Services we provide (Mission Statement)
1. Support Commonwealth ESF-2 Mission (MAESF-2) as deliniated in the MASS CEMP.
2. Augment RACES mobilization during the In-disaster phase.
3. Mobilize to provide communication support services for EMA’s/Public Saftety if RACES is not activated during the In-disaster phase.
4. Mobilize to support NGO’s (Non-Governmental Agencies) such as the American Red Cross and Salvation Army (SATERN) during the In-disaster phase.
5. Provide communication support services to Public Service Agencies during the Post-Disaster phase.
6. Mobilize to support NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organizations) such as the American Red Cross and Salvation Army (SATERN) during the Post-disaster phase.
7. Provide ARES Mutual Assistance Teams (MAT) to assist other districts in our section on as needed or requested basis.
8. Launch ARESMAT’s to support Post-Disaster missions out of section, such as our deployments for the Sep 11, 2001 NYC “Ground Zero” effort.
9. Conduct periodic district and section-wide emergency communication exercises, including the annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET) and other communciation exercises on the district and section levels.
10. Host Workshop training sessions several times a year.
11. Support to the emergency communications education program offered by section clubs and online by the ARRL.
12. Support and liaison to clubs with emergency communication teams.
13. Holding of regional ARES nets on various frequencies (please click on net/frequency button on upper left).
14. Retention of the present membership and recruitment of new members.
15. Seemless integration of the EMa ARES program with SKYWARN operations in support of the National Weather Service Taunton County Warning Area.
Thanks again for your interest in our program, and I look forward to working with you. 73,
Robert D Macedo, KD1CY
Section Emergency Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts Section
Our leadership
Rob, KD1CY, is the Eastern Massachusetts (EMa) Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC), and director of the ARES program within EMa, kd1cy@ema.arrl.org
Emergency Operations within our section are focused on six districts roughly organized along county lines, and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) Regions in our section. For information on the leadership and who covers what area, check the main menu of the web site where there is a link to the EMa ARES Org Chart or the ARES leadership staff section which lists all of the leadership with links to their email addresses. This covers the SEC and DEC leadership where the DEC’s also comprise the SEC’s staff and are key advisors to him for operational and policy matters.
Our policy is to give robust support to the RACES program in our section. Our nearly 200 towns and cities are represented by Emergency Coordinators (EC), and Assitant Emergency Coordinators (AEC), who work closely with Emergency Management Agencies (EMA), Public Safety Chiefs, and Public Service Agencies such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
Important Past Events
Aug 2, 2006 – Major Severe Weather Outbreak/Derecho in Southeastern Massachusetts and Surrounding areas of Southern New England
Jul 11, 2006 – Major Severe Weather Outbreak in Northeast Massachusetts
Jun 9, 2006 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES and Massachusetts RACES receives the Governor’s Proclamation of Amateur Radio Week from June 4th-10th
Jun 5, 2006 – Massachusetts Statewide Hurricane Drill
Jun 3, 2006 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES Supports the WX4NHC Communications Test
May 14-21, 2006 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES and SKYWARN Supports National Weather Service and American Red Cross in the Floods of 2006 and Severe Weather Support
Apr 8, 2006 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES Basic Emergency Communications Workshop in Walpole, Mass.
Feb 12, 2006 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES Supports Operations for Blizzard of 2006
Dec 9, 2005 – Heavy Snowfall/Severe Thunderstorm Event where Cape Cod ARES Supports Red Cross Shelter Operations for 36 hours
Oct 17-21, 2005 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES Supports Taunton RACES in the Whittenton Pond Dam Crisis in the city of Taunton, Mass.
Oct 14-16, 2005 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES/SKYWARN Supports the October Floods of 2005
Aug 13, 2005 – ARES Advanced Workshop at Sturdy Memorial Hospital Rice-Webb Auditorium
Jun 6, 2005 – Massachusetts Statewide Hurricane Drill
Jun 4, 2005 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES/NWS Taunton Supports WX4NHC Communications Test
Jun 4, 2005 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES Support for Red Cross for the Department of Homeland Security Operation Atlas-Boston Logan Airport Drill
Apr 4-6, 2005 – Eastern Massachusetts ARESMAT for TOPOFF’2005
Apr 2, 2005 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES Basic Emergency Communications Workshop in Ipswich, Mass.
Jan 22-23, 2005 – Limited ARES mobilization for the Blizzard of 2005
Dec 26-28, 2004 – Cape Cod ARES limited mobilzation for a Major Snow Storm on Cape Cod
Aug 28, 2004 – Eastern Massachusetts ARES Advanced Emergency Communications Workshop at SEMARA in South Dartmouth, Mass.
Jul 26-30, 2004 – Limited ARES Mobilization in support of the Democratic National Convention
April 28, 2004 – EMa ARES Workshop conducted by the EMa ARES leadership at the Hingham Community Center, Hingham, MA
April 19, 2004 – ARES mobilizes in stand-by mode to support activation of the State EOC during the annual Boston Marathon
April 3, 2004 – EMa ARES Workshop conducted by the EMa ARES leadership at the Littleton Public Library in Littleton, MA
March 6, 2004 – SKYWARN leadership meeting at the Tauton National Weather Service Office.
February 21, 2004 – Section-wide Winter Emergency Communications Exercise
December 31, 2003 – ARES mobilizes in stand-by mode during “First Night” celebrations while nation was at ORANGE terrorist warning level
November 8, 2003 – 2002 SET for the EMa Section. All 6 districts participated
November 1, 2003 – EMa ARES Workshop conducted by the EMa ARES leadership at the Littleton Public Library in Littleton, MA
August 14, 2003 – ARES mobilizes in stand-by mode to be ready for possible spread of massive region power black out.
August 9, 2003 – EMa ARES Workshop conducted by the EMa ARES leadership at the
SEMARA Club (W1AEC) in New Bedford, MA
June 23-24, 2003 – EMa and EMa ARES staffs visit EMa field sites during the weekend, sharing Governor’s “Amateur Radio Day” proclamation with participants
April 26, 2003 – “Surprise” notification and recall drill in the section
April 21, 2003 – ARES mobilizes in stand-by mode to support activation of the State EOC during the annual Boston Marathon.
March 29, 2003 – EMa ARES Workshop conducted by the EMa ARES leadership at the Oakridge School in Sandwich, MA
February 8, 2003 – Section-wide Winter Emergency Communications Exercise
December 7, 2002 – SKYWARN leadership meeting at the Tauton National Weather Service Office.
November 9, 2002 – 2002 SET for the EMa Section. All 6 districts participated, 5 of which with teams and simulated EOC’s.
October 26, 2002 – EMa ARES Workshop conducted by the EMa ARES leadership at the Sturdy Memorial Hospital, courtesy of the Hospital and the SMHARA.
August 24, 2002 – EMa SEC hosts seminar featuring all NE division SEC’s. SKYWARN DEC and Norfolk District DEC give SKYWARN update, and 9/11 ARESMAT presentations, respectively.
June 22-23, 2002 – EMa and EMa ARES staffs visit EVERY field site during the weekend, setting new record.
April 15, 2002 – ARES mobilizes in stand-by mode to support activation of the State EOC during the annual Boston Marathon.
March 23, 2002 – Exercise with Massachusetts RACES to makeup 2001 SET posponed due to 9/11/2001 events.
February 2, 2002 – EMa ARES Workshop conducted by the EMa ARES leadership at the Peabody Masonic Temple, courtesy of the Temple and the NSRA.
September 12-28, 2001 – EMa ARES formal mobilization and then launching of ARES MAT in support of the NYC “Ground Zero” effort.
For more information…
You can get much more detail on the EMa ARES program and our activities by clicking on the link to the upper left. Please also join us at our EMa ARES Net on the first Monday of every month at 2030 on the Minute Man Radio Assoication (MMRA) Repeater System (except on legal holidays where the net will meet on the second Monday of each month). All ARES Members and non-members are welcome, whether or not you reside in the EMa Section. For more information on the MMRA repeater network and frequency/PL assignments, and other information on this outstanding club please visit www.mmra.org on the World Wide Web.
If you are interested in ARES membership and emergency communication training opportunities, please click on the link to the upper left entitled “Membership Information” and Training Opportunities”, respectively. To join ARES, you can click the “Join Us” link to access our Eastern Massachusetts ARES Online Registration Form and Database. There are some vacancies in all leadership catagories, and RACES officers are always welcome to apply.