All / Emergency Communications

UPDATE: Eastern Massachusetts ARES Stand-By Mobilization Effective 8 PM EDT Sunday March 14th, 2010 for Major Nor'easter

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Hello to all..

***MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR THE IMPACTS OF THE MAJOR NOREASTER THAT HAS IMPACTED THE COMMONWEALTH***

***EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES CONTINUES STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF MOBILIZATION STARTING AT 8 PM ET SUNDAY AND HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON MARCH 20TH 12 PM ET DUE TO MAJOR STORM THAT IS ONGOING AND CAUSING SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IN PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION AS WELL AS BROUGHT POCKETS OF WIND DAMAGE TO THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION***
***OTHER AREAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THIS SITUATION FOR ANY SIGNIFCANT CHANGES***

***SKYWARN ACTIVATION WITH OPS AT NWS TAUNTON WILL TEMPORARILY SECURE AT APPROXIMATELY 10 PM MONDAY EVENING AND REACTIVATE ON TUESDAY FOR THE IMPACT OF THIS MAJOR STORM BEFORE SECURING BY TUESDAY EVENING***  

A significant coastal storm continues to affect the region with significant river, stream and urban flooding. Secondarily, the storm has brought down pockets of trees and power lines across portions of the Eastern Massachusetts section.  Due to the significant flooding and pockets of wind damage that has been reported, we have placed Eastern Massachusetts ARES in stand-by mode from 8 PM ET Sunday Evening and extended the standby mobilization status through 12 PM ET Saturday Afternoon in the event that support is requested by our served agencies.  There have been numerous reports of significant flooding which has included evacuation of apartment complexes. Winds to near hurricane force on Cape Cod and the Islands and wind gusts to 50 MPH or more have occurred in the Eastern Massachusetts section. Another round of winds with gusts to 50-60 MPH will occur overnight before the storm finally departs from the region Tuesday. A complete listing of storm damage reports and current NWS-Taunton statements can be found at: 

Local Storm Report:  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.nwus51.KBOX.html

Public Information Statement:  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.nous41.KBOX.html

Coastal Flood Advisory:  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

Flood Warning:  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wgus41.KBOX.html

Flood Statement: http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wgus81.KBOX.html

The Massachusetts STATE EOC and Regional offices are now in a full activation mode to monitor the progress of this storm.  Other than local support at the city/town level, there have been no formal requests for widespread assistance from our served agencies (i.e.: Red Cross and Salvation Army among others) in Eastern MA and our Eastern Massachusetts ARES leadership continues to closely monitor this changing situation.  It is noted that 2 regional American Red Cross shelters have been opened which are the Arlington School in Lawrence and the Brockton High school in Brockton. To date, phone services continue to be in place but that could change, as rivers are still not at the point of cresting. In addition, auxiliary support resources by served agencies such as the Red Cross may be utilized for damage assessment similar to what was done in the May Floods of 2006. A request of this type occurred several days after the floods and the storm had passed. Therefore, the ARES Stand-By mobilization has been extended in case such an agency request occurs. 

We’d like to have ARES personnel continue to assist with SKYWARN reporting of any river, stream, urban flooding, wind damage and power outages, along with reports of coastal flooding.   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.

Please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime over the next week through Sunday March 22nd. Please copy your ASEC and SEC when you send a note to your EC/ADEC. This is being done to cover a situation where the EC/ADEC or DEC is unavailable because they were adversely affected by the storm, out of area or some other exigency has occurred.

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

 

 

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State Government Liaison (SGL): K3HI Cell Phone Legislation Bill Update

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Hello to all..

Please see info on the Cell Phone Legislation Bill as provided by State Government Liasion (SGL) Shawn O’Donnell-K3HI. The bill which currently includes the exemption ammendments for Amateur Radio and other Two-way radio communications is in the ‘house-senate’ conference committee and Shawn describes what we can do next to make sure our ammendments remain in the bill once it comes out of conference committee and potentially goes to a full vote, DE Rob-KD1CY.

Everyone–

The representatives from the House on the conference committee, as confirmed in the House Journal for Monday, are

Joseph Wagner of Chicopee
Michael Costello of Newburyport
Donald Humason of Westfield

The Senate representatives, if Senator’s aide has it right, are

Steven Baddour of Methuen
Stephen Brewer of Barre
Robert Hedlund of Weymouth

Wagner and Baddour are the co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation.  Hedlund was co-sponsor of one of the amendments that granted amateur radio an exemption in the Senate version of the bill.  So we have a friend on the committee. 

As for your right to petition the government…

I don’t get the sense that direct communications with these conference committee members, even from their constituents, will have much effect.  These guys get their marching orders from the House/Senate leadership.  It would perhaps be more effective for us to contact our own representative and senator, and ask them to urge their chamber to support the two amendments in S2290 that recognize the important contributions of amateur radio.  If the leadership hears from enough representatives & senators, we’ll be in good shape. 

–Shawn

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Waltham ARA Raises Funds for Courage Center Handiham

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Waltham PHI logoMembers of the Waltham Amateur Radio Association recently embarked upon a project to benefit the Courage Center Handiham program, and to honor the memory of long-time member and Silent Key, Laurie Cote, KC1BN.

A Cote family member contacted Handiham in November, 2009 to inform them that KC1BN had left a sizeable amount of ham equipment from his estate to the non-profit organization based in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Handiham’s Manager, Pat Tice, WA0TDA reached out to Eastern MA Handiham volunteer instructor Phil Temples, K9HI.

Handiham very much appreciated the generous gift from Laurie,” explained Temples. “But the Handiham staff were not easily able to take possession and liquidate the equipment.” That’s when Temples thought to approach Laurie’s home club, the Waltham Amateur Radio Association and seek their help.

“I suggested to WA0TDA that it might make sense to enlist the aid of WARA to sell the equipment from Laurie’s estate, retain a portion of the proceeds, and donate the remainder to the Handiham program. Pat agreed.” Temples added, “I thought it would both honor an organization that Laurie admired, and afford WARA the opportunity to honor Laurie’s memory.”

All parties were agreeable, so K9HI presented the idea at a Waltham ARA meeting in January, 2010. WARA’s Vice President, John Flood, KB1FQG enthusiastically agreed; he volunteered to spearhead the project.

“I’m glad that WARA is able to help the Handiham group with this project,” said Flood. “I do remember hearing that [Laurie] liked the work they do. He wanted to do something like this to help Handiham.”

Flood spent many hours cataloging and testing equipment from Cote’s estate, as well as advertising the items on the club’s mailing list. The response has been very positive: to date, over $3,500 has been collected from sales, with an additional $1,000 expected in the coming weeks.

“Thank you so much for your hard work on our behalf,” wrote Pat Tice, WA0TDA to Flood on behalf of WARA.

“I want to add my thanks for all the hard work [KB1FQG] and other Waltham ARA members have contributed to this project on behalf of Laurie’s family and the two organizations,” added K9HI.

The Courage Center Handiham System is a national program that provides tools for people with disabilities to learn Amateur Radio and technology skills, and to earn their Amateur Radio licenses.

The Waltham Amateur Radio Association is an ARRL-affiliated club, established in 1938. Its repeater site is located on Prospect Hill in Waltham, MA.

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Cell Phone Bill Legislation Update from K3HI State Government Liaison

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Hello to all..

The following is an update from State Government Liaison Shawn O’Donnell-K3HI on the Cell Phone Bill Legislation:

Last Thursday, I was told by a Senate Ways & Means staffer that there was no schedule for hearing the bill; by Friday, they had edited & published an amended version of the bill.

The Senate’s version of H4475 is called S2290.  It removes the requirement for hands-free cell phones for the over-18 crowd.  It still bans all cell phone use for junior drivers, and it still prohibits text messaging for everyone, but the hand-held phone/radio rule is gone from this version of the bill.

Full text is available at http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/186/st02pdf/st02290.pdf

The Senate is expected to debate & vote on this tomorrow, 2 March.  If they approve this altered version of the bill, then the House & Senate will have to go to a conference committee to hammer out a mutually agreeable version that they can both approve.  Once a bill makes it out of conference, it moves rapidly.

It’s impossible to say what S2290 will look like if it makes it through the Senate.  There could be numerous amendments introduced from the floor during debate.  At this point, however, it looks like the part of the bill that was most threatening to us has been removed. Whether it will stay removed after debate, or after conference committee–who knows.  So it might still be nice for a ham radio exemption to make it in there.  If it doesn’t, we’ll just have to hope that the Senate version prevails.

Phone calls to Senators’ offices today, Monday the 1st, or early tomorrow, the 2nd, could be helpful.  Please pass the word.  For today & tomorrow, we need calls to Senators, not Representatives.  We can call the Representatives once we learn what happens in the Senate.

73,Rob-KD1CY.

 

All / Emergency Communications

Reminder: Monthly Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net for March 2010

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Hello to all…

A reminder that the monthly ARES Net for March is rapidly approaching. The monthly ARES Net for March is Monday March 1st, 2010, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. This is after the RACES 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 and the repeaters that will be linked in will be through Hub 1:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/map.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 the 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

All / Emergency Communications

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Secure at 18:00

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Hello to all…

***EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES SECURED FROM ALL OPERATIONS AS OF 18:00 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28***
 
***PLEASE SEND AFTER ACTION COMMENTS TO YOUR EC OR DEC***
 
***SKYWARN ACTIVATION POSSIBLE NEXT 24-48 HOURS FOR UPCOMING STORM SYSTEM – SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS***

The following is the final sit-rep to update the ARES activities that have been taking place in the Eastern Massachusetts section barring any significant changes to the incident.   After supporting the American Red Cross Northeast Massachusetts chapter on Saturday, no requests for support were received on Sunday.  Power outages across Massachusetts have been reduced to below 2,000 total affected customers from National Grid, again most centered on the North Shore area.  Therefore, we will allow Eastern Massachusetts ARES to stand down effective 18:00 this evening.  In the unlikely event additional support requests are received, local activations may take place but the threat for a wide-scale ARES operation has now passed. 
 
A significant number of power outages remain in NH (approximately 87,000) even with approximately 2/3 of customers restored,  however we have not received any support requests from our New Hampshire ARES neighbors.  Eastern MA ARES staff will continue to closely monitor the situation in the event an ARES-MAT request does come through, however this is also considered unlikely and we wish our friends to the north a rapid recovery from the storm as well.
 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every ARES operator who volunteered their availability in the event additional support was requested or required.  Remember, it takes a team of operators to make Eastern MA ARES the success that it has become – no one individual can take the reins alone.   All of your support is tremendously appreciated.
 
If you have any damage pictures from this event, please send them along to your EC or DEC or directly to myself (kb1kqw@nsradio.org) for use by Emergency Management and National Weather Service officials, along with an upcoming SKYWARN recap video that will incorporate this storm.  All pictures are helpful and we thank you in advance for sending them along.
 
Please send any after-action comments that you may have to your DEC or local EC who will relay this information to Eric-KA1NCF and myself, and all comments will be reviewed by EMA ARES staff at an upcoming meeting.  All feedback is appreciated, either negative or positive, and will be used to refine our future operations.
 
Looking towards the future, a storm system will affect portions of the region with some winter weather, strong winds, and a potential for coastal flooding along the Eastern Massachusetts coast.  SKYWARN activation of some form is possible over the next 24-48 hours, so please stay tuned to your email for any potential activation messages.  The following statements have been issued:
 
Winter Weather Advisory (Essex County):  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html
Coastal Flood Watch (Eastern MA Coast):  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html
Wind Advisory (Cape and Islands):  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html
Flood Warnings (Continued):  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wgus81.KBOX.html

Again, a heartfelt thanks to everyone for either deploying or standing ready to deploy.  It has been a pleasure to work with all of you and thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Jim Palmer – KB1KQW
Eastern Massachusetts Asst. Section Emergency Coordinator
North-side Operations

Carl Aveni – N1FY
Eastern Massachusetts Asst. Section Emergency Coordinator
South-side Operations

All / Emergency Communications

ARESMAT SITREP #2

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Hello to all…

***EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES RETURNED TO STAND-BY STATUS UNTIL 6PM SUNDAY FOR NORTHSHORE / MIDDLESEX / METRO BOSTON DISTRICTS BUT ALL AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR***

***NO NEW REQUESTS FOR SERVICE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, HOWEVER THE POTENTIAL REMAINS FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT REQUESTS OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS***

***ARES LEADERSHIP CONTINUES TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE SITUATION***

The following is a sit-rep to update the ARES activities that have been taking place in the Eastern Massachusetts section.   A limited ARES deployment took place today at 12:00 at the Newbury Red Cross shelter to support damage assessment and shelter operations.  Four operators traveled to the shelter in the event additional communications were necessary to assist with the operation, however by early afternoon ops had ended early and ARES members remained at the shelter through the afternoon to provide additional support if required and secured at 18:00 with no major incidents taking place.  The following operators were deployed: 

Charlie Rocheleau – W1CPR
Andy Kulhavy – KB1PGF
Bruce Pigott – KC1US
Jim Palmer – KB1KQW (On-site coordination with American Red Cross officials) 

While the activity this afternoon was minimal, this proved a fantastic training exercise as well as an opportunity to continue to network with our served agency partners in Northeast Massachusetts.  All activity was conducted on the Danvers NSRA 145.47 ARES/SKYWARN repeater with the Gloucester CAARA 145.13 repeater at the ready in the event coverage on Danvers was less than expected.  Thanks to both clubs, as well as all our operators who were ready to provide support in the event additional requests were received. 

As of 17:30 on Saturday, the number of reported power outages was approximately 17,500 with a majority of these outages centered over the North Shore through National Gird.  There are still several communities that have a large number of outages with local residents seeking shelter for the evening.  A few shelters remain open across the region (Newbury remains open this evening with a few occupants) with a minimal amount of occupancy reported through early afternoon at other area shelters; however this may change with time depending on weather conditions overnight and through tomorrow if it appears power restoration will take longer than expected.  With this expected to last through Sunday, we must remain vigilant in the event an additional request to support sheltering or recovery operations takes place.  In the event it looks unlikely further deployments will take place, ARES will be allowed to secure by early Sunday evening.   

Please continue to coordinate your availability for Sunday with your DEC or local EC who will relay this information to Eric-KA1NCF and myself.  Remember to take this time to check your go-kits to ensure everything is prepared for operations.  Your DEC and EC are all available to answer any questions you may have regarding this operation.

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,

Jim Palmer – KB1KQW
Eastern Massachusetts Asst. Section Emergency Coordinator
North-side Operations

Carl Aveni – N1FY
Eastern Massachusetts Asst. Section Emergency Coordinator
South-side Operations

All / Emergency Communications

ARESMAT SITREP #1

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Hello to all…

***EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES HAS BEEN FULLY ACTIVATED FOR ESSEX – MIDDLESEX – SUFFOLK COUNTIES TO SUPPORT POTENTIAL SHELTER OR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT OPERATIONS FOR THE AMERICAN RED CROSS OF NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS UNTIL 6PM SUNDAY***

***REMAINING COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION ON ARES STAND-BY STATUS NOW UNTIL 6PM SUNDAY***

***NO FORMAL DEPLOYMENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE AT THIS TIME WHILE ARES LEADERHSIP CONTINUES TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE SITUATION***

The following is a sit-rep to update the ARES activities that are currently ongoing in the Eastern Massachusetts section.   ARES teams in the North Shore, Middlesex, and Metro Boston areas have been put on activation due to request for potential support of the American Red Cross of Northeast Massachusetts.  We have been requested to potentially provide operators to assist with shelter communications or to assist with point-to-point communications during damage assessment operations.  The exact needs are still being refined through ongoing communication with Red Cross officials.   

As of this update, no formal deployments have taken place, and we do not expect to have any operators deploy until Saturday morning.  It is certainly possible that after future coordination, it will be determined that support is no longer necessary.  However, due to the remaining power outages in the area, we will remain on a heightened state of alert through the weekend in the event that the situation deteriorates further and additional requests for support come through.  Please coordinate your availability with your DEC or EC who will relay this information to Eric-KA1NCF and myself.  Even if deployments become unnecessary, this is the perfect time to check your go-kits to ensure everything is prepared for operations.  Your DEC and EC are all available to answer any questions you may have regarding this operation.

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,

Jim Palmer – KB1KQW
Eastern Massachusetts Asst. Section Emergency Coordinator
North-side Operations

Carl Aveni – N1FY
Eastern Massachusetts Asst. Section Emergency Coordinator
South-side Operations

All / Emergency Communications

ARES Team Mobilization – Important Update

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North Shore ARES Notification #1  Red Cross, Newburyport Request for Support

OVERVIEW – Updated

North Shore ARES moved to full activation status by KB1KQW and KA1NCF effective Friday afternoon at 13:00 due to request for help by Red Cross Newburyport.  Numerous power outages remain and shelters operation are being planned as well as some Disaster Assessment teams being deployed.  Shelters are for displaced residents and this is expected to continue through at least Sunday night.

Please continue to send your availability to ares@nsradio.org.

SUMMARY

*  North Shore ARES is currently in FULL ACTIVATION mode for ARES-MAT support to affected areas.
*  Pictures of damage or coastal flooding are requested by FEMA from this event, please send to pics@nsradio.org.
*  The next update to this message will be Friday late afternoon as information becomes available, time and information permitting.

JRP/ENH
Eric Horwitz  KA1NCF
North Shore ARES District Emergency Coordinator

All / Emergency Communications

ARES Team Mobilization – Important Update

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North Shore ARES Notification #1 – Red Cross, Newburyport Request for Support

OVERVIEW – Updated
 
North Shore ARES moved to full activation status by KB1KQW and KA1NCF effective Friday afternoon at 13:00 due to request for help by Red Cross Newburyport.  Numerous power outages remain and shelters operation are being planned as well as some Disaster Assessment teams being deployed.  Shelters are for displaced residents and this is expected to continue through at least Sunday night.

TIMEFRAME OF ACTIVATION / FREQUENCIES – Updated

North Shore ARES remains active is fully active at this time and lasting through Sunday evening – subject to change. 
At this Time we are looking for people who can be available between now until Sunday Night as needed as the information comes into us we will provide instruction.
Deployment instructions will only be provided by e-mail if additional deployment becomes necessary.

Please continue provide pictures of storm damage and recovery operations through email at pics@nsradio.org.

AGENCY SUPPORT – Updated
 
ARES-MAT support has been requested into portions of Northern Essex County, in the Newbury area for communications between shelters and their Red Cross office.  As well as a few to be deployed with Desater asesment teams for local Communications.

Support is expected to start Late Today or Tomorrow and continue through Sunday night and does have the potential to last through Monday if conditions do not improve in the affected areas. 
Please continue to monitor your email and the Danvers Repeater for further updates as they become available.

Deployment instructions will only be provided by e-mail if additional deployment becomes necessary.
 
 
REQUEST FOR AVAILABILITY – Updated
 
We seek available stations to assist with various recovery operations currently being planned.  Some of these operations may include mobile operations, base operations, net control stations, and field ARES opportunities, which will be refined in the near future. 
 
Note:  Please let us know if you are available FROM FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY, along with specific times and means to contact you.  Remember, please DO NOT SELF DEPLOY!  It is just as high an honor to submit your readiness as it is to work in the field. 
 
If deployed, you will need a mobile radio, power supply, antenna, coax, microphone, and an HT for backup communications.   Please also have backup and emergency power considerations, as there may or may not be power where deployment takes place. As always, please make sure your personal needs are taken care of as well.
 
Please send your availability to ares@nsradio.org at this TIME WE ARE ONLY TAKING EMAILS!!! and we will add you to the list.  I would like to have everyone’s availability coordinated ASAP, since we are currently in an activated mode.
 
 
CALL TO ACTION
 
As the recovery operation continues to take place, we remain in need of the following:

ARES-MAT Assistance
Shelter operations
Net Control Volunteers
Pictures of storm damage as requested by FEMA (VERY important – send to pics @ nsradio.org)
Other emergency communications duties as requested
 
Please continue to send your availability to ares@nsradio.org
SUMMARY
 
*  North Shore ARES is currently in FULL ACTIVATION mode for ARES-MAT support to affected areas.
*  Pictures of damage or coastal flooding are requested by FEMA from this event, please send to pics@nsradio.org
*  The next update to this message will be Friday late afternoon as information becomes available, time and information permitting.
 
 
JRP/ENH
Eric Horwitz – KA1NCF
North Shore ARES District Emergency Coordinator

All / Emergency Communications

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Stand-by Activation for February 25-26 Wind Storm

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Hello to all…

***EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES PLACED ON STAND-BY FOR ESSEX / MIDDLESEX / SUFFOLK COUNTIES FOR POSSIBLE MOBILIZATION STARTING AT 12 AM ET FRIDAY LASTING THROUGH AT LEAST 10PM FRIDAY EVENING DUE TO MAJOR STORM WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION***

***OTHER AREAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THIS SITUATION FOR ANY SIGNIFCANT CHANGES***

***SKYWARN ACTIVATION WITH OPS AT NWS TAUNTON CONTINUES UNTIL 2AM MONITORING FOR WIND DAMAGE AND COASTAL FLOODING REPORTS***

A significant coastal storm continues to affect portions of Eastern Massachusetts with most of the significant damage confined to Northeast Massachusetts.  Due to the significant damage that has been reported, we are placing portions of Eastern Massachusetts ARES including ESSEX, MIDDLESEX, and SUFFOLK counties in stand-by mode from 12 AM ET Friday through at least 10pm Friday Evening in the event that support is requested by our served agencies.  BRISTOL, PLYMOUTH, NORFOLK, BARNSTABLE, and the ISLANDS should closely monitor this situation in the event of a rapid change to the situation.  There have been numerous reports of downed trees and power lines, power outages, and significant damage across Northeast Massachusetts into New Hampshire.  A complete listing of storm damage reports from NWS-Taunton can be found at:

Local Storm Report:  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.nwus51.KBOX.html

Public Information Statement:  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.nous41.KBOX.html

Coastal Flood Warning:  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

Flood Warning:  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wgus41.KBOX.html

Winter Storm Warning:  http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

Due to the damage caused in our neighboring New Hampshire section, including reports of several towns losing police and fire dispatch communications as well as 9-1-1 services, NHARES has activated in a Level-3 status with support to the New Hampshire State EOC.  For damage reports and warning information for Rockingham County NH and points north, please visit www.erh.noaa.gov/gyx.

Back home, Massachusetts RACES has not been formally activated to support the Massachusetts State EOC.  At this time, there have been no formal requests for assistance from our served agencies in Eastern MA and our Eastern Massachusetts ARES leadership continues to closely monitor this changing situation.

We’d like to have ARES personnel continue to assist with SKYWARN reporting of any wind damage and power outages, along with reports of coastal flooding.   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.

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,

Jim Palmer – KB1KQW
Eastern Massachusetts Asst. Section Emergency Coordinator
North-side Operations

Carl Aveni – N1FY
Eastern Massachusetts Asst. Section Emergency Coordinator
South-side Operations

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New ARRL website launch date pushed back

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We are once again postponing the Web launch until March 24th.  We are now confident that we have the majority of the content loaded into the site.  In fact some of you have been viewing the new site and commenting on it during the past few weeks.  We appreciate all of your help with this effort as the site continues to improve daily.

The current delay is necessary to assure that we have all of the data connections correct.  These include data feeds such as hamfests, classes, special events, the new e-store, etc.  We also have not tested the member sign up and member transaction portion of the site.  These are obviously critical functions and both Fathom and our team will be working on this during the next few weeks.

After two years of work, this delay feels like an eternity to me and the rest of the launch team.  Believe me, we all feel terrible about missing yet another deadline.  However, this is a large and complex Web site.  It is used not only by our members, but also by people around the world who have an interest in Amateur Radio.  We want to make sure that we have everything working right when we launch the site.

Along with the Board, staff and SMs, we will be communicating this news to our membership as well.  We will put up a news story tomorrow on our current Web site about this delay.

73,

Harold

Harold Kramer, WJ1B

Chief Operating Officer

ARRL – The national association for Amateur Radio.
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
Telephone: 860 594 0220
email: hkramer@arrl.org
web: www.arrl.org/

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Massachusetts Pending Cell Phone Legislation H-4475

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Hello to all…

Massachusetts ARRL State Government Liaison, Shawn O’Donnell-K3HI, has been following and has put together a summary on pending cell phone legislation bill H-4475 and what it says and does not say about Amateur Radio. We encourage Amateurs to closely follow Shawn O’Donnell’s instructions in his info that we have posted to the ema.arrl.org web site. See link below:

http://ema.arrl.org/node/1661

It is noted that ARES Emergency Coordinator for Scituate, Massachusetts, Bob Callahan-W1QWT, has already been successful in getting state representative Jim Cantwell from his district to push an ammendment exempting federally licensed Amateur Radio Operators specifically from this legislation. When writing to your state senator, it may be good to mention this ammendment and the fact that this ammendment was in similar cell phone bill legislation a few years ago but that whole cell phone bill legislation was later defeated in the legislature.

Thanks to all for their support!

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://www.wx1box.org
http://ares.ema.arrl.org 




		

		
	


	





		
		
	


		
		

			
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Pending Legislation Update
			

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Subject: Pending Legislation Update


Hello all stations:


Some of you have written me expressing concerns about the pending legislation concerning use of telecommunication devices that may include the use of Amateur Radio devices.  Please be advised that Headquarters DOES NOT lobby on our  behalf in the states, just the federal government.  We, collectively, need to take action. 


Our SGL, K3HI, has been following this issue closely and summarizes it for you.  He also provides recommended approaches you can use to influence your state representative.


K3HI message follows:
 ============================


QST MASSACHUSETTS AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS


A bill that could restrict amateur radio mobile operations has been
passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives.  It is hard to
say whether the proposed law would cause practical difficulties for
amateur mobile operations and emergency preparedness exercises.  Just
to be safe, however, we should take action now to minimize the
potential harm. 


The full text of the bill, as adopted by the House, is available at
http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht04pdf/ht04475.pdf


Q: What would H-4475 do if it becomes law?


Among the goals of H-4475 are the following: (a) prohibit the use of
cell phones by any driver under the age of 18, (b) require hands-free
cell phones for all other drivers, and (c) ban the use of a broad range
of handheld communications devices while operating a motor vehicle (for
such activites as text- or instant-messaging, email, web-surfing, etc.)


Q: What does the proposed law say about amateur radio?


Nothing.  This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your
perspective.  On the one hand, it doesn’t say, “Hams can’t do X.”  On
the other hand, it doesn’t say, “This law does not apply to hams.”


Q: So what should we do about this?


If you would like to oppose or seek amendment of H-4475, your best bet
is to contact your state senator on Beacon Hill. 


If the prospects for the bill remain good, it will be in our best
interest to try to get the bill amended, rather than simply trying to
defeat it.     


Q: What makes for an effective communication with a senator or Beacon
Hill staffer on this topic?  


1.  Speak to the right person.  Call YOUR senator, not someone else’s. 
Unless you’re calling to donate to the campaign chest, elected
officials don’t care much about you if you’re from outside their
district.  See below on how to find out who is your senator–if you
don’t know.


2.  Have a clear message.  Informed citizens are more inclined to vote,
so if you call your senator and sound like an informed citizen, they’ll
expect you’re a likely voter.  If you want to sound informed, a good
place to start is knowing the number of the bill you’re calling about. 
It’s H-4475.  (The H is for the House, where the bill originated.) 


3.  Have something to say about the substance of the bill.  Have an
argument for why your position is more justified than the opinion of
someone who calls and urges the opposite.  Make our side look smart.


4.  Avoid the following: shouting, swearing, threatening, use of
Q-signals, quotes from FCC rules, etc.  Be reasonable.  Go ahead and
mention the emergency & public service contributions of amateur radio,
but don’t exaggerate.  It will undermine your credibility.


Here’s a template for a call or email to a senator regarding H-4475:


“Hello, my name is Elmer Q. Ham, and I am a constituent of the
Senator’s in [your town here.]  I am calling/writing to ask that the
Senator oppose passage of H-4475 unless it is amended to protect
amateur radio.  In particular, I am concerned that the law might be
interpreted so as to make mobile amateur radio operations illegal.  An
exemption for FCC-licensed amateurs in the law would allow us to
continue training for & providing emergency & public service
communications to our communities.  [Here’s where you can tell a story
or two of hams in your town providing communications for the marathon
or bike-a-thon or the Memorial Day Parade or SKYWARN, etc.] …And we
couldn’t do that if  amateur radio operators weren’t allowed to
communicate while on the road.”


Close by repeating your request.  Then thank the senator (or more
likely, staff member) for his/her time.  Offer contact information
about yourself; it will help them tell if you really are a constituent.
 And who knows–maybe they’ll call back to ask for more details.


If you really want to make a concrete suggestion, you might “propose
that the passage in Chapter 90, Section 13 which exempts Citizen Band
radio also include an exemption for amateur radio operators.”


Q: I don’t know who my state senator is.  How do I find out?


The best way to get the name of your state senator is to call your city
or town election board.  In some parts of the state, senators cover
large areas. There, knowing the town you live in is enough.  If you
live in a more densely populated part of the Commonwealth, your city or
town may have multiple senators.  Unless you know what ward & precinct
you’re in, the State Senate’s web site will not be able to help you. 
But your city/town election board will definitely know. 


Town hall may also have the senator’s phone number or email address; if
they don’t, check out the Massachusetts legislature’s web site.


Senate districts & senator names are listed at:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/sendis03.htm


Senate phone numbers & email addresses are available at:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/memmenus.htm


Make that call/send that email ASAP!


End of K3HI message=====================


73, de W1MPN



		

		
	


	





		
		
	


		
		

			
All / Emergency Communications
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Stand-by Activation for 2/10-2/11/2010 Major Winter Storm
			

				 -  by admin - Leave a Comment			

					


		

			
Hello to all..


***EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES TO BE PLACED ON STAND-BY FOR POSSIBLE MOBILIZATION
STARTING AT 10 AM ET WEDNESDAY LASTING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR MAJOR
NOR’EASTER TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION***


***SKYWARN ACTIVATION WITH OPS AT NWS TAUNTON WILL COMMENCE AT 10 AM ET WEDNESDAY
THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING***


***RACES ACTIVATION AT THE STATE EOC WILL COMMENCE AT 10 AM WEDNESDAY 
MORNING LASTING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING***


A major nor’easter will affect the region Wednesday Morning through early
Thursday Morning bringing with it heavy snow accumulations, some of it will be
of the heavy and wet snow variety that clings on trees and power lines and 
strong to damaging winds are also possible. The worst of the storm will be
in areas of the Eastern Massachusetts section along and south of the Mass 
Pike. A period of near blizzard conditions are likely in coastal areas of 
Eastern Massachusetts particularly in Southeast Massachusetts. The storm
could cause tree and power line damage and power outages in the area along
and south of the Mass Pike and in particular in coastal areas of Southeast
Massachusetts. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton will start at 10
AM Wednesday Morning. In addition, RACES we will be activating the State 
EOC starting at 10 AM Wednesday Morning.


Due to the threat of this storm and RACES State EOC activation, we are 
placing Eastern Massachusetts ARES in stand-by mode from 10 AM ET Wednesday
through Thursday Morning for the impact of this major winter storm to
affect portions of the Eastern Massachusetts section. Winter Storm
and High Wind Warnings are in effect for portions the Eastern Massachusetts 
section. Please see the Storm Coordination Message posted at the link below:


http://www.wx1box.org/node/133


We will place the town of Bridgewater EOC as the Eastern Massachusetts ARES
Incident Command Post on stand-by as well as the Acushnet EOC on stand-by
for potential activation. The Acushnet EOC will likely be activated later
today has the area of greatest impact from this major winter storm will 
be Southeast Massachusetts.


We’d like to have ARES personnel assist with SKYWARN reporting of snowfall,
whiteout conditions, thunderstorms with heavy snow as well as any wind damage
and power outages. 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.


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://www.wx1box.org
http://ares.ema.arrl.org