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 4 August 2004: On 4 August 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: Efforts continue to place amateur radios in all hospitals in Oakland County. St. John - Oakland Hospital in Madison Heights is the most recent addition. More ARPSC volunteers are needed to operate at hospitals and anyone interested should contact Ralph Greenberg, K8CAR at k8car@yahoo.com. A hospital radio net has now started with use of these radio installations. The net takes place on the last Thursday night of each month at 8 pm on 145.250 MHz. Future plans may include police stations. Updated information is needed on members who change phone, fax, pager, and e-mail addresses. Additional help was requested to assist and back-up current personnel. The following volunteered: Jeff Albrecht, N8WR - hospital radios; Mark Raymond, KB8UNY - any position; Paul Timmon KC8QAY - any position; Bob Kusk, N8LPS - Packet, Myron Boardman, N8SMV - W. Bloomfield-Ford Hospital. On 17 July 2004, a District #2 EC meeting took place at this EOC, including: (A). A discussion took place to reduce confusion on how and when county Skywarn is activated. Oakland County has four senior members who are DEC or EC: Barry Kaufman - WD8JWM, Jim Thompson - N8USP, Jim Walden - N8DHZ, and Joel Goldberg - W8HIU. All are paged by National Weather Service (NWS) for severe incoming weather. Up to 17 counties may be activated at one time. Prolonged waiting often occurs before the storm hits or bypasses the county. At this meeting, there was general agreement that if NWS activated Skywarn, one of the four senior members of Oakland County ARPSC on call would check into NWS at White Lake acknowledging the weather warning and the county's level of Skywarn activation. On the Oakland County repeater (145.250 MHZ), a digital voice recorder (DVR) for messages has been added. This will be used to give brief information about this county's Skywarn and weather status. To use and playback the message, one first announces his call letters, presses the DTMF button and hits 333. (B). Efforts are being made to develop repeater communications between all district counties in order to converse with each other. (C). The next District #2 EC meeting will take place in 3 months. (2). Comments from Jim Walden, N8DHZ, Amateur Radio Coordinator for the Woodward Dream Cruise: So far, there are 30 volunteers for the Friday-Saturday events (20-21 August 2004). Coverage is for Berkley and Royal Oak only, and not Ferndale and not Birmingham. There are plans to place one volunteer every 0.5 mile along the course. On Friday night, the Berkley Parade of Cars will begin. At 5:30 pm, the Berkley Police will bring pizza to the volunteers. By 6 pm, 12 Mile Road will be shut down and volunteers placed every 0.5 mile. The parade will probably start at 7 pm and will run until all the cars have passed through. After the parade, volunteers are encouraged to walk around the food stands, etc. and watch for problems. On Saturday of the Woodward Dream Cruise, the first shift starts around 11 am and the second shift between 4:30 and 5 pm. The second shift ends by about 10 pm that evening. The amateur radio center for both days will be at the Berkley Fire Station on 12 mile Road, east of Coolidge. At this fire station are vests and a sign-in sheet which is a must for insurance purposes. The radio net will use 147.51 simplex. Net check-in may be possible for the Dream Cruise if the information is acceptable to the coordinator or his designate. This may not solve the need for a vest. Vests need to be reused for another shift or day. For those volunteers on the last shift of the Dream Cruise, please return the vest to Fire Station, or at the latest, to the Oakland County APRSC meeting on 1 September. Net control should be informed of this last option. For Saturday meals, one must walk to one of two food sites. Amateur radio volunteers from other counties are invited, and further information can be obtained from Jim Walden at n8dhz@sbcglobal.net. (3). Comments from Barry Kaufman, WD8JWM, DEC: There will be siren testing Saturday, 7 August 2004. Jim Murphy, N8SML has volunteered to assist. The net operation begins at 12:30 pm with the sirens at 1 pm. Last week, Barry met with West Bloomfield Fire and Public Safety officials regarding placement of a two meter amateur radio at the West Bloomfield Police Department. They already had an available antenna and cable and will consider this. Bill Nelson, Troy Fire Chief, already has an amateur radio for the John R. Road Station. (4). Comments from Jim Thompson, N8USP, DEC on training: The FEMA IS-3 Radiological Emergency Management class will be Saturday 9 October 2004 with plans to have it at the EOC, presuming this class site is available. (5). Comments from Rory Locke, KC8SZR, Net Manager: Net control help is needed since it is hard for Rory to be available for every net. Also Rory would like suggestions for net topics. (6). Comments from George Schutte, K8GEO, NE Subnet Sirens: This subnet had 15 volunteers last month, one of which was a wife of a ham. Her communication was accomplished by cell phone. (7). Comments by Gary Sklar, K8IKW, Public Service Information: Up-Coming Events Friday-Sunday, 6-8 August 2004: Lighthouse Weekend Special Event at Tawas Point Lighthouse. Call sign is K8S and will be on air from 8 pm EST Friday to 12 noon EST Sunday. Gary already expects to have 6 to 7 volunteers and everyone is invited. Frequency plan is 14.270 +/- 20 MHz and 7.270 +/- 20 MHz with use of a dipole and a vertical antenna. For information contact Gary at k8ikw@aol.com. Wednesday, 11 August 2004: Dart Repeater Group Annual Picnic will begin at 6 pm at the Green Oaks Picnic Park. This is located on 9 1/2 Mile Road (Woodward Heights) west of I-75 just behind WOMC FM radio tower. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. The repeater group will provide grilled meats and soft drinks. Let Ralph Greenberg, K8CAR know if you are coming so that the group can have a head-count for food quantities. Sunday, 19 September 2004 - Walk to d'feet ALS is at Kensington Metropark. Website is at http://www.alsofmi.org/walktodfeet2004.htm. Contact Joel Goldberg to volunteer at w8hiu@arrl.net. Wednesday, 6 October 2004: ARPSC General Membership Meeting. Saturday, 9 October 2004: FEMA IS-3 RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CLASS, 9 to 1 pm, tentatively at EOC. Call Loretta at 248-858-5300 for reservations. Sunday, 10 October 2004: Bloomfield Township Police Department Open House will have an amateur radio table and demonstrations. Set-up is scheduled for 10 am with open house from noon to 5 pm. If interested, contact Gary at k8ikw@aol.com. Gary requests help installing wires powering his amateur radio in his new car. Respectfully submitted 5 August 2004 Jim Murphy, N8SML Secretary, Oakland County, ARPSC ?? ?? ?? ?? 1