is located near Danville atop one of the highest ground elevations in the county. Another station is located at the Hendricks County Communications Center in Plainfield, and the third station will soon be located at the water works facility near a radio tower in the town of Brownsburg. Currently these stations are made up of antenna and coax only. The radio is installed at the site only during an actual emergency or disaster - kind of "plug and play"). SET participants used simplex radio tests previously at two of these locations showing ARES leaders would be able to reach over 90% of hams with HT's only, in the county. This exercise proved that statistic again.

In another test aspect, the county's "hospital hams," radio amateurs who are pre-qualified to run the Amateur Radio stations at each hospital, were involved: They played out their role on the ARES hospital simplex net, and were in communications with the county EOC. It was a good exercise plan, implemented effectively and efficiently, and added value to the Hendricks County ARES planning, preparation and capability for when the real thing happens. -- Ron Burke KB9DJA, Hendricks County, Indiana, Emergency Coordinator

Top


Cross-Borders ARES Exercise Tests Northeast Communications
A special 40 meter "Cross-Borders" net was held in the northeast
region on the morning of December 13 on 7262 kHz. The purpose was to test the pathways for that band (40-meters) and time between operators from Maine, New Hampshire, and bordering Canadian provinces. The exercise was a result of Maine Emergency Management Agency Communications Manager Steve Mallory's suggestion that Maine hams put extra effort into training and drilling with neighboring states and provinces, since disasters do not recognize borders.

Maine ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Phil Duggan, N1EP, was net control and had 33 stations from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont check into the net. Several state/provincial ARES and other emergency coordinators participated, as did New Hampshire SEC Wayne Santos, N1CKM.

Most signals were easily copied during the net by all. One surprising
outcome for some was the fact that a couple of the stations that had
the strongest signals were using modest power (25-40 watts) and their
antennas were verticals.

Duggan plans similar events in the future, most likely on a quarterly
basis, and will encourage all New England states, as well as the
Maritimes and Quebec provinces to join in the fun. Some exercises will
include using the Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System suite of
programs and digital modes that Dave Freese, W1HKJ, and his team have made available for Amateur Radio use. -- Phil Duggan, N1EP,
Maine ARES Section Emergency Coordinator

Amateurs Support Utah Desert Wilderness Rescue Training Exercise
On November 3-6, 2014, the members and operators of Utah's Sinbad Desert Amateur Radio Club (SDARC) participated in a wilderness-based rescue training exercise in conjunction with the Emery County Sheriff's Office Rope Rescue Team, Emery County Search and Rescue Rope Team, Black Dragon Rescue Systems and National Guard Civil Support Teams (CST) from New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho and Oklahoma.

The training took place among the high red rocks and deep canyons of Utah's picturesque San Rafael desert in eastern Utah. The exercise consisted of multiple medical emergency rescues, from one of the many canyons that are favored by climbers and hikers alike. The 300-foot vertical medical rescues were exciting to watch.

Emery County Sheriff's Office brought their emergency response vehicles to the desert deep canyon site, which included the recent addition of their Amateur Radio/Public Safety Communications trailer.

All on scene communications by Public Safety and the Military were run on VHF hi-band frequencies, and supplementary communications for the event were handled by members of the Emery County ARES group who are all members of the SDARC. Amateur contacts were handled on 40 meters and 2 meters using the SDARC's extensive 2 meter repeater system, and 2 meter simplex, and HF contacts were made to the State of Utah Department of Public Safety EOC at the State capitol.

Logs were maintained of all communications between the National Guard CSTs and Emery County rescuers. Special thanks went out to all members of the SDARC who spent many hours working the radios and logging during the exercise, modifying the trailer and installing the communications equipment.

Exercise organizers and evaluators stated that communications during this exercise were the best they have ever been for any of their exercises in this type