Emergency Communications

The Massachusetts Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross has requested Eastern MA ARES to assist in the Operation Atlas-Boston Logan Airport Drill on May 7, 2005. The drill is being conducted by the Department of Homeland Security.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in Connecticut in this week’s massive TOPOFF 3 exercise drew high praise from the American Red Cross, as reported on the ARRL Web’s on-line article, High Praise for Amateur Radio Follows ARES’ TOPOFF 3 Performance. Augmenting the Connecticut ARES volunteers were several ARES members from Eastern MA, including Section Manager Mike Neilsen, W1MPN.

Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC, paid Neilsen “and his dedicated, professional team” high complements for their participation in TOPOFF 3. “This was a great example of how two ARRL sections can work together,” Doane said. “It was a real pleasure having them on board.”

ARRL Connecticut SM Betsey Doane, K1EIC (left), and Eastern Massachusetts SM Mike Neilsen, W1MPN, interviewed by a newspaper reporter from Norwich.

There will be a MARS Exercise on Saturday April 9th, 2005. This exercise is being held for MARS stations to practice gathering tactical and formal message traffic and have that traffic turned into “EEI’s” or Essential Elements of Information.

On Saturday April 9th, Liaison frequencies that will be utilized for the MARS Emergency Exercise will be 7243 during the Day, 3943 in the evening along with nets on the 146.97-Paxton Repeater at 10 AM, 2 PM, and 6 PM. This information was given through a NTS RACES Traffic Message written by Bob Mims, Region II RACES Radio Officer and Southern New England Army MARS Coordinator.

This is an opportunity for Eastern Massachusetts ARES and NTS to continue its partnership and cooperation with MARS. Recently, the ARRL has expanded its partnership with MARS and we are continuing what the national organization would like to see completed across the country. Please support the exercise and bring some tactical and formal traffic that MARS can transfer into EEI’s for their exercise.Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo
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Rob Macedo, KD1CY, ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator writes:

****Eastern MA ARES to Stand Down from Standby Mobilization for Possible Flooding****

Luckily, the heaviest rainfall past west of Southern New England, some flooding did occur in parts of the area and there was even strong winds and wind damage in parts of Southeastern New England but the region was spared major flooding and problems from this latest Spring storm and ARES can standdown effective immediately.

****EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES STAND-BY ACTIVATION REQUESTED FOR POTENTIAL WIDESPREAD RIVER AND STREAM FLOOD EVENT IN OR CLOSE TO THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION BEGINNING AT 7 PM SATURDAY LASTING THROUGH SUNDAY****

****FORMAL SKYWARN ACTIVATION WITH OPS AT NWS TAUNTON TO COMMENCE AT 4 PM EDT****

****FURTHER UPDATES OR STAND-DOWN MESSAGE TO BE POSTED AS NEEDED****

Chuck Cooper, K1CHC writes:

There will be an Eastern Mass ARES EmComm Workshop on Saturday April 2 at the Ipswich High and Middle School for anyone interested. Workshop will run from 9:00 AM until around 3-4:00 PM.

Please pass the word among the Regions or to any organization that would be interested in attending.

I can best be reached via cell phone at 978-265-5749.

Home phone 978-356-2826
Office Phones 978-356-4343, 978-356-6645
E-mail: detectives@town.ipswich.ma.us, coopsail@rcn.com

73,

Chuck Cooper
Ipswich Emergency Management Director

Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY writes:

The ARES Exercise scheduled for Saturday March 12th, 2005 has been cancelled. The reason for the cancellation is that we have had numerous ARES and SKYWARN Activations for what has been a very active winter in Eastern Massachusetts. The latest activation on Monday Evening February 28th into Tuesday Morning March 1st had numerous Amateurs up through the night monitoring coastal flooding, reporting snowfall and reporting damage and power outages from the heavy, wet snow that fell over the region. [Full story]

The ARES Exercise scheduled for Saturday March 12th, 2005 has been cancelled. The reason for the cancellation is that we have had numerous ARES and SKYWARN Activations for what has been a very active winter in Eastern Massachusetts. The latest activation on Monday Evening February 28th into Tuesday Morning March 1st had numerous Amateurs up through the night monitoring coastal flooding, reporting snowfall and reporting damage and power outages from the heavy, wet snow that fell over the region. Luckily, damage was not significant enough to result in shelter operations in the areas most affected by damage and power outages, which was Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod and the Islands.

This exercise scenario will be utilized at another time, potentially for the Fall SET in the October-November timeframe. A scenario had been drawn up for this exercise in advance and will simply need a frequency plan and some minor edits and the exercise will be fully planned.As far as further exercises, Eastern Massachusetts ARES will have a remote support role in the TOPOFF exercise that will be occurring in Connecticut the week of Monday April 4th through Friday April 8th. Most ARES personnel in the section will be asked to support that remote function in some form and further details will follow in later postings. In addition, the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section will be attempting to organize an ARESMAT to support Connecticut ARES with a team sent into Connecticut to perform the various functions Connecticut ARES has requested. Those that we select for the ARESMAT team will be done by invitation only with the invites being sent by myself or the DEC for the appropriate area contacting specific individuals to see if they are interested in supporting the ARESMAT. There shall be no self-deployments into Connecticut for TOPOFF as if you have not been properly registered and have credentials, you will not be allowed to participate and could result in serious legal consequences if you show up without going through the proper process. Also, during the week of the TOPOFF exercise, MARS will be having an exercise on Sunday April 9th and further details on that exercise will follow in later postings.

After the exercise in early April, a Statewide Hurricane Exercise will be done on the first Monday of June 2005. This is typically a MEMA Region II exercise but this year, it will be expanded to be a statewide exercise. Further details on this exercise will also follow in later postings.

This is shaping up to be another active year for Eastern Massachusetts ARES in 2005. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact your local EC/DEC or myself with those questions or feedback.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo 1

Eastern MA ARES is requesting ARES members and teams prepare for participation in a section wide exercise on Saturday, March 12th from 10 AM-1 PM. This scenario will focus on the aftermath of an ice storm. [Full story]

Frank O’Laughlin, WQ1O writes on mass_races_ares_skywarn@yahoogroups.com:

There will be a Cape & Islands ARES Exercise this Saturday Feb. 12th from 10am-12pm. It is a rescheduled exercise that was postponed due to the Blizzard of 2005.

Several stations, including our primary field team will be using NVIS 40m at 7232khz +-10khz. A
secondary will be at 7275khz +-10khz. Any stations wishing to check in are welcome to do so. We will also be operating 6m, and will attempt to use the 6m MEMA RACES repeater and some possible SSB at 50.225mhz.

Our primary field site will be utilizing multiple bands/modes. Simultaneous operation will be conducted on 2m,6m,440,75m, and packet 145.010.

Thanks

73 Frank WQ1O
Cape & Islands ARES DEC

An exercise for the Eastern Massachusetts Section has been scheduled for Saturday March 12th, 2005 from 10 AM-1 PM. All ARES teams across the section are urged to participate in the exercise. The scenario will be finalized and announced within the next couple of weeks. [Full story]

An exercise for the Eastern Massachusetts Section has been scheduled for Saturday March 12th, 2005 from 10 AM-1 PM. All ARES teams across the section are urged to participate in the exercise. The scenario will be finalized and announced within the next couple of weeks.

Exercises are very important to an ARES organization particularly in a section like Eastern Massachusetts which rarely sees a major mobilization due to significant infrastructure loss over a wide area. Exercises have been the main-stay of the ARES organization in Eastern Massachusetts for several years and we look forward to your participation and cooperation.Further information on the exercise will follow in the next several weeks. If you have any immediate questions please contact me or your ARES DEC or EC. Look for further updates via email and on the ARES Web Site.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo 1

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo 1