[Ccarc] ARES E-Letter for December 20, 2006

[Tom Murray]

>From: "ARRL Web site" <memberlist at www.arrl.org>
>To: kb9wsl at hotmail.com
>Subject: ARES E-Letter for December 20, 2006
>Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 03:21:59 -0500
>
>The ARES E-Letter
>December 20, 2006
>=================
>
>Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor
>
><http://www.qrz.com/database?callsign=K1CE>,
><http://www.iaru-r2emcor.net/>
>
>===================================
>ARES reports, other related contributions, editorial questions or
>comments: <k1ce at arrl.net>;;
>===================================
>
>+ THE VIEW FROM FLAGLER COUNTY
>
>Our Flagler ARES meeting was held last night at the Fire House, and
>was essentially an "End of Year Party" (with the obligatory copious
>pizza and soda). There was one piece of business transacted relative
>to the proper way to check into our nets and the use of accepted
>(standard) phonetics. A list was distributed to all in attendance.
>
>The socializing was wonderful, and it occurred to me that it's the
>camaraderie that still floats my boat in ham radio after all these
>years. It was a great evening. Thanks to FECA for the pizza!
>________
>
>With hurricane season over, our section's ARES leadership is studying
>jump teams. SEC Joe Bushel, W2DWR, wants every county to draft their
>own group ready to deploy to another county to provide relief
>operators. He also wants each ARES district to have a super jump team
>composed of radio amateurs with other specialties: pilots, divers,
>law officers, medical professionals, and electronics techs, for
>examples. Bushel's initiatives are laudable, and we are grateful to
>have him as our SEC in Northern Florida.
>_________
>
>Controversy swirls about the Red Cross requiring background checks,
>and our section's policy is that ARES works under government
>emergency management, not the Red Cross. In the EOC, the Red Cross
>has its own ESF number, and Communications has its own ESF number. A
>shelter is opened by emergency management, requesting it under the
>Red Cross ESF. Communications is provided to that shelter under the
>Communications ESF at the request of emergency management to the
>local EC. Untested yet, but Red Cross doesn't seem to be in a
>position to demand clearance of persons working in shelters under
>control of the EOC. At least that's the current thinking of our
>section's leadership.
>
>====================================
>IN THIS ISSUE:
>
>+ THE VIEW FROM FLAGLER COUNTY
>+ ECV SURVEY CLOSES DECEMBER 31
>+ MASSACHUSETTS ARES/RACES ACTIVATES FOR EXPLOSION
>+ FLORIDA COUNTY USAR TEAMS UP WITH AMATEUR RADIO, CERT, OTHERS
>+ EMCOMM IN THE AFTERMATH OF CASTRO'S DEATH
>+ LETTERS: "NATION'S OLDEST WEATHER NET"
>+ MISSISSIPPI HAMFEST FORUM REPORT HIGHLIGHTS KATRINA STATUS
>+ LETTERS: RED CROSS BACKGROUND CHECKS
>+ LETTERS: PERSONAL PUBLIC SERVICE RETROSPECTIVE
>+ LETTERS: HELP WANTED
>+ K1CE FOR A FINAL
>====================================
>
>+ ECV SURVEY CLOSES DECEMBER 31
>
>ARRL seeks data on mobile emergency communications vehicles: The
>League's National Emergency Response Planning Committee (NERPC)
>continues to invite responses from clubs or groups having access to
>an emergency communications vehicle (ECV). If your group has an ECV
>and has not yet participated in the survey, please have someone take
>a few minutes and be a part of this effort. The Committee's response
>to the ARRL Board is due in January. A number of responses have been
>received to date, but the Committee wants to collect as much
>information as possible to develop its report.
>
>As of November 29, clubs and groups had entered information on 29
>ECVs into the survey database. Most ECVs are owned by individuals or
>local governments, 14 have portable repeaters onboard and another 25
>have their own power generators. This information will help determine
>what assets are available and help in planning for future disasters.
>To participate, visit the Emergency Communications Vehicle Survey Web
>site <http://www.bullock.org/nerpc>.
>
>+ MASSACHUSETTS ARES/RACES ACTIVATES FOR EXPLOSION
>
>Eastern Massachusetts ARES and RACES teams went on alert November 22
>after an early-morning explosion destroyed a paint and ink plant in
>Danvers, 15 miles north of Boston. The blast, felt as far away as
>Southern Maine, destroyed more than a dozen nearby homes and damaged
>upward of 100 others. Minutes after the 2:45 AM explosion North Shore
>ARES members initiated an informal net on a Danvers repeater while
>monitoring the situation. The blast awakened North shore EC Jim
>Palmer, KB1KQW, who lives about a mile from the plant site.
>
>"As soon as I heard the explosion, I followed our well-established
>ARES protocols by getting on my local SKYWARN/ARES frequency and
>starting an informal net," Palmer said. "I also monitored my scanner
>to hear information directly from the incident area." DEC Eric
>Horwitz, KA1NCF, and Eastern Massachusetts SEC Rob Macedo, KD1CY,
>were notified, as well as Region One RACES Radio Officer Terry
>Stader, KA8SCP.
>
>Macedo contacted Massachusetts Bay Red Cross, which opened a shelter
>at Danvers High School to accommodate some 100 to 150 displaced
>residents. Radio amateurs were ready to provide communication support
>for the Red Cross or other agencies.
>
>"We continued the informal net until 6 PM and secured," Macedo said.
>"No deployments were required, but we were ready to deploy if needed.
>We had over 40 check-ins to the informal net and between 6 and 12
>amateurs ready for deployment." - excerpted from the ARRL Letter
>
>+ FLORIDA COUNTY USAR TEAMS UP WITH AMATEUR RADIO, CERT, OTHERS
>
>The Alachua County (Florida) Fire Rescue's Reserve Division K-9
>Search and Rescue unit has teamed up with local radio amateurs,
>members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and reserve
>EMTs to form a combined resources team for improved wilderness and
>urban search and rescue (USAR). In November, the USAR K-9 team
>initiated training in basic SAR skills for the new team members. Held
>near the Gainesville Airport, team members conducted practice
>searches and practiced skills required for the NASAR SARTECH II
>certification. Nearly 20 volunteers participated in the on-going
>training, learned teamwork, and were cross-trained in skills such as
>medical, communications, and navigation. The team's goal is to
>increase their response capability and improve the level of service
>to the community.
>
>+ EMCOMM IN THE AFTERMATH OF CASTRO'S DEATH
>
>The Miami Herald ran an interesting article this week about the
>extensive preparations being undertaken by the State of Florida, DHS,
>and others to prepare for events in the aftermath of Cuban President
>Fidel Castro's death. The article cited potential problems with
>communications.
>
>It would seem to me that in the event of widespread civil unrest in
>Cuba, Amateur Radio could help in the following areas:
>
>(1) Handling direct requests from the population of Cuba for aid,
>emergency supplies, etc.; (2) Providing real time intelligence about
>conditions on the ground, by relaying reports from Cuban amateurs;
>and (3) Relaying critical communications for the US entities on nets
>like MARS, SHARES, Maritime Mobile Nets, etc.
>
>It would be interesting to hear if any of the various ARES groups
>have started to train or prepare for this eventuality. -- Les
>Rayburn, N1LF, Helena, AL, Official Emergency Station
>
>[As IARU Region 2 EMCOR, I can tell readers that there is a robust
>amateur radio emergency communications community in Cuba. Of all the
>countries in Region 2, Cuba's radio amateurs are at the top of the
>list for severe weather and other emergency communications planning
>and practice. - K1CE]
>
>+ LETTERS: "NATION'S OLDEST WEATHER NET"
>
>In the November ARES E-letter I read with interest the item about
>Wisconsin's Badger Weather Net. The net was described as the nation's
>oldest weather net, organized in December 1964.
>
>While this net has been in operation for a long time, there is
>another Weather net called "The New England Weather Net," operating
>continuously even longer, since December, 1955. I first checked into
>the New England Weather Net in August 1959, and am currently the
>Tuesday net control operator. I have been active in this net for the
>last 47 years serving as net control for much of that time.
>
>The New England Weather Net was founded by a small group of amateurs
>in the Boston-Cape Cod area who were interested in exchanging weather
>information and communicating with other amateurs involved in the
>Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the "Texas Towers" early
>off-shore radar detection operations. Members of the Weather Net were
>able to provide that vital link to the mainland that was so
>appreciated by those stationed at sea and on the towers.
>
>The net is still active today with 30 to 40 stations reporting their
>weather conditions each morning from all of New England, to as far
>north as Nova Scotia, as far south as Florida, and as far west as
>Idaho. There are check-ins from 17 states, primarily in the eastern
>section of the country.
>
>The net meets each morning from 0530 to 0620 local time. At 0620, a
>summary of the reports received is given by the net control station.
>Each report contains the station's temperature, barometric pressure,
>wind speed and direction, cloud cover, precipitation amounts, 24 hour
>temperature gradient and any other data the reporting station wishes
>to give.
>
>All stations are welcome and no membership is required. We meet every
>day except Sunday on 75 meters at 3905 kHz. Additional information
>can be received by contacting the net manager Dave Haas, N1PT,
>Lancaster, New Hampshire. See <http://newn.org/about_newn.asp> --
>John P. Bretz, KE2EA <KE2EA at infoblvd.net>
>
>+ MISSISSIPPI HAMFEST FORUM REPORT HIGHLIGHTS KATRINA STATUS
>
>[ARRL Delta Division Director Henry Leggette, WD4Q, and Vice Director
>Karl Bullock, WA5TMC, attended the Ocean Springs, Mississippi Hamfest
>last month. Here are portions of Bullock's report. - ed.]
>
>This was the first hamfest I'd been to on the Gulf Coast since
>Katrina. The hamfest was a success, though the clubs there have lost
>membership, and are in the rebuilding stage. The ARRL Forum was the
>liveliest ever. The attendees were the hams who walked through the
>fire last year, and we listened carefully.
>
>TRAINING. "We're going to have to look at NIMS training, whether we
>like it or not", was a recurring comment, along with "but, none of
>these courses instruct hams how to communicate in an emergency. Such
>training should be done in person. Clubs would be ideal for
>conducting this training. Certification would be nice upon
>completion. Needed is a syllabus, and some training aids, probably in
>the form of a DVD video that clubs could obtain at minimal cost from
>the ARRL."
>
>Other comments: Assembling a working station isn't enough. Training
>on message handling is needed. Attendees liked our idea of having HQ
>originate test emergency messages, in addition to taking another look
>at strengthening the SET.
>
>"We weren't ready then, and we're not ready now," was a resonant
>comment.
>
>LICENSE EXAMS. There should be some emphasis on emergency
>communications in the VEC Question pool.
>
>LACK OF EQUIPMENT. On the coast, pre-disaster, the local hams had
>constructed an emergency communications station complete with
>equipment necessary to manage a large-scale local disaster. They had
>radios across the spectrum, including SHARES, local government, HF,
>VHF, digital, antennas, and backup power with fuel. It was totally
>destroyed in the early hours of Katrina. Nothing else came close to
>providing that capability, and equipment that would show up would
>disappear when those who brought it had to go home. The equipment
>from HQ was welcome, but again, not everything the operators needed.
>They didn't have a solution to the problem, but we do need to look at
>providing more capability in these large disasters. -- Karl Bullock,
>WA5TMC, Delta Division Vice Director, and member, ARRL National
>Emergency Response Planning Committee
>
>+ LETTERS: RED CROSS BACKGROUND CHECKS
>
>As for the Red Cross background checks, I am concerned about identity
>theft and exposure to errors that are inherent in any system. Would
>the Red Cross be liable for my costs to correct problems? What
>protection is offered? I know of two people who have still not
>recovered from theft of their identity. I will decline the overly
>broad demand of every bit of personal information that is required to
>be authorized for collection. I can see the criminal check for people
>who are working with kids and stressed adults, but what business is
>it of theirs to find out that I owe no one anything and have never
>missed a payment? I have done checks with the three reporting
>companies and have found errors like one that listed some 20 credit
>cards as active when the number is just three. I will probably drop
>out of ARES and concentrate on RACES where the Vermont DPS has
>already run a more reasonable background check. -- Gordon Pugh, PE,
>W2NH
>
>+ LETTERS: PERSONAL PUBLIC SERVICE RETROSPECTIVE
>
>Last night I was watching a TV program on the 1996 civil war in
>Liberia. At the time of the conflict, I was tuning around on 20
>meters when I heard an emergency call to any US ham. For the next
>several hours I relayed information from our embassy in Liberia to
>the State Department in Washington concerning health and welfare.
>Rebels had taken over the capitol and shut off all communications.
>Our embassy was able to communicate using ham radio as hundreds of
>people herded into the embassy compound for safety.
>
>I was a first responder at Ground Zero, 9/11. Again, I concentrated
>on performing the communications job at hand and was not able to
>contemplate the event's significance, as the rest of the world could.
>There was info going out of the area, but none coming in. The
>helplessness of the country as they saw the damage in New York and
>Washington must have been terrible. I feel it now, as, after watching
>that TV program, I now feel what went on in Liberia in 1996, when I
>was doing my communications "job." In 1996 I had no idea of the
>slaughter that was taking place in that country, nor its
>significance.
>
>Perspective during an emergency is a strange thing: it's lost. During
>an emergency we are so focused on doing what needs to be done that we
>lose the impact of the event and the feelings that other people
>experience. Amateur Radio has allowed me to help others, but I feel
>as if I have missed real-time significance by being in another
>"loop." - Bob Hejl, W2IK
>
>+ LETTERS: HELP WANTED
>
>Our ARES district has been asked by a local fire department to teach
>a basic license course for their radio dispatchers. Regional police
>have also indicated an interest in a similar course, and efforts are
>underway to involve dispatchers from two other fire services.
>
>Having taught adult learners for a living, I know how important it is
>to make the information relevant to their jobs. That's where I need
>some assistance. Apparently, the idea of dispatchers having radio
>amateur licenses came from a conference in the U.S. I'd sincerely
>appreciate hearing from anyone who may have attended such a
>conference session, or anyone who may be teaching a similar course.
>-- Gord Hewit, VE3GIH, <VE3GIH at rac.ca>
>
>+ K1CE FOR A FINAL
>
>It's the time of year for cheer, friends, family, reflection, but
>also melancholy and loss. We recently lost SEC John Warne, K4KAM. Joe
>Bushel, W2DWR, writes: "He was a Ham's Ham, and a tremendous friend.
>During the years that I knew John, I found him to be always there
>when I needed his advice, which I often did, and he never shirked a
>request for assistance. He fought illness for years with a positive
>attitude in all he did. When North Florida lost John Warne, they lost
>a terrific ham and a very dear friend."
>________________
>
>For us sentimental old fools, check out http://www.novice.bappy.com
>for a short walk down memory lane.
>________________
>
>And finally, a gem from Joe Shea, of the HQ's Production staff,
>reflecting on the FCC's Morse code decision, sung to the tune of "Mr.
>Ed":
>
>A Morse is a Morse, of course, of course,
>And no one can talk with Morse of course,
>That is, of course, unless the course is taught by A-R-R-L.
>
>Go right to the source and ask about Morse,
>We'll give you a program that you'll endorse,
>You'll always stay on a steady course,
>Contact A-R-R-L.
>
>Phone ops yakkity yak a streak and waste your time of day,
>But Morse operators will never "speak" unless they have something to
>say
>
>A ham is a ham, of course, of course,
>And some will talk 'til their "voice" is hoarse;
>Would you rather sound like a horse's a--?
>Well why not learn this: "dot-dit-dit-dit-dash"
>________________
>
>Happy Holidays! Keep warm by those glowing rectifier tubes!
>
>73, Rick, K1CE
>
>======================================================================
>The ARES E-Letter is published on the third Wednesday of each month
>by the American Radio Relay League--The National Association For
>Amateur Radio--225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200;
>fax 860-594-0259; <http://www.arrl.org/>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN,
>President.
>
>The ARES E-Letter is an e-mail digest of news and information of
>interest to active members of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency
>Service (ARES).
>
>Material from The ARES E-Letter may be republished or reproduced in
>whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit
>must be given to The ARES E-Letter and The American Radio Relay
>League.
>
>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Palm, K1CE, k1ce at arrl.net
>Delivery problems (ARRL direct delivery only!): ares-el-dlvy at arrl.org
>
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>
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>
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>======================================================================

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