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Subj: ARES E-Letter July 17, 2019
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The ARES E-Letter July 17, 2019
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
-Pikes Peak International Hill Climb -- ARES Meets Demanding
Communications Needs
-ARES Emergency Communicator Individual Task Book Available
-Major US Contest Station, Winlink Support Mexico Fire Response
-Communications Response to Catastrophic Events: Pacific Northwest's
Venerable Communications Academy Convened in April
-ARRL Simulated Emergency Test More Important Now Than Ever: Start
Planning for Fall SET
-Keeping Lines of Communication Open--CERT & Ham Radio
-K1CE For a Final: Hurricane Barry and the Hurricane Watch Net
-ARRL Resources Available
ARES Links, Briefs
WX4NHC operators at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami were active
for two days gathering surface reports for use by the hurricane forecasters
from stations located in the affected areas of Tropical Storm/Hurricane
Barry in Louisiana and Mississippi over this past weekend.
"We received many reports about flooding, downed trees, road closures and
power outages," said Julio Ripoll, WD4R, Assistant Coordinator of the NHC
station. Although Barry only reached a Category 1 Hurricane level on the
Saffir-Simpson scale, the major concerns were about the amount of rain and
the flooding for low lying areas. "WX4NHC is very grateful for the support
and the outstanding operations of the Hurricane Watch Net and the EchoLink
VoIP Hurricane Net (WX_TALK)," Ripoll said.
Ripoll offered special thanks to James Lea, WX4TV/M, for his many eyewitness
reports from Louisiana, and to Joe Glorioso, N5OZG, for reporting from the
New Orleans EOC. "Thank you to all reporting stations and we hope everyone
fared well through the storm," Ripoll said. [See editorial note at the end
of this issue. -- ed.]
Here is a link to the video of NHC Director Ken Graham, WX4KEG, featuring
Amateur Radio at NHC. The Amateur Radio portion starts at 5:00 minutes into
the video.
_________
The first annual ARRL Northern Florida Section Hurricane Exercise will be
held on Saturday, August 3, 2019, from 0800-1000 hours eastern time. The
exercise has a limited function: to test the section's HF voice and digital
ability to send and receive message traffic between county Emergency
Operations Centers and the State Emergency Operation Center in Tallahassee.
The exercise plan includes two messages for each county EOC to send to the
State EOC by either voice or Winlink. Stations will also check into the
SARnet as indicated in the plan. [The Statewide Amateur Radio Network
(SARnet) is a network of linked UHF voice repeaters that serves the State of
Florida.]
_______
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb -- ARES Meets Demanding Communications
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Needs
-----
The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as The
Race to the Clouds, is an invitational automobile and motorcycle hill climb
to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, held annually on the last Sunday of
June. The course is 12.4 miles, with 4700 feet gain in altitude (from 9400'
to 14,115'), with 156 turns to be negotiated. It is the second oldest motor
sport event in the US (the Indy 500 predates it by a few years). Last
month's running had 85 registered entrants -- 58 cars and 27 bikes - with 17
countries represented. Pikes Peak ARES has a long history of providing
communications in support of event safety.
John Bloodgood, KD0SFY, Emergency Coordinator and Public Information
Officer, Region 2 District 2, Colorado ARES (Pikes Peak ARES), reported on
this year's ARES effort, which had 23 operators stationed at points along
the route. "This is always a tough event, requiring very long hours,
sometimes difficult conditions to include the altitude and weather, and
tight communications protocols," Bloodgood said. "This year was no
different, though it included a rare fatality."
Things can and do quickly go wrong on the mountain. Bloodgood reported that
the very first contestant to start up the mountain only made it 4.4 miles up
the course before having to be evacuated off the mountain. Three hours
later, a rider suffered a fatal crash at the 12.1 mile mark, out of the line
of sight of two operator positions. Throughout the day, several air and
ambulance evacuations were conducted for racers and spectators. While the
weather started out great, the very long course red (stop) times pushed many
racers to later in the day. "We had to contend with wind, rain, hail, and
lightning as well as the eventual shortening of the race."
This year, gates opened for ARES operators to head up to assigned positions
at 0130; they were in queue from 0030-0100. Once on the mountain, operators
were required to stay on the mountain and "be ready for anything." Most
operators were in position by 0230. Communications checks commenced at
0600-0630 and roll was called between 0630 and 0700. The race started at
0730. Most operators started descending to the Start at 1730. An estimated
391 man-hours were given to the mountain operation. George Sedlack, KY0D,
served well in his first year as Mission Coordinator. Don Johnson, K0DRJ,
served as net control and performed the tracking function, with Matthew
Tuttle, KD0YBE, as back-up. Bloodgood lauded the excellent work of these
coordinators.
Lessons Learned
Bloodgood summarized lessons learned and told his ARES operators: "The
events of the day show the importance of not just logging vehicles as they
pass your position, but other positions as well, most significantly the ones
just below and just above yours, with the time. This can be a real challenge
when there are 3 or 4 vehicles on the course at the same time, but it
repeatedly allowed us to narrow down when a vehicle was overdue and when it
passed the last station."
He thanked all participating ARES operators for a great job, which
"demonstrated the value that radio amateurs add to public safety in a
demanding environment." Bloodgood said it also drives home the reason why we
need to bring our "A" game to even the most routine or mundane event
communications assignment. "Think about it: Some of the things we have had
to deal with during area events over the last several years include a bear
on a race course, a car crash along a bicycle ride course, cars on a foot
race course, lost and injured runners and riders, severe weather, and even
fatalities. Even on the most seemingly routine event where we are just
tracking lead runners and coordinating for more Gatorade, things can go
wrong in an instant."
"The truth is that these events do indeed help us practice for real world
disaster situations, and these events can quickly turn into real world
emergencies on their own." - Thanks, John Bloodgood, KD0SFY, Region 2
District 2, Colorado ARES (Pikes Peak ARES)
See photos from this event on the PPARES Facebook page here.
[Editor's note: This ARES communications mission unfortunately involved a
fatality. It was reported that some operators did have some emotional
distress days after the race. Such events can lead to mental health issues
with support personnel, including radio amateurs. There is a plethora of
government, private and public resources available to help volunteers cope
with such traumatic events. See ARES, EmComm and Mental Health Risks, Public
Service column, July 2012 QST, pp. 75-76, for starters. See also a
government resource here. - K1CE]
ARES Emergency Communicator Individual Task Book Available
----------------------------------------------------------
As part of the new ARES standardized training plan, ARRL has added an ARES
Emergency Communicator Individual Task Book to its on-line resources. The
book is a working document that enables ARES communicators electing to
participate in the ARES training plan to track and document their training
elements as they are completed towards increasing levels of proficiency. The
Task Book should contain all training plan items, completion dates and
sign-offs as the ARES communicator transitions through the skill levels.
The ARES communicator is responsible for maintaining their Task Book and
having it with them during training and assignments. The Task Book contains
sections with definitions of the communicator levels, as well as common
responsibilities. Recommendations for minimum proficiencies and skills per
level are listed. Emergency Coordinators, at their discretion, can add or
substitute skills that they consider important with DEC or SEC approval.
Prior known experience may be substituted for some listed tasks. It is
suggested that items in the proficiency/skills section be used in training
sessions or for meeting/event presentations.
The approving EC must meet/exceed the qualifications for each level they are
signing off on. [Skill levels include an entry level into the ARES
organization, which assumes certain basic proficiencies. Next level
candidates hold a set of validated skills desired by ARES, including
completion of basic ARRL and FEMA courses. The top level candidate has
increased skill set validation for candidacy to leadership positions and
ARESMAT deployments.] Candidates review and understand task book
requirements and demonstrate completion of tasks for each level; assure the
evaluations are completed; and keep their task book up to date and available
during assignments.
Fillable ARES Emergency Communicator Task Book
Non-fillable version of the ARES Emergency Communicator Task Book.
See also the new ARES Plan for background.
Major US Contest Station, Winlink Support Mexico Fire Response
--------------------------------------------------------------
In May, Mexican radio amateurs provided message communications from a
conflagration in a remote area to civil protection authorities in Monterrey,
Mexico. Two-member teams of volunteer operators were flown in via
helicopter. Teams used Winlink connections with Winlink Express software
using the weak-signal protocol Vara HF.
Use of Major Contest Station a Boon
A significant factor in this effort was the assistance and support of
retired US contest operator and station, Tom Whiteside, N5TW, who dedicates
his station to disaster response support using Winlink. His station in
Georgetown, Texas, supported the effort from across the border with his 40-
and 20-meter arrays. The volunteer teams at the fire site used a 40-meter
dipole and a steerable portable dipole.
In addition to the Monterrey fire, Whiteside's station supported the
International Health Service effort in Honduras and was the main link for
the ARRL's effort in Puerto Rico in 2017 following the calamitous hurricanes
there. Whiteside has served as the ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator for
the South Texas section from 2009 through 2012 and continues as an assistant
SEC. He is also a member of DHS NCC SHARES. Whiteside maintains a major
antenna farm and operates a Winlink HF Trimode station (PACTOR, ARDOP, Vara
and WINMOR) and three VHF RMS Packet stations.
ITU/IARU, Telecoms' Winlink Initiative Bears Fruit in Fire Response
In 2018, ITU teamed up with regional telecommunications bodies in the
Americas and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) to set up Winlink
as an alternative telecommunication system for use in times of emergencies.
Winlink is a worldwide email service that uses radio pathways and can
operate completely without the Internet. Winlink served well for this fire
response, and has a proven track record of disaster relief communications,
providing its users email with attachments, position reporting, weather and
information bulletins. The IARU and the Mexican IARU Society Federaci¢n
Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores (FMRE) have worked cooperatively to
extend this solution to the Americas region.
[Editor's note: The main takeaway for me from this incident response was the
example of the bridge between the amateur disaster response communications
community and the "Big Gun" contest community, a bridge that is largely
non-traversed but with fantastic potential to fill gaps in the face of poor
propagation with high power and large antennas when the message must get
through. It seems to me that ARES leadership would be well advised to
contact and consult with the major contest stations in their sections to
enlist them in advance for plans and procedures for supporting disaster
response. - K1CE]
Communications Response to Catastrophic Events: Pacific Northwest's
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Venerable Communications Academy Convened in April
--------------------------------------------------
The Pacific Northwest's annual Communications Academy was held over the
weekend of April 13-14, 2019, with the theme of "Communications Response to
Catastrophic Events." From its website: "Communications Academy is a
non-profit coalition of volunteer communications teams to provide a high
quality, professional-grade training opportunity for the various emergency
communications teams around the Pacific Northwest. By providing a
once-a-year large-scale venue for training, volunteer communicators are
exposed to topics in emergency management, communications techniques and
protocols, real-life emergency responses, and other pertinent subjects,
which might not otherwise be available to them."
The Communications Academy is open to anyone with an interest in emergency
communications, volunteer or professional. The presentations are designed to
promote the development of knowledgeable, skilled emergency communicators
who will support their local communities during a disaster or emergency
response.
Thirty one sessions were presented over the weekend, including Disasters:
Hurricanes, Volcanos, and Lessons Learned from Alaska 7.0 Earth Quake;
Maritime Disaster Preparedness: Tsunamis in The Northwest; Communications
for SAR Dog Handlers; Digital Sound Cards for Winlink: Packet, Winmor,
ARDOP, VARA; Integrating Amateur Radio into a Catastrophic Exercise; and
many more. The Academy was held on the campus of South Seattle College,
Seattle, Washington.
PPT and PDF files of presentations can be found here.
The Academy is sponsored by King County Office of Emergency Management,
Bellevue Fire EP Department and Bellevue EARS, Washington (state) Emergency
Management Division, other city and county emergency management agencies,
and the American Radio Relay League.
ARRL Simulated Emergency Test More Important Now Than Ever: Start Planning
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
for Fall SET
------------
The main weekend for the 2019 ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is just a
couple of months away. The primary League-sponsored national emergency
exercise is designed to assess the skills and preparedness of ARES and other
organizations involved with emergency/disaster response. The SET has never
been more important than now given the emphasis on training, the Incident
Command System (ICS) and emergency management at large.
Local ARES teams and ARRL Sections as a whole will conduct exercises on
scenarios and work with served partner entities including local, regional
and state emergency management agencies and organizations with which ARRL
holds formal memoranda of understanding (MOU) such as the American Red Cross
and many others. Although the primary SET weekend is in October, SETs can be
scheduled at the local and Section levels and conducted throughout the fall
season to help maximize participation.
ARRL Field Organization Leaders -- Section Managers, Section Emergency
Coordinators, Section Traffic Managers, District Emergency Coordinators,
Emergency Coordinators, and all of their Assistants and Net Managers -- are
among those tasked with developing plans and scenarios for this year's SET.
The object of the annual nationwide exercise is to test training and skills
and to try out new technologies and methodologies while working with
partners to cement relationships in advance of real world need. The
resulting networking helps ARES members and leaders get to know their
counterparts that they would be working with during actual incidents.
To get involved, contact your local ARRL Emergency Coordinator or Net
Manager. See the ARRL Sections web pages or your ARRL Section Manager (see
page 16 of QST for contact information). For more information and forms for
ARRL SET, click here.
Keeping Lines of Communication Open--CERT & Ham Radio
-----------------------------------------------------
[This article is from the July 2019 issue of the FEMA Individual and
Community Preparedness Newsletter.]
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members know that communication
during an emergency is vital. Don Lewis of the Alexandria Radio Club in
Virginia wants CERTs around the country to know how Amateur Radio can help.
Amateur Radio is a useful tool. Lewis, who is trained in CERT, explained
that ham radios are more powerful than regular radios. They aren't
incredibly expensive, and they have a wide range of uses.
Sometimes CERTs may need to work together throughout a large area. They need
to be able to report things that they have found. They sometimes even need
to request medical support. Using a radio is easier, safer, and more
efficient than sending a person back with messages, says Lewis. Ham radios
enable a CERT to communicate over much greater distances than standard
radios. This can improve the level at which a CERT can coordinate. CERTs
already use ham radios in exercises and they have extended their range and
effectiveness.
The City of Berkeley, California's CERT has already begun using ham radio in
city-wide disaster drills. In the winter of 2018, they held a 24-hour mock
disaster where they practiced their ham radio skills to better prepare their
city. They were able to maintain communications in the whole city for the
entire 24-hour exercise. This allowed them to relay critical information to
citizens and disaster crews. They were also able to use hams to aid the city
during a blackout in November of 2017. The CERTs used solar powered
batteries in their ham radios. This allowed them to function even when power
and phones were down.
Amateur Radio protocols are also built into Pasadena, California's emergency
management system. The area experiences earthquakes several times a year.
The quakes can destroy cell towers and phones lines in an instant. Amateur
Radio can be a huge asset during a disaster like this, so Pasadena has a
network of radio operators trained to provide communications at any time
they need. They can contact hospitals or fire stations to better serve their
community. Ham operators can even aide families in contacting one another
once a disaster has passed.
Are you interested in learning how to operate a ham radio of your own to
serve your community? Then the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) may be
for you. They are a group of radio operators who volunteer for various
disasters and public service events. They can provide guidance for training,
equipment, and licensing.
K1CE For a Final: Hurricane Barry and the Hurricane Watch Net
-------------------------------------------------------------
As I draft this issue of the ARES E-Letter, Hurricane Barry is nearing
landfall on Louisiana's Gulf coast and I am monitoring the Hurricane Watch
Net on 14.325 MHz, listening to the net controls reciting hurricane
advisories issued by the National Hurricane Center and taking weather and
status reports from stations in the affected areas. Propagation is not
perfect, but I could hear the net controls and the reporting stations with
good readability at minimal signal strength. The net was run proficiently
with complete observance by all stations on frequency of the "listen, and do
not transmit unless absolutely necessary to supply critical information or
upon request of the net control" protocol. I heard absolutely zero
superfluous transmissions. Stations in the affected areas reported data
based on meteorological measuring equipment; in fact, net control would ask
the reporting station what make and model of instrumentation they were
using. One mobile station (James Lea, WX4TV) in Cypremort Point, Louisiana,
reported observing an increase in water level (storm surge) of 4-5" in just
30 minutes. He reported an hour later that water levels were rising at a
rate of 6-8" per hour and he was leaving the area for safer ground; roads
were becoming impassable.
Bravo to all operators of net control stations, reporting stations and
standby stations involved in this activation of the net, which seems poised
once again to play a major role in getting "ground truth" data to the
National Hurricane Center expeditiously.
___________
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------------------------
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