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The ARES E-Letter
October 1, 2005
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Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor

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ARES reports, other related contributions, editorial questions or
comments: <k1ce@arrl.net>;
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As this is being written, the League's Chief Operating Officer Harold
Kramer, WJ1B, is testifying in Washington, D. C. on behalf of the
ARRL before The United States House of Representatives, Committee on
Energy and Commerce, The Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the
Internet. The name of the hearing is "Public Safety Communications
From 9/11 to Katrina: Critical Public Policy Lessons." See
<http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/09292005hearing1648/hearing.htm>
Mr. Kramer is testifying on the successful efforts of Amateur Radio
operators who provided communications during the Katrina event, "when
all else failed." 

Kramer said "I am honored to be chosen to provide this testimony and
I am proud of Amateur Radio's and our (ARRL) role in the Katrina
relief effort."

Good luck to our "ARES Man in Washington" today.
___________________

It seems that the Gulf Coast has drawn the majority of the ire of
Mother Nature this hurricane season, as did the Florida peninsula
last season. We here on the east central Florida coast breathe a
collective sigh of relief when westward-heading storms pass to the
south or north of us, then watch in horror and with sympathy as the
devastation is visited on our neighbors up the eastern seaboard or
Gulf.  It is a tough time of year for us here in the southeast and
south central parts of the country. The following Hurricane Rita
summary was culled from e-mail reports and especially the proceedings
of daily teleconferences sponsored by ARRL and conducted by HQ
staffer Steve Ewald, WV1X, with affected section ARES officials -
K1CE

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

+ Hurricane Rita
+ VoIP Hurricane Net Activates For Hurricane Rita 
+ ARES Counting Cars
+ Letters From Katrina: From DEC Tom Hammack, W4WLF
+ Katrina Relief Operators Still Needed In Mississippi
+ Thanks To Katrina Outsiders Coming In; Points To Ponder
+ FEMA Courses On Amateur Radio Resources; ICS/NIMS Training
+ IARU Region 2 Working Group On Emergency Communications Established
+ ARRL An NGO?
+ Feedback On Interoperability And MARS
+ Final Note: The Best Radio Service
=========================

+ HURRICANE RITA

Texas

South Texas SEC Jerry Reimer, KK5CA, reported that hurricane Rita
decreased in intensity and moved eastward prior to landfall near
Cameron, Louisiana. This greatly diminished storm effects in
southeast Texas, with the exception of Orange County. Approximately
2.7 million people evacuated the area prior to the storm's arrival;
included in the mandatory evacuation areas were five ARES Emergency
Coordinators, one District Emergency Coordinator, and nearly all ARES
registrants, which left some county EOCs without operators. In
defiance of mandatory orders, some operators remained behind, and
were heard on HF following passage of the storm.

The storm effects in the greater Houston area resulted from 40-70 mph
winds. Reimer said communication infrastructure was left largely
intact. The Red Cross reported 86 shelters open, holding 15,000
people.  Many ARES operators had been pre-positioned at critical
facilities in the area, including police sub-stations and hospitals.
ARES operators remained on duty at the state EOC in Austin, Harris
County EOC, Houston Emergency Center, and state DEM regional
headquarters Disaster District Committee (DDC). The West Gulf ARES HF
emergency net continued in 24-hour operation. 

An Austin ARES operator who pulled his 30-foot travel trailer 150
miles, arriving around midnight Friday, September 23, met a last
minute request for an additional HF station at the state's DDC.  Not
permitted inside the building, he operated his HF station with the
screwdriver antenna on his pickup truck.

On September 24, Harris County emergency management requested ARES
provide reports of traffic volume on the major highways leading back
into the county. The procedure to accomplish this was developed by
District EC Ken Mitchell, KD2KW [see his story later in this issue],
and sent via Winlink to the North and South Texas Section Managers
for mass distribution to ARRL members via E-mail. Winlink proved
highly useful at the Harris County EOC. 

NTX SEC Bill Swan, K5MWC, said that two North Texas ARES members went
to Jasper, Texas, to assist the Salvation Army. Swan expected more
radio amateurs would be needed when cities were opened for returning
evacuees.  

STX SM Ray Taylor, N5NAV, emphasized that late September heat in
Texas make things difficult and uncomfortable for everyone working in
the relief operations. Operators willing to help should keep those
hot conditions in mind before volunteering, Taylor said. Operators
were also reminded that they should be self-sufficient with food,
water, and camping gear for their travel to, and operation in, the
affected areas. 
 
Nets handled much of the relief effort information and service: 3873
kHz (eves); 3935 kHz (eves); 7285 kHz (days); and 7290 kHz (days).


Louisiana

Louisiana SEC Gary Stratton, K5GLS, reported that following the
passage of Hurricane Rita, DEC Alan Levine, WA5LQZ, in Lake Charles,
assessed communication needs and regional assets before ARES members
were sent from other areas of the state. Stratton had lost power and
Internet service early Saturday morning, September 24, but he was
aware that local ARES members were handling initial communication
requests and needs. First responders entered Cameron Parish, and ARES
was asked to accompany the sheriffs and Louisiana State Police to
support them with communications.  

Later in the week, floodwaters were beginning to recede and most of
the shelters were equipped with working telephone service,
electricity, and running water, reported Al Oubre, K5DPG. Louisiana's
800 MHz trunking system managed to stay up through the hurricane
also, Oubre said.

As areas that were strongly hit by Rita opened up, chances for a call
for outside mutual assistance increased. Radio amateurs who lived
north of Interstate 10 were returning to their homes and getting on
the air again to assist with the relief effort. 


+ VOIP HURRICANE NET ACTIVATES FOR HURRICANE RITA 

[The following report comes from Rob Macedo, KD1CY, Net Manager for
VoIP Hurricane Net Activations, the Eastern Massachusetts SEC, and
SKYWARN Coordinator for the large National Weather Service (NWS)
facility at Taunton, Massachusetts.] 

The VoIP Hurricane Net activated for Hurricane Rita on September 23
to coincide with the activation of WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station
at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida. The net's
goal is to connect amateurs in the affected areas with EOCs, National
Weather Service offices and the National Hurricane Center for passage
of emergency traffic, weather reports and damage assessments. 

Net control stations came from a variety of ARRL sections including
Eastern Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida sections, and
Minnesota. International stations also participated, including
operators from Australia's Wireless Institute Civil Emergency
Network, ARES' counterpart there. The use of international stations
facilitated 24-hour operation of the net.

Using radio systems and repeaters linked to the Internet, amateurs
from eastern Texas and western Louisiana were able to pass important
traffic.  For example, amateurs in north Texas RACES had a request
for amateurs to assist with shelter operations there as evacuees from
the eastern Texas coastline were displaced as far north as the
Dallas-Fort Worth area. An amateur from Cleobourne, Texas, responded
to the call, and worked with the requesting amateur to supply more
amateurs for those shelter operations.  

Emergency operation centers and National Weather Service Forecast
Offices were active on the net, including the Nacogdoches (TX) EOC,
through the efforts of Kevin Anderson, KD5WX. The National Weather
Service station WX5FWD in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, was active, as
was NWS station WR5GC in Houston, and station K5SHV in Shreveport,
Louisiana. 

Southwest Louisiana was the first area to receive the worst
conditions from Hurricane Rita on Friday evening, September 23. An
amateur there, Heath Roberts, KE5FRF, of Denham Springs, provided
information on significant tree and power line damage Friday night
directly from the Lake Charles Police Department.

Other damage reports and observed weather data came in steadily. Flo
Garneau, WM6V, reported that the glass emergency room doors of the
Livingston Memorial Hospital in Livingston, Texas, were blown out.
She also reported that the Timber Creek School in Livingston lost
part of its roof; the school was sheltering 280 people. Many similar
ARES weather and damage reports were passed over the net for the
benefit of public safety.

The ability to connect EchoLink PC users, EchoLink and IRLP repeaters
and links via the same system offers great flexibility in obtaining
reports from amateurs in the affected areas. EchoLink and IRLP
provide more "tools in the toolbox" for the ARES emergency
communicator. 
________________________

[Julio Ripoll, WD4R, a long-time veteran operator and manager of the
Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center added the
following.] 

"Without the EchoLink and IRLP modes used on the VoIP Hurricane Net
we would not have received some of these vital reports. Especially
the reports sent in by Flo, WM6V, who was very resourceful in using a
dual-band mobile radio on emergency power from the hospital. Flo not
only gave us information of the status of her hospital, but also was
able to monitor the local EOC traffic in her town of Livingston,
Texas, on UHF and then relay information outside of her local area
using IRLP. This information was posted at the NHC for the Hurricane
Forecasters as well as the FEMA Office that is located inside the NHC
bunker next to our radio room and monitors many of our reports."  


+ ARES COUNTING CARS

The Harris County (TX) EOC requested a traffic count from counties
along the major routes leading back into the greater Houston area.
The traffic routes of interest were U.S. Highway 59, Interstate
Highway 45, U.S. Highway 290, and Interstate Highway 10. Radio clubs
and ARES groups in each of these areas were asked to form teams of
local operators to report Houston-bound traffic volumes by counting
the number of cars on these routes for a six-minute period, once per
hour.  The count was to be reported by one individual in the
identified area who had Internet access. The individual collected the
information using local club repeaters and operators assigned to
perform the count. -- District Emergency Coordinator Ken Mitchell,
KD2KW, District 14 (Harris County), ARRL South Texas Section


+ LETTERS FROM KATRINA

[I received this message from DEC Tom Hammack, W4WLF, of Gulfport,
Mississippi. It speaks volumes, and stands by itself. We are proud of
you and your service, Tom.  - K1CE]

"We are shutting down at night from about 10 PM to about 5 or 6 AM.
Otherwise, club station W5SGL and operators are still going at it
almost non-stop. Hopefully after Rita gets by us we can consider
shutting down so I can go home and try to salvage what I can. I am
lucky: only about three to four feet of salt water in the main part
of the house and five to six feet in the lower room. My son's (Don
Hammack, KA5OJQ) house was destroyed. Some things will be salvaged.
Much gear lost. Right now I am living in the EOC bunk room."  - ARES
DEC Tom Hammack, W4WLF


+ KATRINA RELIEF OPERATORS STILL NEEDED IN MISSISSIPPI

Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, situated at the Red Cross staging
area in Montgomery, reported an increasing need for Amateur Radio
operators to fill the communication requirements of Red Cross
shelters and EOCs in southern Mississippi's Harrison, Hancock, and
Jackson counties. SMs and SECs with volunteer radio amateurs should
contact Sarratt at  <DR871-06RTT-RCO3@usa.redcross.org>; 

Contact information, and the amount of time available for possible
deployment, should be included for each volunteer. The radio amateurs
will be asked to check in at the Red Cross volunteer staging center
in Montgomery to get their assignments and receive orientation.
Sarratt said that the Red Cross center monitors 7280 kHz (days) and
3965 kHz (evenings) to assist HF-equipped mobile operators on Red
Cross/ARES assignment.


+ THANKS TO KATRINA OUTSIDERS COMING IN; POINTS TO PONDER

[Northern Florida's SEC Joe Bushel, W2DWR, has been a key player in
Katrina mutual assistance administration, performing an outstanding
job. Here, he offers thanks and some good after-action points to
ponder, in his own words. --K1CE]

"Many of you in Florida and out of the state who came in to help
showed the true spirit of Amateur Radio, once more. This was not a
disaster at your front door, but that didn't matter. You were there
when you were needed.  Thank you. Your actions make me so proud to be
involved with this "hobby" to which I have given much of my life for
almost fifty years. 

"There were mistakes made during this deployment. Some were mine and
I hope I learned from them. Many of you didn't get to go because you
were not self-contained; I was told this was mandatory. However, as
conditions improved, the self-sufficiency requirement was dropped.
Word was not passed to us. We continued to follow the initial
instruction, and volunteers that could have gone in were left out. In
the future, I will get requirements and updates firsthand, through
direct channels, more expeditiously.  

"To future volunteers: Follow the instructions of those who are
responsible for your deployment. If you just go on your own, even
though your intentions are good, you may turn out to be part of the
problem. Secondly, before the next emergency, contact your EC and set
up a jump team. This gives you the future benefit of working with
people you already know. It is also easier on the person sending you
if, when you are contacted, you can tell him/her the names and calls
of others who will go with you. Finally, plan ahead.  Set up your
jump kits in advance of the need. A radio may be lost for one bad
coax connector. That radio could have been a critical communications
link. Don't forget tools such as a soldering pencil. It is almost a
guarantee that if you wait until the last minute, you will forget
something that will turn out to be especially needed. 

"I am establishing a database of potential future responders. If you
are interested, please send me an email at <w2dwr@arrl.net>; and I
will be back in contact."


+ FEMA COURSES ON AMATEUR RADIO RESOURCES; ICS/NIMS TRAINING

Here is a solution to help public officials learn to interface with
Amateur Radio assets: government-approved Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) training course "G250.6 - Workshop: Amateur
Radio Resources." This three- to four-hour workshop is designed to
provide state and local elected officials, emergency managers, and
other public officials with an understanding of how Amateur Radio
volunteer communication groups can help in supplementing
telecommunication and warning systems. Please direct them to the FEMA
Emergency Management Institute (EMI) at
<http://www.training.fema.gov/emiweb/> to register for this course. 
- Carl Zelich, AA4MI, ARRL Southeastern Division Assistant Director,
<aa4mi@arrl.net>;

____________

Neal Sacon, N7RX, adds: "The unavailability of local FEMA Incident
Command System /National Incident Management System (ICS/NIMS)
seminars should not deter anyone from undertaking these important
training topics (IS-100, IS-200 and IS-700, as well as other
emergency management courses), as they are available on-line.  See
<http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp > A completion
certificate is issued by FEMA for the on-line courses." 


+ IARU REGION 2 WORKING GROUP ON EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS ESTABLISHED

IARU News: One of the action items to come out of the recent
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 Executive Committee
meeting (held in Mexico City) is the establishment of a Working Group
on Emergency Communications (WGEC). The committee has an open agenda,
but one of the goals is a survey of emergency communication assets
across Region 2 and consequent recommendations for the Executive
Committee to assist Region 2 Member-Societies in improving their
emergency communication response capabilities.

Veteran international emergency communications planner Noel Donawa,
9Y4NED, of Trinidad and Tobago, will chair the committee. The Region
2 EMCOR and the Emergency Coordination Advisory Group members will
make up the rest of the committee. Region 2 President Rod Stafford,
W6ROD, serves as an ex officio member of the WGEC.


+ ARRL AN NGO?

[The following is a response to John Wallack's, W6TLK, idea of
promoting ARES as an "official" non-government organization (NGO)
with the status of the American Red Cross, for example.] 

John, W6TLK, is right. ARES should become an NGO, with the emphasis
on organization. In some parts of the country, ARES is a well-planned
and well-trained machine. With dedicated volunteers equipped and
prepared to respond at any time they are needed, they have introduced
themselves to, and trained with, served agencies. They have become a
useful part of agency emergency response plans.

But in other parts of the country, ARES is only a concept. That is
not enough. To be viable, a group must have a strong program of
training, commitment requirements, and a real plan of action in order
to function in reality.

ARES needs national program enhancements as well. ARRL should issue
official credentials for ARES members recognized by the Department of
Homeland Security and Emergency Management in all states, after
passing FEMA's national incident management system training, ARRL's
Level 1 ARECC (EC-001) course, and an FBI background check. Annual
training on mustering and responding to an emergency should be
required for credential renewal. ARES members should be issued a
universally recognized uniform. 

Once we get it together along the lines suggested above, it will be
easier for us to become a real NGO. -- Mark Conklin, N7XYO

_____________

[More on ARRL as an NGO follows.]

I have been involved in emergency situations here in New Mexico for
most of my adult life. I got my ham ticket because it allowed me to
communicate over a wide area while directing search operations. The
best way to let agencies know about our capabilities is to work with
them in quiet times. Then, when the emergency evolves, we are
integrated into the official response. During the Cerro Grande fire
in 2001, the only complete linkage among the agencies was via Amateur
Radio. We mustered 117 people for ten days.  

The idea of casting ARES as an NGO should have been thought of a long
time ago. Since so many agencies think of us as on the fringe, we
need to promote our professionalism. - Bob Skaggs, KB5RX 


+ FEEDBACK ON INTEROPERABILITY AND MARS

[In the last issue, we published an item on interoperability and
programming amateur hand-helds for use in other services. The
following is a response from a Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
operator. We will publish a definitive answer in the next issue. -
K1CE] 

MARS operators use standard Amateur Radio equipment that is modified
to the manufacturer's specifications to open them up for all
frequency operation. We, MARS operators, are professional enough to
carefully stay within our frequency allocations and we do not wander
around on adjacent frequencies. It's a shame that a service as old
and as revered as MARS has to be degraded in peoples' eyes with
implications such as this.

We are perfectly capable of being radio amateurs and we are fully
trained to be MARS operators. It is being considered to include MARS
within the Homeland Security department to ensure that if/when
another hurricane like Katrina comes to pass, there will be people
capable of filling any communications need. Sure, hams are perfectly
capable of doing this; they have proved themselves multiple times.
But they have to use common frequencies that are subject to
monitoring and interference, where the military frequencies assigned
to MARS are not as well known. Also, we do not have 2-day hams
operating on them. 

ARES is great. A large number of us, MARS operators, belong to and
support ARES.  A number of locations also have MOUs between the two
organizations--the best of both worlds. Look into facts before
printing information. - Les Warriner, WA7HAM/NNN0KTM 


+ FINAL NOTE: THE BEST RADIO SERVICE

One of the criticisms I hear occasionally is that Amateur Radio
involves old technology and doesn't have much to contribute to the
public safety telecommunication arena anymore. It seems to me that
such criticism is wholly unjustified. Just look at Rob Macedo's
report above in this issue on the Amateur Radio digital and Internet
linking protocols employed during Hurricane Rita action. They worked
fantastically and represent the state of the art. Coupled with our
tried and true "old technology," I think that Amateur Radio is hard
to beat as the premier radio service to be involved in any emergency
response. We should start thinking more of ourselves in this regard,
and not selling our service short to served agencies. We are the best
radio service for disaster/public safety telecommunication need,
period. End of story. - K1CE