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Subj: ARES E-Letter June 20, 2018
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The ARES E-Letter June 20, 2018
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
In This Issue:
-ARRL Public Service Enhancement Working Group Chairman Updates
Hamvention© Crowd on Proposed ARES Changes
-National Hurricance Center's WX4NHC Station Test Successful
-FEMA's Email Subscriptions: Treasure Trove of Resources and Info
-Letters: Fireman's Rule on HAZMAT Incidents
-Letters: Practice Counts!
-New Books: Programming Handheld Ham Radios Gets Easier
-K1CE For a Final: Field Day Safety First
-ARRL -- Your One-Stop Resource for Amateur Radio News and Information
ARES Links, Briefs
Sailor Grateful for Maritime Mobile Service Network Assistance (6/7/18);
Montana ARES Group Activated in Advance of Anticipated Flooding (5/26/18);
Puerto Rico Radio Amateurs Honored by Lawmakers on "el D¡a del
Radioaficionado" (5/17/18)
ARES Annual/Monthly Reports can be found here, organized by date, with a
link to download a PDF of the full report.
Archives of the ARRL ARES E-Letter going back to the original issue
(September 2005) are available for download.
ARRL Emergency Coordinators may register their ARES group here for a group ID.
ARES© Connect
ARES program administrators at ARRL HQ will phase out the traditional ARES
report forms later this year in favor of an online system called ARES
Connect -- a new volunteer management, communications, and reporting system.
The new system will allow information to be logged by ARES members and
managed through the Field Organization. It does not change how ARES operates
when serving a partner entity; it is simply a system that will make managing
volunteers and incidents/events easier. Beta testing of ARES Connect began
in March.
ARRL Public Service Enhancement Working Group Chairman Updates Hamvention©
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crowd on Proposed ARES Changes
------------------------------
At the ARRL Member Forum at 2018 Hamvention© last month, hosting Great Lakes
Division Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, chairman of the ARRL Public Service
Enhancement Working Group, spoke about the dramatic changes that are
occurring among agencies serving in the emergency/disaster response sector.
He discussed planning for proposed new guidelines for participants in the
ARES program, including plans for a new volunteer management software
system, called ARES© Connect (see above). Upgrades to ARES training and
resources will ensure the service continues to be a valuable partner for its
served agencies into the future.
Williams' program was titled ARES Advances into the 21st Century -- A New
Program, A New Mission. The vision is for an ARES that is comprised of
organized, trained, qualified, and credentialed Amateur Radio operators who
can provide public service partners with radio communications expertise,
capability, and capacity.
Goals include aligning the ARES organizational structure with the National
Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). The
Emergency Coordinator (EC) will continue to lead the ARES team locally
during an incident, while the District EC and Section Emergency Coordinator
will continue to serve as resources and support for the EC. ARES Connect is
the new platform designed to support Reporting, Membership, Database -
Portability, Record Keeping, and Statistics.
It is envisioned that additional training will be mandated, including ARRL
Emergency Communications courses and the now standard FEMA NIMS/ICS courses
IS-100, 200, 700, 800, with IS-300 and 400 for higher levels. Other
specialty courses will be required in certain cases such as SKYWARN and
other agency-specific training.
Levels of training attained would dovetail with three new levels of
participation: Level One would be comprised of all entering the program with
no training, while progressing through the ARRL emergency communications
training and the FEMA Independent Study courses 100, 200, 700, and 800.
Level Two would be attained upon successful completion of these courses, and
would be considered the "Standard" level for ARES participants. Level Three
would be attained upon completion of the advanced FEMA courses IS 300 and
400, which would qualify candidates for the ARES leadership positions EC,
DEC, SEC and Assistants.
Level One participants would be able to fulfill most ARES duties with the
target of attaining Level Two in one year. Level Two would be considered the
normal participant level, which would gain the participant access to most
incident sites and EOCs. Level Three would convey full access as granted by
the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), and qualification for ARES
leadership.
It is proposed that ARRL will provide a basic ARES ID, which would convey
recognition of registration with ARES nationally and indicate level of
training. No conveyance of site access is guaranteed. The AHJ would grant an
additional ID/pass for site access, which would be "owned" by the AHJ.
What is Happening Now
The ARES Connect system is currently being field-tested and implemented,
with ARRL HQ staff undergoing training in its administration, and group
registrations currently being made. Group IDs are being assigned. Beta
testing with four ARRL Sections with large ARES organizations is underway.
The plans as described above are pending approval by the ARRL Board of
Directors. An ARES Strategic Plan for the ARRL Field Organization, and an
Introductory Announcement are being drafted. Editing/updating ARRL
ARES-related publications is underway.
A full article on the ARES enhancements, once approved, will appear in
September QST.
National Hurricance Center's WX4NHC Station Test Successful
-----------------------------------------------------------
Julio Ripoll, WD4R, Assistant Coordinator for the National Hurricane
Center's amateur station WX4NHC in Miami, Florida, reported a highly
successful annual test event, and thanked all who supported it so
enthusiastically.
WX4NHC operators conducted its annual station test on Saturday, May 26, 2018
from 9AM-5 PM EDT (1300Z-2100Z). It marked the station's 38th year of public
service at the NHC. The purpose of this event was to test station equipment,
antennas and computers prior to this year's Hurricane Season, which started
at the beginning of this month and runs through November 30th. This event
is good practice for ham radio operators worldwide, and helps NWS offices
across the country become familiar with Amateur Radio communications support
services available during times of severe weather.
Ripoll said "We had a very successful on-the-air test. All of our radios and
antennas worked well (HF, and VHF/UHF systems)." He added, "Even with our
equipment maintenance and software updates, we were able to make more than
150 contacts nationwide, including with stations in the Caribbean and South
America." A few dozen contacts were made on the EchoLink Hurricane Practice
Net.
Ripoll offered special thanks to Rob Macedo, KD1CY, and the VoIP Hurricane
Net team.
Several contacts were made on the Florida SARNET, which links over 25 UHF
repeaters statewide, including many EOC offices. Dozens of weather reports
were also received from stations using HF Winlink.
ARES Activates for Wide Area Flooding in Maryland; Severe Damage in Ellicott
City
The National Weather Service predicted and alerted via WEA (wireless
emergency alerts) and NOAA weather radio of flood warning across numerous
locations in Maryland and the District of Columbia that occurred on Sunday,
May 27th. As many watched Hurricane Alberto, radio amateurs in Maryland
watched more and more rain locally.
By 5 PM heavy rain, as much as 8" to 10" soaked portions of central and
southern Maryland. And again, much like 2016, flooding with heavy damage
occurred in historic downtown Ellicott City. Other areas also impacted were
the cities of Arbutus, Dundalk, and Catonsville. Perry Hall and Patapsco
State Park needed emergency high water rescues.
While other Maryland jurisdictions received less rain, upstream flooding
continued to flow into the western area along the Chesapeake Bay through
Southern Maryland. ARRL Maryland-DC (MDC) Section radio amateurs monitored
media and checked the civilian APRS weather stations for added situational
awareness.
The MDC Section Manager, Marty Pittinger, KB3MXM, was monitoring these
conditions when he received several notifications from local radio amateurs
of serious flooding occurring in numerous locations. SM Pittinger
immediately contacted his section staff and decided by 6:30 PM to activate
ARES in eight counties of central Maryland. Anne Arundel, Prince Georges,
and Howard Counties covered the majority of flood affected communities. The
Frederick County ARES Emergency Coordinator offered mutual aid if needed.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a State of Emergency at 7 PM. Fifteen
minutes later more than 40 ARES operators reported to their respective
2-meter nets in five counties.Then, Pittinger contacted Section Traffic
Manager Al Nollmeyer, W3YVQ, to alert him of the potential need for NTS
traffic handling support.
Pittinger maintained contact with Section Emergency Coordinator Jim
Montgomery, WB3KAS, Assistant SM Wanda Montgomery, KA3AHI, Assistant SM for
External Affairs and Public Information Coordinator Ken Reid, KG4USN,
Assistant SM Allen "Brownie" Brown, KZ3AB, and ARRL Atlantic Division
Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM. These communications continued throughout the
evening.
Operators provided radio communications covering an area of 70 x 80 miles or
more than 5600 square miles for six counties.
ARES Net Control designated a station to monitor MDC EchoLink *WASH_DC*. HF
80-meter NVIS coverage was also verified usable. Other radio operators
enlisted SKYWARN© information, and announced NOAA NWS warnings.
Regular situational awareness updates were shared throughout the nets to
ensure communication readiness for served agencies, community leadership,
neighbors, first responders and fellow radio amateurs. SM Pittinger had
early evening contact with the Maryland Department of Health Service, part
of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).
Through email and phone correspondence, the MDC Section was alerted to a
potential activation of Emergency Support Function (ESF) #6 and the need for
ancillary radio communication support. Many county EOCs in affected areas
were also activated. [ESF #6 coordinates the delivery of Federal mass care,
emergency assistance, housing, and human services when local, tribal, and
State response and recovery needs exceed their capabilities.]
Anne Arundel County ARES and Howard County ARES were in communication with
their local emergency management agencies and were both told to stand by in
case of need.
Cellular, commercial and private radio systems continued to function
properly without much congestion or outages during the heavy weather. Local
media outlets provided continuous coverage. There were reports of road
closures, power and natural gas outages, and flooded roads.
The MDC ARES teams continued their vigilance until 10:15 PM, Sunday, May 28,
2018. Through the use of Amateur Radio's VHF, UHF, and HF capabilities,
voice, data and CW, messaging and networking of ARES teams consistently
demonstrates their abilities, training and readiness to respond quickly, at
any time - "We are always ready." -- Ken Reid, KG4USN, ARRL Assistant
Section Manager for External Affairs and Public Information Coordinator,
ARRL Maryland-DC Section
FEMA's Email Subscriptions: Treasure Trove of Resources and Info
----------------------------------------------------------------
FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and formal partner agency of
the ARRL, offers a wealth of information, updates and alerts on a wide range
of emergency and disaster response topics by email subscription. These
topical advisories and alerts are relevant to ARES participants, and readily
subscribed to by clicking here. Simply subscribe by checking the boxes;
unsubscribe by un-checking the boxes. Access your subscriber preferences to
update your subscriptions or modify your password or email address without
adding subscriptions.
Subscribers can opt to receive FEMA declarations, such as Emergency
Declarations, Fire Management Assistance Declarations, Major Disaster
Declarations, Disaster Updates by FEMA regions of the country, and Updates
During Disasters.
Featured FEMA Updates include registration information and updates for
America's PrepareAthon, which motivates people and communities to take
action to prepare for and protect themselves against disasters. ARRL has
supported the preparedness program, and since 2003, has been an affiliate of
Citizen Corps, under the four charter Citizen Corps programs--Neighborhood
Watch, Volunteers in Police Service, Community Emergency Response Teams and
Medical Reserve Corps. Get updates on 2018 America's PrepareAthon plans.
Subscribers can also receive Citizen Corps News and Updates during
disasters, and updates on the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
program.
For information on the Department of Homeland Security's Center For
Faith-Based & Community Initiatives, and Neighborhood Partnership, check the
relevant box.
FEMA's Emergency Management Institute's mission is to train, exercise and
educate to improve the competencies of Emergency Management at all levels.
The EMI is home for FEMA's well known Independent Study (IS) program, where
ARES participants and others can take the NIMS and ICS (and numerous other
topics) online courses. Email subscribers can receive a wide array of EMI
news and updates, including on the Independent Study courses.
Other news and updates are available on topics such as HAZMAT, IT,
Mitigation (Grants Policy), Communications and Outreach, Risk Analysis
Branch, and, of course, the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Emails are available for the FEMA National Level Exercise, National Response
Framework, FEMA Daily Operations Briefing, and much more.
I've been an email subscriber for many of these update and bullletins for
several years now -- I highly recommend them. -- K1CE
Letters: Fireman's Rule on HAZMAT Incidents
-------------------------------------------
In re your article on HAZMAT responses in the April issue of the ARES
E-Letter, I'd like to add that the Fireman's Rule of Thumb (pun intended)
ensures that you're a safe distance from a HAZMAT incident:
If your extended thumb arm's length does not cover a HAZMAT scene, you're
too close. If your thumb covers the scene you're between 1/4 and 1/2 mile
away.
I keep an inexpensive monocular in the vehicle to read a HAZMAT placard from
a safe distance. The Emergency Response Guide is available for an Android or
iPhone here. The price is right - free - which fits all budgets. -- Lew
Wallach, N9WL, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Letters: Practice Counts!
-------------------------
The Pacific Palisades Amateur Radio Emergency Group (PPAREG) of California
has started a communication practice setup that may be of interest to your
readers. The driving factor is that regular land line phone service is
becoming a victim of cord cutting -- with widespread loss of power, it is
anticipated that more than half of the residents will not have recourse to
911 in any form. The 911 system could be down as well.
In such a scenario, in a disaster situation, radio amateurs can canvass
their neighborhoods to attempt to assess what has happened. So, for our
practice sessions, we have selected a local group of blocks known as the
"Alphabet Streets." The idea is to observe, collect and communicate. An
on-site net control is assigned as a data collection point, while others are
assigned to walk the blocks and make reports block by block.
All participants rotate assignments and experience all communication
positions. We learn from mistakes and speed of data intake issues. Learning
and proficiency comes from actually performing the functions in the
structured environment communication and data exchange.
For data observation practice, we have started with counting parked cars on
a given street, going from intersection to intersection. It's simple and
non-intrusive. Message traffic counts usually amount to several dozen per
operator rover/base pair for a one hour session. Other practice is to count
other things such as parkway trees, motorcycles and trucks. Then, we assign
these counts real life attributes such as number of residents, gas leaks,
power lines down, residence fires, non-ambulatory injuries, victim
non-responsive, etc. The collected findings are reported out on the
appropriate ICS forms.
Our community of some 30,000 residents is situated between the mountains and
the Pacific Ocean. Landslides can block road access, take down
infrastructure and residents are cut off and left to manage on their own.
They are the focus of our assessments, outreach and communications, to help
them get the assistance they need.
We are interested in gaining more traction for our practice by establishing
some more formal agreements, MOUs, etc. We hold up as a model the city of
Cupertino, which has partnered with the Amateur Radio community to create a
highly tuned and polished communication/emergency response system. -- Scott
Reaser, K6TAR, Pacific Palisades, California
New Books: Programming Handheld Ham Radios Gets Easier
------------------------------------------------------
A new Handheld Radio Field Guide may make it simpler to program radios in
the field. Participate in enough incidents and public service events and
you'll know that sometimes radios need to be changed on the fly. That's a
capability that's built in to most modern handheld ham radios (HTs). But the
way it's done varies from radio to radio.
A new book may make it easier: The Handheld Radio Field Guide provides
pictures and instructions for front-panel programming (FPP) of over 65
radios you might see at events and incidents today - or in a "New Ham" class.
"People who are having trouble programming their radios need quick
solutions, and don't want to have to search 200 page manuals, even if they
remembered to bring them," said author Andrew Cornwall, KF7CCC. "An Amateur
Radio event coordinator can hand this book to a ham who's having trouble
programming, and the problem will get resolved." The Handheld Radio Field
Guide explains how to set frequency, offset, tone, and power level for each
radio. It then describes how to write that to a memory, and select that
memory. It also provides instructions on locking/unlocking, adjusting volume
and squelch, and resetting the radio to defaults. The Guide also includes
descriptions of common problems that users of each radio might run into, and
how to resolve them.
The Handheld Radio Field Guide (ISBN 978-0-9996609-0-4) is published by
Listening Bird Press, and is available on Amazon or through your local
bookstore for $22.95. For further information see the book's website here.
The Handheld Radio Field Guide may be the solution to front panel
programming in your go bag.
[About the author: Andrew Cornwall, KF7CCC, VE1CCC, is active in the
emergency communications community in Arizona. He has helped manage and
taken part in large scale communications exercises and public service
events. He is an ARES Emergency Coordinator, a manager of the Arizona
Emergency Net--Maricopa training net, and is accredited as an ICS Incident
Communication Center Manager (INCM) and Auxiliary Communications (AUXCOMM)
resource. He is a trainer and volunteer examiner.]
K1CE For a Final: Field Day Safety First
----------------------------------------
Have a Field Day Safety Officer, and have a great, safe Field Day!
There's a 100-point bonus for groups setting up Class A stations that
appoint a Safety Officer who verifies that all safety concerns on the Safety
Check List (see below, and the ARRL Field Day Packet) have been met. But,
beyond the bonus, in my opinion, every Field Day group should appoint a
Safety Officer to spot and mitigate the potential hazards that can challenge
participants who naturally are often concentrating on speed of setup, and
running up the Q's. Sometimes shortcuts are taken, accidents can happen, and
occasionally serious incidents occur.
So, in these days before this weekend's Field Day, take a time out to ensure
that your Field Day scene is safe. Think Safety First!
Here is the ARRL Field Day checklist for Safety Officer affirmation and
bonus. It's a good starting point -- identify others on your own!
Safety Officer or a qualified designated assistant/s was on site for the
duration of the event.
Fuel for generator properly stored.
Fire extinguisher on hand and appropriately located
First Aid kit on hand.
First Aid - CPR - AED trained participant/s on site for full Field Day
period.
Access to NWS alerts to monitor for inclement weather.
Tent stakes properly installed and marked.
Temporary antenna structures properly secured and marked.
Site secured from tripping hazards.
Site is set up in a neat and orderly manner to reduce hazards.
Stations and equipment properly grounded.
Access to a means to contact police/fire/rescue if needed.
Safety Officer is designated point of contact for public safety officials.
Minimize risks and control hazards to ensure no injuries to public
As necessary, monitoring participants for hydration and ensuring an
adequate water supply is available.
________
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---------------------------------------------------------------------
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