Please join us for the ARES Net this Thursday, Sept. 2nd about 9:15 (after the PCTN) on the 146.88 repeater. The net this week, in memory of hurricane Katrina 5 years ago, will host a presentation by Bob (k4rlc) Condor about what it was like to serve as an ARES and Red Cross volunteer during the aftermath. It will be interesting and enlightening. Bob will also discuss some volunteering differences between how things were and how they may be different now.
The following is a list of upcoming activities:
Sat. Sept. 25th – 9:00am – 12:00 noon – A training exercise to establish communications capabilities with the Wake Co. Mobile Command Center. The exercise will evaluate VHF simplex capabilities with selected hospital sites throughout Wake County. (If you plan to participate in this exercise please send me an e-mail ai4rt@hotmail.com and let me know in what part of the area you live). Listed below are the areas that need coverage for the simplex test:
WakeMed Raleigh Hospital (278.9 ft) – 3000 New Bern Ave, Raleigh, NC 27610
Duke Health Raleigh Hospital (308.4 ft) – 3400 Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609
Rex Healthcare Hospital (459.3 ft) – 4420 Lake Boone Tr, Raleigh, NC 27607
WakeMed Cary Hospital (462.6 ft) – 1900 Kildaire Farm Rd, Cary, NC 27518
WakeMed North Hospital (456 ft) – 10000 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27614
WakeMed Apex Hospital (459.3 ft) – 120 Healthplex Way, Apex, NC 27502
The Regional Centers are:
Eastern Wake Regional Center (347.8 ft) – 1002 Dogwood Dr, Zebulon, NC 27597
Northern Wake Regional Center (341.2 ft) – 350 E Holding Ave, Wake Forest, NC 27587
Southern Wake Regional Center (413.4 ft) – 130 N Judd Pkwy NE, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Western Wake Regional Center (456 ft) – 232 High House Rd, Cary, NC 27513
The Mobile Command Van will be located at:
Wake County Commons Bldg. (282 ft) – 4011 Carya Dr., Raleigh, NC 27610
It is also evident that we will need various relays throughout the area. This exercise is a good opportunity for you to try out those transportable rigs, masts and antennas. We have now obtained approvals for specific set-up locations and for you to check out the location you would like to work and what type equipment you think will be needed for successful simplex contacts.
Our local SET that was planned for the end of October will now be combined with a Statewide SET that is being planned to take place sometime after that date. More information as received.
If you haven’t already, please complete the FEMA ICS 100, 200, 700 & 800 courses to become certified to participate in activities involving our served agencies, the State & County EOCs. These agencies are beginning to notch up their emphasis on even allowing anyone into their EOCs who is not certified.
If you have completed some or all of these courses, but not yet uploaded the information into our database, please make sure you do so. If you have problems please let me know so you we can help you with the process. The database feeds upstream and finally into the Homeland Security database of certified volunteers…. which will be used for field checking of volunteers certified to work with government agencies.
If you have any suggestions, questions or comments, please e-mail me.
ai4rt@hotmail.com
John
ai4rt
EC Wake Co., NC
The text of Bob’s Presentation is courtesy of SERA and is used with permission.
