ARES Letter for August 16, 2006

The ARES E-Letter
August 16, 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@arrl.net>; 
===================================

+ THE VIEW FROM FLAGLER COUNTY

With respect to hurricane season here in the southeast, Gulf and
Atlantic seaboards, all's quiet on the Western front. It may stay
that way: hurricane forecasters have downgraded their predictions for
this season. We'll wait and see.

We had a good ARES meeting last night at the fire station in Flagler
Beach, which runs with the monthly meeting of the Flagler Emergency
Communications Association (FECA). The organization buttresses the
ARES program here. President Merrill Musikar, KG4IDD, is the county
EC who has done a fine job.

We were well represented at the August 5 "Landing Zone" training
session, sponsored by the county EOC. Participants learned how to
prepare landing sites for the EOC's helicopter in emergency
incidents, which are fairly frequent here in the county. See the
article below. 

Flagler ARES will participate in a hurricane seminar at the EOC this
week. A presentation will be given by popular emergency chief Troy
Harper and his staff. A tour of the facilities will be part of the
presentation. 

A perennial ARES activity here is the MS-150 bicycle rally, which
rolls into the county in September. This year, Flagler ARES and FECA
will run the communications show. 

AECs Jim Billings, KB8LXC, and Howard Pepper, AC4FS, are collecting
the certifications of ARES members in the county for our database of
training/capabilities.

For a look at the Flagler ARES Plan and Handbook, see
<http://www.geocities.com/flaglerem/docs/Flagler_County_ARES_Plan-Handbook.pdf>
The Flagler county ARES Web site is:
<http://www.geocities.com/flaglerem> 

==========================
IN THIS ISSUE:

+ THE VIEW FROM FLAGLER COUNTY
+ 2006 ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI HURRICANE CONFERENCE 
+ 2006 SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST: GAME ON FOR OCTOBER 7-8
+ SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH
+ NEW EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS BILL INCLUDES ROLE FOR HAMS
+ MARS TO SUPPORT US TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION IN
EMERGENCIES
+ DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NATIONAL CREDENTIALING INITIATIVE
+ FLAGLER COUNTY'S LANDING ZONE TRAINING
+ IDEAS: EMCOMM AS BOY SCOUT EAGLE PROJECT
+ FIRST RESPONDER'S GUIDE TO SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
+ TV: THE WEATHER CHANNEL TO FEATURE LES RAYBURN'S "POSTMARK:
KATRINA"
+ LETTERS: RED CROSS AS CONSUMER
+ LETTERS: PLAIN LANGUAGE MESSAGE FORMAT
+ MIAMI MARATHON OPS NEEDED
+ LETTERS: IN RESPONSE TO TURTLES
+ LETTERS: MORE ON TURTLES, DOVES
+ LETTERS: ON HIPPA COMPLIANCE 
+ NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH: WHAT TO TAKE TO THE DISASTER AREA
+ OPINION: DELETE RACES?
+ K1CE FOR A FINAL

==========================

+ 2006 ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI HURRICANE CONFERENCE
 
Emergency managers from Alabama and Mississippi assembled for a
week-long conference in Mobile. The VIP list was long, including
Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Alabama and Mississippi State EMA
Directors, Max Mayfield (Director of the National Hurricane Center),
past FEMA Director James Lee Witt and new FEMA Director David
Paulison.
 
The conference brought presentations, meetings and breakout sessions
that included a strong, broad range of emergency management,
hurricane disaster, Incident Command System (ICS), and
lessons-learned topics. This conference is a "must attend" event for
Section Managers and SECs that plan to work in emergency and disaster
operations. We met dozens of emergency management personnel, starting
relationships now, before the next disaster. 
 
Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, was on the emergency
communications breakout session panel at the side of FEMA, State EMA,
and industry reps. Sarratt spoke about the ARRL and Amateur Radio's
involvement in EMCOMM and how Amateur Radio has assisted, and can
continue to assist, during disasters. There was a two day vendor
show-and-tell where Sarratt and Alabama SEC Jay Isbell, KA4KUN,
demonstrated Amateur Radio. Dozens of emergency management personnel
saw the ARRL Ham-Aid "Go Kits" and the newest Digital technology.
Sarratt also discussed Amateur Radio with new FEMA Director David
Paulison.
 
+ 2006 SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST: GAME ON FOR OCTOBER 7-8

The 2006 ARRL Simulated Emergency Test is scheduled for October 7-8.
ECs are planning an event to include all radio amateurs, especially
ARES, RACES and NTS members. Served agencies will also participate,
of course. Whether you're a new licensee or a veteran, the SET is a
good opportunity to learn or practice skills in traffic handling, net
operation and emergency communications. The SET is a demonstration of
Amateur Radio's capabilities and readiness. 

Background is presented in the article, "2005 Simulated Emergency
Test Results," July 2006, QST, pp. 97-99. Guidelines and specific SET
reporting forms will be posted on the ARRL Web page at
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms>. Although October 7-8 is the
SET weekend, the exercise may be conducted any time between September
1 and November 30. Check with your local EC for the exact date in
your area. 

The ARRL is an affiliate of Citizen Corps, an initiative within the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enhance public awareness and
safety. Your SET may involve the local representatives of Citizen
Corps, its many affiliates, and the Citizen Emergency Response Team.
For details on these programs, visit 
<http://www.citizencorps.gov/> and
<http://www.citizencorps.gov/programs/cert.shtm> 

ARRL's longstanding relationships with several served agencies will
be tested, including the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the
National Weather Service, the National Communications System, the
Association of Public Safety Officers - International as well as
Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams (REACT), and the
Civil Air Patrol. Related MOUs may be found at
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/mou/>. -- Steve Ewald, WV1X, ARRL
HQ

+ SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH

National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort held each
September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for
emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. This year, ARRL
is once again a coalition member. National Preparedness Month 2006 is
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The
agency will work with a wide variety of organizations, including
local, state and federal government agencies and the private sector,
to highlight the importance of family emergency preparedness and
promote individual involvement through events and activities across
the nation. More information is available at <http://www.ready.gov/>.
 
The August issue of ARRL's "CONTACT!" features a wealth of
information on September's National Preparedness Month and how to
promote ARES in local media outlets. See
<http://www.arrl.org/pio/contact/#current> and click on the August
2006 issue. 

+ 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. -- ARRL
Letter

+ MARS TO SUPPORT US TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION IN
EMERGENCIES

Amateur Radio operators who are members of the Military Affiliate
Radio System (MARS) will provide back-up communication for the US
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under a formal agreement
announced in July by Army MARS Chief Kathy Harrison, AAA9A.
Protecting airports during the hurricane season will be the immediate
focus, she said, adding that the new MARS-TSA collaboration "is
likely to expand to other Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
areas" in the future.

The MOU, which is already in place, calls for using MARS networks,
personnel and equipment to maintain communication during the first 72
hours of incidents involving aircraft, mass transit and pipelines.
Seventy-two hours is considered the maximum time needed for federal
response organizations to deploy internal emergency communication
systems. A particular MARS responsibility will be to provide
communication interoperability with local, state and national
networks. -- Bill Sexton, N1IN

+ DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NATIONAL CREDENTIALING INITIATIVE
  
DHS is reportedly bringing a wider range of first responders into
"smart ID card" programs. This may involve private sector responders,
ostensibly including radio amateurs. DHS is trying to categorize
emergency responders, and then develop a national ID card system that
can verify their categories and identities at incident scenes. This
is being done at FEMA and its NIMS Integration Center. Part of the
categorization efforts is expanding the definition of emergency
responder to include private sector workers who can quickly restore
power, communications, banking and other critical services. -- Ed
Bruette, N7NVP, ARRL Western Washington Section Manager; Washington
State RACES Officer

+ FLAGLER COUNTY'S LANDING ZONE TRAINING

Flagler County (Florida) Emergency Services offered a course in
"Landing Zone (LZ)" preparation earlier this month. ARES was well
represented at this learning experience.

The training involved "LZ" preparation of an area for the landing of
a helicopter during an emergency situation. The emergency could
involve a medical problem, transporting an injured individual, search
and rescue (SAR), deployment of law enforcement personnel or any
instance where an area must be prepped for the landing of a
helicopter.

Consideration of terrain, traffic control, debris, foliage and
obstacles (power-lines and poles) was stressed during the
presentation. The importance of wind direction, placement of
personnel and light kits were also discussed along with communicating
with the pilot.

It was noted that only one person is in charge of the landing area.
However, if a dangerous situation is observed, anyone can abort the
landing. The instructor pointed out many areas of the chopper to
check before allowing it to depart from the scene, including
inspection of doors and seat belts. Loose objects can cause damage to
the craft which may lead to a dangerous situation. The
instructor/pilot also stressed the importance of knowing how to
approach the helicopter. It was pointed out that emergency
helicopters used across the country have different "Landing Zone"
requirements.

Flagler's "FIREFLIGHT" is an aerial firefighting/air ambulance/aerial
observation craft. The craft is a Eurocopter AS350B3 Astar that will
carry one pilot, one patient and 2 medics when used for medical
transport. It can also carry 210 gallons of water with its water
bucket when used for fire fighting.  Recently added was night vision
capabilities for SAR and law enforcement missions. Cruising speed is
150 mph. We are all proud of our little workhorse. -- Jay Musikar,
AF2C, AEC Flagler County, Florida

+ IDEAS: EMCOMM AS BOY SCOUT EAGLE PROJECT

It occurs to me that emergency communications may be fertile ground
for Boy Scout Eagle projects. A technically-inclined scout could have
a field day, so to speak, developing a project to create some
emergency communications capability that the public could appreciate
and which would be a terrific asset to the community. -- Ward Silver,
N0AX 

+ FIRST RESPONDER'S GUIDE TO SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) has posted The First
Responder's Guide to Satellite Communications, which it describes as,
"a comprehensive overview and tutorial of satellite technology and
its role in response to natural or man-made disasters." The Guide
includes an overview of satellite communications capabilities,
equipment requirements and easy to follow steps for connecting with
satellites through various types of terminals, and a glossary of
terms, definitions and frequencies. Download (pdf) the Guide at:
<http://www.sia.org/frg_files/FirstResponder%27sGuidetoSatelliteCommunications.pdf>
-- Les Rayburn, N1LF, National Communications System;
ARES-SHARES-Skywarn, ARRL EmComm Level 3 Certified Official Emergency
Station

+ TV: THE WEATHER CHANNEL TO FEATURE LES RAYBURN'S "POSTMARK:
KATRINA"

A documentary produced by frequent contributor Les Rayburn, N1LF,
will be airing on The Weather Channel later this month. "Postmark:
Katrina" is a special one hour edition of the TWC series, "Storm
Stories." 
 
"We were fortunate to be embedded with a group of US Postal
Inspectors, America's oldest federal law enforcement agency, for a
period of six weeks following Hurricane Katrina," said Rayburn. His
group arrived in Gulfport within hours of landfall, and spent six
weeks inside the impacted areas. 
 
When not filming, Rayburn conducted numerous mobile HF missions for
the National Communications System (NCS) SHARES program, keeping in
contact with their watch desk on 20 meters. "In our documentary,
there is some brief Amateur Radio voice traffic depicted, along with
a graphic explaining how repeaters work, and even some Morse Code,"
said Rayburn. 

The program airs on The Weather Channel starting on Sunday, August
27, at 8 PM ET/PT. It airs again on Monday night, and then several
times in the coming weeks. "We were proud to tell the story of how
the US Postal Service worked tirelessly to restore mail to the
affected area, and also to aid in the recovery using our amateur HF
station," Rayburn concluded.

+ LETTERS: RED CROSS AS CONSUMER

In regard to the article "Know Your Consumers" from the July issue,
it is my experience that most Red Cross chapters do not acknowledge
the availability of ARES communications. "Communications" to most
chapter staff means media relations, and not the ability to send
messages between the chapter and shelter sites. The local ARES group
can knock on the chapter door all they want, but the leadership of
the chapter will not pay any attention - until they have a real
problem and the EMA sends them communication support. Afterward, it's
back to business as usual.

Another problem with the Red Cross is if someone is trained as a
volunteer then that is how they will be treated, rather than as an
outside resource. Shelter managers tend to ignore the fact that the
ARES people are there for a function other than being a Red Cross
Shelter Volunteer. -- Ralph Brigham, KG4CSQ, Clarksville, Tennessee
ARES, RACES, SKYWARN, CERT

+ LETTERS: PLAIN LANGUAGE MESSAGE FORMAT

I agree with going to the plain language format for messages. I have
been involved in search-and-rescue (SAR) and emergency/disaster
communications for more than 30 years and I have never used the ARRL
Radiogram format. I learned how to communicate properly in the
artillery back in the 1960's. All the messages I have sent or
received were "in the clear," copied word for word, and passed on
like that to the appropriate receiving agent. The ARRL format does
not support that kind of passing of messages, with its use of codes
like the ARL Numbered Radiograms.

Jerry Wellman, W7SAR, WORLDRADIO columnist for SAR and EMCOMM issues,
said he also does not support use of the ARRL format. He also
believes in messages copied word for word and delivered, or passed
along word for word. The message should be read back from the
receiving end to determine its correctness. Corrections can be made
immediately with efficiency. 

And I agree that we should all be "thinking digital" now. Passing
written messages via digital means reduces message errors. - Bob
Skaggs, KB5RX 

+ MIAMI MARATHON OPS NEEDED

Radio amateurs are needed for the Miami (Florida) Marathon. We have
been providing emergency communications for the marathon for the past
three years, and each year the need for volunteers increases. The
marathon is a world class event and an excellent opportunity for us
to gain publicity for Amateur Radio and perform a valuable community
service. We expect more than 12,000 runners over the 26.2 mile
course, and need at least 35 hams. The marathon will take place on
Sunday, January 28, 2007, starting and finishing in downtown Miami.
You can find more information about the marathon on the Web site
<http://www.ingmiamimarathon.com/>. Please contact me to volunteer.
-- Ben Nemser, WA4DZS <bnemser@nemal.com>;

+ LETTERS: IN RESPONSE TO "TURTLES"

Jeff Sabatini, KI6BCX, in the last issue, encouraged ARES volunteers
to appear on the emergency scene with a fleet of RVs. While there is
merit to the notion of being self-sufficient, there are parts of his
idea that are troublesome.

Planning for an undetermined number of RVs in an emergency zone may
not be any less of a logistics headache to the emergency managers
than finding other housing. We are bit players in the overall scheme,
and enlarging our collective footprint may not be the way to go. Our
"RV Park" would have to be a distance from the main effort to avoid
being a burden to the resource planners. Also, our personal comfort
should be the last priority. We should plan to share facilities. A
number of ARES ops should plan to be housed in one RV, for example.
Planning is the key word.

We also need to reduce the use of gasoline: outfit RVs with solar
panels and wind generators, and use gasoline generators only as a
last resort. Perhaps a wind generator can be mounted on top of a
vehicle to charge batteries during travel. -- CPT Drew Neve, KB9LLO,
Battle Captain S3 ASG-Kuwait

+ LETTERS: MORE ON TURTLES, DOVES

There is a group of RVers working disasters already. They use the
name DOVE and their Web site is <http://www.dovebof.org/>. I don't
think they have many hams. -- Damon Lewis KB0QCN

+ LETTERS: ON HIPPA COMPLIANCE 

In regard to the Les Rayburn, N1LF, article on HIPPA compliance, I'd
like to emphasize that as Amateur Radio organizations, we are serving
many agencies that are covered by HIPPA and are needing information
transmitted in disaster/emergency situations. We definitely need to
be aware of these rules and follow them. We want a positive view of
Amateur Radio with our served agencies, as well as with the public.
If we disregard these rules and openly discuss 'privacy sensitive'
information and it is traced back to us, we lose all credibility and
dependability with those agencies.

I am a full-time paramedic and have to consider these rules on a
daily basis. -- Robert King, W5LVB, Arkansas ARES/RACES DEC;
Communications and Warning Officer - Garland County Emergency
Management, Hot Springs, Arkansas

+ NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION
LISTS

Here is one of the best collections of emergency preparedness
information lists that I've found:
<http://www.tallytown.com/redcross/educate.html> -- Les Rayburn, N1LF

+ NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH: WHAT TO TAKE TO THE DISASTER AREA

Amateurs routinely ask me, what personal items do I need to take into
a disaster area? The short answer is take everything you would need
to survive on a camping trip for a week, plus some disaster specific
items.

Your kit can be tailored to your specific needs. Prepare and test
your kit well before-hand, as you will have to hit the ground running
during the real thing. The purpose of your personal kit is to help
you survive, be more comfortable and protect yourself from unknowns
the best you can. We cannot be productive nor do our job if we are a
burden on the system. Your communications/equipment "Go-Kit" would be
a separate list. Always register with your local EC and never
self-deploy to a disaster area.

Training is important to take with you. Train before the event and be
ready. Take your ARRL and FEMA training certificates with you.
Laminate your training cards to protect them. Minimal FEMA training
includes IS-100, IS-200 and IS-700. Served agencies are requiring
volunteers to have certain training so you will know their lingo,
procedures and processes. Red Cross First Aid/CPR training is also a
must. A good way to get general training is to enroll in the next
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class.  Then, take the Red
Cross training, and the ARRL and FEMA Independent Study online
courses, one at a time.
  
Vaccinations and medications: Tetanus and Hepatitis-B vaccinations
are two recommended vaccinations. Check with your doctor to make sure
you get the right shots. Personal prescription medications, and
copies of prescriptions, including the generic names for medications,
and a note from the prescribing physician on letterhead for
controlled substances and injectable medications should be carried.

Plan for travel with the knowledge that there may be shortages of
electricity, safe water, or food distribution systems in affected
areas. Pack to be as self-sufficient as possible and bring only those
items necessary for your trip.

Have a spare everything.

Put your items in resealable plastic containers, and then pack them
full of trash on the way out. -- Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, Alabama Section
Manager

+ OPINION: DELETE RACES?

We need less federal government "help." And we need them to get out
of the way. I struggle to see the benefit that the current Part 97
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) regulations bring to
enhancing the use of all Amateur Radio capabilities for
communications problems. They remain nothing more than restrictions
on how emergency management may employ Amateur Radio. As but one
example, mutual aid does not exist, from a practical standpoint,
within RACES, because each person must be vetted by their sponsoring
government (city, county, or state), and forget about crossing state
lines. A wise move would be to eliminate the whole section and allow
private organizations, such as ARES, to use all the available Amateur
Radio resources. -- Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, South Texas SEC

+ K1CE FOR A FINAL

Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, the SEC of South Texas, is a tough guy with
experience I respect. He brought up the intriguing thought addressed
above, and it jarred me to wonder about the continuing viability of
RACES across the country. Here in Northern Florida, RACES is a
non-entity. We are totally ARES here. In Southern Florida, however,
my understanding is that RACES remains an active component of the
overall Amateur Radio emergency community response capability. The
program has a longstanding history of service there, mediated by
another ham I respected, Manny Papandreas, W4SS, now a silent key.
I've asked SEC Jeff Beals, WA4AW, to submit an article for this
newsletter on the roles of ARES and RACES in the southern part of the
peninsula, and their relationships with served agencies and each
other. Jeff has agreed, and I hope to have his report in the next
issue.

What is the situation in the rest of the country? Send me your brief
reports, and I'll publish a summary of RACES activity with some
conclusions in an issue this fall. 

Do we still need RACES? 

See you next month! - Rick, K1CE