The ARES E-Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************

April 18, 2012

Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE 

In This Issue:

IN THIS ISSUE

- FCC Seeks Public Comments on Emergency Communications by Amateur
Radio and Impediments to Amateur Radio Communications
- North Texas ARES/RACES Ops Respond to Tornados
- ARRL EPM Mike Corey, KI1U: Put Your Emergency Operations Center on
the Air
- Amateur Radio in Tsunami Exercise: Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin
Islands
- Storm Operator Jennifer Melfi, KC2TMA, Receives Special Service
Citation
- California Emergency Preparedness Expo Showcases Amateur Radio EmComm
- Letters: More on GPS
- Letters: IS-201
- Malaysia to Host Eighth Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
Conference
- Letters: Training -- Too Much of a Good Thing?
- Letters: Best Digital Mode?
- K1CE For a Final

___________

==> FCC SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENTS ON EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS BY AMATEUR
RADIO AND IMPEDIMENTS TO AMATEUR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

In response to the Congressional directive to prepare a study to assess
Amateur Radio's role in emergency and disaster communications and the
impact of private land use regulations on the amateur community's
ability to provide such communications, the FCC issued DA 12-523
soliciting comments from the public. The period for public comment runs
until May 17, 2012.

"As part of the study contained in Public Law No. 112-96, the
Commission has opened a 45 day period for comments to be filed on the
issue," said ARRL Regulatory Information Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND.
"Because of the short deadline for the study to be completed and
presented to Congress -- before the end of August -- the ARRL and the
amateur community must quickly mobilize their response."

The FCC Public Notice focuses on two specific areas for comments. The
first is the role that Amateur Radio has played and continues to play
to support emergency and disaster relief organizations, such as FEMA
and local/state emergency management agencies. The second is to
determine impediments to enhanced Amateur Radio communications. This
would include the impact that private land-use regulations -- such as
deed restrictions and homeowner association covenants -- have on the
ability of licensed amateurs to fully participate in providing support
communications to the served agencies.

"This study is not about zoning ordinances or regulations adopted by
the local or state governments," Henderson explained. "Amateurs already
have the limited protection of PRB-1 to assist them with those
situations. The areas of concern here are the limitations that are
placed on a property when it is purchased, either as part of the deed
of sale or by restrictions imposed by the neighborhood/homeowner's
association. Those restrictions -- sometimes referred to as CC&Rs --
are not currently covered by the FCC's PRB-1 decision from 1985."

To allow the ARRL to quickly collect and collate relevant information
from the amateur community to help support the filing it will make with
the FCC on this issue, a website has been setup. The site --
www.arrl.org/ccr-study-information
 -- provides details about
what kind of information is needed by the ARRL.

Also on the site, you will find links to two online data collection
forms. The first form allows you to provide information about specific
emergency communications in which Amateur Radio has played a role since
January 2000. The second form asks for specific information on the
CC&Rs/deed restrictions that control your property. It also asks you to
provide information on how those restrictions have impacted your
ability to fully support emergency communications.

"Whether you are an ARRL member or not, your information and situation
are important to helping us make the case for all amateurs," Henderson
said. "Whether your support communications are with ARES®, RACES,
SKYWARN, CERT or other emergency and disaster groups, your voice should
be heard. If you cannot operate effectively from home during an
emergency because CC&Rs prohibit adequate antennas on your property,
that is important to document and quantify. This issue affects all of
Amateur Radio, not just ARRL members."

Henderson said that due to the short timeframe that the FCC has
allotted for public comment, time is of the essence. In order to allow
the ARRL to develop its comments, the ARRL asks that all information
sent by the amateur community be received at the ARRL no later than
April 25, 2012: "We realize this is a very short turnaround asking for
your response, but this is based on the time provided by the Commission
for the comment window."

It is important that when you provide specifics of your CC&R, you also
provide the ARRL with a copy of its actual wording. If you have the
CC&R in a digital format (or you can scan the document into a file), it
can either be uploaded through the website above or it can be sent via
an e-mail to CCRinfo@arrl.org . If you do not have an electronic
format, a hard copy may be sent via US mail to: CCR Study Information,
ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.

"We need factual, specific details," Henderson said. "The more accurate
information we have -- including copies of the CC&R language -- the
stronger case we can make. Having copies of the exact CC&Rs is
important. It allows us to demonstrate the wide variation of
restrictions. Including the specific text is as important as any other
piece of information you provide."

If you have questions about what is being requested, you may contact
the ARRL Regulatory Information Office via e-mail .
"Again, time is of the essence in this matter," Henderson said. "This
is the best opportunity that amateurs have had to address the impact of
overly burdensome private land use restrictions. If Amateur Radio is to
succeed in this effort, it is going to take all of us working
together."

==> NORTH TEXAS ARES/RACES OPS RESPOND TO TORNADOS

On April 3, perfect conditions conducive to tornado activity converged
on North Texas. A slow moving front, combined with abnormally warm
temperatures and moist air coming in from the south, produced large
hail, numerous funnel clouds and tornados. As the weather worsened,
hams in North Texas activated ARES® and RACES nets. Spotters reported
their observations to their local Emergency Operations Center, which
acted on that information in a timely manner to inform the public of
the approaching storms, giving them time to get to safety. A total of
21 confirmed tornados -- including one EF3 and two EF2 twisters --
swept through the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex during the seven hour
storm. More here
.
-- ARRL Letter

==> ARRL EPM MIKE COREY, KI1U: PUT YOUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ON
THE AIR

How often is the Amateur Radio station at your local emergency
operations center on the air? Only during emergencies? For nets? For
training? In many cases the EOC Amateur Radio station may only see
activity when it's needed, but this really shouldn't be the case. This
Amateur Radio station plays two critical roles. First it is the station
you will rely on during an emergency. Not just for the operator at the
EOC, but all those communicating with your EOC via Amateur Radio.
Second, it is your Amateur Radio showcase to your served agencies.

Putting this station on the air, not just regularly but as often as
possible, accomplishes several things. Each time you are on the air you
are training. You are learning about propagation, band conditions, and
improving your operating skills. In doing this you also learn more
about your station. You learn its strengths and weaknesses, its
capabilities, and you become more familiar with the equipment. Finally,
you learn to identify problems in the station. Through regular activity
you develop a baseline of how the station should perform. When
something goes wrong you will know it quickly and be better prepared to
fix the problem.

This on the air activity also has other potential benefits. As you and
your group spend more time exercising the station your served agency
will take notice. They will see that this station has value. They may
even take interest in how well it is performing. And don't forget that
through activity you are given the chance to promote the Amateur Radio
Service. Remember there's more to it than emergencies and public
service, don't miss an opportunity to show off the other facets of our
great service.

The opportunities to get on the air are diverse. Your group could make
it a goal to add an operating achievement to the wall such as DXCC or
Worked All States. Participating in a contest is a great way to hone
your operating and traffic handling skills (a contest exchange is
traffic!). It also provides a great way to test your station's
capabilities. You can also design a friendly in-house competition
between operators, and see who can make the most QSO's each month or
log check ins to HF nets.

Never forget what truly makes Amateur Radio a great asset, the spectrum
to provide communications. We have this spectrum because we use it, not
because we talk about using it. As an Amateur Radio operator you should
get on the air as much as possible and so should your EOC station. --
Mike Corey, KI1U, ARRL HQ

==> AMATEUR RADIO IN TSUNAMI EXERCISE: PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN
ISLANDS

The National Weather Service Forecast Office in San Juan, in
coordination with the Puerto Rico Seismic Network and the Caribbean
Tsunami Center prepared the exercise called LANTEX12
. The purpose of this
exercise, held on March 28 at precisely 9:04 am AST, was to support
tsunami preparedness efforts throughout Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin
Islands.

The exercise tested sirens, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and how
well messages get on the air on local radio, TV, cable and other
outlets. Also tested were evacuation procedures in public schools
around the island. The drill scenario was an earthquake off the shores
of South Carolina, and the Tsunami wave it would create.

Angel Santana, WP3GW, reported that he was present at the Agencia
Estatal de Manejo de Emergencias y Administración de Desastres- AEMEAD
(Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency - PREMA) central offices, and
served as Net Control using the KP4CVR call of the Cuerpo de
Voluntarios Radioaficionados team, for which he is a volunteer. Santana
was on the KP4CAR - 147.210 Mhz repeater system taking reports from all
eleven Zones in which rhe agency divides the island. [The KP4CAR
repeater is sponsored by Carlos A. Rosado, KP4CAR, the owner and
trustee, and is one of the best situated on the island -- during
Hurricane Irene it was one of the few on the air.] The agency wanted to
know how Amateur Radio operators learned of the activation to have an
idea of which communication systems worked best. Amateurs from Mayagüez
up to the island of Vieques reported in. There were several others on
other repeater systems and on HF participating in the drill.

Here is a TV report

about the exercise. Satellite telephones were also used, and the KP4
Amateur Radio operators net was activated. As an aside, AEMEAD Director
Heriberto Sauri lamented that only one cellular company participated in
the exercise -- some cell phone companies were under fire last year for
not sending any test messages as planned.

This is the third year in a row that Amateur Radio has participated in
this exercise. -- Angel Santana, WP3GW, ARRL Puerto Rico Section Public
Information Officer

==> STORM OPERATOR JENNIFER MELFI, KC2TMA, RECEIVES SPECIAL SERVICE
CITATION

On August 27 and 28, 2011, for 28 hours during Tropical Storm Irene, 13
year old Jennifer Melfi, KC2TMA, assisted the Town of Babylon (New
York) Emergency Operations Center by calling for volunteers on the
radio several hours before the storm struck. She tirelessly provided
emergency communications, relaying information about shelters and
highways to Town of Babylon officials, Red Cross shelters and other
nets throughout Long Island.

In January, Senator Owen H. Johnson (D-4), presented her with a much
deserved Citation at the Ham Radio University event at Briarcliff
College in Bethpage, New York. The citation states, in part, "Age does
not play a factor in one's ability to volunteer their time to serve
one's community. This citation recognizes your outstanding community
service to the residents of the Town of Babylon, may you be an
inspiration to others who follow in your footsteps." - Peter Portanova,
WB2OQQ

==> CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXPO SHOWCASES AMATEUR RADIO
EMCOMM

March 23, 2012 was the date of the Outdoor Resort Palm Springs (ORPS)
Emergency Preparedness Expo. Local Palm Springs KESQ channel 3 TV
reporter Bianca Rae interviewed Coachella Valley EC John Polak, NF6N,
which made the evening news broadcast.

In addition to RACES, the Cathedral City Fire Department, Riverside
County Emergency Services, American Red Cross, FEMA, Costco, Palm
Springs Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the ORPS Safety &
Security Committee also participated.

Outdoor Resort Palm Springs
 is an RV
community of 1213 individually owned lots. Most of the owners are
snowbirds from western Canada and Northwest US. -- Jim Koski, KT6W

==> LETTERS: MORE ON GPS

It is my experience and that of friends too, that GPS decisions about
what turns to make to get to the desired destinations are often wrong.
After all, the GPS has an internal decision making program that may
have flaws or wrong logic in its design created by each GPS
manufacturer. So to depend on this in a critical situation is a naive
and foolish belief in the infallibility of the device. Yet, so many
people have this trust. I have found that a majority of drivers have
little or no map reading skills. That may be why they have to depend on
GPS devices to find their way around when traveling. Poor map skills
trap them into depending on the fallible substitute of the GPS device,
sometimes leading to dangerous, even near tragic situations. Perhaps
map reading skills should be tought to everyone in ARES and emergency
sevices in general. --Murray Goldberg, KD2IN, Toms River, New Jersey

==> LETTERS: IS-201

In re the last issue's item on FEMA course IS-201, it is really based
on the forms used in the ICS's Planning Section. That doesn't mean that
the other sections are not involved but it does work mostly with
planning forms to make it around what is called the "Planning P" to put
a "Plan" in the Incident Commander's hands at the proper time. The
Plans folks live in the future and not so much in the "now" or "past."
They take what the Incident Commander wants to do in the NEXT period
and put it on paper. If he wants to be in front of the fire with ten
fire trucks and 100 people and planning finds out that there are only 5
fire trucks and 50 people on hand, they will contact Logistics to make
sure that the additional supplies will be on hand BEFORE that next
period begins. They will determine from the Operations folks what they
will need to make all of this happen. They may need more food, water
and porta-potties. As soon as this "new plan" is put into place at 0600
(or whatever time the Incident Commander says it will happen), Planning
moves on to the NEXT operation period.

So again, they live at least 12 hours into the future. There is a
saying that if the Planning section has nothing to do for that next
operational period, then their job is to "plan the demobilization." If
there is nothing to do, you don't need that many people or that much
equipment.

So IS-201 is directed towards those Planning types but we as amateurs
need to be headed in that direction also. If I am one of the amateurs
operating in the field, I want to know that my ARES staff is "planning"
for my relief at such and such a time. They might need to be planning
to make sure I am counted for lunch and water. If operations are
expanding in the next operational period, the ARES staff might be
planning on new nets (or another net) to handle the increased traffic.
If the ARES staff is slowly sinking then they might want come up with
their own planning guy who has been trained to handle amateur planning.
Anyway, just another person's 1-cent (after taxes). -- Edward Tune
(Otto), KV7J, Carson City, Nevada

==> MALAYSIA TO HOST EIGHTH GLOBAL AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE

The Eighth Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference
(GAREC) -- called MyGAREC 2012  --
will be held November 12-14 in the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan
at the Thistle Port Dickson Resort
.

GAREC -- which began in 2005 in Tampere, Finland -- attracts radio
amateurs who have an interest in providing emergency communications in
response to disasters or during training exercises. MyGAREC 2012 has
been timed to immediately follow the IARU Region 3 Conference in
Vietnam (scheduled for November 5-9) with its theme of disaster relief
communications.

General information for MyGAREC 2012 -- including information on the
venue, registration fees the tentative agenda

and registration forms -- has been posted on the MyGAREC website.
According to organizers, the website will be updated weekly with the
latest news and program changes. Among the topics to be discussed
include the HF emergency operating procedure and the future of GAREC,
as well as presentations from the three IARU regions. Presentations
from various IARU Member-Societies regarding recent disaster relief
communications operations will also be scheduled.

Previous GARECs have been held in Finland (2005 and 2006), the USA
(2007), Germany (2008), Japan (2009), Curaçao (2010) and South Africa
(2011). -- ARRL Letter

==> LETTERS: TRAINING -- TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

In March QST you wrote about ICS, CPR and AED training for volunteers.
I spent 16 years as a volunteer in Emergency Management and I am an
instructor for NIMS and when I read your write up I could not believe
what you are asking volunteers to do. Yes, they need IS courses 100,
700 and 800 but unless they are going to be a leader and have the full
knowledge of Emergency Management I don't see that the volunteers need
courses 230, 250, 288 and the others that deal with the EOC.

If you are in a rural area your EOC could be out of your house or work
for an Emergency Manager who doesn't even have the ICS training. As a
volunteer I feel -- along with our club -- that the other classes are
not necessary. You have to realize that the rural areas don't have DSL,
and dial up Internet won't let you take some of these classes online. I
feel that if ARES volunteers take IS courses 100, 200 and 700 then they
have the knowledge to assist in an emergency. Remember, they are
volunteers and have regular jobs, families and other commitments.

So I hope your recommendations do not become requirements because you
will lose a lot of great volunteers in the process. Rural fire
departments are getting smaller and smaller because of the requirements
that are put on them. I was an Assistant EMD for 16 years and was in
charge of our volunteers so I know how hard it is to get them to take
these classes. Please consider talking with rural ARES groups and learn
how hard it is to get and keep volunteers. --Teresa Tost, KC0OKP,
President, Douglas County Amateur Radio Club ,
Ava, Missouri

==> LETTERS: BEST DIGITAL MODE?

I read your column on digital methods in the current QST. I am an
active member of Army MARS and operate on a 4 MHz Digital Net at least
one hour daily six days a week. Our experience shows OLIVIA works very
well in noisy conditions, much faster then PSK31 and can get through as
well as CW. MT63 is faster when signals are good. EASYPAL can send
pictures (very useful in disaster conditions) and large text files
error free. There are several programs that can connect for ARQ
transmissions including WINMOR, FLDIGI and V4CHAT. All of these methods
use freeware programs and have been used on HF and VHF. There is no
"best" method any more than there is a best tool. To be a competent
digital operator requires practice with several methods to be able to
pick the optimum solution in a given situation. -- Scott McCann,
W3MEO/AAR3FK

==> K1CE FOR A FINAL

Below are the actual questions posed by the FCC to the public in its
Public Notice referenced at the outset of this issue:

The FCC said "We pose specific questions below to provide structure for
commenters. Commenters may also address questions not set forth below
that relate to the topics of the study to be submitted to Congress.
Commenters should not, however, view this Public Notice as an
opportunity to seek Commission rulings regarding specific situations."

1. Importance of emergency Amateur Radio Service communications.
As noted above, the statute requires a review of the importance of
emergency Amateur Radio Service communications relating to disasters,
severe weather, and other threats to lives and property.

a. What are examples of disasters, severe weather, and other threats to
life and property in which the Amateur Radio Service provided
communications services that were important to emergency response or
disaster relief? Provide examples of the important benefits of these
services.

b. Under what circumstances does the Amateur Radio Service provide
advantages over other communications systems in supporting emergency
response or disaster relief activities? Under what circumstances does
the Amateur Radio Service complement other forms of communications
systems for emergency response or disaster relief?

c. What Federal Government plans, policies, and training programs
involving emergency response and disaster relief currently include use
of the Amateur Radio Service? What additional plans, policies, and
training programs would benefit from the inclusion of Amateur Radio
Service operations? How would Amateur Radio Service operations fit into
these plans and programs?

d. What State, tribal, and local government plans, policies, and
training programs involving emergency response and disaster relief
currently include use of the Amateur Radio Service? What additional
plans and programs would benefit from the inclusion of Amateur Radio
Service operations? How would Amateur Radio Service operations fit into
these plans and programs?

e. What changes to the Commission's emergency communications rules for
the Amateur Radio Service (Part 97, Subpart E) would enhance the
ability of amateur operators to support emergency and disaster
response? In addition, are there any specific changes that could be
made to the technical and operational rules for the Amateur Radio
Service (Part 97, Subparts B, C, and D) that would enhance the ability
of amateur operators to support emergency and disaster response? What
other steps could be taken to enhance the voluntary deployment and
effectiveness of Amateur Radio Service operators during disasters and
emergencies?

f. What training from government or other sources is available for
Amateur Radio Service operators for emergency and disaster relief
communications? How could this training be enhanced? Should national
training standards be developed for emergency communications response?

g. What communications capabilities, e.g., voice, video, or data, are
available from Amateur Radio Service operators during emergencies and
disasters? Are there any future technical innovations that might
further improve the Amateur Radio Service?

h. Are national standards in data transmission needed to enhance the
ability of Amateur Radio Service operators to respond to emergencies
and disasters? Are there restrictions with regard to transmission
speeds that, if removed, would increase the ability of operators to
support emergency/disaster response? If so, what issues could arise
from removing these restrictions?

i. Would it enhance emergency response and disaster relief activities
if Amateur Radio Service operators were able to interconnect with
public safety land mobile radio systems or hospital and health care
communications systems? What could be done to enable or enhance such
interconnections? What issues could arise from permitting such
interconnections?

j. Should there be national certification programs to standardize
amateur radio emergency communications training, mobilization, and
operations? How would such programs improve emergency communications?

2. Impediments to enhanced Amateur Radio Service communications. The
statute also requires that the study identify impediments to enhanced
Amateur Radio Service communications andrecommendations regarding the
removal of such impediments.

a. What private land use restrictions on residential antenna
installations have amateur radio operators encountered? What
information is available regarding the prevalence of such restrictions?
What are the effects of unreasonable and unnecessary restrictions on
the amateur radio community's ability to use the Amateur Radio Service?
Specifically, do these restrictions affect the amateur radio
community's ability to respond to disasters, severe weather, and other
threats to lives and property in the United States? What actions can be
taken to
minimize the effects of these restrictions?

b. What criteria distinguish "unreasonable or unnecessary" private land
use restrictions from reasonable and necessary restrictions? How do
local circumstances, such as neighborhood density or historic
significance, affect whether a private land use restriction is
reasonable or necessary? How does the availability of alternative
transmitting locations or power sources affect the reasonableness of a
particular private land use restriction?

c. What steps can amateur radio operators take to minimize the risk
that an antenna installation will encounter unreasonable or unnecessary
private land use restrictions? For example, what obstacles exist to
using a transmitter at a location not subject to such restrictions, or
placing an antenna on a structure used by commercial mobile radio
service providers or government entities?

d. Do any Commission rules create impediments to enhanced Amateur Radio
Service communications? What are the effects of these rules on the
amateur radio community's ability to use the Amateur Radio Service? Do
disaster and/or severe weather situations present any special
circumstances wherein Commission rules may create impediments that
would not otherwise exist in non-disaster situations? What actions can
be taken to minimize the effects of these rules?

e. What other impediments to enhanced Amateur Radio Service
communications have amateur radio operators encountered? What are the
effects of these impediments on the amateur radio community's ability
to use the Amateur Radio Service? Specifically, do these impediments
affect the amateur radio community's ability to respond to disasters,
severe weather, and other threats to lives and property in the United
States? What actions can be taken to minimize the effect of these
impediments?

f. The legislation requires the Commission to identify "impediments to
enhanced Amateur Radio Service communications."7 What specific
"enhance[ments]" to Amateur Radio Service communications have been
obstructed by theimpediments discussed above?

__________

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