1 / 31

Disaster Communications

Disaster Communications. Amateur Radio and the Medical Reserve Corps. National Leadership Conference, Dallas Texas - 2006. Welcome. Jeffrey T. Reilly – Westchester County, NY Program Specialist - EMSS MRC Training Coordinator. Goals. Walk away with a basic understanding of Amateur Radio

pekelo
Download Presentation

Disaster Communications

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Disaster Communications Amateur Radio and the Medical Reserve Corps National Leadership Conference, Dallas Texas - 2006

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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. All Hams are not created equally • 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

  6. All Hams are, however • Curious!

  7. 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

  8. 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……

  9. 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

  10. Hurricane Watchers

  11. 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/PostalCodeCountry Tel. Number (Required)Email Address (Required)   

  12. Some “buzz” words • Traffic • Health & welfare • NET • NCS • Radiogram • ARRL

  13. Ham Infrastructure • 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

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

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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”

  18. 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

  19. 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”

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

  21. How you can get involved • 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.

  22. 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.

  23. 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@ares.org

  24. MRC Unit Locations

  25. To learn more about Hams www.arrl.net

  26. Training should include everyone

  27. HAMS as part of the team

  28. HAMS as part of the team

  29. 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.

  30. 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-radio.com. • Nuts and Volts Magazine at http://www.nutsvolts.com/ • The Radio Amateur Information Network  (R.A.I.N.) at http://www.rainreport.com/

  31. Question Time

More Related