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AMATEUR RADIO, BENEFITING THE
COMMUNITY IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY!
Presented by the:Mountain Amateur Radio Club (MARC), an ARRL Affiliate
and
Towns County Emergency Management System
What constitutes an emergency or an “Incident”?
Nature made:
Flooding Mud Slides Tornadoes
Lightning Fires Snow Storms
Hurricanes Avalanches Heat Waves
Drought Insects Plagues Wild Animals
Famine Volcanoes Earth Quakes
Man made:
War Terrorism Engineering Errors
Riots Political Actions
Lack of proper Infrastructure Maintenance
Individual Acts of Violence (Murder, Kidnapping, etc.)
Drug and Alcohol related
WHO RESPONDS TO AN “INCIDENT?”
Nearby individuals
EMS Services, Ambulances, Fire Trucks, Police
Military
Homeland Security: FEMA and GEMA, and other Government
resources, such as the Center For Disease Control
Non-Governmental Agencies and Organizations:
Red Cross
Salvation Army
Amateur Radio Operators:
ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service)
RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service)
CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)
MARS (Military Amateur Radio Service)
WHAT KIND OF SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS (“Hams”)?
Emergency Communications in support of county agencies, such as
the EMS (Ambulance & Rescue), Fire Department, E911, Sheriff,
Local Police, Health Department, Hospital, and Coast Guard
(Water Rescue). Such communications are provided “Intra-County”
(between respective agencies).
Emergency Communications “over the mountains” to other
counties and states.
AUX or Auxiliary Communications.
“Wellness” Radiograms to friends and families outside of
the incident area.
Reports of conditions at the location of each ham operator,
and relay of any related reports or assistance requests.
HOW IS HAM RADIO “TRAFFIC” TRANSMITTED?
By both radio “Transceivers” and a combination of Transceivers
coupled with Computers (Digital Communications) and the Internet.
Transceiver types include:
HTs (Hand-Held Transceiver) radios
Mobile Transceivers
Base Station Transceivers
Hams usually have Standby or Emergency Power (Batteries,
Generators, etc.) to operate their equipment.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
All Transceivers can be connected to a computer and thus to the
Internet. The “Interface” is very simple and relatively inexpensive.
Computer screen shot of
Digital Message.Typical commercial interface boxes.
HOW HAMS COMMUNICATE IN TOWNS COUNTY
Directly from one Transceiver to another,
usually using VHF HTs.
Using HTs, Mobile, or Base Stations and the KI4ENN Repeater,
again using the VHF Frequency bands.
Using the HF Frequency bands and a Base or Mobile station.
WHY CAN’T WE USE THE VHF FREQUENCY BANDS
TO COMMUNICATE “OVER THE MOUNTAINS”?
VHF is “Line of Sight” communications, easily blocked by any
mountains, structures, etc. A Repeater is required for any “broad area
coverage”. This same problem occurs with Police and Emergency
(E911, etc.) communications.
By using ham HTs and Mobile radios, communications can be
relayed from strategically located hams to E911, EMS, Police, etc.
EXTENDED VHF COMMUNICATIONS BY USE
OF THE KI4ENN REPEATER.
A Repeater receives a radio signal on one frequency, and
simultaneously re-transmits it on a slightly different frequency.
HF COMMUNICATIONS.
Have a greater range, by reflecting signals from the Ionosphere.
Can generally operate with much greater power at a nominal cost.
Can literally communicate with other stations throughout the
world, with relatively little power, given proper atmospheric
conditions.
Require bigger, bulkier antenna systems than VHF radios.
Are generally employed at a ham’s home or “Base Station”.
Hams in the Mountain Amateur Radio Club have both
HF and VHF capabilities, as well as Internet Digital
Communications modes.
HOW WE HONE OUR SKILLS TO SUPPORT
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS IN TOWNS COUNTY.
Our hams are members of GA ARES (GA Amateur Radio Emergency Service).
We hold weekly “Nets” on the KI4ENN Repeater.
Our EC (Emergency Coordinator) checks into the weekly GA ARES HF Net.
We have an annual Simulated Emergency Test (S.E.T.) each year, in which we
“simulate” some sort of emergency or “Incident”.
During the S.E.T. “Drill”, we work closely with the local emergency agencies:
EMS, E911, Sheriff, Police, Hospital, Health Department, and other County
agencies to “play out” an emergency scenario.
The results of this drill are forwarded to GA ARES and the ARRL Headquarters,
where they are evaluated and “scored”.
Our primary goal is to have all our equipment in operating condition, be
familiar with the FEMA NIMS requirements, and act as Auxiliary
Communicators.
PHOTOS FROM ONE OF OUR S.E.T.SSome of our operators:
Bob Bonnett KI4NRZ Kathryn Stewart KA4TEO Chris Evans KI4FUJ
Doug DeLorme, KI4NRY Gigi Smith KI4OYJ Alton Higgins W4VFZ
S.E.T. 2007 ACTIVITIES:
S.E.T. 2007 and OTHER ACTIVITIES:
Terrorist in ambulance Neal Dover, KI4OYJ,
Net Control
Field Day
Amateur Radio and the Red Cross. Sending Radiograms at the
Georgia Mountain Fair.
MARC MEMBER BENEFITS:
Classes and License Exams. Radio Room available 24/7. FEMA Courses
Unlimited use of the KI4ENN Repeater.
KI4ENN
Antenna on
Bell Mtn.
Former
PBS
Tower
on Bell
Mtn.
Repeater Emergency
Generator.
THANKS FOR VISITING THE MOUNTAIN AMATEUR
RADIO CLUB, SERVING TOWNS COUNTY AND
SURROUNDING ARES WITH EMERGENCY RADIO
COMMUNICATIONS.
We encourage you to join our group, and refer anyone interested in
Amateur Radio to contact any member, or attend our regular monthly
meetings on the First Monday of each month.
And while we stand ready to provide Auxiliary or Emergency
communications, we also offer the opportunity to enjoy the fellowship
and world-wide communications capabilities offered to licensed
Amateur Radio Operators.
CONTACTS:
Bob Bonnett, KI4NRZ, 706 379 3908, rcbonn9@ windstream.net
Alton (Al) Higgins, W4VFZ, 706 896 9614, [email protected]