Durham ARES Site Feed

State ARES Meeting Minutes

Fri, 23 May 2008 13:54:00 -0400

Thanks to Bob DeWitt, K4RLD, for these notes from our State ARES meeting, held May 3 at the state EOC in Raleigh. Simulated Emergency Test (SET)

Changes are coming in the ARRL Simulated Emergency Test, with more emphasis on a regional rather than section exercise. ARRL is also considering a national NTS exercise.

Broadband Over Power Lines

Broadband Over Power Lines issue has lost steam. It was too expensive for power companies to implement. ARRL's lawsuite against the FCC. If �broadband over powerlines� isn�t dead, it�s certainly in intensive care!

Special License Plate Fees

Many of you will remember that Joe W1FAI mentioned at the January AREA 13 meeting that organizations that have special license plates receive $10.00 each time that those plates are renewed. There are nearly 3,400 amateur radio plates issued each year so we are talking about $34,000 each year that could be used for the public service aspects of Amateur Radio.

ARES Incorporation

According to Tim (N4IB) the Section Manager, we will have to form some type of corporation or foundation before we can proceed. Tim Slay, N4IB, is pursuing non-profit incorporation for North Carolina ARES. This would give us the option of providing liability insurance for ARES activities and allow ARES to own assets.

State ARES Objectives for 2008

Increase membership
Fill vacant positions
All ARES members trained in ICS courses (IS-800 is now being required in many areas)
Implement statewide digital communications
Implement Training Officer position
Increase activity on the Tarheel Emergency Net
obtain a list of relief operators that are self contained

Western Branch Activity

The Western Branch was singled out for both their training efforts and the monthly EC reports. Bernie recognized Cleveland County for the aggressive manner in which they have initiated Cleveland County ARES and SKYWARN. June W4LPL, Ben KM4C, and Cleveland County EC Susan K4ZXN attended the meeting. They were the only county represented from AREA 13 and the Western Branch.

Digital Plan

The State Digital Plan was discussed� Orders have been placed for a PTC II for the Eastern Branch Office, the State EOC, and the Western Branch Office. There is still much to do on this topic.

ICS-213 Message Form

This is a message form that has been developed. It is a form that has space at the top for the outgoing message, and a place at the bottom for the response coming back to the sender as well as other information. It was observed that there was no message number or a �check� count. The question was, if a large volume of traffic has been sent out, when a reply is received, how can it be determined to which message the reply should be attached? This will be reviewed and an improved version placed on the NC ARES webpage.

Health and Welfare Traffic

There was discussion about �incoming� health and welfare traffic during an emergency. It seemed to be the consensus that the local EC should be the one to decide when the resources are available to handle �incoming� traffic of that sort.

Skywarn

Bernie asked that the ECs and DECs do more to promote SKYWARN around the state. And, if the local SKYWARN effort is under the control of ARES, each SKYWARN activation should be listed under "Emergency Operations" on the monthly EC report.

Future Meetings

Paul KD4OZI the Western Branch ASEC asked about having these meetings in the Western Branch from time to time. Bernie said that he understands that it is a hardship on Western Branch counties to attend because of the distances involved and that we will be having a second meeting later in the year that would be held in the Western Branch.

Notes and PowerPoint presentations from the state ARES meeting are available on www.ncarrl.org.

Chinese Emergency Operations on 40m and 20m

Wed, 14 May 2008 15:57:00 -0400

The Chinese IARU Member-Society, has designated the following frequencies for emergency services involved in the rescue: 14.270, 7.050 and 7.060 MHz. The ARRL encourages US amateurs to be aware of the emergency operations on those three frequencies. For more information see: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/13/10095/

Thank You VA Volunteers

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:17:00 -0400

We really appreciate those operators who volunteered for the VA phone upgrade. Despite the early start, we had a number of operators turn out to ensure communications during the transition. We would like to thank the following operators for their efforts. John LeMay - KB4WGA Lisa Armour - KB9MGU Richard Armour - KI4VAX Joe Simpson - K4SAR Charlie Durst - NC4CD Wlison Lamb - W4BOH Don Watt - KE4UVJ Dan Sears - KD4AGQ David Pegram - W4DAP Kelly Pegram - W4KSP Camilla Lamb Randy McCray - KE4UCM Rhett George - KE4HIH Special thanks to Wilson for operating as net control under the NC4FD call sign.

VA Phone System Upgrade - This Weekend!

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:34:39 -0400

The Veterans Administration (VA) hospital will upgrade their phone system this Saturday April 12th from 07:00 AM - 09:00 AM. Our ARES/RACES group will provide communications for key portions of their operation during the anticipated outage. While we expect every effort will be made to keep within their two hour estimate, they may need our assistance for an extended period. Let's not forget Mr. Murphy and his Laws. Plan to meet at the main entrance of the VA hospital at 06:30 AM. Please contact a member of the ARES/RACES leadership, DFMA leadership if you're interested in helping.

No ARES Net Easter Sunday 3/23/08

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:44:48 -0400

We will not conduct an ARES Net on Sunday 3/23/2008 due to the Easter holiday.

Presentation on FEMA's Incident Command System

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:32:00 -0400

At the April DFMA meeting ARES EC Lisa Armour KB9MGU will present information on FEMA's Incident Command System. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday April 1, 2008. Come join us for dinner at 6:00 PM and the program at 7:00 PM. Location: Mayflower Seafood Restaurant on 3742 Chapel Hill Boulevard in Durham.Location Map

[Postponed] Veterans Administration (VA) Phone System Upgrade

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:26:51 -0400

The VA hospital has postponed their phone system upgrade. They are tentatively considering another Saturday in early April. We will post an updated time, date and meeting location once they have finalized their plans. Thank you for your patience!

Durham ARES Net report Sunday 3/16/2008

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:16:17 -0400

Two checkins, including net control: W4DAP W4KSP Duration : six minutes

[Update] Veterans Administration (VA) Phone System Upgrade

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:25:33 -0400

The VA hospital will upgrade their phone system on Saturday, March 22, 2008 from 07:00 to 10:00. We still anticipate the need for at least 10-12 operators. Please contact a member of the ARES/RACES leadership, DFMA leadership, or join us on the weekly net(s) if you're interested in helping. Stay tuned for meeting location.

Durham ARES Net report Sunday 3/9/2008

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:07:45 -0400

Two checkins, including net control: KG4FTT KI4RAN Duration : six minutes