Emergency Coordination

Previous articles can be found under the "Emergency Coordination" link

Files for download can be found at the bottom of this page.

The terms Amateur Radio Emergency Service and ARES are both registered trademarks of the American Radio Relay League Inc. and are used by permission.  

Questions and comments regarding the content of this web page and articles are always welcome and encouraged. 

Send an email to the address shown below.

Lew Maxwell, KB5HPT

Amateur Radio Emergency Service

DEC, District 6, WTX Section

Email: ldmax12@yahoo.com

++++++WINLINK TUESDAY++++++

This net will run each Tuesday (except 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s) for 24 hours. Check in anytime during the 24 hour period. Address messages to Lew, KB5HPT, DEC, Dist.6, WTX Section unless otherwise noted. 

If you are an ARRL Field Appointee please use your Position/Title for the messages. 

All others please use Radio Operator for your position/title. 

The stations checking into this net are encouraged to use their ARES GO-BOX with the NVIS antenna. The use of EOC and club  stations are also encouraged.

***Sending Messages***

Use VARA HF Winlink through a gateway or Telnet or VARA HF P2P. See below for VARA HF P2P information.

***VARA HF P2P***

My HF station will be listening to 7116.5 MHz center frequency, 7115.0 MHz (dial frequency). Bandwidth is 500Hz. 

***VHF/UHF***

[El Paso Locals] The VHF/UHF mode of the week will be VARA FM. Please use the KB5HPT-10 VARA FM RMS on 439.010 MHz simplex as primary target. 

***NOTE:*** 

MAKE SURE THAT THE REQUEST READ RECEIPT IS CHECKED AT THE TOP OF THE MESSAGE. DON'T FORGET TO MARK THE MESSAGE AS WINLINK MESSAGE, P2P WINLINK or RADIO-ONLY. TO GET CREDIT FOR THE NET ALL SENDERS MUST RECEIVE A MESSAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BACK. WE ENCOURAGE THE USE OF RF  UHF/VHF/HF RATHER THAN TELNET. 

***Form for the week of May 13***

Important! When the new message update or Winlink Express program update screen pops up when opening Winlink Express do them before beginning this exercise. 

The form this week will be the Incident Status Report. The Incident Status Report form is found in the Template Manager.

Click on MESSAGE>>NEW MESSAGE>>SELECT TEMPLATE>>STANDARD TEMPLATES>>GENERAL FORMS>>INCIDENT STATUS REPORT.txt. The form will open up in your browser window.

Click on the SETUP button at the top left of the page and enter Winlink Tuesday Exercise.

Box 1. Incident Name: ENTER WINLINK TUESDAY EXERCISE.

Box 2. WebEOC Incident (as applicable) Leave blank.

Box 3. Incident Date/Time: Click on the box to get the current Date/Time.

Box 4. Report Version (Check one): Select Update.

Box 5. Type of Incident (Check all that apply):  Select Aircraft Disaster.

Box 6. Situation Summary as of Time of Report:   Enter the following: A plane crash has happened 5 miles from Central City. Information gathered from bystanders report that a twin engine plane went down in the residential area landing between two houses causing the evacuation of the residents. The Fire Department and one ambulance are already at the scene and have the fire extinguished. The fire fighters are now assisting EMT's with treating the patents. The residents were being treated for minor injuries on scene. The 6 passengers on board the plane are seriously injured and will be stabilized and transported to the Central City hospital as soon as more ambulances arrive on scene.

Box 7. Future Outlook/Goals/Needs/issues: Enter the following:

   Five additional ambulances are required. 

   American Red Cross DAT Team required.

Box 8. County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) status (check one): Select Monitoring (minimal staffing) Hours of Operation: Enter 08:00 to 17:00.

Box 9. Local Disaster Declaration Status (Check one): Select Local disaster declaration Date/Time of declaration: enter May 13/0900.

Box 10. Number of Confirmed Incident Injuries: Enter 9.

Box 11. Number of Confirmed Fatalities: Enter 0.

Box 12. Number and location(s) of Shelters Established:  Enter One shelter at 123 Elm St.

Box 13. Have Evacuations Been Implemented?: Select Yes (If yes ,describe): 

In the Description of evacuation:  Enter by public transportation to shelter.

Box 14. Date/Time Click on the box to get the current Date/Time.

Box 15. Report Submitted by: Enter Joe Tentpeg.

Box 16. Contact Information: Enter (555) 555-5555. 

When finished click on SAVE Incident Status data button. This will save the form data so you can reload it later and update the information. Be sure to save the updated information before sending the new data.

Click on SUBMIT and then OK. Close the browser window.

On the ENTER A NEW MESSAGE page in Winlink Express be sure the SEND AS: block is correct.

a. Peer-to-Peer Message for sending P2P mode.

b. Winlink Message for routing message via an RMS.

Be sure the REQUEST MESSAGE RECEIPT box IS checked.

In the TO: block send the message to KB5HPT or to my Tactical Call Sign (TXEPCARESDEC).

Post the message to the out box then listen for a clear frequency and send the message. 

P2P Information: ***(READ CAREFULLY)***  

On the Winlink Express page in the Open Session box select VARA HF P2P from the drop down menu. Then open the session. The morning 40 meter P2P session is from 8AM to 10AM (MDT). Lew, KB5HPT will be listening on 7116.5 MHz (center frequency). For the Mode use USB-D. Bandwidth=***500Hz ONLY.*** 

In P2P mode even though you created one message and addressed it to two or more people when you post the message to the OUT BOX you will have two or more separate messages waiting to be sent.

Feel free to distribute this to friends/groups. Ask them to participate.

Lew Maxwell, KB5HPT

Amateur Radio Emergency Service

DEC, District 6, WTX Section

Tactical Address: TXEPCARESDEC

TX. RACES: DRO-8A

++++++EPCARES Mission Statement:++++++

WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF BUILDING A VIABLE ARES ORGANIZATION THAT IS PROPERLY TRAINED AND ADEQUATELY STAFFED WITH THE END GOAL OF FUNCTIONING PROFESSIONALLY IN ANY EMERGENCY THAT MAY COME OUR WAY.

Our Core Values Are: 

 Confidence             Commitment         Excellence

Respect                   Integrity