Transcript Disaster Communications Amateur Radio and the

Disaster
Communications
Amateur Radio
and the
Medical Reserve Corps
National Leadership Conference, Dallas Texas - 2006
Welcome
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Jeffrey T. Reilly – Westchester County, NY
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Program Specialist - EMSS
MRC Training Coordinator
Goals
Walk away with a basic understanding of
Amateur Radio
 Understand how Public Service Groups can
augment your infrastructure
 Start you thinking about communication
shortfalls in your MRC
 Setting Realistic and Workable
Partnerships
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Amateur Radio
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Commonly known as “Ham” Radio
Humble beginnings to a sophisticated,
multi-medium communications “hobby”
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Hams can talk across the street, or around
the world
All Hams are not created equally
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Federally licensed through the FCC
Rigid testing of different “classes”
Some use Morse Code (... --- …)
Some don’t and aren't required to know it.
Some use low power, some much more
Some can and do use computers
Some can’t stand the use of computers
All Hams are, however
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Curious!
Types of Communications
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Digital – much like the internet with
written messages
VoIP – Echolink / eQSO
Audio – Voice communications – plain
English
Video – SSTV
Satellites and the ISS are used as well
Organized groups (NETS)
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ARES – Amateur Radio Emergency Service
RACES – Radio Amateur Communication
Emergency Services
SKYWARN
MARS
ARDS
SATERN
Hurricane Watchers NET
To name a very few……
Organized groups (NETS)
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ARES – Amateur Radio Emergency Service
RACES – Radio Amateur Communication Emergency Services
SKYWARN
MARS
ARDS
SATERN
Hurricane Watchers NET
ALL of these established groups are powerful stakeholders
and partners
Hurricane Watchers
Salvation Army (SATERN)
Health and welfare Information Request Form
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Please use this form to submit your inquiry. Your
inquiry will be sent to the disaster area, where
SATERN personnel will attempt to locate the
person or persons about whom you are inquiring.
While there is no guarantee, we will make every
effort to locate your friend or loved one. Please
supply as much information as possible.
Enter your personal information in this section:
First Name (Required) Last Name
(Required)Address CityState/Province Zip/Postal
CodeCountry Tel. Number (Required)Email Address
(Required)
Some “buzz” words
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Traffic
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NET
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Health & welfare
NCS
Radiogram
ARRL
Ham Infrastructure
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Natural disasters won’t disable amateur
radio as it will cell phones, land line
phones and other conventional means of
communications. Why?
Because Ham Radio Stations, in many cases, are stand alone entities
Ham Infrastructure
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Many many hams
have generation, back
up power, back up
antenna systems and
alternate means of
communications REDUNDANCY
Ham Infrastructure
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More MRC units are utilizing amateur radio
in the communications branch of ICS
Hams are becoming active members of
the MRC, lending expertise, enthusiasm
and equipment
How do messages get Transmitted
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Stations in the field act as the initial
messenger
The Organized NETS meet at a specific
time and frequency
Members of the NETS pass traffic
Traffic is delivered
How is the MRC NET different
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Most all other NETS pass traffic into and
out of an affected area for the services of
the general population
The primary function of the MRC NET is to
facilitate traffic between MRC leaders
“back home” and deployed MRC members
“in the field”
Medical Reserve Corps NET
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Brand new, but not a new concept
Approximately 20 hams across the USA,
Working as NET CONTROL Stations (NCS)
These stations act as liaisons between the
field and the MRC
The Bottom Line
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An MRC Unit, or MRC members are
deployed to a disaster area.
They need to be aware of the
communications options available to them
to get messages “back home”
FEMA & RACES
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Guidance For Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service
Civil Preparedness Guide
Federal Emergency Management
Agency
Washington, D.C. 20472
CPG 1-15
How you can get involved
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Contact local ARES / RACES organizations
in your service area
If they aren’t familiar with the Medical
Reserve Corps, educate them
Give them information about the MRC NET
and how it’s function is different from their
NETS, and won’t encroach upon their
much needed function.
How you can get involved
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Get ARES / RACES team members on
board as active participants in your local
MRC or CERT teams
Utilize them for POD drills
Use them for public education
Have them give you a demo on how their
particular infrastructure is set up.
Karen E. Johansen
I wish to thank and recognize the Amateur Radio Operators that gave of
their time to travel to the hurricane Katrina stricken area. These
people from different backgrounds and parts of our country came to
Southeast Louisiana provide emergency communications to whatever
organization needed their services. These operators did not care
what job they were assigned, nor did they complain about the living
conditions. If anyone ever needs to be reminded of the spirit of
America will only need to read this page.
Karen E. Johansen - WB5GEO
Communications Officer
St. Tammany Amateur Radio Club
www.no5la.org
[email protected]
MRC Unit Locations
To learn more about Hams
www.arrl.net
Training should include everyone
HAMS as part of the team
HAMS as part of the team
Hurricane frequencies to monitor
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Now we are beyond "Alpha" - time to listen to those unsung
heroes of Ham Radio who tirelessly help out with these
emergencies.
Please click here for a listing of frequencies to monitor
thanks to Hugh Stegman / NV6H.
Please click here to make a donation to the Red Cross for
Hurricane relief efforts.
How Ham Radio Operators can volunteer to help with
Hurricane disaster relief efforts - please click here.
This how Ham Radio operators help in emergency
conditions ! Please click here to view a short video about
helping with Hurricane Katrina.
Some interesting Ham Radio
websites to visit:
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The ARRL "Getting Started" Page"
http://www.arrl.org/hamradio.html
The W5YI group at www.w5yi.com
The QRZ Ham Radio callsign lookup service at
www.qrz.com
The Tucson Packet Amateur Radio group at
www.tapr.org
The Electronic Ham Radio operators at www.eham.com
The Ham Radio Magazine "CQ" at www.cq-amateurradio.com.
Nuts and Volts Magazine at http://www.nutsvolts.com/
The Radio Amateur Information Network (R.A.I.N.) at
http://www.rainreport.com/
Question Time