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Louisiana
Public Safety Expo 2008
Northeast
Louisiana ARES participated in the 1st annual Louisiana
Public Safety Expo today at the Monroe Civic Center. The
event was organized by the Louisiana State Police and
featured numerous agencies from across the state. The
general public was invited out to witness demonstrations
and see the latest equipment. Amateur Radio was well represented
and we even let some non-hams make a few contacts on the
radio. The Northeast Louisiana ARES Mobile Command Unit
and portable 100 foot tower and communications trailer
was setup right outside the main entrance to the arena
and we received some very high exposure. Overall the event
was a huge success and we have been invited to participate
in next years expo.
2007
Simulated Emergency Test (SET) The
2007 Simulated Test was held on Saturday, October 27th
and proved to be a very sucessful. This years scenario
centered on both a transportation disaster and severe
weather event. Participating stations were given an incident
to report at a specific time, then individual stations
were instructed to take the facts at hand and use this
information to format a message rather than reading a
pre-formatted script.
Special thanks to all those that took the time to participate
in this very important exercise.
Participants included: KD5IGZ, KD5ITA, WC5M, KD5MWL, KE5PZN,
KE5PZM, N5WLG, KE5JNB, NB5K, AC5DW, KE5KKS, N5ASA, KE5HLT,
KD5KDQ, KC5YGM, AE5V, N5HMH, KA5JNL, AD5XM, W5KGT AND
W5DSG. (This list is still incomplete and others will
be added soon).
An
after action meeting will be conducted to review and critique
strengths and weaknesses of this exercise, please continue
to check back for more updates.
Northeast
Louisiana ARES Forum
Do
you have a question, comment, or idea to share with the
group. Now you can logon to the ARES forum and post your
thoughts. Visit: http://apps.ares-nela.org
Skywarn
Class held in October
Doug Butts from the National Weather Service in Shreveport
conducted a special Skywarn class on Saturday, October
20th. Aproximately fifty people attended this class, including
students from ULM, ARES personell, and the general public.
Special thanks to Doug and the NWS for offering this very
informative training opportunity.
Dean Dozier, KE5JVV resigning as Ouachita's OHSEP Director
Ouachita's Homeland Security Director, Dean Dozier is
leaving his post on September 14th, 2007. Since taking
over as OHSEP director back in 2003, Dean has been highly
supportive of ARES operations in the state and has helped
us expand our amateur radio relationship with other agencies,
in fact he even passed his ham exam and is licensed as
KE5JVV.
We will certainly miss him and wish him well in his future.
Marengo
Swamp Ride . . .
(Courtesy: Mark, K5ER) The 2007 Marengo Swamp ride
is now history. We had just enough volunteers to pull
the event off, with several having to do double duty.
It is still a lot of fun, but when you have to do over
12 hours in the heat, it is tiring. Next year we hope
to have more volunteers to help spread the load. Once
again, we headed down Friday to get things set up. Once
all was in place, the pit was set up and the now annual
Friday afternoon cookout was held.
Thanks to all who pitched in and a big thanks to Larry
for handling the grilling duties. We would like to recognize
the following for their participation: N5ASA, KE5HLT,
N5MEL, W5PEM, KA5JNL, KE5ESU, W5HUD, W5KGT, W5DSG, and
K5ER.
We will have even more photos, with David, Mel, Larry
and Kevin contributing for the 2007 running. As soon as
Alan gets the page set up, we will post the url HERE.
To view photos from the last several years events, please
visit these url's: www.w5hud.com/marengo.html
and
http://www.qsl.net/kc5rjy/msr.htm/msr.htm
Walk
America - Walk-A-Thon held on May 5th
ARES
provided communications for the March of Dimes Walk-A-Thon.
Special thanks to all ARES members that volunteered their
time and service at this year's 4.2 mile walk held in
Monroe.
Skywarn
Class held on April 7th.
Special thanks to Mark
Frazier with the National Weather Service and Mark Ketchell,
K5ER for setting up this special training session. Another
class will be scheduled for the fall of this year. Click
here for links to online training, skywarn information
and additional class dates.
Contacting
ARES via email - New Procedure ?
Effective
March 22, 2007 - Due to the high volume of spam, you will
now be required to include [ ares411 ] in the email subject
line or your message WILL be deleted. Please feel free
to contact David Gore, W5DSG with any questions concerning
this new policy.
NOAA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS TO PROVIDE
MORE PRECISE LOCATION THIS FALL - Jan. 16, 2007 —
The NOAA National Weather Service will introduce this
fall storm-based warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms,
flash floods and marine hazards that are more 
geographically
specific for these short-duration weather events. Currently,
such warnings are issued county wide. (Click NOAA image
for larger view of NOAA Storm-based Warnings by county
versus the more geographically specific locations due
to take effect in October 2007. Please credit “NOAA.”)
"Weather doesn't follow geopolitical boundaries," said
retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, director
of the NOAA National Weather Service. "Storm-based warnings
provide the public with more specific information about
the location of severe weather and the direction it is
expected to move. Seconds count during tornadoes and flash
floods. We want to provide the public with the most accurate
description of what's happening in their neighborhood.
We also want to avoid warning non-threatened portions
of the county." When issuing a warning, the NOAA National
Weather Service will specify areas within a county and
refer to commonly known landmarks such as highways or
rivers.
"This
is a fundamental change in our warning procedures and
a major enhancement in our service capability," said Johnson.
"Storm-based warnings will drastically improve graphical
displays and empower the private sector to 
easily
distribute the information through Web-enabled PDAs, cell
phone alerts, pagers and other technologies. Communicating
severe weather threats in this way is imperative in today's
digital world." (Click NOAA image for larger view of the
improved NOAA Storm-based Warnings due to take effect
in October 2007. Please credit “NOAA.”) The new warnings
will take effect October 1, 2007. NOAA, an agency of the
U.S. Commerce Department, is celebrating 200 years of
science and service to the nation. From the establishment
of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson
to the formation of the Weather Bureau and the Bureau
of Commercial Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America's
scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. NOAA is dedicated
to enhancing economic security and national safety through
the prediction and research of weather and climate-related
events and information service delivery for transportation,
and by providing environmental stewardship of the nation's
coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global
Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working
with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and
the European Commission to develop a global monitoring
network that is as integrated as the planet it observes,
predicts and protects.
Northeast
Louisiana ARES Mobile Communications Vehicle - For
the past year, Kevin, W5KGT (Ouachita Tactical AEC) with
assistance from Brandon, N5WLG and other local hams, has
been working rebuilding and outfitting a special mobile
communications vehicle to serve the Northeast Louisiana
District. Now the project is nearing completion and the
unit will soon be ready for field operation.
For more information and photos click
here
ARES
Communications at 2006 Marengo Swamp Ride . . .
Both the EMCOMM Van and portable tower were deployed for
use at Marengo and proved to work exceptionally well.
In fact, the length of time it took to relay reports of
injuries and other critical traffic from key areas along
the course and dispatch emergency personnel to those locations,
was reduced from forty-five minutes(pre-Amateur radio
involvement) to just under ten minutes in 2005 and to
just under eight minutes in 2006.
Overall the event proved to be another huge success and
amateur radio once again played a major role in insuring
everyone’s safety though timely communication.
Special thanks to Ouachita Parish Emergency Coordinator,
Mark Ketchell, K5ER for his excellent leadership in coordinating
this event for a second year and to the following operators,
who volunteered their time to help set up and operate
during the 2006 event: W5HUD, N5MEL, KE5HAZ and son Trey,
KE5HLT, N5ASA, W5PEM, KA5JNL, KE5ESU, W5KGT, N5WLG, and
W5DSG.
2006
Event Photos - Courtesy Alan W5HUD & Larry N5ASA
Memorial
Day Special Event at the Aviation & Military Museum
of Louisiana . . .
Click
Here to View Photos (Courtesy of Larry, N5ASA &
Alan, W5HUD)
For a schedule
of all upcoming ARES events, click here . . .
Skywarn
Activated, May 8th & 10th, 2006 - Severe weather
prompted the brief activation of Skywarn in northeastern
Louisiana on Monday, May 8th and a widespread activation
on Wednesday, May 10th.
K5SHV (NWS Shreveport) was active net control during the
event on May 8th that produced dime size hail in West
Monroe (reported by KD5ITA) and nearly quarter size hail
south of Rayville (reported by KC5TYV)
K5SHV
(NWS Shreveport) was also active net control during the
event on May 10th that produced a brief funnel cloud formation
west of Sterlington (reported by KD5MWL) and 4 inch diameter
hail near Rocky Branch (reported by KA5JNL).
Thank you to all who checked into the net and gave reports
or were standing by to give reports if needed.
Stations included: KD5ITA, KA5JNL, KD5MWL, K5ER, KC5TYV,
N5ASA, KE5HTG, W5HUD, N5MEL, W5KGT, N5WLG, KE5HAZ, KD5PGH,
KE5EBS, AC5DW, N5HMH and W5DSG. If you worked this event
and are not listed, please contact David, W5DSG to be
added to the list.
Run
for the Cross & Catfish Festival, April 8th . . .
This
year's Run for the Cross was held in Calhoun on Saturday,
April 8th. Special thanks to Kevin, W5KGT for coordinating
that event and to all operators that helped work communication.
Also, there was an Amateur Radio Booth setup at the Franklin
Parish Catfish Festival in Winnsboro. Special Thanks to
Larry, N5ASA for coordinating that event for the last several
years now and to all that helped with that project.
Skywarn
Activated, April 7th, 2006 . . .
Severe
weather prompted the activation of Skywarn across our
region on Friday, April 7th. K5SHV (NWS Shreveport) was
active net control during this event that spawned an F0
tornado in eastern Union Parish. Thank you to all who
checked into the net and gave reports or were standing
by to give reports if needed.
NOAA
SPACE ENVIRONMENT CENTER: EARTH'S FIRST DEFENSE AGAINST
THE SUN'S FURY Space Weather Week Set for April -
March 20, 2006 — The NOAA Space Environment Center is
the nation's first defense against the affects of solar
weather and the official source of space weather alerts
and warnings. "It can be difficult for people to believe
that space weather can affect life on earth, but in fact
it can have a tremendous impact on communication and navigation
systems, satellites, electric power grids, and astronauts
working and living in space," said Larry Combs, space
weather forecaster at the NOAA Space Environment Center
in Boulder, Colo. Full Story >>
FEMA:
New Madrid Preparedness a Priority - Preparing
for a catastrophic earthquake along the New Madrid fault
is a priority, a FEMA official said Friday before a congressional
field hearing on government readiness to handle natural
disasters.
"New Madrid is at the top of the list," Michel Pawlowski,
section chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
said. "It's our primary objective." Full
Story >>
Volunteer
Radio Amateurs "Part of the Solution," FCC Katrina Panel
Told (Mar 9, 2006) -- Addressing the FCC independent
panel reviewing Hurricane Katrina's impact on communication
networks, ARRL Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt, W4OZK,
praised Amateur Radio's ability to get the job done. Speaking
March 7 at Jackson State University in Mississippi, Sarratt
said Amateur Radio volunteers were tremendously effective
in their ability to re-establish communication links using
their own gear or by building systems from scratch. Full
Story >>
Skywarn
Activated, March 9th, 2006 . . .
Severe
weather prompted the activation of Skywarn across our
region on Thursday, March 9th. NWS Shreveport & NWS
Jackson as well as the Ouachita EOC were active during
this event. Thank you to all who checked into the net
and gave reports or were standing by to give reports if
needed.
Amateur
Radio Topic of Discussion at March Utility Council Luncheon
. . .
March
1, 2006 -- Northeast Louisiana ARES was invited to give
a presentation at the Ouachita Joint Utility Council's
March Luncheon. District Emergency Coordinator and Section
Public Information Coordinator, David Gore (W5DSG) conducted
the presentation which focused on several recent ARES
projects and operations, including emergency communications
during the 2005 hurricane season, the new NELA EMCOMM
vehicle and amateur radio's role in the National Weather
Service SKYWARN program.
Amateur
Radio gets positive mention in federal Katrina "lessons
learned" report -- The
White House report "The
Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned"
released this week includes favorable mention for Amateur
Radio in its Appendix B, titled "What Went Right." The
report notes that other organizations "worked tirelessly
to assist emergency responders" who, because of the storm,
were unable to effectively carry out their duties. "Amateur
Radio Operators from both the Amateur Radio Emergency
Service and the American Radio Relay League monitored
distress calls and rerouted emergency requests for assistance
throughout the US until messages were received by emergency
response personnel," the report says. "A distress call
made from a cell phone on a rooftop in New Orleans to
Baton Rouge was relayed, via ham radio, from Louisiana
to Oregon, then Utah, and finally back to emergency personnel
in Louisiana, who rescued the 15 stranded victims." The
report also points out that Amateur Radio volunteers were
on duty at the National Hurricane Center, the Hurricane
Watch Net, Waterway Net, SKYWARN and the Salvation Army
Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN). The report's Appendix
B further cites specific reports in the general news media
about Amateur Radio activities following Hurricane Katrina
and also points to several news stories that appeared
on the ARRL Web site.
SKYWARN
Class held on Saturday, January 28th . . .
Ouachita Parish ARES, in conjunction with the Ouachita
Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
and the National Weather Service, hosted a SKYWARN class
on Saturday, January 28th. Special thanks to Mark Frazier,
Warning Coordination Meteorologist in the Shreveport NWS
office for making the trip to the area to teach this class.
Northeast
Louisiana A.R.E.S. Foundation officially incorporated
. . .
August 12th, 2005 - The Northeast Louisiana ARES Foundation,
Inc. was offically incorporated. The foundation meets
all guidelines setfourth by the IRS as a charitable 501(c)(3)
"tax-exempt" non-profit organization. The foundation
oversees the maintenance, operations, and funding of affiliated
ARES projects and activities in the 12 parish district,
and is administered by a board of directors consisting
of both ARRL appointed ARES EC's and elected officers.
Articles
of Incorporation (PDF Document)
Official
Certificate
(JPEG Image)
* All public donations and/or government grants for ARES
projects in the northeast district should be directed
to the foundation. To become eligible for funding, each
ARES group must be affiliated with the Northeast Louisiana
ARES Foundation.
NOAA
RAISES THE 2005 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON OUTLOOK . .
. Bulk
of This Season's Storms Still to Come — A very active
Atlantic hurricane season is underway, and with more storms
projected, NOAA today increased the number of storms in
its 2005 hurricane season outlook. NOAA expects an additional
11 to 14 tropical storms from August through November,
with seven to nine becoming hurricanes, including three
to five major hurricanes. In total, this season is likely
to yield 18 to 21 tropical storms, with nine to 11 becoming
hurricanes, including five to seven major hurricanes.
More
>>
Ham
Radio License Plates . . .
United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed
the lawsuit against specialty plates in Louisiana. Baring
any new State Court filings, you should be able to apply
for, renew or transfer your amateur license plate in the
near future. A copy of the decision can be found at: http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/03/03-30699-CV0.wpd.pdf
National
Incident Management System (NIMS) Training . . .
On February 28, 2003, President Bush issued Homeland
Security Presidential Directive-5. HSPD-5 directed the
Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer
a National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides
a consistent nationwide template to enable all government,
private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work
together during domestic incidents. You can also find
information about NIMS at http://www.fema.gov/nims/
This course introduces NIMS and takes approximately three
hours to complete. It explains the purpose, principles,
key components and benefits of NIMS.
Full NIMS compliance is required by Oct. 1, 2006, (FY
2007), for all first responders (including emergency communicators)
and will likely be a required in 2006 for most personnel
who have emergency assignments at any level. All ARES
members are encouraged to take this course by the end
of 2005.
The course is provided free of charge online at: http://www.nimsonline.com
For
any questions, or assistance in taking this course please
contact:
David S. Gore, W5DSG, at: mail@ares-nela.org , or call:
318-237-9245
For
Additional Archived News Stories, CLICK
HERE
