Oakland County Amateur Radio Public Service Corp (ARPSC) Weekly Net: Thursday at 8 pm on 145.250 MHz/100pl Web Site: http://www.qsl.net/w8oak Meeting Minutes for 7 July 2004: On 7 July 2004 at 7 pm, Joel Goldberg, W8HIU, Emergency Coordinator (EC) for the Oakland County ARPSC called the meeting to order in the County Emergency Operation Center (EOC). The order of business included: (1). Comments from Joel Goldberg, W8HIU, EC: Our office secretary has requested additional information, signatures, photos, etc. for identification and for our records from: Barry Kaufman, Gary Bouwkamp, Bob Adams, Jim Thompson, George Schutte, Murray Scott, Gary Sklar, Lloyd Suter, Piper Vierck, and John Kraft. If not present at the 7 July meeting for details, please contact Loretta at 248-858-5300. Updated information is also needed (1) on member's ARPSC training classes with dated certification and (2) for members changing phone, fax, pager, and e-mail addresses. Hospital amateur radio installations now include St. John - Oakland at 27351 Dequindre in Madison Heights. An EMS Medical Control Authority meeting took place last Thursday, 1 July 2004. Joel Goldberg represented ARPSC. The EMS group desires that ham radios be placed in the thirteen Oakland County hospitals. Federal funds are available should the hospital not have the money. Genesys Hospital (Genesee County) is also included since it is a feeder hospital for North Oakland County. District 2 North (ARPSC of ARRL Great Lakes Division - Michigan) is working to install amateur radios in hospitals and public assembly points. Oakland County ARPSC strongly encourages radios in the county to be the ICOM IC-2720, because it is easier to train everyone with one radio type and model and this radio will permit computer programming of radio frequencies within a minute or two. A District 2 EC meeting will take place Saturday, 17 July 2004. Please notify Joel Goldberg, W8HIU about concerns to be brought up at the meeting. Their agenda will include standardizing Skywarn color codes and ARPSC support between counties. Results of the 2003 Simulated Emergency Tests were published in the July issue of QST. Michigan scored highest in ARES activity points, with Oakland County highest in the Great Lakes Division with 1010 points. The State and District ARRL organizations require monthly reports of volunteer hours worked by amateur radio volunteers, so that this data can be shown to governmental agencies. District 2 logged for January 2004 - 310 hours; February - 252; March - 800; April - 1378, May - 3000, June - 608. According to Mike Loper of Oakland County Emergency Response and Preparedness, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be adding Homeland Security alerts to their weather broadcasts. Joel received an e-mail from Steve Murphy, N8NM (Oakland County Radio Department). The recent electrical outage at the Bald Mountain transmitter site was due to a bird "hit." Fortunately, the secondary site on the Social Services building could take over. Repairs have been made including our displaced antenna and everything is up and running. Oakland County Road Commission has plans to sell the site and our antenna will have to be moved to their new site. Plans exist to place a receive site near Milford, but the county tower is not yet ready. Security at the EOC building will be increased, including cement block walls outside the building for additional perimeter security. This will move parking further away. A general membership meeting is being planned for this fall, date not yet determined. A simulated Oakland County Emergency Test needs to be planned for this fall. Jim Thompson, N8USP, DEC will oversee this. The 2004 version of last year's TOPEX will be held in Macomb County and will by-pass us. (2). Comments from Jim Walden, N8DHZ, DEC (Deputy Emergency Coordinator): Jim will be in charge of the ARPSC activities for the Woodward Dream Cruise. Randy Love, WF5X, will be net control. A sign-up sheet was passed around at the meeting. Volunteers from within and outside of Oakland County are wanted. To volunteer or ask more details, please call Jim at 248-649-8910. He has no e-mail address at this time. Joel expects to mail a newsletter which will give further details. Activities will include: (1) Friday evening, 20 August 2004 Berkley Kick-off Parade, time not yet defined. This parade will start from the entrance of Roseland Park Cemetery (12 Mile Road near Woodward) and proceed west on 12 Miles Road to Ellwood (1 block east of Greenfield). After the parade, Berkley officials would like the volunteers to watch the downtown area, i.e. food booths, etc. Deputy Chief North will be the acting Chief. (2) Saturday, 21 August 2004. The actual cruise is over a 16 mile route on Woodward Avenue involving 9 host cities. ARPSC coverage will be more limited and will involve two shifts by radio volunteers from 11 am to 5 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm. Food for volunteers will be provided on the north end at the Parker School and in the south end in Berkley. Members voiced some concerns. Driving to and from the sign-in location at the Berkley Firehouse is a problem before arriving at the assigned location. Could there be a better arrangement and still be signed in under the insurance coverage of the Woodward Dream Cruise? A meeting before the event was proposed to work out details, with time and date to be determined. (3). Comments from Barry Kaufman, WD8JWM, DEC: Forty sirens were covered during the 3 July 2004 test and Barry wishes to thank everyone who participated. Problems noted included (1) multiple people covering a single siren, i.e. police, amateur radio, and (2) two-way sirens monitored more than once a year, (3) Oakland County Safety failing to push hard enough the siren button causing a delay in sirens going off. Beginning in September, Jim Walden, N8DHZ will be taking over Siren coverage. (4). Comments from Jim Thompson, N8USP, DEC: IS-3 Radiological Emergency Management class will be held in the fall, with the date not yet determined. Instructors will be Jim Thompson, N8USP; Gary Sklar, K8IKW - unit one; Bill Wallace, KC8JAY - unit two; Robert Russell, KC8CHQ - unit three, Ralph Greenberg, K8CAR - unit four. (5) Comments about Skywarn Net: Joel Goldberg, W8HIU, EC stated that the Oakland County ARPSC is attempting to standardize Skywarn Net procedures and weather color coding. It is always possible to start a net at someone's house before moving to the E.O.C. Condition Green is a severe thunderstorm WATCH or any sort of watch condition, with check-ins. Condition Yellow is a thunderstorm WARNING within about one hour of hitting Oakland County. Condition Red is a Tornado WARNING for Oakland County. Skywarn is activated by an Oakland County official (i.e. ER&P). Responsibility for the Oakland County ARPSC side falls to the EC and/or DEC on a weekly rotational schedule. (6). Comments from Randy Love, WF5X, Repeater: The repeater has added a DVR (digital voice recorder) with the command to press the number 333. This message will give details on a weather or emergency situation and how soon bad weather will arrive. An Amber-Alert is planned later. By doing this, members will have a way to monitor county weather and Skywarn activity. Because there isn't a Skywarn net doesn't mean we aren't monitoring. Legally, the net cannot be activated until requested by Oakland County. One major problem encountered is that "watch" hours are frequently very long without serious weather approaching the county. To use the 333 command on the ICOM IC-2720, this means hitting the DTMF Button First (but not holding it down) and then hitting 333. Lloyd Suter, N2NGQ mentioned that tornado warnings have major impact on hospitals to get patients away from windows and into hallways. Joel Goldberg, W8HIU, EC stated that he is first paged by the National Weather Service (NWS) stating that NWS is activated for severe weather. When Oakland County Skywarn is activated, the National Weather Service is informed over the MICON Net on 442.150 MHz Repeater at White Lake. Key weather information is then exchanged between the county ARPSC and NWS through this net. The White Lake NWS sends out periodic computer print-outs of their weather statements and updates to county EOC's within its coverage area. The MICON Net is a CLOSED net between county Skywarns and NWS, and is NOT open to anyone else. (7). Comments from Ralph Greenberg, K8CAR, Assistant Training and Hospital Liaison: The next hospital net will be on 29 July 2004, the last Thursday of July. Henry Ford - West Bloomfield has now been added to the net. This net is useful to detect radio problems. (8). Comments about weekly net: The weekly Oakland County ARPSC did not take place in the last week of June. Rory Locke, KC8SZR could not find anyone for net control and had/has other obligations during the last week of the month. Ralph Greenberg, K8CAR stated he could help and would talk to Rory. (9). Field Day 26-27 June 2004 Report from Randy Love, WF5X: This was a 2F operation, and contacts were made with most ARPSC sections. There were 300 voice and 20 CW contacts and fun for all. Thanks go out to participants: Barry - WD8JWM; Del - KC8IJF; Al - KA8PEH; Bob - KC8CHQ; George - K8GEO; Jim - N8USP; Joel - W8HIU; Jim - N8DHZ; and Randy WF5X. (10). Comments from Gary Bouwkamp, N8HMP: Minutes of this meeting will be on our website within a few days, especially useful for those who missed the meeting. (11) Comments from Gary Sklar, K8IKW, Public Service Information: Up-Coming Events Sunday, 18 July 2004 - MS Mountain Bike Tour starts at Springfield Oaks Recreation Park. Website at http://www.nmssmi.org/events.htm Need for amateur radio assistance in question, but contact Jeff Albrecht at n8wr@arrl.net Friday-Sunday, 6-8 August 2004: Lighthouse Weekend Special Event is at Tawas Point Lighthouse, and is sponsored by the Hazel Park Amateur Radio Club. Event call sign will be K8S with 1 to 2 operational transmitters. Time: 8 pm EST Friday 6 August 2004 to 12 noon EST Sunday. This event is open to all amateur radio people and will need operators. For information, please let Gary know at k8ikw@aol.com. Wednesday, 11 August 2004: DART repeater picnic at Green Acres Park, 2 blocks west of I-75 on Woodward Heights (9 1/2 Mile) on the north side. Friday, 20 August 2004 - Berkley Kick-off Parade: Website is http://www.berkleycruisefest.com/classic_car_parade.htm Saturday, 21 August 2004 - Woodward Dream Cruise: See previous discussion. Website is http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com/2004/ Sunday, 12 September 2004 - Findlay Radio Club Swap. Info at http://findlayradioclub.org 14-19 September 2004 - Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills Country Club. Amateur radio is not wanted, but may need to assist at Oakland International Airport. Sunday, 19 September 2004 - Walk to d'feet ALS at Keningston Metropark. Website at http://www.alsofmi.org/walktodfeet2004.htm There is no additional amateur radio info at this time. October 2004, date not given - Bloomfield Hills Police Department Open House: Last year, there were 2 small amateur radio stations and demonstrations for visitors. Need assistance is from late morning to about 3 pm. If interested e-mail to Gary at k8ikw@aol.com Sunday, 31 October 2004 - Utica Shelby Emergency Communications Assn Swap. Info at http://www.useca.net (12). Comments from the EC: Joel plans to marry very soon and for a short while may have less available time. Congratulations, Joel! Way to go! Respectfully submitted 8 July 2004 Jim Murphy, N8SML Secretary, Oakland County ARPSC