Tag: #pumpkin-patrol

Terry Stader, KA8SCP, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list:

A couple of weeks ago I thought it was time to start thinking about our annual Pumpkin Patrol on Halloween Night in Westford. Well, it is next week and I am still looking for a few more volunteers!

As we have done for many years, PART provides additional eyes and ears around our cemeteries and public buildings. We are looking for some hams to watch for tricksters and let us know (NCS is stationed at Police HQ) when there are issues so we can get a police officer dispatched if necessary.

Halloween Night is next week, Wednesday October 31st. Our Pumpkin Patrol runs from 5:45 until 10 PM. but we’ve been known to be released by 9:00 PM if the weather is cool and activity on the street low. You do not have to be there for the entire event. Some folks have come in for the 2nd half of the evening, after 8 when Trick or Treat official hours are over.

We’d love to have you join our crew. Got any questions, drop me a note.

Alan Martin, W1AHM writes on PART-L:

Halloween and PART Pumpkin Patrol
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

As we have done for many years, PART will once again conduct Pumpkin Patrol in Westford on Halloween. Many of you are veterans and others may be volunteering for the first time… whichever you are… thank you in advance for your help!

Pumpkin Patrol is Amateur Radio volunteers providing additional eyes and ears to the Town of Westford during Trick or Treating. Our purpose is to observe and report any potential safety concerns back to the PART Pumpkin Patrol Net Control Station located at the Westford Police station. Reports from our patrollers are handed off to the Westford PD dispatcher and addressed by the Town’s public safety services. Our role is ONLY to report what we see and provide input to our Town’s public safety departments.

We like to have at least 6 mobile radio operators to patrol all the neighborhoods in the town, plus one net control operator at the police station. We can still use at least three more volunteers, including the distinguished role of Net Control.

Maps and a checklist of locations to watch will be provided when you check-in for your assignment. Check-in occurs at the Westford Police station where we record your call sign, vehicle and cell phone information. You do NOT need to be a resident of the Town of Westford to volunteer; by the time we’re done, you’ll have a real feel for the town’s geography!

The town specifies that Trick-or-Treating run from 6 PM until 8 PM. We normally run the operation from 5:30 PM until 10:00 – 11:00 PM. If the weather is lousy or the streets are quiet, the net closure time will be adjusted accordingly. We try and accommodate every individual’s schedule, we have run with 2 shifts in the past… an early and a late shift. We will accept your offer to assist at any time throughout the course of the evening. If there is interest, we will unwind at the British Beer Company after the event.

We plan to use the WB1GOF 2 meter repeater, 146.955MHz (P/L 74.4), for the entire event. So all a volunteer will need is a 2m radio. If you want to ride shotgun with another ham, that can be accommodated as well.

Feel free to drop me a note with any questions and/or if you would like to volunteer. Pass this along to others who may be interested.

Terry Stader, KA8SCP writes on PART-L:

As we have done for many years, [the Police Amateur Radio Team of Westford] will once again be providing the Pumpkin Patrol service to the Town of Westford. Many of you are veterans and others may be volunteering for the first time… which ever you are… thank you in advance for your help!

Pumpkin Patrol involves the use of Amateur Radio volunteers providing additional eyes and ears to the Town of Westford during the annual Trick or Treat event. Our purpose is to observe and report any potential safety concerns back to the PART Pumpkin Patrol Net Control Station which will be located at the Westford Police station. A report from one of our patrols will get handed off to the Westford PD dispatcher and addressed by the Town’s public safety services. Our role is ONLY to report what we see and provide input to our Town’s public safety departments.

We normally require 5 – 8 radio operators per “shift” that will patrol various geographical sections of town. Maps and a checklist of locations to watch will be provided when you check-in for your assignment. Check-in occurs at the Westford Police station where we record your call sign and your vehicle information. You do NOT need to be a resident of the Town of Westford to volunteer, but a basic familiarity to the town’s geography is a plus! We have quite a few new hams and club members this year. If warranted, a meeting prior to the event may be scheduled. This will give our new folks and veterans a chance to interact and become comfortable with the operation.

The normal time for Trick or Treaters is 6 PM until 8 PM. Our activities have varied over the years, but we normally will run the operation from 5:30 PM until 10:00 – 11:00 PM. If the weather is lousy, the net closure time will be adjusted accordingly. We try and accommodate every individual’s schedule, we have run with 2 shifts in the past… an early and a late shift. We will accept your offer to assist at any time throughout the course of the evening.

The plans are to use the WB1GOF 2 meter repeater, 146.955 (PL 74.4), for the entire event. So all a volunteer will need is a radio capable of operating on that frequency. A vehicle will help too… but if you don’t drive and want to ride shotgun with another ham, that can be accommodated as well. If you’d like to do a bike or foot patrol, please contact me and we could talk thru that kind of an operation.

As you may have noticed, Pumpkin Patrol occurs at the same time as our regularly scheduled PART Net. The PART Net will run as normal. Pumpkin Patrol operations will inject with their traffic as necessary, so please standby for that traffic if you hear it.

Feel free to drop me a note with any questions and/or if you would like to volunteer. Pass this along to others who may be interested.

Terry Stader – KA8SCP
PART of Westford, Senior Club Advisor
(H) 978-692-2069
(C) 978-490-8150

The Police Amateur Radio Team of Westford will conduct its annual “Pumpkin Patrol” on Wednesday, October 31, 2007. Participants will patrol various neighborhoods of Westford during and after “treat or treat” time, and radio any unusual activity to the police. PART conducts this activity with the cooperation of the Westford Police Department.

“This is an activity that PART has been doing since its inception back in the late 1970’s,” writes PART President Art “Bo” Budinger, WA1QYM.

“It is mainly a mobile operation but indeed we can use people with handi-talkies and people to help out at the police station,” Bo adds. “We don’t have a coordinator for this event yet, but when we do I will let you all know and you can volunteer directly to that person.”

–Thanks, PART Particles, Vol. 12 Number 7