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News last updated: Sun, October 12, 2008 at 9:55 PM ET
For the latest news from Richard Krohn, N2SMV, the Northern New Jersey Section Manager, please visit his Web page at this link: http://arrl-nnj-sm.blogspot.com/
NNJ Section ARES Update
George Sabbi - KC2GLG
NNJ Section Emergency Coordinator
I am very pleased to report that the ARES Program in the ARRL NNJ Section is not only active, but also growing in active participation. For those of you unfamiliar with the operational setup for the Section, each County has a defined ARES organization which is your, be you a current or future ARES member, principal and initial point of contact for all ARES matters. To make that connection as easy as possible for you, a listing of the current NNJ ARES Leadership is available online at: http://www.hudson.arrl.org/nnj/ares
Activity in the NNJ Section in recent months has seen ARES involved in local and regional public service events as well as being placed into a Standby mode for possible field deployments during the approach, impact and after effects of recent Tropical Storm Hanna. During the ramp-up time for Hanna, just as was done for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike as they approached the Gulf States, ARRL HQ, along with local ARES leaders, cooperated in a program of overall coordination of various ARES assets. Communications was established early on among potentially affected areas. Section Managers and Section Emergency Coordinators were all in contact so that in the event any ARES mutual aid from outside of a directly affected area was needed, it could be quickly and efficiently dispatched.
Several NNJ Section ARES Team Members were quick to step forward during the recent tropical weather events that impacted the Gulf Coast and mid-western parts of the US, stating their readiness and willingness to respond if needed to the affected areas.. The collective thanks of all, particularly from those areas where he impacts were great, goes to those who did such, as well as to all who stood-by and were ready for deployment when Tropical Storm Hanna was of local concern.
During the Hanna event, all local ARES Teams reported their individual states of readiness, which varied from having their members on alert and fully ready to respond if called, to some who were pre-staged in local EOCs and with others, actively on the air and in radio contacted with their Served Agencies. SKYWARN throughout all of NJ was particularly active during Hanna, as well as many ARES Teams keeping in direct contact with the full gamut of EmComm groups such as the Red Cross, SATERN, SKYWARN and local OEMs
Upcoming events for ARES Teams in the NNJ Section include participation in the annual ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET). While the official weekend for the SET is the first weekend of October (Oct 4-5 2008), several NNJ ARES Teams are conducting their SET exercises on different dates this year in order to fit in with the schedules of some local Served Agencies. (This is in full compliance with ARRL SET rules). Please contact your local ARES Leader for complete and specific information on when your local SET exercise will be held. All ARES members as well as anyone interested in EmComm activities, are more than welcomed to take an active part in the SET. The SET is not just an ARES event; it includes interconnectivity exercises with RACES, the Red Cross, SATERN, MARS, and other EmComm related organizations.
Please take a few minutes and let you local ARES Leader know of your availability and interest in not only taking part in this year's SET, but also in becoming active in all aspects of the ARES Program. As stated on the ARRL Website: "Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in the ARES. The only qualification, other than possession of an Amateur Radio license, is a sincere desire to serve." (http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/pscm/sec1-ch1.html .
In addition to the NNJ Section ARES Webpage (http://www.hudson.arrl.org/nnj/ares ) NNJ ARES also makes use of a YAHOO Group for Sectionwide ARES related communications. All with an interest in EmComm are welcome to join at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nnjares And lastly, please be sure to checkin on the monthly NNJ Section ARES Net. The Net is on the 2nd Monday of each Month, at 8:00 PM local time on the Morris County OEM Repeater - WS2Q/R (146.895 Mhz, Negative 600k Input Offset, PL 151.4).
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, etc about the ARES Program in the ARRL NNJ Section, please let me know at: KC2GLG@arrl.net.
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