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 Previous: A Cargo Ship Cruise Down Under |  Next: The Daily DX: 3C0V Team Was Given Just Hours to Leave |
By Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM
Contributing Editor
October 15, 2003
Learn more about the serious, but gratifying, task of Amateur Radio emergency communication and how you can get involved. Also, mark your calendars for the upcoming youth-related events.
Last time, we explored Amateur Radio public service, learning that it can be fun for youth, as well as adults. This month, we'll focus on a specific twist in terms of public service: emergency communication. Although facilitating emergency communication is, by nature, a serious business, it's an opportunity for younger amateurs who are committed, reliable and trustworthy to have a huge impact during a disaster. In fact, providing emergency communication during emergencies heads the list that outlines the basis and purpose of Amateur Radio. See §97.1(a) of the Amateur Service rules (Part 97). Participating in an emergency can be a gratifying experience and a chance to exercise your skills.
Although I have never had the opportunity to participate in communications during an actual emergency, I have taken part in many drills. These include Field Day--which is, at its heart, an emergency preparedness exercise--as well as some that took place during a net.
For example, once when I was serving as net control for a weekly training net, Gwinnett County, Georgia Emergency Coordinator, Stan Edwards, WA4DYD, checked in with a scenario simulating a power outage. All stations on the net had to immediately switch to emergency power. Another time, the repeater was turned off, and we had to move to simplex operation. These are the kinds of things you might encounter during a true emergency situation.
 Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, and Carl Plotz, WB9JSW, operating the Gwinnett County, Georgia Emergency Operations Center during the Simulated Emergency Test. [KF4JVD Photo] |
During the recent ARRL sponsored Simulated Emergency Test (SET), Gwinnett County, Georgia Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) simulated an ice storm emergency. Early Saturday morning several of us headed to the county Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to spend the next several hours assisting with communications for this mock disaster.
Due to the heavy traffic passing into and out of the EOC, I found myself both operating and logging--and not moving much--for several hours. Within the broad scenario were many specific situations. These included power outages and a "disappearing" net control station.
After the drill was complete, the group held a lunchtime debriefing session, where we discussed the many "lessons learned." (These kinds of meetings also follow ARES participation in real emergencies. It's a way of learning from your mistakes so things will run more smoothly or efficiently next time the organization is called upon to assist.)
I have completed the ARRL on-line Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I
course. I learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. See the ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE) Web page for
information on the Level II and II courses as well as on other on-line courses.
One thing that I like about emergency communications is that it keeps you on
your toes, so that you are always thinking.
 Jessica Kirkwood, KB1JUW. [K9HI Photo] |
KB1JUW and Emergency Communications
Seventeen-year-old Jessica Kirkwood, KB1JUW, of Massachusetts, is involved in emergency communications. Although Kirkwood has never participated in an actual disaster, she has taken the Emergency Disaster Course at the South Eastern Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association (SEMARA) in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Through what she characterized as a "very informative" course, KB1JUW "learned about emergency response protocols." Jessica is active in the SEMARA ARES group and likes emergency communication because she wants to be ready to help her community if disaster strikes.
 Brendan Malone, KB3EDH, in his ham shack. [KB3EDH Photo] |
"More Than Just a Ham"
Murray Green, K3BEQ, provided this information on a young ham who lives in the Washington, DC, area:
Brendan Malone, age 17, is more than just involved in Amateur Radio. First licensed as a Novice at age 13 he quickly upgraded to General. He operates HF, VHF, is involved in several Washington, DC-area clubs and is a member of the Prince Georges County, Maryland, ARES/RACES.
Recently Brendan wanted to get more involved in volunteer services and elected to serve at an area firehouse. He recently was certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and is attending courses to become a county firefighter. He will graduate from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in May of 2004 and plans to continue his education.
Brendan's station consists of an Icom IC-720A, Yaesu FT-2600M, MFJ Deluxe Tuner II and a handheld transceiver or two. Antennas include a homemade dipole for 20/40 meters, a G5RV and a Diamond vertical for 2 meters.
 KB3EDH in uniform. [KB3EDH Photo] |
When not involved in schoolwork, ham radio and fire house duties, he's learning to play the drums and has organized a small rock band consisting of school friends. He's also an amateur photographer. I believe the future and world of ham radio is in good hands with young men such as Brendan.
Thanks to Murray Green, K3BEQ, for sharing Brendan's story with the column. Brendan says, "I absolutely love the fire department and ARES/RACES." He plans to major in either emergency medicine or emergency health services management.
"I feel that psychologically, the public services that I participate in complete my conscience and the excitement aspect of my life," he said. "Since every normal human finds excitement in their lives as a part of their hierarchy of needs, I am just glad to have found it in something as worthwhile, respected and fun as fighting fire and saving lives. I am lucky to have such supportive parents and friends (Murray especially). Without them, who knows where I might have ended up."
High Schoolers Use Ham Radio in Solar-Powered Vehicle Race
Ham radio played a role when the Houston, Mississippi, Vocational Center's solar-powered car race team won the Dell-Winston Solar Car Challenge for the third year in a row. The race was from Dell Computer Headquarters in Round Rock, Texas, to Cocoa Beach, Florida. Winners were determined by the total number of miles a vehicle travels, and the Houston team's covered 689.2 miles. Participating students and support personnel earned their Technician tickets earlier this summer so they could use ham radio to coordinate race activity. Ray said the ham gear worked flawlessly and was a vast improvement over the Family Radio Service units used in the past. In the future all team members will be required to have a ham license. In October, the Mississippi team will race from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia.
 The Houston Vocational Center's team and vehicle at the finish line in Cocoa Beach, Florida. (L-R) Jessica Sykes; Justin Black, KD5YFN; Matthew Mangrum, KD5WWQ; Cody Spencer, KD5YFM, Jesse Lal; Sherrie Springer; and Mandy Davis (driver). |
The 14 team members and support personnel who earned new ham radio licenses are Walter Archer, KD5WWP; Matt Mangrum, KD5WWQ; William Reese, KD5WWR; Danny Lantrip, KD5WWS; George Molen, KD5WWT; Jerry Hamilton, KD5WWU; Daniel Black, KD5YCO; John Lowe, KD5YCP; Travis Brignac, KD5YFJ; Robin Kelley, KD5YFK; Matthew Gray, KD5YFL; Christopher Spencer, KD5YFM; Justin Black, KD5YFN; and Kevin Davis, KD5YFO.
The team is now preparing for the International Race in Australia and already is working out the details of reciprocal licensing. Good luck!
Upcoming Events
Do your local hamfests invite young people to speak at a youth forum, host a youth lunch or have a youth special event station? The Alford Memorial Radio Club is doing all of these things and then some at the Stone Mountain Hamfest and Computer Expo. This year's hamfest will be held the weekend of November 1-2, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. This year's theme is youth. There will even be a youth lounge and youth simplex calling frequencies, as well as many contests dedicated to youth. There also will be opportunities for scouts to earn the Amateur Radio merit badge.
Listen on HF for young people on the air from this hamfest using special event call sign W4G. Appropriately, the keynote speaker will be ARRL Technology and Education Project ("The Big Project") Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME. See the hamfest Web site for more information.
Hamvention 2003 held in May also had a youth theme and hosted a youth forum, where younger members of the Amateur Radio community could speak about and share their ham radio experiences.
I hope to see the day when each hamfest will host a youth forum and luncheon, announce youth simplex calling frequencies and welcome the future of Amateur Radio in other ways. Let me know about your youth-friendly hamfest!
Jamboree On The Air (JOTA)
The 2003 Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) takes place October 18-19. JOTA gives Amateur Radio operators and clubs a chance to let Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts (Cub Scouts, Brownies and Girl Guides are welcome) share experiences over the air with other scouts. It's also an opportunity to take part in a worldwide scouting tradition that's now in its 46th year. Maxim Memorial Station W1AW will be on the air for JOTA on the afternoon of October 18.
ARRL Educational Programs Coordinator Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS, encourages those planning to participate in JOTA 2003 to register their events via the ARRL Youth Skeds Database Web site.
"By registering your event we will be able to put scouts in contact with JOTA events at the last minute," Wolfgang says, "and there are always people waiting until the last minute!" she said. The ARRL has revamped the JOTA survey/log form. JOTA participants are encouraged to complete and submit the form on the Web. Reports now go to ARRL and to Boy Scouts of America (BSA) headquarters for its national JOTA report.
Last year, more than 10,000 Scouts from around the US took part in JOTA.
JOTA 2003 begins Saturday, October 18, at 0001 local time and ends Sunday, October 19, at 2359 local time. Details are on page 46 of the September issue of QST. Also see "Jamboree On The Air 2003 is October 18-19". For additional information, contact Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS.
Don't miss this exciting opportunity to talk with other scouts over Amateur Radio, during this fun and exciting operating event. Of course, please tell me about your JOTA experiences.
Youth Ham Radio/Electronics Group to Form
A Boston-area amateur is involved with a grassroots effort to promote ham radio and electronics among Dorchester youth.
"Area residents, teachers from the Boston public school system, staff from the Boston Police Department and other hams would like to start a radio and electronics group at the Area B-3 police station," explained David Morris, KB1EGW. Morris says he's presented a proposal for the program to the station captain, Pervis Ryans. "I've gained both the captain's and the superintendent's support." "We will explore many areas of electronics and public safety applications."
Morris said it's the group's intent to start small. "We are looking for a few individuals--primarily youths ages 13 and up--who would commit to attending the program on a weekly basis, along with their parent's consent," he said. The group will meet on Saturday afternoons.
The radio course will be based on "The Big Project." Morris has requested representation from the Boston Amateur Radio Club at a planning session to "provide insight and guidance" to their effort. BARC Vice President Blake Haskell, K1BTH, has indicated that he will attend.--Eastern Massachusetts Section Web site
Autumn Reading List:
Reminders!
New to Amateur (or Ham) Radio? Find out more!
Final Comments
Thank you for all of the contributions to this month's article. Please contact me if you know of any youth-related activities, events, news, or have any suggestions. Also, let me know if you know of a young ham that serves as net control.
Editor's note: Fourteen-year-old
Extra-class operator and ARES Member Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, resides in
Grayson, Georgia. Her Amateur Radio activities include public service, kit
building, hamfesting, and operating SSB, CW and digital modes. Amateurs with
youth-related news and photos are invited to contact Andrea via e-mail
with the subject line "Youth Column."
| Previous: A Cargo Ship Cruise Down Under | Next: The Daily DX: 3C0V Team Was Given Just Hours to Leave |
