‰ NOW 40 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2012 QST PAGE 73‰ SERVING AS COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER ABOARD THE USS COGHLAN, HE PARTICIPATED IN THE LONGEST AMERICAN NAVAL DAYLIGHT BATTLE OF THE WAR THE BATTLE OF THE KOMANDORSKI ISLANDS. AFTER THE WAR HE SERVED IN THE US NAVAL RESERVE, ACHIEVING THE RANK OF COMMANDER. BALDWIN BEGAN HIS CAREER AT ARRL HEADQUARTERS IN 1948 AS AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY. AFTER A BRIEF HIATUS TO WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE EARLY 1950S, HE RETURNED IN 1956 AS MANAGING EDITOR OF QST, WHERE HE WAS RES THIS COUNTY SAFE. THE PAPER REPORTED THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 50 REPEATER SITES LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAINS. SEE THE ARTICLE AT RADOS AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS FILL WILDFIRE COVERAGE GAPS. SHORTLY AFTER THE HIGH PARK FIRE BROKE OUT, RADIO AMATEURS IN ESTES PARK AND FORT COLLINS WERE CALLED UPON TO HELP PROVIDE COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT TO THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. HAMS SET UP ANTENNAS AND A CROSSBAND REPEATER TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATIONS FROM RED CROSS HEADQUARTERS IN ESTES PARK TO THEIR FACILITIES AT THE FIRE BASE, AS WELL AS TO A RED CROSS EVACUATION CENTER THAT HAD BEEN SET UP AT A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL. ARRL COLORADO SECTION MANAGER JACK CIACCIA, WM0G, AND ARRL BOULDER COUNTY EMERGENCY COORDINATOR ALLEN BISHOP, K0ARK, WERE RETURNING FROM THE HIGH PARK FIRE ON JUNE 26 WHEN THEY WERE NOTIFIED THAT BOULDER COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAD ACTIVATED ARES FOR ANOTHER FIRE, THE FLAGSTAFF FIRE. ACCORDING TO CIACCIA, A LIGHTNING STRIKE HAD HIT JUST WEST OF BOULDER, CAUSING A 20 ACRE THAT HAD SPREAD TO 230 ACRES IN ONLY 30 MINUTES, DUE TO HIGH WINDS. THE BOULDER OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WANTED BOULDER COUNTY ARES BCARES POSITIONS MANNED AT THE EMERGENCY HAPPENINGS COLORADO HAMS PROVIDE DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS THANKS TO AN EXTREMELY DRY SEASON, PORTIONS OF COLORADO WERE RAVAGED BY WILDFIRES IN JUNE AND JULY. ACCORDING TO INCIWEB, MORE THAN 160,000 ACRES WERE AFFECTED BY NINE FIRES INCIWEB IS AN INTERAGENCY ALL RISK INCIDENT WEB INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROVIDED BY THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE. SINCE JUNE 9 WHEN THE HIGH PARK FIRE, THE FIRST OF THE WILDFIRES BEGAN HAMS IN COLORADO HAVE BEEN ASSISTING WITH DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS, PROVIDING COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT TO THE STATE AND SERVED AGENCIES. RANDY LONG, K7AVV, OF MASONVILLE, TOLD THE DENVER POST IN AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED JUNE 14 THAT BEGINNING JUNE 10, HE HAS BEEN MANAGING OPERATORS STAFFING EIGHT HOUR SHIFTS AROUND THE CLOCK. THE HAMS HAVE BEEN DOING SUCH THINGS AS SETTING UP PORTABLE RADIO REPEATERS AND RELAYING MESSAGES BETWEEN THE FIRE LINES AND COMMAND POSTS. ABOUT 40 OPERATORS HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO HELP PROVIDE COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT. ALONG WITH LONG, ROBERT WAREHAM, N0ESQ, AND A HANDFUL OF ARES VOLUNTEERS REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY IN FORT COLLINS AS THE HIGH PARK FIRE ENCIRCLED THE BUCKHORN AND HORSETOOTH MOUNTAINS, THE SITES FOR SOME OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS TOWERS FOR LARIMER COUNTY. THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS WE TRAIN FOR DAY IN AND DAY OUT, WAREHAM TOLD THE DENVER POST. WE JUST WANT TO KEEP THE PEOPLE IN ‰ END OF 40 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ