Thank You for Participating at the SoCal Exercise
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Rosalinda
I remember a few years ago when we (ham radio's) participated in a RC shelter exercise and we set up a radio tower outside the shelter made out of PVC pipe and we had scenarios given to us on pieces of paper for ex: There is a baby that needs diapers, etc. We didn't rely on cell phones to communicate to HQ only the radios. I was Shelter Manager on Sat. the 23rd at the Arias Church we didn't have clients we were told we had to bring our own laptops to register clients. I would like to see Comms more involved also what if I had forgotten my laptop then what?
Rosalinda -----Original Message-----
From: Bob Birch <rrbirch@...> To: main@ARC2-SDICC.groups.io Sent: Fri, Apr 29, 2022 7:31 am Subject: Re: [ARC2-SDICC] Thank You for Participating at the SoCal Exercise I like you two would like to have had more injects related to loss of communications and relied on DST Comm’s to step in. At least to show what our capabilities are if the need arises. We did process and deliver 3 ICS-213’s during the drill.
Comm’s is just one GAP in DST and most likely will be the least used in most disasters in Southern California. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared to step in when the need arises. We still should continue to train individually and as a group to keep our skills fresh.
Honestly, I would say 95% of all our responses will be to deploy, computers, networks, and internet connectivity. With the scenario of a wildfire all cell towers being down would be unlikely. Even in the major wildfires we had here in San Diego we never totally lost communications. We will have situations like the Southern fire that was out in the back country were communications were nonexistent and they relied on DST Comm’s. We will always have the need to support Disaster Assessment teams that go into the back country to verify damage to homes. So as I said before we certainly need to be prepared to respond when the need arises.
Bob
From: main@ARC2-SDICC.groups.io <main@ARC2-SDICC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Mark Warrick (KM6ZPO)
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2022 10:33 PM To: main@ARC2-SDICC.groups.io Subject: Re: [ARC2-SDICC] Thank You for Participating at the SoCal Exercise I share your frustration, Bruce. And that’s why I didn’t participate in Orange County. There was no plan and there has been absolutely nothing going on for the ham volunteer since I joined. It’s a real shame because we have a lot of talented pepe ready to help but the current management hasn’t got a clue what to do with us.
—mark, KM6ZPO |
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Mark Warrick (KM6ZPO) <mark@...>
Thanks for chiming in Bob. Your reply is 100% valid. Just want you to know that.
With regard to this event, we had no idea what to prepare for - what scenarios specifically. What were we simulating? The personnel, equipment and responses will be different for each one. I can't just load up the car with everything I own. So I need to know what to plan for. And it's not like I didn't ask - I asked around. I got my hand slapped for asking too. But I persisted and I got nothing. I even went to Monica Ruzich for answers - nothing - just show up she said. What if the Internet goes down? What if the power is out? What if all cell phone networks are jammed with traffic or down? If we're going to go with the assumption of leadership - which is that we'll have backup cell phone service, satellite internet, etc. then there really is no need for ham radio operators. And I fully understand that DST is not just ham radio. What training have we done to implement a field-ready area to serve the needs of our local chapters? None. It's not like we didn't have time. We had plenty of it. We just failed to train. I look forward to the day that somebody in the OC Chapter gets their act together and starts training the DST team to do what the American Red Cross needs of them. Until then I really see no point in investing any more of my time into the American Red Cross. ---mark |
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Bob Birch
I like you two would like to have had more injects related to loss of communications and relied on DST Comm’s to step in. At least to show what our capabilities are if the need arises. We did process and deliver 3 ICS-213’s during the drill.
Comm’s is just one GAP in DST and most likely will be the least used in most disasters in Southern California. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared to step in when the need arises. We still should continue to train individually and as a group to keep our skills fresh.
Honestly, I would say 95% of all our responses will be to deploy, computers, networks, and internet connectivity. With the scenario of a wildfire all cell towers being down would be unlikely. Even in the major wildfires we had here in San Diego we never totally lost communications. We will have situations like the Southern fire that was out in the back country were communications were nonexistent and they relied on DST Comm’s. We will always have the need to support Disaster Assessment teams that go into the back country to verify damage to homes. So as I said before we certainly need to be prepared to respond when the need arises.
Bob
From: main@ARC2-SDICC.groups.io <main@ARC2-SDICC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Mark Warrick (KM6ZPO)
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2022 10:33 PM To: main@ARC2-SDICC.groups.io Subject: Re: [ARC2-SDICC] Thank You for Participating at the SoCal Exercise
I share your frustration, Bruce. And that’s why I didn’t participate in Orange County. There was no plan and there has been absolutely nothing going on for the ham volunteer since I joined. It’s a real shame because we have a lot of talented pepe ready to help but the current management hasn’t got a clue what to do with us.
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Mark Warrick (KM6ZPO) <mark@...>
I share your frustration, Bruce. And that’s why I didn’t participate in Orange County. There was no plan and there has been absolutely nothing going on for the ham volunteer since I joined. It’s a real shame because we have a lot of talented pepe ready to help but the current management hasn’t got a clue what to do with us.
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Bruce
Hi Tom
I am with the San Diego DST team.
During the Exercise -the DST team set up computers in the
"shelters" for other Red Cross functions to use. The rest of the
time we sat waiting to be used to pass traffic. Apparently there
were NO drill injects that would FORCE Red Cross functions to USE
DST for communicating drill traffic!! DST has found that the
general attitude with Red Cross functions is the belief that cell
phones will ALWAYS WORK!! This is a recipe for communications
failure during a REAL disaster event! Lets make future drills
realistic with injects that produce challenges that are found in
REAL world disaster events!! WATCH THESE REAL WORLD communication
failures of the Camp and Paradise Fires:
The Paradise (CAMP) fire spread at a
speed of over 100 yards per second.!!
I worked the 2003 and 2007 wildfires
and the massive 2010 Power failure - with the San Diego County
ACS and Red Cross and witnessed a number of communications
failures!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YBbNX4Rh2I&t=4s
Short history - I have been a licensed
(Extra class) Radio Amateur since 1958, Been with Red Cross since
1990, Worked in Electronics and radio systems for: San Diego
County, and Marine ship board radio and radar communications. I
also worked in the manufacture and repair of Military radio
systems-also DOD defense industry and commercial broadcast and
radio communications systems - for over 30 years. Now retired - I
maintain a radio communications repair shop in my home as well as
for field repairs in my communications truck that works all
frequencies (HF - UHF) needed for disaster communications. Both of
my homes and radio stations in San Diego and Payson Arizona are
completely solar powered with 10 KW arrays and large 48 Volt
battery banks. I am licensed by the FCC with a commercial General
Radiotelephone License. This allows me to work on ALL commercial
and broadcast, radio systems.
I and Red Cross DST stand ready to
assist all Red Cross functions in their computer and
communications needs if we are ONLY GIVEN A CHANCE!
Bruce Haupt WA6DNT@...
WA6DNT@... Red Cross DST HF SHARES NNC9RC
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On 4/27/2022 9:53 AM, Simpson, Tom
wrote:
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