Amateur Radio Emergency Service
ACTIVITIES
Cannon County EC Jeff Estal – KG4IKT picked up a little antenna from Tom W4HTL in Carthage, and dropped it off at the Cannon County Rescue Squad, Inc. in November 2014.
Jeff Estal – KG4IKT, Cannon County ARES Emergency Coordinator, was on hand at the July 2014 Cannon County Rescue Squad meeting to talk with the Responders about Emergency Communications.
DeKalb County Amateur Radio Operators Support DeKalb County EMA Operations at 2014 Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Craft Festival
The DeKalb County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) – Communication Center was activated by the Emergency Management Agency (EMA), Communications Unit Leader (COML) for DeKalb County during the 43rd Annual Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Craft Festival on July 3rd, 4th and 5th, 2014. Amateur Radio Operators from the DeKalb County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) group assisted by providing weather information and auxiliary communications should it be needed, during the three day event. Those participating in support of the DeKalb County EMA were DeKalb County COML Bob Mitchell – W3HKG, Mark Stewart – KK4OEY, Steve Kujawski – NN9J, and Kathy Kujawski – NF9G.
Tennessee ARRL Section Manager Keith Miller – N9DGK of Rockvale, Tennessee visited the Communication Center to observe the operation and communications equipment.
Picture Caption: DeKalb County ARES welcomes ARRL Tennessee Section Manager Keith Miller – N9DGK. Pictured: DeKalb County COML – Bob Mitchell – W3HKG, DeKalb County ARES EC Freddy Curtis – KC4GUG, ARRL Tennessee Section Manager Keith Miller – N9DGK and Mark Stewart – KK4OEY.
Bob Mitchell – W3HKG and Mark Stewart look on as Freddy Curtis – KC4GUG tells ARRL Tennessee Section Manager – Keith Miller – N9DGK about the DeKalb County Drop Kit.
DeKalb County COML – Bob Mitchell – W3HKG
DeKalb County COML – Bob Mitchell – W3HKG discusses operations at the EOC – Communications Room with Steve Kujawski – NN9J
DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club Participates in Emergency Exercises in 2013
Members of the DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club participated in several emergency exercises in 2013. The Simulated Emergency Test exercises were conducted on Saturday, April 27th. 2013; Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013; Saturday, September 7th, 2013; Friday, October 4th, 2013; and Saturday, October 5th, 2013. These drills were conducted in association with DeKalb & Cannon County EMAs. The exercise scenarios varied from a “cyber-attack” to severe weather events. These events shut down various types of communications and widespread power outages across Middle Tennessee during the time periods which included Cannon and DeKalb counties.
Local Amateur Radio Operators utilized local radio repeaters and then utilized their emergency skills for stations in point-to-point contact. Portable High Frequency and VHF/UHF stations and antenna systems were constructed, evaluated for performance, and deployed at several locations including DeKalb County High School, Cannon County High School, DeKalb Community Hospital, Stones’ River Hospital, and Cannon County E-911 Center which were activated and evaluated for effectiveness. A special portable unit was activated and deployed for the first time and was setup just below Center Hill Dam. The Amateur Radio station at the DeKalb County Emergency Operations Center located at the Smithville Fire Hall was the Command Center for the exercise.
Communications were sent to the State Emergency Operations Center at TEMA in Nashville, Tennessee via wireless computer-radio access. These messages relayed the latest emergency status in DeKalb and Cannon Counties. This involved the following process: Messages were sent from either the DeKalb EOC or a mobile station setup. It was transmitted by HF radio to an automated station in another part of the U.S., outside the local simulated disaster area. It then went via one of five hardened servers located worldwide (for redundancy), and then into the regular Internet, to be delivered via e-mail anywhere that e-mail is available. Thus, if the Internet were down locally or even regionally, by using the RMS Express/Winlink 2000 system, we would still have some e-mail capabilities. This is in addition to and separate from the usual local and area VHF/UHF operations.
A total of 23 Amateur Radio Operators from throughout Middle Tennessee checked into the emergency radio network. Local amateur repeaters were utilized, as well as, VHF/UHF and High Frequency point-to-point contact. Those local DeKalb /Cannon County Amateur Radio Operators involved in the exercise included W3HKG – Bob Mitchell, N4WJT – Billy Hooper, KD4WFE – Clarence Gilley, N4LZY – Jerry Elkins, KG4IKT – Jeff Estal – Cannon County Amateur Radio Emergency Coordinator, W4ODB – David Brown, KK4JUO – Wade Campbell, NN9J – Steve Kujawski , NF9G – Kathy Kujawski, KK4OEY – Mark Stewart, KK4JUP – Jeff Kemper, KC4GUG – Freddy Curtis – DeKalb County Amateur Radio Emergency Coordinator, and the AB4ZB Station at the DeKalb County Emergency Operations Center. Also checking into the operations was KD4WX – John O’Connor ARRL – ARES District 6 Emergency Coordinator in Sparta, TN. Additional stations outside of DeKalb and Cannon Counties involved in the operations were KC4RAD – Roger Banks of Franklin, TN; KI4UNC – Joseph Cope of Byrstown, TN; KF4GNV – Ron Hamby of Smyrna, TN; W4HTL – Tom Lawson of Carthage, TN; KD4OEO – Johnny Vaughn of Lebanon, TN; KM4TM – Tom Mitchell of Rockvale, TN ; WA4DBY – Eddie Martin of Mt. Juliet; KI4UJO – Jonathan Martin of Mt. Juliet; and K1KY – Tom Delker of Smyrna who was working a bicycle ride event in Metro Lynchburg/Moore County.
The club would like to thank DeKalb County Emergency Management Director Charlie Parker, Faye Morse – Cannon County EMA Director, DeKalb Community Hospital, and Stones’ River Hospital for their support of local participation in this annual state-wide exercise.
The DeKalb County Amateur Radio Club is an organization of Amateur Radio operators from DeKalb/Cannon and Surrounding Counties and is an affiliated club of the American Radio Relay League. The next club meeting will be on Thursday, January 30th, 2014 – 6:30 PM at Cannon County High School, 1 Lion Drive, Woodbury, TN. Any person interested in Amateur Radio is invited to attend.
Picture Captions:
Picture 1
KC4GUG – Freddy Curtis and NN9J – Steve Kujawski operating equipment at the DeKalb County Emergency Operations Center at the Smithville Fire Department.
Picture 2
W3HKG – Bob Mitchell; KC4GUG – Freddy Curtis; KK4JUP – Jeff Kemper; KK4OEY – Mark Stewart; and NF9G – Kathy Kujawski discuss the Amateur Radio Emergency Exercise at the DeKalb County Emergency Operations Center at the Smithville Fire Department following the event.
Picture 3
KK4JUP – Jeff Kemper operates a Portable Amateur Radio Setup under the pavilion at the Recreational Area below Center Hill Dam.
Picture 4
Cannon County Amateur Radio Operators Participate in Emergency Exercise at Roadside Park near Woodbury. Foreground – N4LZY – Jerry Elkins; Background – KK4HUO – Wade Campbell; KD4WFE – Clarence Gilley; KG4IKT – Jeff Estal; W4KOC – Bill Burnett; KF5CM – Bill Northcutt; and KF4GNV – Ron Hamby
Saturday, October 6th, 2012
DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club Participates in Emergency Exercise “Winter Storm 2012”
Members of the DeKalb/Cannon County Amateur Radio Club participated in an emergency exercise on Saturday, October 6th, 2012. The Simulated Emergency Test exercise was titled “Winter Storm 2012.” The drill was conducted in association with DeKalb & Cannon County EMAs. The exercise scenario was a Winter Storm entered Tennessee from the West near Memphis and moved into Middle Tennessee West of Nashville by noon on Saturday. The storm shut down all major Interstates and Highways across West Tennessee and Middle Tennessee. There was major widespread Power Outages across West and Middle Tennessee during the next several hours which included Cannon and DeKalb counties. Local Amateur Radio Operators utilized local radio repeaters and then utilized their emergency skills for stations in point-to-point contact. Portable High Frequency and VHF/UHF stations and antenna systems were constructed, evaluated for performance, and deployed at several locations including DeKalb West School, Woodland School, and atop Short Mountain. Emergency Amateur Radio stations at Cannon County High School, DeKalb Community Hospital, and Stones’ River Hospital were also activated and evaluated for effectiveness. The Amateur Radio station at the DeKalb County Emergency Operations Center located at the Smithville Fire Hall was the Command Center for the exercise. Communications were sent to the State Emergency Operations Center at TEMA in Nashville, Tennessee via wireless computer-radio access. These messages relayed the latest emergency status in DeKalb and Cannon Counties. This involved the following process: Messages were sent from either the DeKalb EOC or a mobile station setup atop Short Mountain. It was transmitted by HF radio to an automated station in another part of the U.S., outside the local simulated disaster area. It then went via one of five hardened servers located worldwide (for redundancy), and then into the regular Internet, to be delivered via e-mail anywhere that e-mail is available. Thus, if the Internet were down locally or even regionally, by using the Winlink 2000 system, we would still have some e-mail capabilities. This is in addition to and separate from the usual local and area VHF/UHF operations. A total of 14 Amateur Radio Operators from throughout Middle Tennessee checked into the emergency radio network. Local amateur repeaters were utilized, as well as, VHF/UHF and High Frequency point-to-point contact. Those local DeKalb /Cannon County Amateur Radio Operators involved in the exercise included W3HKG – Bob Mitchell, N4WJT – Billy Hooper, KD4WFE – Clarence Gilley, N4LZY – Jerry Elkins, KK4GBO – James Young, AC4QP – Buck Barton, KG4IKT – Jeff Estal, W4ODB – David Brown, KK4JUO – Wade Campbell, NN9J – Steve Kujawski , NF9G – Kathy Kujawski, and KC4GUG – Freddy Curtis – DeKalb & Cannon County Amateur Radio Emergency Coordinator. Additional stations checking into the radio network were KD4WX – John O’Conner ARRL – ARES District 6 Emergency Coordinator, KK4ISW – Dallas Rife of Shelbyville, and WB4CWS – Gary George of McMinnville. The club would like to thank DeKalb County Emergency Management Director Charlie Parker, Faye Morse – Cannon County EMA Director, DeKalb Community Hospital, and Stones’ River Hospital for their support of local participation in this annual state-wide exercise. The DeKalb County Amateur Radio Club is an organization of Amateur Radio operators from DeKalb/Cannon and Surrounding Counties and is an affiliated club of the American Radio Relay League. The next club meeting will be on Thursday, October 25th, 2012 – 6:30 PM at the DeKalb County Complex, 722 South Congress Boulevard in Smithville. Any person interested in Amateur Radio is invited to attend. ..
Picture Captions:
Picture 1 KD4WFE – Clarence Gilley and KG4IKT – Jeff Estal – Portable Amateur Radio Setup atop a very foggy Short Mountain at the SET Exercise on Saturday, October 6th, 2012.
Picture 2 W4ODB – David Brown – Portable Amateur Radio Setup in a portable trailer at Woodland School in southern Cannon County, TN.
Picture N4WJT – Billy Hooper – Portable Amateur Radio Setup under the pavilion at DeKalb West School in Liberty, TN.
Picture 4 Clarence Gilley and KG4IKT – Jeff Estal – Portable Amateur Radio Setup atop Short Mountain at the SET Exercise
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DeKalb Cannon Amateur Radio Club’s April 21,2012 Spring SET Training Exercise
click photos to enlarge
KD4WFE on top of Short Mountain
KD4WFE & KG4IKT at Short Mountain
KJ4VXG mobile communications trailer/ Spring DCARC SET Exercise 4/21/2012
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