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ARRL Alabama Archive News |
Jay Isbell, KA4KUN
Elected next Alabama ARRL Section Manager!
Jay began his second term as Section Manager, on January 1, 2010
2009 Alabama Be Ready Day
Muscle Shoals Amateur Radio Club secretary Dwayne Posey, KG4YQB
and Club president Tommy Blackburn KI4RZX
The Alabama Department of Homeland Security, Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency held Alabama Be Ready Day Thursday, September 3, 2009 in Lauderdale County at McFarland Park in Florence.
The Muscle Shoals Amateur Radio Club set up a booth that included amateur radio information and a VHF and HF radio. Alabama Section Manger Jay Isbell, KA4KUN attended the event. Jay estimated over 1000 people were in attendance and that this was the largest Be Ready Day event where dozens of emergency responders, NWS, Red Cross, FEMA and ARES showed the Alabama Governor, Alabama DHS Director, participating organizations and the public their capabilities.
Be Ready Day is a day long event featuring emergency responders, many state and local agencies and vendors. The State of Alabama encourages kids and adults to attend. There was activities, games and information on how you can be prepared for any type of disaster.
This was the fifth year for Be Ready Day. Previous Be Ready Day’s have been held in Montgomery, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa and Mobile.
Outstanding ARES member
wins statewide Volunteer of the Year award
AAEM President Ellen Haynes presents award to Tom Cash, KI4VFV
Tom Cash, KI4VFV Madison County ARES volunteer, recently won the Alabama Association of Emergency Managers (AAEM) 2009 Volunteer of the Year award. The Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is very proud of their nominee for this annual, statewide competition.
Tom Cash serves Madison County in a variety of disaster preparedness and response organizations as an amateur radio operator, a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member, a stream monitor for flooding conditions, and a volunteer for the Be Ready Family program.
Recognizing a need for an organized method of monitoring streams and reporting meaningful information back to EMA, Tom spent his own time and money to go to numerous potential flooding locations in Madison County and take pictures of the sites. He also developed a method of measurement for volunteers in the field and EMA to consistently report stream levels.
The award was presented at the 2009 Alabama Association of Emergency Managers Conference in Mobile Alabama.
ALABAMA BE READY DAY
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Florence, Alabama
Click here for more information
Be Ready Alabama
Be Ready Alabama for any type of disaster!
Make sure you have an emergency supply kit and a communication
plan for your loved ones. It’s also important to pay attention to emergency
announcements. Find out more by clicking on the links in the menu above.
Alabama's new license plate
On May 7th the Alabama Department of Homeland Security and the Alabama Section of the American Radio Relay League, Amateur Radio Emergency Service conducted a Communications Interoperability Exercise, Catastrophic Hurricane Landfall. The exercise was a learning experience and a great success. We appreciate all that contributed to this successful exercise!
The exercise article is now available for download.
ARRL Field Day 2009
June 27-28
Alabama State Proclamation
Long Time Huntsville Hamfest President, Don Tunstill W4NO, SK
Don
Tunstill W4NO,ex WB4HOK was found SK at
his home in Huntsville on Tuesday, June 9th, afternoon. Don had been in
declining health suffering the effects of severe emphysema.
Don was well known for being active in all facets of amateur radio, both at
the local level as a charter member of Huntsville ARC, and president of
Huntsville Hamfest for over 30 years as well as leader of CAVEC, one of the first volunteer examiner organizations in the state. Don
also participated with the FCC in the formulation and implementation of the
VEC program as well as the vanity call sign system.
Despite his declining health, Don has remained, up to now, president of
Huntsville Hamfest Association. However, Charlie Emerson N4OKL has been
doing the day-to-day management of the Hamfest for the past few years and
will continue leading the committee in preparations for this years Hamfest
in August. Don helped to start the Huntsville Hamfest and has been active
at every Hamfest.
Visitation and services for Don Tunstill, W4NO was held Saturday June 13th.
Photo Courtesy Norfolk Southern Railroad.
Used with Permission.
More information about the forum contact: SEC, Les Rayburn, N1LF
More information about the Birmingham Amateur Radio Club Hamfest can be found at:
Alabama Hospitals To Receive New Amateur Radio Communications Equipment!
Alabama Section Manager, Jay Isbell KA4KUN
announces
Alabama Hospital Project at Montgomery Hamfest!
A project four years in the making, One Hundred and Eight Hospitals across the state will soon add new state-of-the art, amateur or HAM radio communications equipment to enhance emergency communications! The Alabama Hospital Association, the Alabama State Department of Public Health and Alabama representatives of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) obtained a grant for $500,000 to add the radio equipment.
Alabama Section Manager, Jay Isbell
visit
s ARRL Headquarters
The 16th annual New Section Manager Workshop October 10-12 afforded 14 new Section Managers a chance not only to visit ARRL Headquarters and gain some perspective on their new leadership positions. During the weekend gathering, participants not only got to meet many HQ staffers but learned some of the ins and outs of how to become effective section leaders and administrators.
Alabama Emergency Management Offices To Receive
New D-STAR Amateur Radio Communications Equipment!
Thirty Three County Emergency Management Offices across the state will soon add new state-of-the art, amateur or HAM radio communications equipment in their Emergency Operations Centers. These county Emergency Management Agencies applied for a grant to add the radio equipment from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency that worked with Alabama representatives of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) on this project.
June 28-29, 2008
Alabama Field Day information page and map:
U.S. Field Day site locator:
http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php
New Alabama Section Traffic Manager
Jack
Evans, KC4PZA
Send your monthly NET, SAR and PSHR reports to Jack on the air or at
kc4pza@arrl.net
New Alabama Section Manager
William (Jay) Isbell, KA4KUN
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/11/21/100/?nc=1
2007 SKYWARN
Recognition Day
November 30th 6
PM through December 1st 6 PM
Governor Riley signs, 2007
Amateur Radio Week Proclamation!
Alabama amateurs deliver a 1, 2, 3 training punch in March 2007!
Amateur radio operators from all over the state found themselves providing Emergency Management communications support for real life exercises. From delivering Pandemic supplies across the state, supporting communications vehicle upgrade test and evaluation to providing vital communications support for a large scale mock chemical spill disaster.
Amateurs took the exercises to heart and gained valuable real life experience from these activities. Amateurs put their training to the test and it paid off. These type events provide great training and vital relationship building opportunities between amateur radio and our served agencies. During a disaster is not the time to meet your emergency manager.
Alabama amateur radio emergency service has been busy in March. The March exercises were kicked off with an actual disaster on March 1st. The deadly Tornado outbreak that covered most of Alabama killed nine people in Enterprise Alabama. Amateur radio played vital roles on this day supporting the exercise and emergency communications.
March 1st
State EMA Pandemic Exercise
March 1st was more than the first day of March for some
ARES members in Alabama. It was the first time we have played an active role in
an Alabama Department of Public Health Strategic National Stockpile
Transportation exercise. The event, Co-sponsored by the Montgomery County /
City EMA, saw participation of amateur volunteers organized from 20 counties to
provide secondary communications for convoys of simulated vaccines destined for
a hypothetically pandemic stricken population of Alabama. These agencies needed
to know how long it would take to have the medications reach distribution points
in the state, and what communication road blocks might be encountered along the
way.
Some ARES volunteers began their day long before the sun rose, traveling to
Montgomery from Mobile, Jefferson, and Madison Counties to take part in this
real-time exercise. Outfitted with mobile HF, APRS, D-STAR and UHF/VHF radios,
some 11 vehicles joined the Department of Conservation armed escorts in convoys
to see not only that vaccines could be timely delivered, but that agencies in
Montgomery knew where they were, and that checkpoints had been reached. HF
Reports were relayed from stations not originally part of the exercise, showing
the amateur community truly steps in when needed. Many repeaters, private and
club owned were utilized as were digipeaters scattered throughout the routes
covered over this 3 1/2 hour convoy.
After action reports showed great abilities, and capabilities of our
volunteers. BUT, there is always room for improvement and we did find that to
be true here as well. On the bright side, the participants demonstrated
excellent teamwork and professionalism, amateur volunteers successfully
demonstrated an initial capability to manage communications during a statewide
SNS delivery, and participants demonstrated a positive attitude and the ability
to recognize and react to shortfalls as they were uncovered and to smoothly
adjust operations. However; Alabama needs to make a push for better digipeater
coverage, HF monitoring stations were found to be primarily in the "skip-zone"
and should be placed further from the affected areas, and better use of linked
repeaters such as D-STAR or Echolink and IRLP nodes could have been used to
extend the reporting capabilities of mobile stations. Despite the shortcomings
uncovered, it was a great exercise and we received high marks for our
performance.
March 8th
Homeland Security has placed 9, fully loaded, emergency communications vehicles in Alabama. These vehicles are positioned in strategic locations across Alabama. Each vehicle contains satellite internet, computers, video, on board and off-board power generators, a powerful switch matrix, networking and a load of radios including amateur radio.
Fort Payne Alabama hosted this first full scale functional field test and evaluation for the Alabama Homeland Security project. Amateur radio operators assisted in the evaluation of the communications test and capability for the EMA. The Fort Payne, Northeast Alabama area has many diverse mountain and valley terrains which provide many RF “black holes” These areas provides excellent challenging conditions for an communications test.
Amateurs from around the area including the Alabama SM and SEC provided valuable feedback to EMA concerning vehicle form, fit and function. These vehicles are a great asset to Alabama emergency capabilities noted Alabama SEC Jay Isbell, KA4KUN.
March 14th
Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP)
The Calhoun County Alabama ARES/RACES group and many amateurs in surrounding counties and across the state was involved in a mach Weapons of Mass Destruction Exercise. Randall Landers KG4EUD the Calhoun County Emergency Coordinator for ARES and Assistant District Emergency Coordinator for District 7, coordinated the ARES and RACES operations from the Calhoun County EMA. The exercise was held at the Anniston ARMY Depot, that houses seven percent of the Nations stockpile of chemical weapons that was mandated to be destroyed by congress in 1986. The destruction of chemical weapons is called CSEPP, Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program.
The drill started when a mach helicopter crashed into an igloo that housed VX
Nerve Agent. That caused a plume of VX Nerve Gas to be released into the air.
All residents in Calhoun County have a Tone Alert Radio that goes off if an
accident ever occurs at the depot. The residents would be told to either
evacuate or to shelter in place. Also the entire region is broken into grid
zones. After the first call went out that a level IV event has occurred at the
depot,
ARES/RACES group members responded to predetermined locations, agencies and hospital's and the EOC. Once the EOC staff was set, the group was handed Emergency Alert System Messages that told which zones we're to evacuate, and which zones we're to shelter in place. The EOC staff comprised of Ken Yates, KI3N which was primary net control for the exercise. Lee Green KG4GQT was the radio relief and computer grid zone mapping. While Randall Landers KG4EUD was in charge of operations, he also used D-STAR radio and computer with D-CHAT software to use Digital Data to stay in touch with other agencies and keep voice frequencies free. He also used the D-CHAT software to stay in contact with the back-up command center.
Tracy Stephens went to the Joint Information Center for FEMA Communications Support. Jim Norton KG4WFO went to Regional Medical Center, Calhoun counties largest hospital for communication support and to give up to date information as it come through the EOC. KI4GLX David Craig manned Stringfellow hospital for communication support. Dave Dostie AE9Q was at the Anniston ARMY Depot at the SIMCELL giving injects for all surrounding counties during the exercise.
The group used 80 meters on HF, VHF D-STAR for D-CHAT Digital Data, VHF repeaters for communication support for Nextel two-way communications and 800 MHz Digital Trunking system.
Surrounding counties we're involved in the exercise, however the plume never
left Calhoun County. The exercise had all agencies involved and many elected
official's. The entire exercise was evaluated by federal evaluators. FEMA Region
4 Director Phil May and FEMA CSEPP Project Manager Terry Madden K5ZFN was on
hand at the Calhoun County EOC. Terry Madden was amazed at the new technology of
D-STAR and the use of D-CHAT and it capabilities.
During the after action meeting, the federal evaluators had nothing but great remarks to say about the Calhoun County ARES/RACES group. How they have solved previous issues at the hospitals with using Amateur Radio as another communication tool to receive fast accurate information.
This was a very real and successful exercise for the Anniston ARMY Depot and over 100,000 residents of Calhoun County Alabama, noted Randall Landers KG4EUD, Calhoun County ARES Emergency Coordinator. Residents that live just hundreds of feet from the Depot property. The Depot has safely destroyed thousands of chemical munitions over the past several years.
ARRL Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, told ARRL Headquarters March 9 that Enterprise/Coffee County Emergency Coordinator Jim Garrison, KL0LN, and local amateurs were still at the emergency operations center (EOC) in Enterprise assisting the local emergency management agency and the city with recovery efforts. |
"It was a very busy day for Alabama ARES," said ARRL Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK. "Amateur Radio operators all across the state were busy March 1 tending to a massive severe weather outbreak in most of the state." Sarratt says Alabama was under multiple tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings for most of the day.
Amateurs stationed at National Weather Service (NWS) offices, emergency operations centers (EOCs) and other locations used both HF and VHF to relay critical weather information to served agencies, he reported. "The Alabama amateurs performed as professionals," Sarratt said. "Many hams took off from work to staff stations."
In Georgia, ARRL Section Traffic Manager Charles Pennington, K4GK, said the Georgia ARES Net was active starting during the afternoon of March 1 and continuing until the wee hours of March 2, as a series of severe weather watches and warnings were posted. "Several tornadoes were reported, scattered mostly through central and southern Georgia," he said.
"We had 82 stations reported on the statewide HF net. In addition, the SKYWARN nets were active from 1:45 PM until around midnight, with extensive coverage in the affected areas." Pennington said several VHF/UHF nets also were up and running during the event. Georgia ARES stood down March 2 but remained on standby if needed during recovery operations.
Georgia authorities were blaming the storms for at least two deaths after a tornado struck a hospital in Americus. Another person died and four were injured when a tornado touched down in Taylor County, near Albany.
In Missouri, Section Traffic Manager Dale Huffington, AE0S, cited "many reports of activation" March 1 on the 75-meter phone net. "Amateurs in over half of Missouri's ARES districts reported activations due to the storm," he said. In Howell County, in south-central Missouri, a tornado was blamed for the death of a seven-year-old girl. An ARES net activated in Howell County.
In Boone County, in central Missouri, ARES teams activated at the request of the Joit Communications Information Center. Ten weather spotters -- among them Missouri Section Emergency Coordinator Don Moore, KM0R, provided real-time ground truth weather observations to supplement NWS radars in Kansas City and St Louis.
Special Event Station
AMATEUR RADIO WEATHER SCHOOL 101
When: Saturday, November 18, 2006
Time: 10 AM – 12 PM
Where: National Weather Service (NWS) Birmingham Office in Calera, Alabama
For: All Amateur Radio Enthusiasts across Central Alabama
What: Learn Basic Weather Information, Radar Interpretation, NWS Website Navigation, and more!
Please contact Jason B. Wright, (205) 664-3010 x223 or Jason.B.Wright@noaa.gov by Friday, November 17th if planning to attend.
2006 Alabama EMA and Alabama - Mississippi Hurricane Conference
Alabama Governor Declares Amateur Radio Week!
Volunteer Radio Amateurs "Part of the Solution," FCC Katrina Panel Told (Mar 9, 2006) -- Addressing the FCC independent panel reviewing Hurricane Katrina's impact on communication networks, ARRL Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, praised Amateur Radio's ability to get the job done. Speaking March 7 at Jackson State University in Mississippi, Sarratt said Amateur Radio volunteers were tremendously effective in their ability to re-establish communication links using their own gear or by building systems from scratch.
Amateur radio receives positive mention in two federal Katrina Lessons Learned Reports.
Click on pictures to read the report.
Join or Renew your ARRL Membership with the Alabama Section Manager
and receive a NEW ARRL Repeater directory!
Hot off the Press!
John Brown, KE4HIE, Covington County EC
Hams' Role in Hurricane Ivan Recovery Winding Down (Sep 22, 2004)
Amateur Radio's role in the Hurricane Ivan relief and recovery effort is
winding down as conventional telecommunications systems are slowly being
restored throughout the stricken regions--primarily the Florida Panhandle and
South Alabama. ARRL Northern Florida Section Traffic Manager Dale Sewell,
N4SGQ, this week said Amateur Radio communication support operations are
expected to stand down by this weekend.
Full story
Gov. Riley Announces Additional Counties Added to Federal Disaster Declaration
Official Observer Coordinator Ken Magnant W4WEY and Section Manager Greg Sarratt W4OZK attend Basic Radiation Training class.
FCC proposed rules are posted here
Proposed BPL rules from the FCC
Amateur Radio needs your concerns about BPL expressed to the FCC.
Go to http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/ecfs/Upload/
Select Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) - Docket 03-104
Please enter your constructive comments and concerns about BPL.
Final date to submit comments, May 3rd 2004
Section Manager ARRL Alabama Plan
EMERGENCY EARTHQUAKE COMMUNICATIONS DRILL
ARRL to Propose New Entry-Level License, Code-Free HF Access
ARRL TO ESTABLISH MENTORING PROGRAMS
