ARES Amateur Operators participate in Water Rescue Drill

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On August 17, 2019 Centre County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) participated in a Water Rescue Drill at the Foster Joseph Sayers Lake sponsored by the South Central Mountain Regional Task Force (SCMRTF).  ARES was invited to participate by the coordinator, Chief Lou Brungard of the Pleasant Gap Fire Company.  The drill started with a safety briefing at 09:00 at the Howard Fire Company and ended at 11:54 when all units were recalled to the Incident Command Post for an after action briefing.  ARES participation ended after the briefing.  Planning and execution of the drill followed Incident Command System guidelines.  Evaluators for fire and rescue services were also in attendance.

Planning started two weeks ahead of the event with assigned positions for the ARES participants.  However, the area of the event was collapsed to one half the original size and ARES positions had to be reassigned.  Amateur Operations were conducted on the 146.76, W3GA Repeater on Rattlesnake Mountain.  Participating amateurs and their positions were:

  • Sayes Dam, KB3VDG, Ryan and KR3C, Rick
  • Rt 26 Bridge, K3ROG, Rick and AD3K, Bob
  • Upper Greens Valley Boat Launch, K3HOT, Greg and N3LI, Mike (later moved to the Cove where the primary rescue was taking place.
  • Boat (Canoe) Launch, K3ERP, Elaine and KC3EHQ, Scott
  • Incident Command Post (Lower Greens Valley Launch) K3CWP, Carmine

Amateurs were tasked with providing backup communications should the primary public safety circuits fail or should incompatible systems prevent rescue participants from communicating with one another.  About midway through the exercise Incident Command requested that Amateur Radio operators on the Rt 26 Bridge report in individual in the water in distress (the individual was the Coordinator) just off the Lower Greens Valley Launch.  This inject was not in the original plan but was intended to test the flexibility of the rescuers to address an unplanned issue.  The crews responded and executed the ‘rescue’ properly.  Amateurs on two occasions reported rescue crews arriving before the crews had a chance to report on their radios.

Rescue crews participating in the drill were:

  • Centre County team:  Milesburg, Howard, Pine Glen, Pleasant Gap
  • Huntingdon County Departments:  Smithfield, Saxton, Six Mile, Southern Cove

In addition to the above departments the Huntingdon and Centre County EMA directors were on scene observing the drill.

At the After Action Briefing ARES participation was recognized for it’s contribution to the event.  Two of the evaluators commented they were glad to see ARES participation and made a couple suggestions for training (awareness)  and personal protective equipment (when participating around water).

Our thanks to Chief Brungard and the SCMRTF and the participating companies for inviting ARES to participate and exhibit our capabilities.  Also, thanks to the above amateur radio operators who took time from their weekend to participate and demonstrate our value.

Carmine Prestia, K3CWP
ARRL EC Centre County, PA
ACS Officer Centre County, PA