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IN THIS EDITION:
NWS, Schools, Citizen Corps and Hams to act in concert
Sometime around September 22 -25, the National Weather Service expects to have a cooperative announcement with several government agencies about a grant-funded program that will enable them to distribute weather-alert radio receivers to some 90,000 public schools across the country. September happens to be National Preparedness Month (www.ready.gov ) and ARRL is a National Coalition Member of NPM.
Through ARRL's and National Weather Service's mutual association with Citizen Corps (an initiative of the Department of Homeland Security), it is hoped that once the receivers are distributed to the schools by the fourth week of September, ARRL affiliated clubs and Field Organization members and other radio amateurs may be able to assist in the Citizen Corps effort in contacting local schools to be sure that each school knows how to properly set up and operate the weather alert receivers.
The NWS sponsored a successful pilot program in several cities a year ago, and we learned that some Amateur Radio clubs and groups were able to assist their local schools. Now, this year, it is a nationwide distribution of weather-alert radios.
Also for the month...
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
August 31, 2006
Contact: DHS Press
Office, 202-282-8010
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH
###
CNN has provided Amateur Radio PIOs with a great opportunity when there are emergency operations. They now have a special web location where you can upload stories, pictures and video for broadcasting!
For several months PIOs have been encouraged to be integral with ARES, get a camera and start taking pictures. A digital camera is good, and a video camera is even better. As more and more media agencies follow the lead of CNN, we have the opportunity to directly submit action pictures of hams doing emergency work.
Suggestions and a short primer on how to get good news pictures is on the Swiss Army Knife for PIOs -- 2006 edition as the file BSHOOTDIGITALPHOTO.doc This brief article by Diane Ortiz, K2DO, a professional media person, is a good place to start. Tips on video are easily available via the Amateur Radio Video Corps being organized by Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, and others.
The ARRL Public Relations Committee sent out over 75 questionnaires in August to PIC's or their equivalent in sections across the county asking for input and ideas as plans are being made to highlight Emergency Communications in 2007. The results of the survey will be made available once the responses are recorded. If you received one of the surveys, please send it in ASAP as they were due back by the first week of September.
Do you suffer from Confirmation Bias? Psychologists document that when people hear arguments that oppose their own thoughts, the prefrontal part of our brains often shut down and the neurons for emotions light up to reinterpret our reality so that we can keep our basic initial belief despite any new evidence.
Why is this important to a PIO? Because if I believe that Amateur Radio is "only a hobby of a bunch of old people," presenting me with reasoned data is not going to make much of an impact in my thoughts or actions. The way to get across to me is to address the emotional neurons that are working, not the reasonable ones that are (too often) shut down! Tell me about the excitement of a true emergency message, a victim saved, or some strange land you contacted. Reach me on an emotional level and I hear you. That's why anecdotes and stories have so much power. Remember -- the most important words in any speech are usually, "for example....."
We've all seen it -- Internet blogs, postings and flames which can range from spiteful to downright lies. As someone said, "There are lies and then there are damned lies." The wild west culture of the Internet allows for all sorts of bad behavior and unverified "information." Amateur Radio is not immune.
One of the most pleasing things to me at HQ is seeing general members respond with correct information or comments when inaccuracies are posted in places on the 'net. Often, by the time I spot them, two or three members have already been there and made corrections. This is very helpful! When done in an informative and respectful way, it enhances our image immensely. But there is no way in which we can eliminate the problem. For every flare that is extinguished, another seems to pop up.
PR professionals admit that this simply cannot be controlled. Estimates are that there are currently over 80,000 blogs created every day! The best tactic is simply to stay focused on the main Internet sites where messages are generally credible, keep sending out a consistent (and accurate) message, and pay attention to your main constituency. Never "flame" back but stay clear, reasonable and on topic. Remember there are people whose whole lives seem to be nothing more than to bait others on the Internet. State your point in a good way, and then let it go. As someone one said, "Never attribute to Malice what can be explained by Stupidity."
Looking for a good BPL article that summarizes where things are? Sometimes people want to see an "independent" summary of issues. In a recent issue of Computing Unplugged there is an excellent article which summarizes their extensive investigation into all the pros and cons of the BPL interference issues. You can see it at:
www.computingunplugged.com/issues/issue200608/00001837001.html
"It is clear that BPL is a technical feasibility. It is also clear that there are a variety of designs, some of which are more problematic and some of which are less so. Given the risks outlined in the previous section, we believe that, with the proper design, BPL is something that is deployable. Our concern is whether the safe designs are the ones that will be deployed or whether BPL implementations will be determined by the lowest bidder."
 2006 Golden Antenna Award |
Some months ago we received an email about the "Golden Antenna Award" and the German town of Bad Bentheim which hosts this major, international award each year.
the info you find in the appendage is a invitation for proposals for the mentioned award. This invitation has been sent to all ham org. around the world ... Pleas you can help us to nominate a HAM or a HAM group wich has been envolved in the rescueor help during the last happend disaters in the States....The nominated or a represetative of the mentioned group will be invited to come to Bad Bentheim on August 23 2006.
73 and tnx
Siegfried, DC9XU
Obviously we knew a "few people" who had been both Involved and also had Evolved during Katrina! Actually, we knew of hundreds! Rather than nominate any one individual or group, Allen submitted the papers and documentation for the ARRL, as the national association for Amateur Radio in the USA, to represent the hams who gave so much time and energy in the fall of 2005. We are most honored to announce that on August 25 the mayor of the city of Bad Bentheim, Mr. Günter Alsmeier, presented the award to the ARRL for the selfless work of their Amateur Radio Emergency Services and all Amateur Radio operators in the Katrina response.
This has given YOU a great opportunity!
In conjunction with the other September events in National Preparedness Month, here's a "fill-in-the-blank" press release for your use. Just put in the names of any local people who were involved in Katrina and get it to your local papers or other media in your area!
____________________________
For more information, contact:
____________________________
Tel: ( )___________________
Email: _____________________
Local Ham Radio Operator helps win International Award for Katrina Ops
_____________ whose Amateur Radio callsign is _______ was one of the teams of hams who won the "Golden Antenna Award" for extraordinary humanitarian service. At a ceremony in Bad Bentheim, Germany, the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio in the USA, received the award on behalf of _________ and the hundreds of ham operators that provided communications following Hurricane Katrina.
When phone, internet and other emergency communications systems were destroyed by Katrina, ________ and hundreds of hams responded to the crisis. By going to the Gulf area to set up radio sites in the rubble or by passing emergency messages around the country in support of the rescue and recovery operations, the hams and their radio gear provided communications for many government and volunteer groups coordinating their efforts.
Since 1982 the City of Bad Bentheim, Germany, has awarded the Golden Antenna to an outstanding humanitarian achievement in the field of radio communications. The award is the result of a world-wide convocation. A jury consisting of the presidents of five German and Dutch amateur radio unions, made the final decision. On August 25, the mayor of the city of Bad Bentheim, Mr. Günter Alsmeier, presented the award to the ARRL for the selfless work of their Amateur Radio Emergency Services and Amateur Radio operators like ___________.
Previous international award winners include assistance during or after natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, or shipwrecks as well as at other major emergencies. In 2005 the award was presented to the Radio Society of Sri Lanka for their performance after the Asian Tsunami of Dec.2004.