Disaster Communications

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Disaster Communications

• Amateur Radio
• and the
• Medical Reserve Corps

National Leadership Conference, Dallas Texas -
2006
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Welcome

• Jeffrey T. Reilly Westchester County, NY
• Program Specialist - EMSS
• MRC Training Coordinator

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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

• Commonly known as Ham Radio
• Humble beginnings to a sophisticated,
  multi-medium communications hobby
• Hams can talk across the street, or around the
  world

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All Hams are not created equally

• Federally licensed through the FCC
• Rigid testing of different classes
• Some use Morse Code (... --- )
• Some dont and aren't required to know it.
• Some use low power, some much more
• Some can and do use computers
• Some cant stand the use of computers

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All Hams are, however

• Curious!

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Types of Communications

• 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

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Organized groups (NETS)

• ARES Amateur Radio Emergency Service
• RACES Radio Amateur Communication Emergency
  Services
• SKYWARN
• MARS
• ARDS
• SATERN
• Hurricane Watchers NET

To name a very few
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Organized groups (NETS)

• 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
stakeholdersand partners
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Hurricane Watchers
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Salvation Army (SATERN)

• Health and welfare Information Request Form
• 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/PostalCo
  deCountry Tel. Number (Required)Email Address
  (Required)   

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Some buzz words

• Traffic
• Health welfare
• NET
• NCS
• Radiogram
• ARRL

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Ham Infrastructure

• Natural disasters wont 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
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Ham Infrastructure

• Many many hams have generation, back up power,
  back up antenna systems and alternate means of
  communications - REDUNDANCY

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Ham Infrastructure

• 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

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How do messages get Transmitted

• 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

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How is the MRC NET different

• 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

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Medical Reserve Corps NET

• 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

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The Bottom Line

• 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

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FEMA RACES

• Guidance For Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
  Service
• Civil Preparedness Guide Federal Emergency
  Management AgencyWashington, D.C. 20472CPG 1-15
  

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How you can get involved

• Contact local ARES / RACES organizations in your
  service area
• If they arent familiar with the Medical Reserve
  Corps, educate them
• Give them information about the MRC NET and how
  its function is different from their NETS, and
  wont encroach upon their much needed function.

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How you can get involved

• 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.

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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 - WB5GEOCommunications OfficerSt.
  Tammany Amateur Radio Clubwww.no5la.orgkaren_at_are
  s.org

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MRC Unit Locations
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To learn more about Hams
www.arrl.net
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Training should include everyone
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HAMS as part of the team
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HAMS as part of the team
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Hurricane frequencies to monitor

• 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.

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Some interesting Ham Radio websites to visit

• 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-amateur-radi
  o.com.
• Nuts and Volts Magazine at http//www.nutsvolts.co
  m/
• The Radio Amateur Information Network  (R.A.I.N.)
  at http//www.rainreport.com/

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Question Time