EMA Hams featured in ARRL Web Story: “Across New England and the Maritimes Respond to Blizzard”

“As a blizzard swept across New England February 9-10, SKYWARN was ready. The storm dumped heavy snowfall — with some areas receiving upwards of 3 feet of snow — as blizzard conditions brought hurricane force winds that created power outages and significant tree and power line damage over Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, helped lead operations at WX1BOX, the Amateur Radio station at the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts, where hams were active for 28 continuous hours.”

[Full story]

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Standby Lifted as of 800 AM Tuesday February 12th, 2013

Hello to all..

***EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES STAND-BY SECURED FOR ALL AREAS AT 8 AM TUESDAY AS SHLTERS CLOSE, POWER IS RESTORED AND CAPE COD ARES OPERATIONS SECURES.***

A major winter storm/nor’easter pounded the Eastern Massachusetts Section with heavy snow, blizzard conditions, and strong to damaging winds with the strong to damaging winds particularly affecting coastal areas. For further specific information on impacts for the section, see the latest post-Blizzard Coordination Message link listed below that has greater details on the event post Blizzard.

http://www.wx1box.org/node/3259

On Monday, Mike Leger-N1YLQ and Rob Macedo-KD1CY went to Cape Cod to support an ARESMAT at the request of Cape Cod ARES to support the Falmouth Shelter and Mutual Aid Coordination Center (MACC) operations working with several members of Cape Cod ARES. Over the course of the day, conditions steadily improved resulting in 2 shelters closing. As of this morning, NSTAR reported approximately 29,000 people without power versus over 100,000 for much of the day Monday. Operations continue to wind down and the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Standby has since been lifted.

We appreciate everyone who supported operations with damage reports, pictures, and snowfall reports and those who deployed during the blizzard. Please continue to send any damage photos and after action reports for the blizzard. Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Standby Activation for Blizzard Operations Continues Through Tuesday 2/12/13 at 8 AM EDT

Hello to all..

***EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES TO CONTINUES STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS THROUGH 8 AM TUESDAY DUE TO ACTIVE ARES OPERATIONS ON CAPE COD.***

A major winter storm/nor’easter pounded the Eastern Massachusetts Section with heavy snow, blizzard conditions, and strong to damaging winds with the strong to damaging winds particularly affecting coastal areas. For further specific information on impacts for the section, see the latest post-Blizzard Coordination Message link listed below that has greater details on the event post Blizzard.

http://www.wx1box.org/node/3258

The mission has now shifted from response to recovery operations. The area that is most active is across Cape Cod and the Islands where widespread power outages occurred due to the combination of damaging to hurricane force winds with heavy wet snow accumulation. Across Southeast Massachusetts and Cape Cod and the Islands at the height of the storm, over 400,000 were without power. This has been brought down to approximately 105,000 as of this morning.

If you have not already done so, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC of your availability to support a potential deployment to Cape Cod and the Islands if required. This is to support parnter agencies such as Red Cross, Salvation Army, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) etc. in Cape Cod and the Islands that are active.

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Standby Activation for 2/8/13-2/9/13 Blizzard Operations

Hello to all..

***EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES TO GO ON STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS BEGINNING AT 10 AM EST FRIDAY MORNING FEBRUARY 8TH, 2013 THROUGH 11 PM SUNDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 10 2013 DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF MOBILIZATION DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF THE MAJOR WINTER STORM/BLIZZARD TO THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION.***
***SKYWARN ACTIVATION WITH OPS AT NWS TAUNTON WILL COMMENCE NO LATER THAN 2 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS NOON FRIDAY AND LAST THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING**

A major winter storm/nor’easter will likely pound the Eastern Massachusetts Section with heavy snow, blizzard conditions, and strong to damaging winds with the strong to damaging winds particularly affecting coastal areas. Blizzard/Winter Storm/High Wind/Coastal Flood Warnings are in effect for much of the Eastern Massachusetts section. For further specific information on warnings in effect for the section, see the latest Blizzard Coordination Message link listed below that has greater details on the storm scenario.

http://www.wx1box.org/node/3255

We’d like to have ARES personnel assist with SKYWARN reporting of measured snowfall, any changeover in precipitation in extreme Southeast Massachusetts, snow/wind damage reports and by providing damage and storm related pictures where possible. Keep your situational awareness level high for any updates from ARES leadership by checking your email for updates and our ARES web site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org, monitoring local SKYWARN/ARES/RACES frequencies and reporting into the nets and monitor local media on this potentially significant storm.

If you have not already done so, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime from now through Monday February 11th, 2013. This is to support parnter agencies (Red Cross, Salvation Army, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) etc.) that are also on some form of standby. The Massachusetts State EOC and its regional offices are in a partial activation mode with RACES staffing at certain regional offices.

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org

Reminder: Monthly Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net for February 2013

Hello to all…

A reminder that the monthly ARES Net for February is rapidly approaching. The monthly ARES Net for February is Monday February 4th, 2013, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. This is after the MEMA Nets earlier in the evening. For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_index_by_linkstate.html

In addition, if the Echo-IRLP node on the MMRA hub is available, we will likely link that to the New England Reflector system on IRLP 9123/Echolink Conference *NEW-ENG* Node: 9123.

Make this first Monday of the month, “Emergency Communications Night” and check into your local RACES Net and then check into the ARES Net on the MMRA Repeater System. We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net.

We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org

Monthly Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net – Saturday February 2nd, 2013

Hello to all,

Net Control for February’s Eastern MA Hospital Net will be the Falmouth Hospital ARES group. They will be running the net from the Falmouth Hospital. The net will commence at the usual time of 10am using the following repeaters in the order listed.

W. Bridgewater 146.775 dpl 244
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9
Simplex 147.42

Returning to W. Bridgewater 146.775 dpl 244 for final comments and net closing.

NET Protocol: When asked to check in by Net by Net Control please use the standard net check in procedure which is:   Here is.., un-key, wait 3 seconds to check for doubling, then give your facility’s call sign, facility name, your first Name. Alternatively If your facility does not have it’s own call sign, Your call sign, Your Name, and the facility you are located at or facility / group represented.

If you unable to reach a specific repeater please monitor the next system in the rotation and wait for the net to arrive. If you lose contact with the rotation and are not sure where the net is currently located, South Shore Hospital will continue to monitor the Plymouth Repeater during the Net. You can check with us (W1SSH) on Plymouth and ask where the Net is currently located.

If any group or organization would like to run the Net from their facility as Net Control please let us know. We would like to rotate the Net Control duty among as many facilities as possible.
 
We would like to extend an invitation to the EOC of any city or town that is served by one of our participating hospitals to join the Net. During an event it is quite likely that these locations will be activated, and the need to communicate with health care facilities via amateur radio may become a real possibility. Any hospital not part of the net is welcome to join. If you are unable to join due to a lack of equipment or personal please contact us or Carl Aveni at caave@peoplepc.com for assistance in getting your location on the air.  
The following list repeaters are available for us to use to conduct the Nets. Only a few systems are used each month with the selection of those used made by Net Control for that month. 

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3  
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5     
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0 
Fairhaven 145.490 tone 67.0   
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9 
Norwell 145.390 tone 67.0     
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5  
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8       
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5   
W. Bridgewater 146.775 dpl 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

We look forward to hearing you all on the Net.

Respectfully,
John O’Neill – K1JRO

W1SSH

South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club – W1SSH

55 Fogg Road, Mail Stop #40
South Weymouth, MA 02190