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The HOTLINE |
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Central Texas Emergency Commuications |
by Terry Williams, KD5KJU |
The speaker at this month’s HOTARC meeting will be our own Ed Hynan
KC5KNI. As most of you know Ed is the SEC (or Section Emergency Coordinator) for
this area, heads up our local ARES group, and has been looking into starting up
RACES. Ed has some important information about all these aspects of emergency
communications, and I am looking forward to hearing him speak.
I would also like to ask all of you to keep our Club in mind, as you go to your different meetings and so forth, and hear good presenters and good presentations. If you think the subject matter would be interesting for our club members, please let me know, and I will try to contact that presenter for one of our Club meetings.
Here’s an example: Just last week I was out doing a pump job for a new customer. After visiting with the customer, I found that he is an Emergency Room Doctor at Providence, a Reserve Sheriff Deputy, and that he helped at the World Trade Center disaster and gives a presentation about it. I hope to get him to come speak to us in the near future. So, you see? You can never tell where you might come across an excellent presenter!
If you think of an interesting subject for a program, please let me know—I can try to find a presenter for that idea. Also, if you have a subject or a project that you would like to share with the club, please let me know. In any case, call me at 715-0661 or e-mail me at pumpman_rpss@yahoo.com.
Thanks for your help!
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President’s Corner |
by Rodney Baden, K5YKC |
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Rodney, K5YKC |
Emergency Communications
The article below was copied from the ARRL Letter of August 18, 2006. This is another reminder that we need to be taking the online courses that Ed Hynan, KC5KNI has suggested many times. It is very important that we as amateur radio operators understand our role and charge in communicating critical information for our served agencies. YOU are very important to the war on terrorism and other disaster related events in the world. If you need help, please give me a call. It doesn’t matter how much we know or don’t know about computers if we are willing to ask questions and get the help needed. If I don’t know the answer, I will point you in the right direction to the best of my ability.
New Emergency Communications Bill Includes Role For Hams
A bill to enhance emergency communication at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) includes Amateur Radio operators as part of an overall effort to provide interoperability among responders. The 21st Century Emergency Communications Act of 2006 (HR 5852), an amendment to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, passed the US House and has gone to the Senate. Its sponsor, Rep David G. Reichert (R-WA)—who chairs the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science and Technology—says his legislation is designed "to improve the ability of emergency responders to communicate with each other": interoperability.
His measure also would require the DHS to improve emergency communications. HR 5852 calls for Amateur Radio operators to be part of a "Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group" (RECC Working Group) that would be attached to each regional Department of Homeland Security office. The RECC Working Groups would advise federal and state homeland security officials.
According to the bill, the RECC Working Groups would assess the survivability, sustainability, and interoperability of local emergency communications systems to meet the goals of the National Emergency Communications Report. That report would recommend how the US could "accelerate the deployment of interoperable emergency communications nationwide." HR 5852 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Reprinted from the ARRL Letter 08/18/2006)
Finally, I would like to thank all that attended the Alta Vista National Night Out Celebration. We all had a great time and the hot dogs and fixins were great. Thanks!
See you at the August HOTARC meeting!
73
Rodney A. Baden, K5YKC
HOTARC President
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For the Record... |
HOTARC Meeting of Members
July 27, 2006
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The Treasurer Reports... |
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Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club Beginning Account Balance $ 4,632.31 Income Dues $ 45.00 Interest 0.98 TOTAL Income $ 45.98 Expenses Field Day gasoline $ 54.45 TOTAL Expenses $ 54.45 Ending Account Balance $ 4,623.84 Outstanding (as of 8-12-06) Submitted by |
Meeting held at Kultgen Automotive Building, TSTC Waco Campus was called to order at 7:00 pm by President Rodney Baden, K5YKC.
· Opening prayer was given by Wayne Branscum, KD5SMC.
· Rodney recognized our visitor, Sam Alexander, who is interested in getting his Technician class license. Sam noted that he attended the HOTARC Field Day in June.
· Norris Martin, KB5SLI, made known that Don Moore had called him during the prior month and expressed interest in amateur radio.
· A motion to approve the minutes from the June meeting was made by Wayne Branscum, KD5SMC and seconded by Larry Bush, W5NCD. Motion passed.
· Motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report was made by Terry Williams, KD5KJU and seconded by Mike Ross, N5MVL. Motion passed.
Committee Reports
1. Emergency Communication – Ed Hynan, KC5KNI, reported that the local ARES group consists of 34 members. Those prior members who have not re-applied need to do so and all ARES participants need to include proof of the certifications they have received.
2. Trailer Committee – Mike Ross, N5MVL, had no updates to repairs on the trailer.
3. Repeater Committee – Norris Martin, KB5SLI, stated that Grant Gilliam, KE5ERW, is still in negotiation with KXXV, Channel 25 concerning the moving of the 145.15 Mhz repeater antenna. Rodney Baden, K5YKC, reported that the Texas DPS office is conducting an intermod study that should result in HOTARC placing a repeater at that site.
4. Special Events – Grant Gilliam, KE5ERW, was not present, but Mike Ross, N5MVL, reported that the Waco Symphony Run would most likely be canceled per information he received from Waco Symphony representative, Joe Caleo. Terry Williams, KD5KJU, invited HOTARC members to participate in National Night Out in the Alta Vista neighborhood. The event is scheduled for the night of August 1, 2006 beginning at about 6:00 pm.
5. Web Committee – No report.
6. ATV Committee – David Bush, KC5UOZ, reported that all is working well with the ATV repeaters.
7. Education Committee – No report.
8. Public Relations Committee – No report.
Old Business
None.
New Business
1. Sam Alexander of Bruceville, TX was accepted as an Associate Member. Motion to accept was made by Norris Martin, KB5SLI and seconded by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI.
2. Motion was made to pay the gasoline expense for Field Day for $54.45 to Bill Cox, W5JRM. Motion made by Mike Ross, N5MVL and seconded by Wayne Branscum, KD5SMC. Motion passed.
Motion made to adjourn by Norris Martin, KB5SLI.
Program — Review of Field Day 2006 by Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT.
Respectfully submitted by:
Ed Middlebrook, KC5NT
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“What Hams Should Do” |
by Ed Hynan, KC5KNI, |
This article below has
been making the rounds among ARES organizations. It’s a little long, but very
healthy food for thought. Here’s perhaps my favorite line:
Five minutes before the party is not the time to learn to
dance.
What Hams Should Do
Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution. In particular, what we should do before and immediately after something happens in our area. The focus is on actions we should take, as individuals, in the absence of other guidance from ARES leaders. Think of this as a personal ARES Operator Initial Incident Action Plan. The next incident starts now.
1. Key Assumptions
1.1.Emergencies are local events. Top down control and external resources are lost. Without guidance, only training remains.
1.2.Everyone in a disaster area become a victim of one sort or another. Training is essential to avoid remaining part of the problem.
1.3.Communications failure is fundamental to a disaster.
1.4.Disasters result in the loss of nearly all organizational planning and infrastructure (including Amateur Radio infrastructure).
2. Before Something Happens
2.1.Program all your radios with your county’s ARES repeaters
2.2.Program all your radios with the adjacent county ARES repeaters
2.3.Read your ARES communications plan
2.4.Know the EC and AECs, how to contact them, and those adjacent to you
2.5.Prepare to transport your radio station
2.6.Get a backup power source
2.7.Become well trained
2.8.Practice how you have been trained
3. Prepare to Transport Your Station
3.1.Far too many Amateur Radio operators expect to be able to operate from their home during an emergency, incident or disaster. Even worse, they are only able to operate from their home station. That does not provide much help to those who are without communications. Every one of us needs a way to move their radio station.
3.2.The Canned Ham - Bill Albert AD5TD has an excellent portable station that he calls The Canned Ham. His station is built into a metal Cabella’s field box.
3.3.YOUR portable station need not be in a nearly indestructible, metal or hard plastic case. It needs to be something which can contain, protect, and allow YOU to easily transport YOUR radio equipment to where it is needed. What ever YOU use, it needs to be CONVENIENT for YOU. If it costs too much, or takes too long to build it, most of us just won’t do it.
3.4.Wal-Mart – for $18.62 – sells a three-piece luggage set, consisting of a
3.4.1. 21 inch Pilot Case
3.4.2. Boarding Bag
3.4.3. Toiletry Kit
3.5.If you try to pack 20 pounds of stuff into a 10 pound bag, you need a bigger bag, so, spend a little more and get a bigger bag, or two. Wal-Mart sells yet another three-piece set for just under $30.
3.5.1. 24 inch upright wheeled bag
3.5.2. 20 inch wheeled duffel bag
3.5.3. Boarding tote bag
3.6.For $15, you can get a folding metal cart which can carry (they claim) 120 pounds. Now it becomes realistic to carry that 100 Amp Hour deep cycle battery, because it rolls, and I don’t have to physically carry it.
4. Training - You have heard me say this at nearly every ARES meeting I have attended over the past four or five years: Five minutes before the party is not the time to learn how to dance.
4.1.Experience is not the best teacher. Experience is the worst teacher because it gives you the problem before you know how to solve it.
4.2.There is not a professional sports team that EVER goes onto the field WITHOUT pre-season training. All the time since the last disaster or incident, until the next one, is our pre-season training time. This is when we MUST get better prepared for the next time we are called off the bench and into action.
4.3.Minimum expectations - One of the recommendations of the ARRL National Emergency Response Planning Committee was to develop a database of well qualified ARES responders. The minimum training expectations for being a part of that database includes the following. The last four are national training expectations, if not requirements, regardless of who you are, or your role in disaster response.
4.3.1. ARECC Level 1 - Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course, Level 1
4.3.2. IS-100 – Incident Command System, An Introduction
4.3.3. IS-200 – ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
4.3.4. IS-700 – National Incident Management System, An Introduction
4.3.5. IS-800 – National Response Plan, An Introduction
5. Experience – Focused, practical, experience supplements our training. It helps to make what we learned in training a part of our normal operating practice.
5.1.National Preparedness Month
5.1.1. Amateur Radio Public Awareness Day
5.1.2. Saturday, September 16
5.1.3. The Department of Homeland Security promotes September as National Preparedness Month. As a supporting partner, the ARRL has designated Saturday September 16 as Amateur Radio Public Awareness Day. This is an opportunity for you to help your neighbors know that Amateur Radio is an important part of disaster response, and that we ARE prepared.
5.2.Simulated Emergency Test
5.2.1. October 7-8
5.2.2. Part of our preparedness is our annual Simulated Emergency Test. The past several years, we have tried to conduct simulated emergency tests with some other sections, and these have not gone very well. If the tropical storms and hurricanes leave us alone this year, my hope is that we may yet have an SET for the South Texas section. Our section is different than many others in that ours is huge. There are some sections which have but a dozen counties. Conducting a full scale SET across our section is difficult. If we have an SET this fall, I hope it will include some opportunity for everyone to participate in some way. I will be working with the DECs to see if we can pull something together.
6. When Something Happens
6.1.As prepared and responsible ARES operators, we need not wait for someone to call us on the phone, or for our pager to go off before we do anything. Each one of us can self-activate AT OUR OWN HOME. Unlike other responders, we can activate without first gathering at the incident site. We can actively LISTEN to what is going on, while we prepare for possible activation. Not all of these suggested actions will apply for every incident.
6.2.Listen for your local ARES Resource Net
6.2.1. Check in only as directed.
6.2.2. Copy down the information provided.
6.2.3. Identify other nets and repeaters being used.
6.3.Check on your nearest hams
6.3.1. Make sure they are OK.
6.3.2. Share the information you wrote down.
6.4.Check on your nearest neighbors
6.4.1. If I am around, I may be able to reach 911 for you.
6.4.2. Ask them to tell a few other neighbors that you are available.
6.4.3. Pass out 3x5 cards or business cards with your address.
6.5.Do a drive-by damage assessment in YOUR neighborhood
6.5.1. How many homes are unlivable (your opinion).
6.5.2. How many homes are damaged but livable.
6.5.3. Are any important roads blocked by debris or flooding?
6.6.Tell someone what you see!
6.6.1. City or county EOC
6.6.2. The squeaky wheel gets the attention.
6.6.3. The lack of a report delays the response.
6.6.4. Helps the resources to go where there is a real need.
6.6.5. “No damage here” is OK (except to NWS).
6.6.6. If all normal communications are out, only Amateur Radio has the ability to tell someone. If we don’t tell them, who will?
6.7.If you must leave
6.7.1. Monitor 146.52 MHz while traveling
6.7.2. When you arrive
6.7.2.1.Contact the ARES leaders
6.7.2.2.VOLUNTEER to help them
6.8.Visit three or four of your nearest
6.8.1. Hospitals
6.8.2. Nursing homes, shelters, schools, churches
6.8.3. Police, fire, ambulance stations
6.8.4. Ask
6.8.4.1.Can you help me find the ham radio operator?
6.8.4.2.I’m a ham radio operator; can you help me find who is in charge?
6.8.4.3.Are you in contact with your command?
6.8.4.4.Are there any critical supplies I can help you get here?
6.8.5. If there isn’t a ham, tag—you’re it.
6.8.6. Check back frequently
6.8.6.1.Am I checking with you often enough?
6.8.6.2.Is everything just a mild panic?
6.8.6.3.Conditions change – the phone that was working, may have stopped working since you left
7. ARES Daily Situation Report
7.1.It is important for all ARES groups involved in an emergency, incident or disaster response to submit a situation report at least once each day. When things are rapidly changing, more often is better. It does not have to be complicated or take a long time. It can be given as an ARRL Radiogram.
7.2.REPORT CONTENTS
7.2.1. Incident type
7.2.2. Reporting period
7.2.3. Supported agencies and locations
7.2.4. Number of ARES operators
7.2.4.1.Currently committed
7.2.4.2.Contacted
7.2.4.3.Additional needed
7.2.5. Report by: name, call sign, county
7.3.If you don’t tell us, how will we find out?
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ARES® vs RACES: Frequently Asked Questions |
by John Chamberlain, AC5CV |
As Ed Hynan has briefed us in past HOTLINE articles and reports at our HOTARC meetings, RACES is probably coming to our area. If you are like me, you have lots of questions and maybe some simple misconceptions about ARES versus RACES. I encourage you all to visit the excellent ARRL web page (or Google: ARRL RACES FAQ) that addresses several frequently asked questions (or FAQ) about this topic. Here are some of the questions that are answered there:
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During an emergency, when is ARES activated? How about
RACES?
· I don’t see ARES mentioned in Part 97? What’s the story?
· Can any licensed amateur volunteer for RACES? How about ARES?
· I’ve heard that the FCC has in the past issued RACES licenses that can be used only for RACES activities. What’s the status of RACES licenses?
· If I am enrolled in a local civil defense organization and if it declares a RACES drill, what call sign do I use since the FCC isn’t issuing RACES licenses? How about ARES?
· With which stations may a RACES station communicate? How about ARES stations?
· What type of communications may be transmitted by stations operating under RACES?
· How long may RACES drills and tests be held? What about ARES?
· Why are there limits on RACES drills?
· Our weekly RACES net is in operation for more than an hour per week. How can we be in compliance with §97.407(e) and still practice our emergency preparedness skills?
· How can I register for RACES? How about ARES?
The HOTLINE is the monthly newsletter of the Heart O’ Texas Amateur Radio Club (HOTARC), Inc., a nonprofit corporation, chartered by the State of Texas and principally located in Waco. It is permissible to use any of the original material contained herein, provided proper credit is given to the source.
Edited and Published by John Chamberlain AC5CV, AC5CV@arrl.net
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2006 Board of Directors |
HOTARC 2006 Board of Directors
President: Rodney Baden K5YKC, 857-9760, K5YKC@arrl.net
Vice Pres: Terry Williams KD5KJU, 662-2438, pumpman_rpss@yahoo.com
Secretary: John Chamberlain AC5CV, 855-7731, AC5CV@arrl.net
Treasurer: Norris Martin KB5SLI, 829-2138, KB5SLI@flash.net
Past-Pres.: Ed Middlebrook KC5NT, 826-4053, KC5NT@arrl.net
Director (2006): Scott Shafer KD5MLY, 848-5888, ScottShafer@clearchannel.com
Director (2007): Bill Feltenberger KD5UEW, 756-1397, bfeltenb@swbell.net
Director (2008): Wayne Branscum KD5SMC, 857-3964, wbscum@grandecom.net
145.15 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
146.88 MHz (input at –600 kHz)
146.98 MHz (input at –600 kHz, tone 123 Hz)
ATV: 421.25MHz (Cable 57), input 439.25 MHz (Cable 60)
Next session is Saturday August 26, 10:00 AM. Location: Baylor’s Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Bldg (#63 on the map), Room 109. Bring: 1) testing fee of $14 (cash only); 2) current license and photocopy of it; 3) a photo ID (two for first-time licensees), and 4) photocopy of any relevant CSCE. Contact: Linda Hynan, AC5QQ at 666-4873 or Linda.Hynan@UTSouthwestern.edu.
Meeting NoticeThe monthly meeting of HOTARC will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday August 24, 2006 in the Kultgen Automotive Center of the TSTC Waco Campus. Meetings generally last about 75 minutes consisting of fellowship, general Club business, and an interesting program. Visiting hams, family members, and prospective hams are welcomed! |
Have you told a
friend
about ham radio lately?