Oakland County Amateur Radio Public Service Corp (ARPSC)
Weekly Net:  Thursdays at 8 pm on 145.250 MHZ
Web Site: http://www.qsl.net/w8oak

Meeting Minutes for 4 June 2003

 On 4 June 2003 at 7 pm, Joel Goldberg, W8HIU, Emergency Coordinator (EC) for the Oakland County ARPSC called the 
meeting to order in the County E.O.C.  The order of business included:

(1).  Comments from Joel Goldberg, EC:

 Oakland County will undergo a full scale emergency exercise on 25 September 2003.  There will be activation of the 
E.O.C community and Emergency Operations Centers.  This includes the Oakland County ARPSC.  Further information will be 
given below by Mike Loper, Oakland County Emergency Response and Preparedness (ER&P).

 Barry, WD8JWM and Joel Goldberg, W8HIU will be going to Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield to check out their 
new amateur radio station.  Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital has just requested a list of amateur radio equipment to be placed 
at a location of their choice.  Once the equipment is installed, someone will be sent to program frequencies in the radio.  
Mike Loper, ER&P, stated federal money will available to local hospitals for emergency communication equipment.  

 The new UHF repeater frequency will be 444.325 with a 107.2 Hz PL.  The old frequency is now gone.  As far as the 
UHF repeater machine, Steve Murphy has elected to install more up-to-date equipment and he hopes to have it up in a few 
weeks with 100 watts output.  Steve is still working on the 2 meter repeater and looking at the power output for wider 
area coverage.  A county tower site in the Milford area has been requested and an answer is being awaited. 

 The present system for activating special nets, such as Skywarn, will be by Jim Thompson, N8USP, Barry Kaufman, 
WD8JWM, or Joel Goldberg, W8HIU.  Each one will be on call for a week's period and will determine the activation.  
This on-call leader will make contacts needed to procure operators and personnel.
	
(2)  Comments from Mike Loper, Oakland County Emergency Response and Preparedness (ER&P):

 There will be a full scale emergency exercise on WMD terrorism which involves Oakland County with federal and 
state governmental assistance in order to show enforcement training.  This exercise is scheduled for Thursday, 25 September
2003, from 3 pm to 10 pm and is called "Topex."  There will be full E.O.C. activation, including the E.O.C. itself, 
runner coordination, and community centers.  Communications testing will include many forms, including fax, phone, 
peer or intergroup governmental radio, and amateur radio back up including packet.  Amateur radio will need at least 
six volunteers for six hospital's coverage.  Both the Oakland County E.O.C. and the Oakland Community College’s Combined 
Regional Emergency Services Training (CREST) Center of at Auburn Hills will be locations where disaster exercises will take 
place.  Groups assisting will include FEMA, National Guard, Hazmat Teams, and FBI.  Two new Hazmat vehicles have been 
purchased for Oakland County use.  The E.O.C. is expected to be so crowded that there won't be room for observers.  
At the time of initial activation, Hazmat teams are expected to spend their early efforts in forming, and during this time, 
Amateur Radio may begin early exercises with others.

 County money for the Woodward Dream Cruise has been badly drained and only some Police services may be afforded.

 The Rider Cup is 19 September 2004 (note the "4") in Bloomfield Township.  Amateur Radio assistance may be needed.

(3).  Comments from Barry Kaufman, WD8JWM, Deputy EC:

 Siren Test Protocol Book is complete enough to place a copy in the E.O.C.   It consists of a preamble, purpose, 
defines subnets, defines how sirens nets relate to ARES and RACES, gives all the frequencies and procedures for setting 
up the net, equipment to be used, script for operators to use during the nets, latest hot siren lists from ER&P, first 
responders list, etc.  There will be a map on the wall locating all sirens.   Still to be included is information on how 
net control sets up subnet operations.  Copies of this protocol book will be given to subnet operators.   

 In the protocol book for Skywarn, there will be criteria for severe weather reporting, and various information 
and advice added for use by net control.  Both books will be updated monthly.

Questions to Barry from the members were:  

(A).  How does one report a siren thought not working?  Answer: Report this to the siren net or give the EOC a call and 
talk to first to Tracey, and if not available to Tricia, and still if not available to Mike Loper or Steve Iannucci.

(B).  How do the siren subnets get the hot siren list?  Answer:  This list is being sent to subnet personnel beforehand.  
Coverage is planned for all hot sirens prior to Siren Tests. 

(C).  How does one volunteer for Siren Testing?  Answer:  Volunteer with the closest siren subnet operator or ask EOC 
Siren Net Control to indicate the nearest subnet.

(4).  Comments from Jim Thompson, N8USP, DEP and Training: 

 The training survey passed around at the last meeting showed the most requested classes.  Saturday was most popular 
day for classes, either in one or two sessions.  Jim expects the IS-271 - Anticipating Hazardous Weather to be one class.  
He has a tentative okay from Steve Iannucci, ER&P, to use the EOC picture screen setup.  The following have volunteered to 
teach this class - Ralph Greenberg, K8CAR; Rick McKibbean, KC8KTW; and Ken Barnes, N8COQ.  Jim would like to have this class 
this fall, to be followed possibly with an IS-3 class.  Reports indicate IS-3 class books are out of print at this time, 
but the needed reading material can be directly downloaded from the website: http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/IS/    

(5).  Comments from Gary Sklar, K8IKW, ARRL Public Information Officer for the Michigan Section:  The following are 
important dates.

 28-29 June 2003:  ARRL Field Day for Oakland County ARPSC.  More details are given below. 
 
 10-13 July 2003 (four days):  July ARRL Section Outing 2003 is in Lupton, Michigan with family camping and cookouts.
 More information can be found on the Website: http://www.concentric.net/~ka8ykk/outing.htm/   There will be ARRL forums on 
Saturday and the Great Lakes Director and Section Managers will be there from our three States with the call letter "8."

 15-17 August 2003:  Lighthouse Weekend Special Event at the Tawas Point Lighthouse.  For more information, e-mail to
       Gary Sklar at (k8ikw@aol.com).

 15-16 August 2003:  Woodward Dream Cruise.

 6-7 September 2003:  ARRL Great Lakes Division Meeting in Findlay, Ohio.
	
(6).  Miscellaneous agenda and comments:

 Ralph Greenberg, K8CAR, stated the Oakland County ARPSC Field Day on 28 June 2003 will be held outside in a tent at 
the Farmer's Market and not the EOC.  He expects to have three antennas and the event will be held from 2-6 pm on Saturday 
afternoon.  This location is close enough to the EOC to qualify for ARRL contesting points.  Also, this location will permit 
the general public to observe the event.

 John Moore, K1DE, National Weather Service Liasion, stated that Skywarn operators should be aware the NWS room at 
White Lake will be gutted and then fixed up.  For several weeks, they will be using temporary equipment. 

Questions were raised by the members: 
 
(A).  Will the ER&P become involved with Amber Alerts?   

Barry Kaufman, WD8JWM, DEC suggested an automatic response could be put out over amateur radio repeaters, with the 
cooperation of repeater owners.  Apparently, GM and Hazel Park Repeaters have already indicated this was acceptable.  
The biggest problem is to quickly receive the critical notification.

(B).  What is the sequence of repeater use should the primary and/or secondary repeaters fail?  

The sequence is:  (first) W8OAK, (second) Clarkston, (third) DART, (forth) SMART, (fifth) output frequency of the first 
repeater.  Joel Goldberg, W8HIU, EC, stated when a repeater goes down, first try the repeater output.  Net Control will 
probably use this to direct operators to the repeater being used.

Volunteer help for the Saturday Siren Tests, 7 June 2003 are Rick McKibben, KC8KTW and Jim Thompson, N8USP.

Respectfully submitted,
Jim Murphy, N8SML
Secretary, Oakland County ARPSC, 9 June 2003