‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM DECEMBER 2013 QST  PAGE 64‰
OPERATION FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON IS INCLUDED.  THIS SECTION CERTAINLY HAS
NEW MEANING AFTER THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN APRIL.  IT HAMMERS HOME THE
MESSAGE THAT PUBLIC EVENT ENVIRONMENTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED TO BE BENIGN.
TWO OF MY FAVORITE CHAPTERS IN THIS BOOK ARE CHAPTERS 20 AND 22, ON THE
POPULAR DIGITAL MODES FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS NBEMS NARROW BAND
EMERGENCY MESSAGING SYSTEM AND THE WINLINK 2000 GLOBAL E MAIL MESSAGING
SYSTEM, RESPECTIVELY.  THEY ARE MY FAVOR

AMATEUR RADIO PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE, AS WAS REPORTED IN THE MAY ISSUE OF QST.
FEMA HAS GROWN ITS INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAM ISP OFFERINGS.  THE DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITYS OFFICE OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS OEC HAS OFFERED
MORE OF ITS AUXILIARY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COURSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
TO HELP TRAIN THOSE DEPLOYED AS PART OF AN ICS COMMUNICATIONS UNIT.  BILL
SMITH, JR, W7HMV, THE EMERGENCY COORDINATOR FOR CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA, WROTE
I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE FIRST DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DHS
AUXILIARY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COURSE IN NEVADA.  IT WAS SIMPLY
EXCELLENT.  I LEARNED A LOT, ESPECIALLY HOW TO BUILD THE INCIDENT COMMAND
SYSTEM ICS FORMS.  THE AMATEUR RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE HANDBOOK, FIRST EDITION
PUBLISHED LAST YEAR BY THE ARRL, THE AMATEUR RADIO PUBLIC SERVICE HANDBOOK
IS THE AUTHORITY ON THE TOPIC, SUPERBLY WRITTEN AND EDITED BY THE ARRL
HEADQUARTERS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MANAGER MIKE COREY, KI1U.  COREY PULLED
TOGETHER A GROUP OF QUALIFIED CONTRIBUTORS WHO LEND THE BOOK A FRESH
PERSPECTIVE.  THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS CONCERN THE BASIS AND PURPOSE OF
AMATEUR RADIO AS APPLIED TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND ESPECIALLY DISASTER

PUBLIC SERVICE A LOOK BACK, BOOKS AND SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY THE BOOKS
HIGHLIGHTED HERE MAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE ARES OPERATOR ON YOUR HOLIDAY
SHOPPING LIST.  IT HAS BEEN A BUSY AND DEMANDING YEAR IN TERMS OF MAJOR
EXERCISES AND DISASTER OPERATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  ONE NEED NOT LOOK
FURTHER THAN THE COLORADO FLASH FLOODING, THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES, OR THE
BOSTON MARATHON FOR EXAMPLES OF CRITICAL EMERGENCIES.  THE GOVERNMENT, IN
THE PURSUIT OF INTEROPERABILITY, REMAINS COMMITTED TO MAKING THE COUNTRYS
EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER MORE EFFICIENTLY
AND EFFECTIVELY ON THE DISASTER SCENE.  THE UBIQUITOUS INCIDENT COMMAND
SYSTEM ICS IS THE TEMPLATE FOR GOVERNMENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE THAT PUTS ALL
PLAYERS ON THE SAME PAGE, REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE OF THE INCIDENT.  WHETHER
IT IS A CAR CRASH ON THE LOS ANGELES FREEWAY, A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE
SLAMMING INTO THE GULF STATES, OR A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE ALONG THE NEW MADRID
FAULT LINE, THE ICS ADAPTS TO THE EVENT.  IN FLORIDA, A STATE WIDE EXERCISE
WAS HELD IN FEBRUARY THAT WAS ON A LARGER SCALE THAN HAD BEEN SEEN BEFORE.
DUBBED OPERATION RADAR II, IT COMBINED ROLLING COMMUNICATIONS VANS FROM THE
STATE EOC AT TALLAHASSEE WITH MANY COUNTY VEHICLES AND OPERATORS FROM LOCAL
EOCS ACROSS THE STATE.  THEY CONVENED ON A SPRAWLING MILITARY CAMPUS
OUTSIDE OF JACKSONVILLE FOR THIS MULTIDAY INTEROPERABILITY EXERCISE.
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