Category Archives: Club Business

AUXCOM Workshop October 8th, 2016-Confirmed

All hams are encouraged to sign up and attend this training if you are interested in helping out when there is a disaster or some kind of need for emergency communications. There are requirements to attend. You must take the FEMA courses listed below, I  placed a link at the bottom to the first course, you can navigate to the other courses from there. Stan will have a signup sheet on the event signup page. These are an intense two days, 10 hours a day Saturday and Sunday. 

Image result for emergency communications imagesFEMA Course training

TRG-AUXCOMM: Auxiliary Communications Workshop Description

This class is designed for those auxiliary emergency communicators and groups who volunteer to provide backup emergency radio communications support to public safety agencies. Typically, this includes amateur radio and Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team (REACT) communicators, but may include other volunteer emergency communicators. Volunteer emergency communications operators/groups, using amateur radio, have been providing backup communications to public safety for nearly 100 years. Event planners, public safety officials, and emergency managers at all levels of government utilize their services. Often, amateur radio services have been used when other forms of communications have failed or have been disrupted. Today, nearly all the states/territories have incorporated some level of participation by amateur radio auxiliary communication operators into their TICPs and SCIPs.

This course focuses on auxiliary communications interoperability, the relationship between the COML and the volunteer, emergency operations center (EOC) etiquette, on-the-air etiquette, FCC rules and regulations, auxiliary communications training and planning, and emergency communications deployment. It is intended to supplement and standardize an operator’s experience and knowledge of emergency amateur radio communications in a public safety context.

Prerequisites for attendance are:

 Completion of IS-100.b, IS-200.b, IS-700.a, and IS-800.b prior to the workshop1

 An active FCC amateur radio license

 Past experience in auxiliary emergency communications

 A desire to work with COMLs in a NIMS/ICS environment

The SWIC will need to review/validate copies of the attendees’ documentation of prerequisites prior to the course date. At least seven days prior to the course start date, the SWIC (or their designated representative) will submit an email to OEC/ICTAP verifying the students have met the prerequisites and are eligible to participate in the course.

1 For any OEC/ICTAP COMU training course (COML, COMT, AUXCOMM) requestors are encouraged to notify the State Training Officer (STO) prior to its start to ensure the course is documented in state training files.

2 It is a 20 hour, two day course with facilitated lectures and student exercises. It can be scheduled during normal business days or weekends to accommodate participants’ schedules. This course builds in time for interactive discussions and activities. Because the content is NIMS-compliant, this offering is not modified for local circumstances. It is limited to 30 students.

The course content includes:

 Introduction

 The Communications Unit and the EOC

 Auxiliary Emergency Communicator (AEC) Roles and Responsibilities

 Interoperable Communications

 Incident Communication

 Incident Radio Communications Plan (ICS Form 205)

 Incident Communications Center

 Team Management and Accountability

 Resources

 Intrastate and Interstate Radio Networks

 Final Exercise Exam Deliverables

 Student Workbook

 Informational CD Auxiliary communications workshops provide emergency amateur radio volunteers an overview of the NIMS ICS structure and a greater understanding of how they can support COMLs.

FEMA Course training

Shifting from Summer to Club Activities

The long summer is nearing an end, and with it the family activities that keeps many of us from the hobby. But with the return of school, fall, and finally the cold winter we once again have time for the hobby. With the change in seasons comes a few opportunities to spend time with friends old and new. In late August there is an opportunity to volunteer to work at the state fair. Some have asked what we do there. Well there is no set in stone formula, we kind of go where we are needed. Sometimes we just walk around chatting with other Hams, just being available and visible in case someone needs help medically or if a loved one has become lost. We have been very successful in the past re-uniting parents and children, and adult children with lost parents. We have also helped a few people who have become ill get help, or just a drink of water and shade if that is all that is needed. This is one of the last warm weather events we participate in. and it is a great time to make new friends or spend time with old ones.

October 1st is Harvest of Harmony. Yes it can be a chilly experience, but it goes well with coffee and rolls and an afternoon of football. Another opportunity to spend time with friends and a great opportunity to put your communication skills to use. Our Radio communications can be an important part of bring the Parade to the public, the tv stations make good use of our information and at times we can be an important part of staging and judging the Parade.

Also, as Summer winds down there are things that always need attention, the club equipment needs attention, we draw closer to officer elections, and as some of you know we are going to begin crafting a new club structure with our sister clubs in the area. We also have decided to have a project night, those who are interested in this we will probably start with a meeting at a resturant to plan out our time and decide what we want to do, and of course as it is with any endeavour, we need a leader, so we will probably get these things sorted out.

Well I have enough on the plate for now, don’t forget to follow the link and volunteer for the fair. Look forward to seeing you all there.