Northern Florida ARES Group Activates after Bus Mishap
NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 22, 2004--Duval County, Florida, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) activated on the morning of January 18 after a bus rolled over in Jacksonville near the junction of Interstates 10 and 95. ARRL Crown District Emergency Coordinator Miller Norton, N4RYX, reports the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) initiated the Northern Florida ARES group's activation through an automatic telephone notification service.
"In Duval County, ARES is automatically paged out by JFRD communications when a Level III mass-casualty incident occurs," Miller explained. "Level III means an event with 22 or more casualties. We began receiving radio check-ins within moments of launching the system. Norton said that some 30 ARES members checked into the net after the activation.
The bus had rolled down an embankment, landing upright, Norton said. More than 20 injured bus passengers--both adults and children--were transported to three local area hospitals. although none of the injuries was considered life-threatening.
Duval County ARES dispatched amateur operators to the three hospitals receiving victims. Ten JFRD rescue units and five private ambulances responded to the scene along with other emergency vehicles and the JFRD Command and Communications Center mobile unit, Norton said.
The call-up service Duval ARES uses is a telephone message-forwarding service called CallingPost.org, which is able to alert all ARES members quickly once an activation has been called.
"This is a superior way to notify ARES members without the need for a telephone tree, which wastes precious time," Norton said. "Hats off to Duval County EC Bob Nelson, N4CUZ, and his group for a job well done!"
Page last modified: 01:01 PM, 22 Jan 2004 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Previous: ARRL to Establish Mentoring Programs
Next: Eshleman Claims Fourth Straight DXCC Challenge DeSoto Cup
