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********************************************
The ARES Letter

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

October 18, 2023

Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE <k1ce@arrl.net>

IN THIS ISSUE

- ARES® Briefs, Links
- Great ShakeOut Exercise is Tomorrow!
- Comment Deadlines Set on Proposed 60-Meter Band Changes
- Healthcare Coalition Conducts Interoperable Auxiliary Communications
Test
- ARRL Launches The NTS Letter
- Major Minnesota Marathon Canceled -- Amateur Radio Team was Ready
- K1CE for a Final: Personal Hurricane Idalia Notes
- ARES® Resources
- ARRL Resources

ARES® BRIEFS, LINKS

Attention: The ARRL website will be unavailable for scheduled
maintenance on Monday, October 23, 2023. Follow us on Facebook for
updates. - ARRL Administrative Headquarters

Alachua County (Florida) ARES - one of the leading groups in the
country -- has approved its After-Action Report/Improvement Plan <https://qsl.net/nf4rc/2023/AARIPHurricaneIdalia.pdf> (AAR/IP) for its Hurricane Idalia response. A spokesman for the group said: "We write
these up for almost every significant event or exercise. The
improvement plans have steadily made us grow. This 25-page report in
standard HSEEP format has 25 problems identified, each with improvement
plans. Nine of those are already 'completed.' Putting our problems in
writing so we can track our solutions has been key for us."

FEMA Publishes Unmanned Aircraft Systems Resource Typing Documents --
These updates integrate the latest best practices into the National
Incident Management System (NIMS) resource typing definitions library.

Remote Pilot-In-Command: Operates an unmanned aircraft platform in a
safe and secure manner according to all local, state, and Federal
regulations.

Technical Specialist - Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Provides
technical support to the UAS Team, including managing data recording
equipment and software, managing communications systems and
frequencies, and maintaining documentation in the appropriate chain of
custody.

Small Unmanned Aircraft System Team: An aircraft operations team
without a human pilot on board, also known as a drone. The pilot on the
ground has an FAA or military license to collect data for improved
situational awareness through remote sensing. The UAS Team operates
under the Air Operations Branch, as established by the requestor.

These resource typing documents enhance the interoperability and
effectiveness of mutual aid by establishing baseline qualifications.
This facilitates sharing deployable resources at all jurisdictional
levels. -FEMA NIMS Alert October 17, 2023

GREAT SHAKEOUT EXERCISE IS TOMORROW!

From the October 1-15 2023 issue of the FEMA Disaster Emergency

Communications News Clippings and Topics of Interest newsletter: "The
Great ShakeOut is the world's largest annual earthquake drill and will
occur nationwide on October 19, 2023, at 10:19 AM local time. To
highlight the significance of accurate ground truth in the early stages
of a disaster event, Winlink and the United States Geological Survey
(USGS) are collaborating to provide radio operators an opportunity to participate and train on process and procedure for information
reporting in the 'Did You Feel It' (DYFI) exercise; subsequently, this
drill will also underscore how the proficiency of Winlink facilitates
this sharing of information. USGS will use the Winlink 'Did You Feel
It' ground truth data to contribute to the calculations of their
earthquake intensity assessments when modeling the Modified Mercalli
(MMIS) Intensity Scale, a standard index used for earthquake severity.
Data will be leveraged to improve event response products, including
Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER), a system
that provides fatality and economic loss impact estimates following
significant earthquakes. The secondary purpose of this event is to
illustrate to emergency management officials the ability of the Winlink
system to provide situational awareness information they may not
otherwise be able to obtain in the initial phases of disaster
response." For more detailed instructions on how to participate in the
Great ShakeOut DYFI exercise, please visit
https://winlink.org/content/shakeout or use the following link that has specific "how-to" information ShakeOutWinlinkExercise_cm6.pdf <https://www.winlink.org/sites/default/files/ShakeOutWinlinkExercise_cm6.pdf>.

COMMENT DEADLINES SET ON PROPOSED 60-METER BAND CHANGES

A public period is open until October 30, 2023 for radio amateurs to
comment on proposed changes to the 60-meter band. ARRL is asking all
radio amateurs to join it in urging the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) to continue the existing use of the band. ARRL is
encouraging expressions of support to the FCC for the current 100 watt
ERP power limit (instead of reducing the power limit to 15 watts EIRP)
and continuing secondary access to the current channels. An opportunity
to reply to comments ends on November 28.
Currently, radio amateurs in the US have use of five discrete channels
on a secondary basis, on which they are permitted an effective radiated
power (ERP) of 100 watts. In the NPRM the Commission solicits comment
on reducing the secondary allocation to 15 kHz of contiguous spectrum
between 5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz with a power limit of 15 watts EIRP
(equivalent to 9.1 watts ERP). The lesser spectrum and reduced power
limit was adopted by the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference
(WRC-15).

The federal government is the primary user of the 5 MHz spectrum. The
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the
federal government's spectrum regulator, has argued that the WRC-15
proposals should be implemented as written. Doing so would result in
amateurs losing four of the discrete channels they have been using on a secondary basis and having the maximum permissible power reduced by
more than 10 dB, from 100 watts ERP to 9.1 watts ERP.

In 2017, ARRL petitioned the FCC to keep four of the current five
60-meter channels -- one would be within the new band -- as well as the
current limit of 100 watts ERP. "Such implementation will allow radio
amateurs engaged in emergency and disaster relief
communications, and especially those between the United States and the Caribbean basin, to more reliably, more flexibly and more capably
conduct those communications [and preparedness exercises], before the
next hurricane season," ARRL said in its petition.

ARRL said that years of amateur radio experience using the five
discrete 5-MHz channels demonstrated that amateurs coexist well with
the primary users at 5 MHz. "Neither ARRL, nor, apparently, NTIA is
aware of a single reported instance of interference to a federal user
by a radio amateur operating at 5 MHz to date," ARRL said in its 2017
petition.

ARRL will continue to advocate to maintain the 100 watt limit for 60
meters, continued authorization for the four channels outside the WRC allocation that are being used today, and adoption of the new 15 kHz
allocation with the same 100 watt power limit.

In the NPRM, the FCC recognizes that Canada adopted rules equivalent to
those proposed by the ARRL. "Finally, we note that Canada has
essentially implemented the same rules as ARRL has requested," the
Commission wrote.

The FCC seeks comment on the proposed 15 kHz of contiguous spectrum,
but also on whether the existing channels should remain allocated to
amateur radio on a secondary basis, and whether the maximum power
limitations should be reduced from 100 to 9.1 watts ERP. The FCC also
requested comments on whether the power limitation should be expressed
as EIRP as the WRC-15 recommends, or as ERP as in the current rules.

HEALTHCARE COALITION CONDUCTS INTEROPERABLE AUXILIARY

COMMUNICATIONS TEST

The Eastern Healthcare Preparedness Coalition (EHPC) in conjunction
with the North Carolina Auxiliary Communications Eastern Region
(AUXCOMM) conducted an interoperable Communication Exercise (COMMEX) on
May 4, 2023. This is the fourth modified Functional Exercise conducted
to better improve communication and information sharing across the
region.

This exercise was opened to all statewide partners along with federal
agencies located in North Carolina. The exercise was later opened to
all FEMA Region 3 and 4 Auxiliary Communications and SHARES stations.
The sole goal of this exercise was to ensure preparedness for the 2023 hurricane season.

Overview

EHPC conducts monthly VIPER - Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders -- radio checks with all of its regional hospitals and State
Medical Assistance III Teams (SMAT III). While North Carolina is a
leader in tactical communications, gaps still exist between various
disciplines with radio and information sharing platforms. EHPC
leadership wanted to take regional communication testing a step further
with functional exercises.

The EHPC COMMEX is designed as an all hazards exercise, but is
particularly focused on healthcare across the region. Various exercise
play lanes were developed to challenge players with real life examples
of problems encountered in their fields.

The EHPC COMMEX was conducted as a hybrid exercise. Players were
allowed to remain at their home base in a virtual format while exercise
control duties occurred at key locations. Facilitators were virtual in
nature and exercise play was advanced by participant interaction.

The event included 308 total participants from 47 agencies in North
Carolina. 192 stations from 16 states outside North Carolina sent HF
Situation Reports.

Key Findings

Key findings conveyed baselines of interoperable communication
challenges, provided recommendations, and can help North Carolina
improve communications interoperability. With this knowledge, agencies
can also develop priorities and focus their efforts on achieving and
improving communication interoperability.

Several interoperable communication successes:

- The North Carolina VIPER radio system continues to be the model for interoperable radio communications in North Carolina with public safety agencies.

- Information sharing platforms along with field operation guides
(FOGs) are becoming more widely known.

- Agencies were offered examples and developed internal PACE plans for
voice and data in their agency.

- The use of Winlink continues to be a reliable method of resiliency
for local, state and national agencies/stations.

EHPC also identified several opportunities for improving the knowledge
and preparedness of regional and statewide partners.

Conclusion

The EHPC COMMEX (004) <https://subsplash.com/easternhealthcareprepare/media/ms/+xkh5nfj> was
an essential step toward increasing and improving communications interoperability throughout North Carolina in preparation for future catastrophic incidents. The success of this exercise was based on the
knowledge shared and lessons learned during the exercise and associated discussions. The AAR/IP will be published in the coming weeks. The
improvement plan will focus on recommendations to substantively further interoperable emergency communications capabilities. More information
here
<https://subsplash.com/easternhealthcareprepare/media/ms/+xkh5nfj>. -
Thanks, Duane Mariotti, WB9RER, Kaiser Permanente Amateur Radio
Network, Orange, California

ARRL LAUNCHES THE NTS LETTER

There's a new newsletter in the ARRL repertoire as of this month. The
first issue of The NTS Letter <https://www.arrl.org/nts-letter?issue=2023-10-03> was published on
October 3, 2023. The NTS Letter is a monthly digest of all things
related to the ARRL National Traffic System®. It is edited by Marcia
Forde, KW1U, who is a veteran traffic handler and serves as the Section
Traffic Manager for the ARRL Eastern and Western Massachusetts and
Rhode Island Sections.

The NTS is a network that allows for rapid movement of messages,
referred to as "traffic," from origin to destination, and for training
amateur operators to handle written traffic and to participate in
directed nets. The network consists of the layering and sequencing of
both voice and CW traffic nets, as well as a digital system that
operates 24/7. This nationwide system operates 365 days a year,
generally relaying routine message traffic for training purposes and
for maintaining readiness if called upon in an emergency. If called
upon, these operators stand ready to assist emergency communications
personnel and served-agency partners in relaying welfare and other
messages. It is the modern continuation of the historic "radio relay"
from ARRL's founding in 1914.

ARRL New England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, said the NTS
is a great way to get involved in emergency communications. "Newly
licensed and experienced amateurs alike who participate in NTS find satisfaction and enjoyment in learning the skills of sending and
receiving concise written voice and CW traffic in an organized, on-air
network. It's a natural complement to the skills and training one needs
to become an effective emergency communicator and Amateur Radio
Emergency Service® volunteer. Plus, it's an opportunity to meet new
friends, and it's fun!" said Kemmerer.

The NTS Letter <https://www.arrl.org/nts-letter> is published monthly
and is free of charge to ARRL members. Members can subscribe at arrl.org/opt-in-out <http://www.arrl.org/opt-in-out> by selecting
"edit" to view all of their subscription preferences (members need to
be logged in to their ARRL website account to do this).

MAJOR MINNESOTA MARATHON CANCELED -- AMATEUR RADIO TEAM WAS READY

The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon 2023 <https://www.tcmevents.org/events/medtronic-twin-cities-marathon-weekend-2023>, scheduled for earlier this month (October 10) was canceled just before
the start due to forecasted record heat and humidity creating dangerous
running conditions. However, the amateur radio team - one of the
leading public event communications groups in the country -- was ready
to roll. Here's a summary of what they had planned based on their
extensive experience and education.

Amateur radio -- the Medical Communications Department -- again played
several key roles in the Type 3, Unified Command event:

- 66 volunteers, mostly hams in yellow shirts, were stationed every
half mile on the course to report runners down, entering/leaving aid
stations and other situations. That data goes in our cloud database at
each of four Net Control sites, and can be queried by our team in
Family Medical Information to re-unite runners and loved ones. It is
also presented to event leadership as a dashboard, which is queried in
Race Operations and by mobile users. The plan was to allow EMS
leadership to use the system. There are perhaps 500 radios in use - 350
rented, 63 ham, and at least 60 public safety officials.

- Taking a page from the CERT manual <https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2019.CERT_.Basic_.PM_FINAL_508c.pdf>,
the 200+ member volunteer Medical Team provides first aid, triage, and
care to protect the EMS system and 33 area hospitals from an
overwhelming surge of "green" or sports medicine type cases/calls that
could be handled by volunteers, and provide early hands-on assessments
to ensure serious cases were transported and care was provided quickly
- we support them.

- We represented Event Medical at the Interagency Working Group - a
table with our Regional EMS leader, an Incident Dispatcher from
Hennepin County and St Paul EMS leader. The idea was, using software,
to "deconflict" and coordinate event requests for EMS services.

- We were tasked in 2023 with providing SAG Bus "navigators" - to
report runner location data and supervise the lightly injured or extra
tired passengers aboard nine school buses. We insisted on a meeting
with the SAG Bus Leader - who reported the data requested was not
scheduled bus location, but individual runner/rider status in real
time. A ten member Strike Team from the US Coast Guard Auxiliary - they
have a radio club, W8WRR, that we partner with very closely -- was
assigned here.

- We were asked to help track and dashboard missing persons cases. We
chose osTicket <https://osticket.com/> in the cloud, as our Race
Operations Center has metal tinted windows -- our mesh network could
not reach the room.

- We again shared our homemade Med Comms dashboard on the big screens
and HSIN - the Homeland Security Information Network -- in an instance
that was spun up by Emergency Management for the race. This is common
and allows government and private sector cooperation and sharing of
event data.

- Peter Corbett, KD8GBL, upgraded our current SAG bus reports to
reflect each bus separately. A few days before the race a request came
in to use the returning SAG buses for urgent course aid station
resupply -- we decided this would be via text and tracked on osTicket.
There were concerns on radio repeater capacity: we already had seven
repeaters signed out and we added two more.

- There was a request again for non-HIPAA <https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html> dropped out runner location
queries at the Event Info Tent - this was to be provided to race
volunteers by our software over our Part 15 mesh network.

- Hams recruited a new volunteer EMS leader for the Finish Area who
would get us back up to 100 student EMTs who were to provide a key
resource in the sprawling State Capitol Complex -- a ham on our rented
radios was the net control.

- If you have volunteers embedded at all leadership levels, hard
questions can be asked by people without paychecks, careers, or
pensions at stake. This might be a pro tip for police departments who
need community involvement upgrades.

Generally, except on two of our ham led Med Comms nets, public safety
radios are not used by event volunteers. And public safety does not use
our event radios. This is deliberate -- the chains of command are not
mixed or confused. The idea, under stress, the departments use their established procedures and there is not a change. We meet at the top,
under Unified Command. For our race, we are event/volunteer led; our
government partners have two large cities to run, and if we need them,
we politely ask. (Some marathons are government led, which is a
different model). -- Erik Westgard, NY9D, Med Comms Lead, Medtronic
Twin Cities Marathon

K1CE FOR A FINAL: PERSONAL HURRICANE IDALIA NOTES

After 40 years of working hurricane response as a member of the ARRL Headquarters staff and then providing mostly administrative and
communications support as a volunteer following my retirement, I
experienced the real thing firsthand with Hurricane Idalia. We were in
its path. I never made it to my ARES assignment at a town shelter,
instead hunkering down with my wife and five dogs at home. That morning
was truly terrifying - no hyperbole here. Our two vehicles were crushed
and ultimately declared total losses.

For the first time in over 40 years of association with the WX4NHC
station at the National Hurricane Center, and the venerable Hurricane
Watch Net, I found myself checking in to the net and filing a report on conditions. Net and station operators - thank you.

After writing about hurricane preparedness and emergency communications
for decades, I found that I violated many of my own recommendations. I discovered firsthand the psychological challenges that work against
doing the right things.

I'll stop here, but watch for a QST Public Service column on my
personal experience - and failings - soon. It will be an unflinching self-assessment that might help you in a future disaster situation. --
Rick Palm, K1CE, Fort White, Columbia County ARES, Florida
___________

ARES® RESOURCES

- Download the ARES Manual [PDF] <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/ARESmanual2015.pdf>
- ARES Field Resources Manual [PDF] <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ARES_FR_Manual.pdf>
- ARES Standardized Training Plan Task Book [Fillable PDF] <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/ARRL-ARES-FILLABLE-TRAINING-TASK-BOOK-V2_1_1.pdf>
- ARES Standardized Training Plan Task Book [Word] <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/ARRL-ARES-STANDARDIZED-TRAINING-TASK-BOOK-V1_2_2.doc>
- ARES Plan <http://www.arrl.org/ares-plan>
- ARES Group Registration
<http://www.arrl.org/ares-group-id-request-form>
- Emergency Communications Training <http://www.arrl.org/emergency-communications-training>

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) consists of licensed
amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and
equipment, with their local ARES leadership, for communications duty in
the public service when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur,
regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national
organization is eligible to apply for membership in ARES. Training may
be required or desired to participate fully in ARES. Please inquire at
the local level for specific information. Because ARES is an amateur
radio program, only licensed radio amateurs are eligible for
membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable,
but is not a requirement for membership.

How to Get Involved in ARES: Fill out the ARES Registration form <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/fsd98.pdf> and submit
it to your local Emergency Coordinator.

ARRL RESOURCES

No other organization works harder than ARRL The National Association
for Amateur Radio <http://www.arrl.org>® to promote and protect amateur
radio! ARRL members enjoy many benefits and services including digital magazines, e-newsletters, online learning (learn.arrl.org <https://learn.arrl.org>), and technical support. Membership also
supports programs for radio clubs, on-air contests, Logbook of The
World®, ARRL Field Day, and the all-volunteer ARRL Field Organization.

- Join ARRL or renew today! arrl.org/join <http://www.arrl.org/join>
- Find ARRL on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>, Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/arrlhq/>, YouTube
<https://www.youtube.com/ARRLHQ>, X (@arrl <https://x.com/arrl> and
@arrl_ares <https://x.com/arrl_ares>), and Threads <>
- ARRL Store: arrl.org/shop <https://home.arrl.org/action/Shop/Store>
- Support programs not funded by member dues! arrl.org/donate <https://home.arrl.org/action/Donate>

Contact us to advertise in this newsletter (space subject to
availability): ads@arrl.org

The ARES Letter is published on the third Wednesday of each month. ARRL
members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member
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Copyright (c) 2023 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated.
Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is
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