Emergency Communications

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

The following is a report on the monthly Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net that was held on January 3rd, 2005 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. 21 Amateurs, including the Net Control Station, were on frequency. The following were the check-ins:

1. KB1EKN-Mark-Hingham, Metro Boston DEC
2. K1BTH-Blake-Hull, Field Ops DEC
3. N1FLO-John-Attleboro, Sturdy ARES Emergency Coordinator
4. N1BDA-Steve-Concord, Middlesex County ARES DEC
5. K1EJ-Darrel-Chelmsford, Northern Middlesex ARES EC
6. KB1KTR-Kevin-North Billerica, Billerica ARES EC
7. W3EVE-Steve-Wrentham, Norfolk County ARES DEC
8. KA8SCP-Terry-Westford, Region I RACES Radio Officer
9. N1BE-Bob-Stow, Stow ARES Emergency Coordinator
10. WC1PLV/N1IV-Jim-Plainville, Plainville RACES
11. K1ZIK-Ed-Wilmington, Air Force MARS/Wilmington RACES/EMA
12. N1AEW-Ernie-Westford, Region I RACES Radio Operator
13. N1HY-Richard-Bedford, Bedford RACES
14. N1CPE-Tom-Framingham, Mass. State RACES Radio Officer
15. W1PLW-Ron-Marlboro, ARES
16. KB1BXQ-Bob-Wellesley, RACES Radio Officer
17. W1JMC-John-Acton, RACES Radio Officer
18. AA1VU-Marian-Cumberland, RI
19. KB1JLI-Mark-Peabody (Mobile)
20. W1ZSA-Roger-Walpole, Walpole RACES/EMA Director
21. W1AEC/KD1CY-Rob-South Dartmouth, Eastern Mass. ARES SEC (NCS)
Comments/Net Discussion:

Comments and Net Discussion were kicked off by Rob-KD1CY as Net Control. Rob discussed an upcoming ARES DEC Staff Meeting where training and exercise plans for the year were being finalized. Rob is looking forward to a great year for ARES that builds on the momentum gained for 2004 with the DNC and First Night mobilizations for the Red Cross. Rob also mentioned wanting to keep continued active involvement in SKYWARN and that the SKYWARN training schedule is also being worked on as well.

Mark-KB1EKN announced that the MEMA Training Calendar is no longer being published and for further information on training going forward, go to the MEMA web site at http://www.mass.gov/mema

Mark also mentioned ICS classes being run by MEMA in January and that all ARES and SKYWARN members should be prepared to activate for Winter Weather on your local ARES/RACES/SKYWARN repeater.

John-N1FLO mentioned that the 147.195 Attleboro Repeater is being worked on and that the 447.975 machine is now the repeater that the Sturdy Memorial ARES team is utilizing until the 147.195 Repeater is functional. To contact the Sturdy team directly, a liaison needs to be sent to the 440 Repeater. Work is ongoing on the 147.195 repeater. John also mentioned that the monthly ARES Net is a good way for ARES members to practice net control skills and would like to see different people running the ARES nets going forward.

K1ZIK-Ed, who is the Wilmington EMA Director and Air Force MARS Liaison, will be making an announcement to all personnel on the MARS nets to check into this ARES Net and get more involved in ARES in general.

W1JMC-John and KB1KTR-Kevin both mentioned wanting to do more utilization of digital modes. The ARES staff will take that information under advisement and try to work that into a future exercise.

All Amateurs on the air were pleased with having the ARES Net on the same night as the RACES Net and were looking forward to checking into the net next month.

The net ran from 8:30-9:30 PM and special thanks were given to the MMRA Repeater System for use of the linked system.

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

SEC Rob Macedo, KD1CY writes:

“All Eastern Massachusetts ARES personnel are requested to go to Standby Moblization effective 4 PM Saturday, January 22, 2005. A major Nor’easter/blizzard will impact Eastern Massachusetts with 20-30 Inches of snow, potential for snow/wind damage, and moderate coastal flooding. The greatest threat for major infrastructure damage is first and foremost on Cape Cod and the Islands and East Coastal Massachusetts. With Blizzard Warnings now expanded to much of Eastern Massachusetts, there is now a risk for severe and possibly damaging conditions well inland even into parts of Western Massachusetts and that threat will need to be monitored. Once the storm begins, travel will rapdily deteroriate and become potentially life-threatening across the region.

For the standby mobilization, we ask all ARES members to go to their nearest SKYWARN repeater and relay reports of snowfall, wind damage etc. for NWS Taunton. If you are a capable net control or liaison, offer your services in that capacity to help SKYWARN Net Controls. Please see the Blizzard Coordination Message to be posted on the EMa ARES web site and via the SKYWARN email list tomorrow morning for the final email update on SKYWARN Operations.

Given the potential for travel to be paralyzed, any type of ARESMAT or ARES mobilization for shelters that might occur if conditions are bad enough may wait until later in the day Sunday or even Monday. Keep that in mind if such mobilzation is needed. Have your Go Kit prepared and ready to go and any battery operated equipment or generators for home used prepared and ready to use in case the storm warrants use of such equipment. Please stay in touch via Amateur Radio by going to your local SKYWARN Repeater during the event or ARES/RACES repeater once we are in the recovery phase of the storm.”