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The ARES E-Letter

October 19, 2016
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE


This Issue:

 *  IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop Held in Chile; New
    Technogies for Emergency and Disaster Response Discussed
 *  Dual Exercises in Missouri: ARRL Field Day 2016/Infrastructure Support
    Exercise
 *  Texas Hams Drill with Public Safety in Major Exercise
 *  Letters: On CERT
 *  Dress for Public Service Success
 *  Tips: Net Protocols for Practice
 *  Third Annual Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference held in ARRL
    San Joaquin Valley Section



Editor's Notes from Hurricane Matthew

Earlier this month, major category five (on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind
scale) Hurricane Matthew destroyed lives (more than 1,000 perished) and
property on its wicked path through the Caribbean and on up the southeast coast
 of the US, to the Canadian Maritimes. The responses of many ARES(R) and
partner entities are documented in the ARRL news stories linked below; many
after action reports noting lessons learned are expected in the weeks to come.

Northern Florida coastline was heavily impacted by Matthew; the eye wall
brushed Daytona Beach, where I live, at around 1 PM Friday, October 7, with
wind and gusts that toppled large trees, and ripped off shingles and roofs. The
 storm eroded beaches and took out coastal roads such as historic route A1A in
Flagler county, just to the north of Daytona Beach here in Volusia county.

I rode out the storm at home just three miles from the beach, which is not
recommended, but I had an obligation to work at the city hospital for the
vulnerable patient population, so I could not evacuate. On battery power, I
checked into the Volusia County ARES net on the 147.24 MHz KV4EOC repeater
located at the large county EOC west of Daytona. Remarkably, the repeater never
 lost viability, and net control stations, although weary, performed flawlessly
 for the duration, taking and relaying reports of damage, and logistical
requests. For example, issues with staffing and protocol at area Red Cross
special needs shelters were handled and resolved over the repeater. The Daytona
 Beach city EOC, located at the city's police headquarters, was checked into
the net by its station N4DAB, with operator ARRL Northern Florida Section
Manager Steve Szabo, WB4OMM, at the helm. Szabo, a retired law enforcement
officer, pulled 67 hours of duty there over the course of four days. He was
able to monitor HF and VHF storm-related communications, and said "What I heard
 was capable, professional net control operation and excellent cooperation by
the amateur community at large in keeping those frequencies clear for safety of
 life communications."

I suspect that this operator scenario was repeated hundreds of times throughout
 the storm impacted areas. -- K1CE [Please copy and send your after action
reports and lessons learned to k1ce@arrl.net for follow-up discussion in this
newsletter. Thank you. -- ed.]



ARES Briefs, Links

Hurricane Watch Net Active as Hurricane Nicole Passes Over Bermuda (10/13/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/hurricane-watch-net-...
over-bermuda

Hurricane Watch Net to Reactivate for Hurricane Nicole (10/12/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/hurricane-watch-net-...

Amateur Radio Response Continues as Hurricane Matthew Moves Up East Coast
(10/8/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-respon...
moves-up-east-coast

Hurricane Watch Net Stands Down Following Record Activation for Hurricane
Matthew 10/9/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/hurricane-watch-net-...
ation-for-hurricane-matthew

ARES Activates as Florida Girds for Hurricane Matthew (10/6/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/ares-activates-as-fl...

Frequencies in Use in Conjunction with Hurricane Matthew Response (10/5/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/frequencies-in-use-i...
ew-response

Florida Coastal ARES Groups at Local Activation Level, Statewide Declaration
Pending (10/5/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/florida-coastal-ares...
statewide-declaration-pending

Hurricane Watch Net Ramps Up to "Catastrophic Response Mode" for Matthew
(10/4/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/hurricane-watch-net-...
mode-for-matthew

ARRL Invites Nominations for 2016 International Humanitarian Award (10/4/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-invites-nominat...
tarian-award

Radio Amateurs in Cuba Stand Ready for Hurricane Matthew (10/3/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/radio-amateurs-in-cu...
ew

Hurricane Watch Net Now Active as Hurricane Matthew Targets Jamaica, Haiti,
Eastern Cuba (10/2/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/hurricane-watch-net-...
rgets-jamaica-haiti-eastern-cuba

Amateur Radio Credited with Helping Injured Cyclist (9/28/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-credit...

Amateur Radio Volunteers on Call during Major Puerto Rico Power Outage
(9/23/16)
http://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-volunt...
ico-power-outage



"Overview of Army and Air Force MARS" Webinar Set for October 25

Registration is open for the webinar "Overview of Army and Air Force MARS,"
October 25 at 8 PM ET (0000 UTC on October 26).

US Air Force MARS Chief Dave Stapchuk, KD9DXM, will discuss the history of the
Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) program and membership requirements for
Amateur Radio operators. He also will highlight the Joint MARS Phone Patch
network, which provides daily support to US armed forces. The phone patch
network facilitates not only morale/welfare phone patches but routinely handles
 mission-related radio calls and occasionally assists US air crews with
in-flight emergency phone patches when air traffic control cannot be reached.

US Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY, will discuss the quarterly
US Department of Defense (DOD) contingency communication exercises, which
promote interoperability between the Amateur Radio community and the DOD.
English will also discuss initiatives for promoting the use of 60 meters
between Amateur Radio and the federal government as well as the types of
information MARS operators will request from the Amateur Radio community during
 the upcoming quarterly DOD communications exercise (COMEX), October
30-November 1.

Webinar registrants will receive a confirming e-mail that contains information
about joining the webinar.



Get Your Radio On: SKYWARN Recognition Day, December 3

The annual SKYWARN (TM) Recognition Day (SRD) will be held this year on
Saturday, December 3, 2016. This is the day when Amateur Radio operators visit
National Weather Service (NWS) offices and contact other operators around the
world. The purpose of the event is to recognize the vital public service
contributions that Amateur Radio operators make during National Weather Service
 severe weather warning operations. It also strengthens the bond between
Amateur Radio operators and the local National Weather Service. The event is
co-sponsored by ARRL and the National Weather Service. Please remember that
this is not a contest, so no scoring will be computed.

Object: For all radio amateur stations to exchange QSO information with as many
 National Weather Service stations as possible on 80 through 10 meters,
including 6 and 2 meters bands and the 70 centimeter band. Contacts via
repeaters are permitted.

Date: National Weather Service stations will operate December 3, 2016, from
0000 - 2400 UTC.

Exchange: Call sign, signal report, QTH, and a one or two-word description of
the weather occurring at your site.

Modes: National Weather Service stations will work various modes including SSB,
 FM, AM, RTTY, CW and PSK31. While working digital modes, special event
stations will append "NWS" to their call sign (e.g. N?A/NWS).

Station Control Operator: It is suggested that during SRD operations, a
non-National Weather Service volunteer who is a licensed radio amateur serve as
 a control operator for the station that is set up at a NWS office.

New this year: There will be a new log submission process introduced this year,
 and W1AW at ARRL Headquarters is scheduled to be on the air for SKYWARN
Recognition Day. More details will be released later. More information about
this event may be found here. http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio



IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop Held in Chile; New Technogies
for Emergency and Disaster Response Discussed

The second IARU Region 2 Emergency Communications Workshop was held October 11,
 2016 in Viña del Mar, Chile in conjunction with the IARU Region 2 XIX General
Assembly. Sponsored by IARU Region 2 and the ARRL, the workshop was chaired by
Mike Corey, KI1U, ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager and IARU Area B EC.
Co-chair was Dr. Cesar Pio Santos, HR2P, IARU Region 2 EC. Topics covered the
use of Winlink, SATERN support for Salvation Army disaster response, the role
of ITU, developing operator and communications skills, AREDN mesh networking
technology for disaster response, and emergency communications response in
Venezuela.

Goals included sharing information on Amateur Radio response to emergencies in
the region, and :

- Increasing the capacity for Amateurs in Region 2 to respond to large
scale, multinational communication emergencies.
- Provide an opportunity for national level Amateur Radio emergency
communications leaders to network and increase the level of cooperation and
collaboration within the IARU Region 2.
- Build upon topics and discussions from the previous emergency
communications workshop and about specific events that transpired since the
first workshop.

For more information and photos from the workshop, please see the IARU
Region 2 website.


Dual Exercises in Missouri: ARRL Field Day 2016/Infrastructure Support Exercise

The morning of June 25, 2016, presented a sweltering 86 degrees and rising,
with humidity over 50%. This year, Field Day was a combined exercise of the St.
 Charles County (Missouri) ARES(R), sponsored by the Emergency Communications
Association of St. Charles County (ECA), and the county's Division of Emergency
 Management (DEM) under the county police department. ECA/ARES(R) and the DEM
have enjoyed a long, cooperative relationship for many years.

In January, a new communications trailer project was rolled out, with the
finished product tested extensively in June's dual exercises. The trailer,
provided by the county Police, was repainted, adorned with decals, and improved
 with air conditioning, radio benches, and windows. The trailer has five
operating positions: Two positions are fitted with amateur VHF/UHF FM equipment
 (Yaesu FT-8900 transceivers), with packet[Figure%201.jpg] radio capability at
one position. The third position is fitted with amateur HF with an Icom IC-706
transceiver. Positions four and five are reserved for public safety systems
(Motorola XTL 2500 VHF and 800 MHz trunking radios). A computer network is
installed with peripherals. A 6500 watt generator powers the systems, along
with a 12 V battery backup system.

Other communication assets carried onboard include a grab and go kit containing
 HF and VHF/UHF transceivers with accessories and a second grab and go kit for
2-meters - an Icom IC-2200 and six IC-V80 Sport handhelds. Four roof-mounted
antennas, an HF antenna for NVIS, VHF/UHF dual band base antennas, and two
push-up poles comprised the antenna complement. ECA/ARES(R) members installed
the electrical system, computer network, roof antennas, radios, the front
mounted push-up pole and other assets to make the trailer a working mobile
communications platform to be shared by ECA, DEM, and the county Police. A week
 before Field Day, the emergency management division purchased a tower trailer,
 which was equipped with a 60 foot square telescoping tower, a 10 kilowatt
diesel generator and an equipment cabinet.

The main purpose of the exercise, held in conjunction with Field Day, was to
field test the new trailer, tower trailer and new equipment in a potential
real-world infrastructure support role where communications is impacted by
natural and man-made disasters. ECA/ARES(R) operators worked most of the
states, provinces in Canada, Hawaii and Puerto Rico over the Field Day weekend,
 demonstrating the potential use of HF radio in national infrastructure
support. Three antennas were demonstrated in the 2A category-configured
stations. A tri-band beam was mounted atop the 60 foot tower and a dual band
(40/80 meters) wire dipole was suspended from a stand-off at the top of the
tower. A multi-band NVIS antenna was also deployed and demonstrated.
Instruction was provided by the Division of Emergency Management on the
deployment and use of the tower trailer.

The County Police Department granted use of its media room at the department
headquarters to run the second station. The 10 KW generator powered the
communications trailer station; the second station was battery powered with
generator backup. The team of seasoned operators did a fine job of collecting
QSOs to demonstrate capabilities.

The relationship between the Division of Emergency Management and ECA/ARES(R)
in St. Charles County Missouri has been mutually beneficial and cooperative.
Just a few weeks prior to Field Day some St. Charles County ARES members were
asked to participate in a tabletop exercise in the St. Louis County EOC for the
 purpose of establishing parameters for the design of the new St. Charles
County[Figure%202.jpg] EOC. The scenario was an F3 tornado touching down in
Weldon Spring, Missouri, cutting a path of destruction through eastern St.
Charles County. This was a familiar scenario to some who responded to the real
thing just two years before. ECA/ARES(R) served as the sim cell in this
exercise and provided recommendations for the new EOC.

According to Bill Grimsbo, NOPNP, District C District Emergency Coordinator and
 St. Charles County EC, "In my 20 plus years with ARES(R), I have never seen
cooperation in any other county or city that compares with the levels of St.
Charles county. The St. Charles County Division of Emergency Management and the
 County Police Department are true partners with ECA and ARES(R) in response
and preparedness to a degree I've never experienced." This relationship is set
with a Memorandum of Understanding that became an ordinance between ECA and St.
 Charles County DEM signed in 1998.

ECA/ARES(R) responds regularly to activations for severe weather, which is a
regular occurrence in the St. Louis metropolitan area and outlying counties.
Flooding has also been a frequent event over the past several years. "The
cooperative efforts of St. Charles County ARES(R), ECA and the DEM under the
County Police has made our county a safer and more secure place to live and we
intend to continue these efforts into the future," said Grimsbo. "Field Day is
a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate to the residents of our community what
tools are being brought to bear by Amateur Radio operators as well as response
professionals when we work together as a cohesive response asset in our
county." -- William Grimsbo, NOPNP, Missouri District C District Emergency
Coordinator and St. Charles County Emergency Coordinator; and Jeff Young,
KB3HF, Saint Peters, Missouri



Texas Hams Drill with Public Safety in Major Exercise

Williamson County (Texas) ARES members were integrated with the county's
Emergency Communications, Office of Emergency Management, Sheriff's Office, and
 other partners for a planned full-scale exercise dubbed Basic Assessment of
Interoperability of Telecommunications (BAIT), held June 24 and 25, just prior
to ARRL Field Day 2016 at the county park in Liberty Hill, Texas. All county
emergency communications mobile assets were deployed to the park to simulate a
complete failure of public safety communications infrastructure. Objectives
included remotely dispatching public safety units within the county and
integrating Amateur Radio communications into the process.

The team of county telecommunications employees and Amateur Radio operators,
under the direction of Incident Commander Lt. Aubury Holmes, KG5FTD, began
setting up base camp two days ahead of the exercise. ARES members erected four
portable Blue Sky masts and installed antennas covering HF bands. They set up
an amateur HF station in the county's Regional Mobile Communications (RMC)
truck.

Williamson County Communications Director Scott Parker, KE5OJC, established
goals for the exercise, including having the Resource Unit maintain full
accountability of resources and personnel on site, to monitor public safety
resources remotely, and to dispatch fire, EMS and law enforcement from the
remote site. In addition to radio and antenna deployment, ARES members were
tasked with setting up and operating a generator trailer and HF go-kits with
PACTOR 3 capability to full functionality. Another goal was to deploy APRS
systems to track assets on the park property in real time, creating
"breadcrumb" trails showing where units had been.

Part of the park lies in a river valley beneath a bluff that could inhibit
radio transmission from the canyon, so ARES members set up a crossband repeater
 on the rim of the canyon and an APRS digipeater, enabling the Incident
Management Team (IMT) to reliably track search and rescue (SAR) assets and
communicate with them from the Command Post. Fire Departments conducted the SAR
 maneuvers -- each team was outfitted with an APRS tracking device so leaders
could monitor the progress of the search. The digipeater successfully relayed
tracker information to the Command Post.

Twenty-nine Williamson County ARES (WC-ARES) members filled many of the
Incident Command System Command and General Staff positions on the IMT.
Seasoned IMT members provided guidance upon request, but ARES personnel
functioned at a high level. WC-ARES Emergency Coordinator Terry Jones, K5LGV,
served as Operations Section Chief, and John Peek, KF5ZMD, served as Planning
Section Chief. Other ARES operators exercised skills they would need if they
were ever called upon to fill dispatch positions in the public safety
environment, as well as all the technical skills required for a remote
communications operation.

Communications vehicles outfitted with amateur HF radios were sent out to
surrounding counties with ARES members operating the radios. They tested
coverage without using repeaters to confirm the ability to get traffic from a
100-mile radius. Band conditions were less than optimal and yet successful
contacts were completed after mobile antenna configurations were modified.

Planning began two months prior to the event, with weekly meetings involving
all key players. Once players were identified and assigned, work began on
producing an event action plan. An exercise of this magnitude involves a host
of logistics to get equipment in place and provide for necessary services
needed by personnel. Planners knew that environmental conditions would be
extreme with temperatures near 100 degrees, so keeping personnel hydrated was a
 concern. Meeting nutritional needs of such a large staff was challenging. The
Salvation Army brought their canteen truck to the site and provided lunch for
the participants.

Williamson County Communications had already provided a trailer for ARES use,
outfitted with dual band radios, HF capability, and 800 MHz trunking public
safety radios. WC-ARES personnel remodeled the trailer, turning it into a
two-room communications center. This platform provided a second air-conditioned
 operating position.

The Capital Area Trauma Regional Advisory Council (CATRAC) participated by
providing an RV trailer for the check-in point and a box trailer with a 45 KW
generator that became a 2-meter packet and HF PACTOR operating position. CATRAC
 also provided and set up an air-conditioned DRASH tent for the command team
that was used for the GOTA station during Field Day activity. The Travis County
 Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team (REACT) provided their
3DRobotics Solo quad copter for aerial surveys and for search and rescue.

On Saturday, June 25, the operation transitioned to Field Day activities, all
taking place in the air conditioned comfort of the equipment set up for the
exercise! A Williamson County Commissioner, county parks director, and county
Public Information Officers visited the base camp and observed the exercise in
operation.

At one point on Saturday, there were 74 people on site including visitors and
participants. ARRL South Texas Section Manager Lee Cooper, W5LHC, visited the
site and observed the exercise. Local television station KXAN came to base camp
 for a story on the exercise. Local newspapers also provided coverage.

This full-scale ICS exercise required a daily Event Action Plan, and provided
exposure to and practice with essential ICS forms. It provided an opportunity
to familiarize ARES members with the ICS processes involved in any Type I or
Type II incident.

At the end of Field Day all equipment was taken down, packed and returned to
service. Each team member went through the demobilization process as if they
were on a major incident. This exercise gave ARES members a chance to meet or
deepen relationships with various officials from around the county, and to
share our passion for radio with them.

"I didn't expect APRS to be a big part of Field Day," said WC-ARES Board Member
 Jonathan Estill, AF5DF, "but I became an expert in configuring several
trackers used during the exercise. Williamson County purchased several
different APRS radios, ranging from Byonics and SainSmart trackers, and Kenwood
 TH-D72A and TM-D710GA radios for tracking assets like SAR teams in
emergencies. The trackers provided near real-time position updates about teams
deployed beyond the base camp."


Lessons Learned

 *  Planning is a very detailed process.
 *  Assign teams specific tasks during setup so that multiple evolutions are
    taking place simultaneously.
 *  Carefully observe personnel in hot conditions for proper hydration and
    exhaustion.
 *  When band conditions are poor, find a way to make communication work.
 *  What ICS classes are needed for personnel to fulfill the mission?
 *  Logistics is a key position that needs to be closely involved from the
    start.

Williamson County ARES is extremely grateful to Williamson County Emergency
Communications for giving our members the opportunity to participate and learn
from such a complex exercise. -- Ken Malgren, K7MAL, Emergency Communications,
Williamson County, Texas



Letters: On CERT

Austin, Texas -- In our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training
classes (2 or 3 times a year) I make a short presentation about communications,
 how it is necessary with some understanding of the need and how to be of
service with Amateur Radio support. At the conclusion of the session, the
students can sign up for licensing classes. We now have several amateurs in the
 CERT ranks. In a recent CERT meeting, a show of hands indicated about 50% of
those in attendance were licensed and members of local clubs and ARES.

Our CERT classes are normally hosted in the city/county EOC where the amateur
station is also housed. I have been involved with the City of Austin CERT from
its inception, and help with administration, leadership, and teaching.

Other response organizations share needs and should have the same opportunities
 for learning and participating to be communications prepared. To help in this
direction, we are building a cooperative Council of organizations in our ARRL
South Texas District 7 (8 counties) to be able to adequately communicate and be
 stronger together in any situation.

The Council will operate much like Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster
(VOAD), with the purpose of bringing all organizations to the table regularly
to discuss, train, plan, and to be able to work together in time of need. All
volunteer groups are invited to be involved and representatives are encouraged
to attend the monthly meeting, conducted by teleconferencing. Each organization
 is encouraged to bring ideas for training and exercises to the table and
reports of response activity. Amateurs involved in the participating
organizations are encouraged to give and take emergency and disaster response
communications training. -- Roger Wines, W5WIA, ARRL South Texas Section
Assistant DEC (District 7)



Dress for Public Service Success

Visiting this year's ARRL New England Convention in Boxboro, Massachusetts, I
was delightfully surprised at the level of care most attendees, and in
particular exhibitors, speakers and volunteers, exercised in their choice of
attire. Snazzy uniform shirts worn by vendors were in abundance. Business
attire infused the exhibit hall. It was as if I were attending a professional
conference.

There I met new ARRL CEO, Tom Gallagher, NY2RF, whose sharp business attire
transmitted an easy-on-the-eyes message, one that clearly respected the first
impressions of his constituents. Among the subjects discussed was my contention
 that our community must take better care to present ourselves as organized
professionals when serving in a public service role, most especially in how we
look.

As a leader of public service teams, and an advocate for better leadership,
innovation and national unity in our public service communications role, I make
 sure every volunteer has the opportunity and support that encourages their
personal success. Not only are my teams well trained and fully integrated into
the organization or agency we serve, they also look (and smell) good. That's
because expectations for attire are part of the pre-event preparations. I urge
volunteers at some events to be "smartly dressed with a clean white shirt and
blue uniform pants, or equivalent." A volunteer T-shirt is sometimes needed as
an added bit of identification and to unify us as members of a larger team, so
I request that we "wear the supplied volunteer T-shirt in combination with
uniform or EMT cargo pants to present a professional appearance." I also
caution that we must not be confused with public safety or law enforcement
personnel. "Professional" does not mean that we have license to impersonate,
however innocent our first intention!

I have first-hand experience to suggest that those who present themselves
professionally are invited back for the next event service opportunity. While
some of us grumble about how disorganized the organization we're serving may be
 -- how little they understand about the value of our "superior" communications
 service -- we are ultimately responsible for an invitation back to a repeat
performance. So what happens when we're not? Some of us lean upon that tired
"when all else fails" excuse: "When all else fails you'll call upon us, and you
 won't care how we look." Weak. Irrelevant. Arrogant. Please throw those rags
in the laundry (or incinerator) and come back civilized. This is not a mud
wrestling match.

At each public service event I've had the privilege and fun to work as a
communications volunteer, the event organizers, public safety, vendors, and
participants arrive dressed for the occasion. We are not exempt. If your
leadership fails to set a minimum standard, that doesn't mean you can't arrive
on time and ready to go with a professional, smart, confidence-inspiring
appearance. You'll look good, feel great, and be amazed how receptive your team
 mates, the organizers, participants and the public will be when you dress for
public service success. -- Mark Richards, K1MGY, Littleton, Massachusetts
[Richards is a member of the Boston Athletic Association's Boston Marathon
Communications Committee, with an extensive history of leadership in numerous
public event communications efforts. Richards is a frequent contributor to the
ARRL ARES E-Letter. -- ed.]



Tips: Net Protocols for Practice

Like many groups, the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS)
holds a weekly net, but the HDSCS net focuses on practicing procedures related
to functioning in a real net during an emergency. While we practice taking
turns at being net control, members also must copy down check-ins and
information given on the net. Sometimes net participants are asked to move to
other frequencies identified by tactical reference. This week, after check-ins
were taken, members were asked to move to simplex on the output of our primary
net repeater. Then the check-ins were roll called. Not only was this little
task a way to make sure members could make the adjustments on their equipment
to respond on the output, but it also allowed members to serve as relays when
necessary. Should our primary repeater go down in a major emergency, we would
maintain a presence on the output of our repeater to listen for, not only our
members, but for other groups that might need to contact us. Most members made
it to the output of the repeater quickly and then learned what they could hear.
 Two stations were particularly valuable in their ability to hear stations in
the Laguna Niguel area as well as the southeast part of Orange County. All
check-ins were accounted for in the roll call by the net control, with some
help from stations that were able to relay for others. It was an instructive
exercise that will get repeated again. -- from the Hospital Disaster Support
Communications System report for October 16, 2016; April Moell, WA6OPS, HDSCS,
Orange County, California



Third Annual Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference held in ARRL San
Joaquin Valley Section

For the third year in a row, ARES/RACES was a featured part of the largest
gathering of tribal disaster preparedness, recovery, hazard mitigation, and
homeland security professionals in the country. This annual conference is
organized by the National Tribal Emergency Management Council, and was hosted
on September 19-23, 2016, by the Tachi-Yokut Tribe at their Santa Rosa
Rancheria in Lemoore, California.

Two local San Joaquin Valley (SJV) Section groups, the Fresno ARES/RACES and
the Tulare County ARES pooled resources and set up a special event station
(N8V) with multiple operating positions (voice and data) on the lawn adjacent
to the conference hotel. Hal Clover, AD9HC, SJV Section DEC, wrote, "Many
conference attendees stopped by to view the display. Radiograms home were
offered with several being sent via operators at the event."

As part of the pre-conference activities on Monday and Tuesday, Larry Taylor,
KF6JBG, taught a Technician license class. Newly licensed amateurs were Jason
Sisco, KM6FKK, environmental systems with the Tachi-Yokut Tribe, and Scott
Mercer, KM6FKL, security officer with the Tachi-Yokut Tribe.

On Wednesday, following the Opening Drum by the Tachi-Yokut Tribe, NTEMC
Chairman Richard Broncheau, KG7NRJ, gave the conference welcome address, and
NTEMC Executive Director Lynda Zambrano, KE7RWG, provided a NTEMC "Year in
Review" summary. In the afternoon, Adam Geisler, KJ6YHN, of the La Jolla Band
of Luiseño Indians was one of the panelists at an open discussion forum about
FirstNet, The First Responder Network Authority. After dinner, the conference
attendees were treated to a series of excellent traditional tribal dances
courtesy of the Tachi-Yokut HOOPS Youth Council Traditional Dancers.

The "Breakout Sessions" on Thursday included "National Tribal Amateur Radio
Association" by Nathan Nixon, N7NAN, Public Safety Programs Director with the
Inter Tribal Council of Arizona; "FirstNet's Second Steps: Real world
applications for tribal emergency response" co-presented by Rita Mooney,
KG5JAT, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Adam Geisler, KJ6YHN;
"Introduction to CAMEO", a free suite of software applications used to plan for
 and respond to chemical emergencies, co-presented by Elisa Roper, KM4BUG,
Tribal Liaison with FEMA Region IV; and "Administration for Children and Family
 Services - IDCM" co-presented by Wendi Ellis, KK6WQO, Regional Emergency
Management Specialist in FEMA Region IX.

Featured on Thursday afternoon was the "Tribal Coast to Coast Exercise"
co-hosted by Nixon. Simulated emergency messages for an earthquake scenario
were sent via Amateur Radio from the conference special event station to FEMA
Region II in New York.

On Friday, Suzanne Everson, KI7EGE, Regional Emergency Management Specialist,
Administration for Children and Families, spoke about "Increasing Tribal Human
Services Preparedness" at one of the breakout sessions.

Throughout the week, many tribal members visited the special event station,
picked up ARRL literature, and chatted about building a stronger Amateur Radio
presence within their tribes, both in support of their emergency/disaster
preparedness and as a way to bring their communities together. The success of
this conference would not have been possible without the outstanding efforts by
 the SJV Section ARES/RACES members. -- Steve Aberle, WA7PTM, Assistant State
RACES Officer (Tribal Liaison), Washington State

________


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Always Mount a Scratch Monkey
Do you manage your own servers? If you are not running an IDS/IPS yer doin' it
wrong...
... Zucchini is NOT the name of an ice-smoothing machine!
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 * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)