Tulare County Amateur Radio Emergency Service

Hi everyone! It is time to renew your ARES membership. With the changes that have taken place over the last several years in respect to volunteering, it is necessary to annually renew your ARES membership. There are several reasons for this.

First and foremost is that we try to maintain a list of active members. While interest in Amateur Radio as a whole may not change, our time and availability during the year may. While we may find time to check into the nets and go to a monthly meeting, the time outside of  that may change due to family, work or other issues.

Many of the agencies and organizations [SAs] for whom we provide communications are beginning to require some sort of formalized training. To facilitate this, we need to have accurate and up-to-date information about our resources and capabilities. The 146.880 MHz repeater is a good example of this. Over the past years and even this last year there have been many changes. So accurate records of these changes are necessary.

Many of those SAs that need our communications ability [resource] during an emergency require some basic training. Much of this training is based off of the Incident Command System [ICS] which was developed as part of mitigation from events that occurred here in California in the 1970′s. Without boring everyone with 40 years of history, suffice it to say that improvements have led us to this point. As with many aspects of our free market economy, money is at the driving force of the use of ICS.

Disasters require funds to provide mitigate their effects. If there was a tornado that touched down in your neighborhood, would you and your neighbors be able to afford the costs of repairing the damage? Probably not. So in steps the local government [LG] using their resources and maybe a couple of non-profit organizations [VOADs]. Since the agencies and organizations want to receive compensation from the “disaster” part of the budget, they must use the principles of ICS.

One of those principles is that everyone involved in responding to the incident has completed training in various ICS courses. These courses are designed to assist in learning the concepts necessary to succeed in the goal driven response.

Four of the courses that will be necessary to go on the active list for those interested in communicating with our SAs are ICS 100a, 200a, 700a and 800b. The courses vary in their length, however, I have been able to complete each one in an afternoon.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, through the Emergency Management Institute [EMI] offers these courses at not charge online. Participants need only to register online with an email address on EMI’s website. The web address is training.fema.gov. Once at the site, simply follow the links to the training that you are interested in and view the course. At the end of the course you need to take a short online test. You need to submit your test answers to EMI for grading and upon successful completion, you’ll be sent a certificate link via email. Once you’ve earned the certificate, submit a copy for our records and you’ll be set. At this time, you only have to complete the course once.

We are looking to have several hams up and trained by July 1, 2010. Good luck, and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

Hal KC5LUB

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This last week, the American Radio Relay League posted it’s long awaited revised website. While still in the process of posting the material, the website has take on a modern look and feel. One observation about the improvements is that there are a lot of links.

The website, open to both members and non-members gives the surfer a chance to see the modern side of amateur radio. San Joaquin Valley Section Manager Dan Pruitt, AE6SX, was pleased to see the improvements. “They’re still working out the bugs. [The site] will give both those involved in the hobby and those that might be interested an overview of what we’re all about. There is something for everyone.”

The site has been long awaited. In development for over a year, the original opening date was due in January of this year. The start date was pushed back to the end of March, and finally debuted early last week. One can understand the delays when looking at the complexity of the linking system.

The site has a Facebook type look and feel to it. As such, there are member data sections whereby league members can go and choose what information is available to both viewers. There is an extensive amount of information that can be shared if the member should choose to allow it.

ARES Emergency Coordinator, Hal Clover, KC5LUB, suggests that members go through and check the information that is posted for accuracy. “Some of the information recently updated moved with the site, and some did not. So, it is in the best interest of the individual ham to check out what is posted. The site will be a great asset in recruiting both hams and served agencies/organizations.” Many courses will be available to those visiting the site, with certification to those that register for the course.

Community Emergency Response Teams or CERT are groups of individuals that have been trained in responding to an emergency. CERT is the Department of Homeland Security’s volunteer program for community volunteers. CERT groups are trained in a variety of emergency response areas including light search and rescue, basic firefighting, and triage. The basic premise for CERT is to do the most good for the most people. The priority of safety concerns are for self, the team and other first responders.

Light Search and Rescue is just like it sounds. Search and rescue on a light side. Getting people that are ambulatory out of a structure to a safe area is the primary goal. In keeping with the basic premise, those that can be easily removed from an area are encouraged to evacuate. Others that require extensive extrication are documented as to their location and first responders that are better equiped are notified of the location. Safety of the individual CERT member is paramount and CERT members are required to stay out of dangerous buildings.

Basic Firefighting focuses on small type fires that can easily be contained and managed. The training here consists of using a fire extinguisher. Basic fire science is also taught.

Triage is the management of victims needing medical care. As a victims is removed from an incident and processed for medical care, they are initially evaluated. This initial evaluation is called triage. The victims are then categorized through a standardized system. Triage allows for the quick and efficient movement of patients through a medical evaluation.

By assisting first responders, CERT members can help the general public so that the greatest good can be done for the greatest amount of people. Additionally one area that Tulare CERT teams can specialize in is Animal Evacuation and Sheltering. In response to what has taken place over the past several years with animals and disasters, emergency response administrators have determined that there needs to be a set of protocols for animals during disater situations. One of the areas designated to lead the way with training and stagging of supplies is Tulare. This program is being administered under the direction of the UC Davis Extension in Tulare. More to come on this later. There is a possibility that communication can be a large part of how hams can interact with CERT in this area.

April 18, 2009

The Jackass Mail Run celebrates the Historic Mail Route from Porterville to Springville, California.

W6J will be operating from 0900 to 1500 PDT on Saturday April 18, 2009 from a location at Lake Success along Highway 190 in Porterville, California.

Tulare County Amateur Radio Emergency Service radio operators will be setting up stations on 40, 20, 15 meters and a station on one of the local club’s repeaters. The frequencies that we will be monitoring are
slated to be as follows:

• 40m: 7.190
• 20m: 14.290
• 15m: 21.310
• 2m: 146.880 – (103.5) & 145.31-(100.0)

An alternate frequency of 145.31 – will be used if the 146.880 repeater is inaccessible.

UPDATE: The two repeaters listed above will be linked for the duration of the event beginning the Tuesday prior. (4/14/09)

For those successfully contacting the station during the event, a certificate will be available. Please send a SASE with your QSO information to

Hal Clover, TCARES,
PO Box 121, Porterville CA 93258.

Those wishing to participate at the station located at Lake Success, should contact either PARA (meetings on the first Saturday of the month) or Tulare County ARC (meetings on the third Thursday of the month). ARES membership is not necessary to operate the event. We need loggers and operators. Operating equipment will also be needed for the event. The Tulare County Amateur Radio Club (TCARC) and the Porterville Amateur Repeater Association (PARA) will be prividing lunch. Bring your own side-dish, drink, plates, “silverware”. This is in a public park and alchohol is FORBIDDEN! Look below for a photo and a map.

Map to Lake Success.

Title: Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay
Location: Baker, CA to Las Vegas, NV
Link out: Click here
Description: Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay is a relay race through the desert. The race starts near Baker, CA and ends 120 miles away in Las Vegas, NV. There are 20 stages of the race. TCARES provides APRS tracking for the Tulare County Sheriff and Kings County Probation teams.
Start Date: 2009-03-13
End Date: 2009-03-15

The Tulare County Amateur Radio Emergency Service, in conjunction with Kings and Fresno Counties held its Fall Exercise in Visalia. More information will be published once it is available.

In November 2007, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, wrote to the American Red Cross regarding concerns voiced by ARRL volunteers. In 2006, the Red Cross stated it would implement background checks that included, among other things, a credit check and a “mode of living” check for its staff and volunteers, including ARES volunteers providing services to the Red Cross during disasters. ARRL saw these portions of the background check as unneeded and inappropriate for ARES service.

In a letter dated May 8 of this year, Armond T. Mascelli, ARC Vice President for Disaster Response Services replied to President Harrison: “I can now report back to you that [these] actions have been completed and changes have been instituted which I trust resolves the concerns detailed in your letter. This effort took considerably more time and attention than originally envisioned, but I believe the results will now benefit our respective organizations.

“A new background consent form now [is] to be used by all Red Cross chapters for ARRL members and other partner organizations. The form and related process is limited to the name and social security number
verification of the individual, and a criminal background check. References and suggestions to other related investigative possibilities have been stricken.”

ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, announced the resolution at the ARRL ARES forum at the Dayton Hamvention® and received hearty applause.

“We are very pleased that the American Red Cross has addressed some of the issues that we raised regarding their background investigations and that we can move forward in a relationship that has existed for a long,
long time,” Harrison said. “The American Red Cross and the ARRL have shared a productive relationship for many years which has been of benefit to both the organizations and to the public. We are glad that
throughout the past months we have been able to negotiate the issues that we had and have finally come to a resolution.”

*What’s Next?*

With the background check issue apparently resolved, the ARRL will be working with the ARC in the negotiation and creation of a draft for a new /Memorandum of Understanding/ (/MOU/) or similar document to replace the one which expired last year; Dura and Keith Robertory of the ARC
will be leading the effort. When complete, the draft of the /MOU/ will be presented to the leadership of both organizations for approval.

“The ARRL is very pleased that the American Red Cross has responded appropriately to our concerns about the background check issue,” said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. “We believe it now will
be possible to go forward to negotiate a statement of understanding between the two organizations. We look forward to renewing and expanding the relationship with the Red Cross.”

The Tulare County Amateur Radio Emergency Service group has its own call sign. The Federal Communications Commission has issued the call KI6QCY to TCARES. We will use this call as the station call for most any TCARES event.

MAY REQUEST FOR OPERATORS
The March of Dimes requested operators for its annual walk in Mooney Grove Park. Yes, I know that a good football arm would make the trip across the arbors, yet they would like us to continue providing communications for the event. If you are interested, please contact Paul Reagan. Paul will be coordinating the event in Mooney Grove.

An ARES Regional Net has sprung up this Spring on the WA6BAI repeater. The net, designed to put Emergency Coordinators in touch with what is taking place around the Southern San Joaquin Valley, kicked off on March 12th at 1930 Hrs Local Time. Dan AE6SX, representing Fresno County, suggested that an informational net begin between the various groups in the area. The Park Ridge repeater seemed a natural since it reaches all of the counties involved.

Participants in the net can check-in representing the various served agencies in the Tulare, Kings, Kern and Fresno areas. “At this time the net does not include the areas to the North, however, that may change,” Hal KC5LUB, stated. “As the need to communicate with our neighboring allied hams changes, we may extend the net to include all of the served counties of (OES) Region V.” One of the goals mentioned is to promote ARES participation and mutual aid across county lines.

The format of the net is simple. After check-ins there is a brief round table discussion amongst the participants. In addition to the local Emergency Coordinators, SATERN (the amateur radio group with the Salvation Army) has been invited to participate. Listen/Check-in: 146.880 – MHz (103.5) at 1930 Hrs Local Time on the second Wednesday of each month.

From the Traffic Report – Tulare County ARES
Thanks to Hal, KC5LUB, EC tulare County ARES