From: alan@km4ba.uucp (Alan Barrow)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc
Subject: Re: ARES/RACES useless? (Hugo debacle)
Date: 3 Sep 92 05:49:37 GMT
Organization: km4ba's packet radio gateway

In <87kn-xb.stevew@netcom.com> stevew@netcom.com (Steven Wilson) writes:
stuff deleted....

>I'd like to cast your groups arrival to help at Hugo into a CA frame
>work just to point out some of the difficulties this presents.  It
>isn't as easy as you'd think...and this avoiding the NIH problems.

>1)  In CA there is disaster Service Worker Compensation Insurance.
>    You have to be registered before you are eligible, and you have
>    to be dispatched by  official authority to be covered.  

This was not an issue. All in my group were ARES "active", and the SC
org requested a limited number of volunteers that were self sufficient
via the Ga state org. They contacted us. IE: we were invited, and it
was known that we were coming.

>2)  Planning of resources is centralized with areas supplying mutual
>    aid telling the central planning group who/what is comming.  That way
>    we supply the correct equipment/operators to the sites in  need.
>    This central planning group would be in the middle of the local
>    operation and would be asking for specific mutual aid help, i.e.
>    open shifts with specific equipment and training.  This is
>    how the Oakland operation was run as an example.

We had to have this to get through the (at the time) roadblocks.

All were HF traffic handling trained, Advanced or better license class.
We came with materials, std message forms, etc. Well equipped by ARES
standards. (Thanks to our state people)

The request was for HF, and VHF stations. (shelter comm, and interstate
traffic handlers.) Like Andrew, Long distance was down, then swamped.

>3)  Sometimes due to pre-planning more operators are requested than
>    used, i.e. you get to cool your heels.

This was not an issue. There was not enough radios, antennas or operators
to man all of the shelters. There was obvious need.

>Ok...so your group rolls into town ready and raring to go.  You've brought
>HF gear and are self sufficient, etc. 

>The central planning group  doesn't know who you are or where you are from
>or what your training level is.  All of the communications is being
>done on VHF so your equipment is wrong  and they've got staff planned
>out for 24-36 hours in advance.

Maybe in your area, but I saw no signs of any of these points.

We had 100% interop capability RF wise. 2m, 220, 440 + HF in 4 vehicles.

Their repeater was saturated by existing traffic, and local yocal's
"just checking in". They had poor RF at the central sight to the point
that simplex was out of the question to most sites. Sites were without
equipment or operators. Some had only handhelds, which were rarely
able to get through.

IE: they needed RF help, but were not interested. They had the time.


>Well the first thing they'll do is ask you to register locally as a DSW
>to get you insured cuz you just travelled there without any authorization
>consequently your home jurisdiction isn't going to assume liability.

Again, not an issue. (Though liability is allways an issue, Federal
Disasters make much of this moot.)

>(This is state supplied insurance but to be elligible you have to be
>registered and activated officially)  Ok, so now you're registered.  They

>don't have any need for you for perhaps 36 hours so you'll either be
>put on stand by or asked to stay around for that period of time until
>the shifts that they are currently planning come about.      

Again, not an issue. Shelters without comm gear or operators.

>The other problem is that you showed up with HF...they aren't using HF
>but only VHF/UHF hardware cuz everything they are doing is  within
>a 10 mile radius.  You don't have the right equipment for what they
>need.  Further...they don't know you folks, or your training level.

They needed HF. HF was the only link out of the state for 3 days. (Except 
network TV sats, and whatever the military had)

They had one HF station that was manned by the same operator
doing the VHF comm. No way to handle traffic. They would not even try.

>Are you qualified to handle a net control position?  This isn't
>NIH factor but rather hard cold problems that have to be dealt with
>by the planning group.  

We feel we were at least as qualified as they were. I know this is subjective
and they had no way of knowing. 

But this was not a net issue, or even relieving their operators. They had 
places with *no* comm, and had an immediate need for it.

It *was* a waste of effort to rcv incoming H&W traffic when there was
no way (or intention) of sending replies. We could call most people 
to enquire. Now this generates a return message. (The whole idea
of an H&W enquiry) What do we do with these return messages? Sit on them.

Local HQ did not have the HF equipment to handle the outgoing traffic
and maintain their interstate link. We did have the equipment to run
two way traffic on separate freqs. (Lots of field day practice)
We were prohibited from sending the return traffic. 

Since the cell sites had active long distance (Most local families did not)
and the cell co's gave us unrestricted toll access, we used cell phones
to make the local enquiry, then called the originator back withthe 
(usually) good news. The HQ did not have, nor want cell phones. (we offered!)
They depended on BARF infested 75m SSB to GA and NC.

>This is the kind of stuff that went on during the Oakland fire operation.
>Mind you this is the BEST we've done with this so far...we have plenty
>of mutual aid failures in our past but we're learning from our mistakes.

I understand your points, and can see how your area could be  that well
organized. (due to population density of amateurs, etc) You also have much
more real world experience. I suspect had you airdropped in to charleston
you would have had a similar reception as we had. (We're from California
and were here to help.... :-> ) 

The locals were not interested in any person/thing outside of their org. 
Their state org knew they needed help, and wanted to crank up two way
traffic out of state. But the locals had their own plan. Thus shelters
did without water, diapers, etc due to poor/no communication. We sat
and listened to the VHF net. They would give up on trying to understand
what the handheld equipped ham in the shelter was trying to say, and send 
someone in a car. very sad.. Like I say, I was ashamed of amateur radio.

Meanwhile, the Salvation Army, and the local Church of God, (who both
are often made fun of) seemed to be getting useful things done.

>The other thing is that we have the Incident Command System to work
>from as a guide to organization and our professional types use both
>ICS and mutual aid programs so we have lots of examples of how we might
>make it work.  All I can say is that we're learning as an organization
>and that ICS has been brought to the attention of ARRL in the Public
>Service Advisory Committee. Things certainly aren't perfect, and for
>that matter there is a wide diversity of interest/training/effort
>accross the country.  On the other hand there are areas where alot
>of good is being done!  Things can and will get better with some
>pre-planning, training, and general good will. 

I think this crowd would not have accepted any plan brought from
someone outsideof their org. They were determined not to release
any one piece of the "action" (in their mind) to any one else.

I guess you had to be there. I am sure your group is well organized and
will do better than this one did. 

Like I say, next time I go to a serious disaster wi will spend more 
time helping with supplies, shovels, chainsaws, and towcables rather 
than fooling with radio. 

One last point... a communication plan built around a single 2m rptr
is a waste. (even with emergency power.)

    1) Easily saturated by traffic.

    2) Hugo blew a railroad bridge off it's hinges. Many towers blew down.
       Their 2m must not have, but they would have been sunk if it had.
       (no point to point capability.) Like the Bay area when all the sat
       dishes got re-aimed by the quake. VHF simplex and even 40m
       still has it's place for local ops.

    3) Even in Atlanta (with a zillion 2m rptrs, plus 220 and 440) we have
       had total rptr failure during one icestorms. Ice loading on the 
       antennas either broke or detuned most. Intermod was incredible due
       to high SWR on the commercial stuff.

       If it had not been for some good operators on high sites using
       simplex, the doctor/nurse transport effort would not have
       been possible. (Atl has very poor snow/ice removal capabilities. Yet
       we get occasional serious ice storms that shutthe city down.)

Bottom line, a plan with a potential single point of failure will usually
fail.

Anyway, I am glad no one really paid attention to Hugo amateur efforts
because if we had to justify our existance on what we delivered there
I would be out of a  hobby!

73!

Alan Barrow km4ba

..!gatech!kd4nc!km4ba!alan  (HP 9000 unix 56k packet gateway)
jab@hpuerca.atl.hp.com