The Nittany Amateur Radio Club and Centre County ARES in cooperation with the Horseshoe Amateur Radio Club and Blair County ARES and EMA provided communications for the annual Keystone Country Ride of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Keystone Division on Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26, 2009. The bicycle ride is a fundraiser for the Society and covers a total of 150 miles over the two days. This year 425 bicycle riders participated.
A total of 43 amateur radio operators participated over the two days of the event. Additionally, Blair County EMA provided its mobile communications van (essentially a full blown mobile dispatch center) COMM 1 as Net Control HQ. The van was operated by Scott Beveridge, the Blair County EMA director and Drew, KA3EJV, the Blair County ARES Emergency Coordinator, and provided a direct link into the appropriate 9-1-1 centers.
As in past years APRS was used to help locate the position of certain stations in real time. This was quite helpful as field units and net control were tracking units positions in real time.
Amateur radio operators were quite busy this year with emergencies and urgent and not so urgent traffic. Along with the administrative traffic there were four true emergencies that required calling in ambulances and a QRS unit for accidents or medical emergencies. One bicycle breakdown, a flat tire, occurred on a very narrow stretch of a remote hill road into Spruce Creek. Of course the break down and support vehicles were around a blind corner raising the danger of further accidents. With the help of an alert motorcycle club participant and communications from the amateur who found the breakdown problems were averted and mechanical assistance was called in to get the rider and his bicycle back on the road.
NARC/Centre County ARES members participating in the event were:
- Bob, K3BOB
- Sharon, N3SG
- Karl, K3ARL
- Carmine, K3CWP
- Elaine, K3ERP
- Don, KB3HQN
- Paul, N3EWR
- Woody, K3YV
- John, W3JXP
- Eric, W3EDP
- Craig, K3OOL
- Mike, N3LI
- Wayne, W3WAB
- Rory, KR3ORY
Thanks from NARC and Centre County ARES to all the hams who parcipated in this event!
A special thank you to the Multiple Sclerosis Society for inviting us to participate, to Centre County EMA Director Randy Rockey for allowing ARES to use some County owned equipment where needed, and to Blair County EMA for allowing COMM 1 and EMA Director Scott Beveridge to participate.