Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES)

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) is a public service that provides a reserve communications group within government agencies in times of extraordinary need.  Any amateur radio operator can join RACES.  Salt Lake County ARES members are encouraged to join RACES.  The Utah State RACES page can be found at http://publicsafety.utah.gov/emergencymanagement/RACES.html.

To join RACES, fill out the application form at http://publicsafety.utah.gov/emergencymanagement/docs/RACES_App.pdf.  Once the application has been completed you can mail or fax the application to the Utah Department of Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security.  The contact information is at the top of the application form.  Alternatively, you can bring the completed application to the next monthly Salt Lake County ARES in-person meeting.

Once your RACES application is accepted, you will be issued a RACES number.  This process can take some time so do not be alarmed if you do not receive your RACES number for several weeks.

RACES Nets

There are state wide RACES nets on both HF and VHF/UHF.  The following are the details of each net.

HF Net

Date: 3rd Saturday of odd numbered months
Time: 8:00 am

Frequency: 3920 kHz

VHF/UHF Net

Date: 3rd Thursday of even numbered months
Time: 8:00 pm

Frequency: Intermountain Intertie and other linked repeaters

Information posted from http://www.slcoares.net/races

Eneloop Batteries Info

On tonight's Foothill Net we talked about a new battery call the "eneloop" battery.  I have included a link below to a website that can give you a little more information.  Enjoy!

http://www.eneloop.info

AUXCOMM Course

Registration: VIA UTRAIN, Course number 1031331. There is no cost to take this
course.

Description: This workshop is designed for the amateur radio/auxiliary
communicator or group who provides emergency communications backup support for
planned or unplanned events at a State/Territory, Tribal, regional, or local
level. This offering is designed for amateur radio operators/organizations who
work with public safety and cross-disciplinary emergency response professionals
and coordination/support personnel with an amateur radio background.

The course focuses on educating attendees about auxiliary communications
interoperability, emergency operation center etiquette, on-the-air etiquette,
FCC rules and regulations, auxiliary communications training and planning,
certification and accreditation and emergency communications deployment. It is
intended to supplement and standardize an operator's basic knowledge of
emergency amateur radio communications in a public safety context.

Prerequisites: General Class or higher amateur radio license. Also, IS-100,
IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800. The IS courses can be completed online at:
http://training.fema.gov the FEMA Independent Study Website.

Limit is 30 people

October 26 & 27 - 8am to 5pm
Utah Valley Convention Center
220 W Center St
Provo, Utah
Soldier Creek Room - 3rd floor

Hams Heed the Call to Help

Hams Heed the Call to Help As Isaac Makes Landfall, Downgraded to Tropical Storm

Article posted from ARRL.org dated 08/30/2012

Seven years to the day that Hurricane Katrina smashed into New Orleans, Hurricane Isaac came calling. But instead of making landfall right at New Orleans like Katrina (a Category 3 storm) did on August 28, 2005, Isaac veered slightly to the west of the city. Through it all, hams at WX4NHC -- the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida -- and those supporting the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) and the VoIP Hurricane Net, along with various nets within the ARRL’s Delta Division, relayed reports to their served agencies on Isaac’s progress and the damage the storm created in its wake.

“Even though Isaac has made landfall and is currently tracking slowly up Central Louisiana to Arkansas, hams in the Delta Division are not done,” explained ARRL Delta Division Director David Norris, K5UZ. “We had quite a few nets running as Isaac came ashore, and some are still going on, relaying damage reports and assisting with health-and-welfare traffic. As the American Red Cross and other served agencies venture out in the field within the next few days to assess the damage created by Isaac, hams in the Delta Division are ready to assist these teams with whatever communications support is necessary. Just because Isaac itself is over, we know that storms like this can bring tornadoes, power outages and other weather events in their wake, and we are prepared to continue to provide any support that is needed.”

The HWN ceased its operation on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 29. According to Stan Broadway, N8BHL, the HWN received numerous reports of heavy winds and flooding from hams in the affected areas, and in turn, relayed these reports to the NHC. “We were in contact with several Emergency Operation Centers and other safety service locations,” he told the ARRL. “The majority of our reports were from ham operators who were weathering the storm, yet who took the time to keep us informed. In the ham radio spirit of readiness, many of the stations we contacted were on stand-by generator power, some with temporary or storm-related antennas and most with quality weather measuring instruments. Many more stations stood by silently, waiting to relay if needed, and listening for the reports.”

Broadway said that the HWN was activated a total of 47 hours for Isaac, including a 31 hour continuous activation during the storm’s path toward landfall: “We are extremely grateful for those operators who provided reports and for those who showed us great courtesy by moving off frequency, or just allowed a clear slot for us to use. Thanks also to the nets that regularly used these frequencies for accommodating us.”

Isaac continues to weaken as it tracks to the northwest over Louisiana, and could be downgraded to a tropical depression on Thursday, August 30. Since Isaac is moving very slowly, the storm will continue to produce floods, rainfall, isolated tornadoes -- especially in Mississippi, Eastern Louisiana, Southeastern Arkansas, Southern Alabama and the far Western Florida Panhandle -- and gusty winds.

According to the NHC, Isaac should steadily weaken over the next 48 hours as it continues to move over land, and should become a tropical depression by Thursday night. At 8 AM (EDT) on Thursday, August 30, Isaac’s center was located about 35 miles southeast of Alexandria, Louisiana and about 125 miles northwest of New Orleans. According to the NHC, Isaac is a slow moving storm with a speed of about 8 miles per hour. Isaac should make a turn to the north-northwest, moving over Louisiana later on Thursday, followed by a turn to the north toward Arkansas on Friday, August 31 and then move over Southern Mississippi that night.

Even though Isaac and Katrina landed approximately in the same place and at the same time, though seven years apart, according to the Associated Press (as reported in The Miami Herald), the storms are quite different:

• Maximum Sustained Winds
  • Katrina: Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 28, 2005 as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds near 125 miles per hour.
  • Isaac: A Category 1 storm, Isaac had maximum sustained winds near 80 miles per hour as it came ashore in Southeast Louisiana on August 28, 2012.
• Size
  • Katrina: Katrina was a large storm with hurricane force winds extending outward up to 125 miles from its center.
  • Isaac: Isaac has been much less organized with a less-defined eye. As it neared Louisiana’s coast, Isaac’s hurricane-force winds extended outward only about 60 miles from its center.
• Storm Surge
  • Katrina: The 2005 storm brought devastating storm surge of 15-20 feet as it came onto land.
  • Isaac: The worst of Isaac’s storm surge was about 6-12 feet.
• Evacuations
  • Katrina: Evacuation orders were issued for millions around the region -- including the city of New Orleans -- ahead of Hurricane Katrina. Many did not heed the evacuation order and later had to be rescued from flooded homes.
  • Isaac: As the storm closed in, tens of thousands were told to evacuate. Some decided to leave, while others have decided to hunker down and ride out the relatively weaker storm.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate said weather conditions continue to worsen in the Northern Louisiana, delaying storm damage assessments, power restoration and relief efforts. The Red Cross-- already housing 5000 evacuees in 80 Louisiana shelters -- is preparing a prolonged recovery. “Were going to be there for weeks,” said Red Cross Vice President Charles Shimanski. “We need to know what we’re recovering from before we know what recovery looks like.”

Sometimes We Get Noticed

I wanted to share this story of interest to others who volunteer and support their communities in times of need. After recent major forest fires in the mountains above Colorado Springs with the loss of several lives and 350 homes lost, and a resulting 32,000 evacuees, flash flooding became our next urgent concern. Our local RACES team was activated by the Sheriff's Office to act as spotters for rising streams and possible flash flooding.

On a recent night as I stood in rain on the center span of the steel pedestrian bridge about 20' above a dark raging torrent of Monument Creek's muddy water, a passerby stopped to observe with me and comment about how amazingly fast the water had come up. I quickly agreed and said "Yeah, my buddy and I have been here awhile watching it and you should have seen it -- it went from just ankle deep to chest high in a matter of seconds!" Seeing my yellow safety vest he asked if I was with the city works or other agency. I said, "No, we're just a bunch of ham radio operators who volunteer our time to the county; we're actually with the El Paso County Sheriff Office." I then went on to explain there was similar flash flood spotter teams strategically placed throughout the county watching streams rise and then using our radios to report observations back to the EOC. He said, "It's great to know someone's out here watching our backs!" He then turned and extended his hand to shake mine and said "Nice to meet someone on the front lines." He thanked me for being there and then went on his way.

I must say I wore a proud smile as I walked back across the bridge in the drizzle realizing that yep, that's what we do alright; we're out here watching our community's back while they sleep, watch TV, and live their lives. It sure felt great and meant a lot to be paid a huge unsolicited thanks, especially from someone who probably is sleeping a little better tonight knowing that someone has his back! -- Steve Galchutt, WG0AT, Monument, Colorado

Article posted from 'The ARES E-Letter for July 11, 2012'

To receive all articles, sign up at www.ARRL.org.

ARRL Offers Online ARES Training

ARRL offers online training for hams who want to participate in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service.  The time for training is before a disaster...not during one. Two courses make up the ARRL ARES® training program. Enroll Today!

The former Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (AREC) series of three training courses has been reconfigured into two courses: An introductory course and a course for leaders and managers. Introduction to Emergency Communication (#EC-001) Revised in 2011, this is an update of the former Level 1 course. It is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools for hams who want to serve as a Public Service volunteer. It provides an opportunity for non-hams who rely on communications in emergency situations to learn about Amateur Radio and its unique role in emergencies. The course is offered online using the Moodle learning platform. The Introduction to Emergency Communication course has six sections with 29 lesson topics and a 35 question final assessment. Participants should plan on completing the course in approximately 45 hours over a nine week period. This is a mentored course, in which you may work according to your own schedule. Cost is $50 for ARRL members and $85 for non-members. For start dates, registration deadlines and more visit www.arrl.org/online-course-catalog Now Accepting Enrollments for July and August Sessions. Register Today! The Introduction to Emergency Communication Course Book -- 4th Edition An introductory course designed for Amateur Radio volunteers who want to serve as part of an ARES® response team. Please note: this book is the course transcript for the Introduction to Emergency Communication course (EC-001) and is an optional resource. Special Offer! Only $19.95 (retail $24.95) -- Order Now Enter Coupon Code ARES prior to checkout • Offer valid through Sunday July 22, 2012 Cannot be combined with other Coupon Code offers and is not applicable towards course enrollment. Book and course are separate transactions. Book is purchased through the e-store at www.arrl.org/shop. Public Service and Emergency Communications Management for Radio Amateurs (#EC-016) Launched in 2010, this course is designed for Amateur Radio operators who will be in leadership and managerial roles, organizing other volunteers to support public service activities and communications emergencies. Participants will learn how radio amateurs prepare to support local community events and, when working in coordination with governmental and emergency response organizations, how to deploy their services. This is a self-study course. For more information and to register visit www.arrl.org/online-course-catalog.

Training Comment for the SLC SE Division Net

July 5, 2012 Training Comment

for the Salt Lake City Southeast Division Net

By T. Mike Smith, KM7TMS

            Awakening this morning to a cooler, moist day was an unusual and pleasant experience.  After so many days of high temperatures and dry air, you probably savored the day as I did.  It has been a time of heat and fire.  Checking this morning I found active large fires spread across the state.  The Church Camp, Clay Springs, Millville, Miner, Pole Creek, Quail, Seeley, Shingle, and Wolf Den were active.  The nearly 3000-acre Quail Fire in American Fork Canyon was the biggest close one, although it was anticipated to be contained during the night.

 

            We have seen campfires, fireworks, shooting, access and vehicle restrictions, along with various admonitions from important people because of the extreme fire danger.  We have seen thousands evacuated from their homes and extensive property damage and public expense.  This morning’s total acreage for Utah wildland fires for the year was just over 100,000 acres with just over 99,000 of that being human caused – I was shocked, usually it is more spread.  As we are a long way from the normal fall fire relief, we can look forward to this danger continuing for a while, despite the relief today’s moister weather brought us.

Since our last Southeast Division Net, we have had a major Salt Lake Valley fire.  The Rose Crest Fire down at Herriman started last Friday when a truck’s hot exhaust put dry grass ablaze.  Of the Utah fires, this one probably grabbed our attention the most; after all, it was a significant fire in our valley.  Perhaps some of you listened to portions of the radio traffic that occurred.  In addition to the first responders, there were ham operators and some CERT individuals responding.   The rapid response is credited for significantly reducing the fire damage.  If you haven’t taken occasion to see some of the many fine pictures, you might Google Herriman Fire 2012 for some great response and fire-line images.  A person cannot view the latter and not be impressed with the life-threatening dangers this type emergency poses.  Having fought grassland fires before, I know them as dangerous, hot and dirty.

As radio operators and CERT-trained responders -- for those of us who are also the latter-- we are again reminded of the importance of our skills which are repeatedly needed, especially when the emergency arrives in our own neighborhood.