PEMA and the State EOC is requesting a digital net for the upcoming Winter Weather event from tomorrow (Monday March 13) through Tuesday.
PEMA is requesting that the net(s) run from 2200 Monday, 3/13 through 2200 Tuesday, 3/14, local time.
Please go with 3.583 USB, from 2200 Monday through 0900 Tuesday.
7.0725 USB from 0900 through 1800 Tuesday. 3.583 USB from 1800 through 2200 Tuesday evening. All spots at 1500 Center Waterfall with Olivia 8/500.
The Nittany Cycling Classic, sponsored by the Penn State Cycling Club will be held March 25, 2017 at Black Moshannon State Park. Once details are firmed up we will be seeking amateur radio volunteers for the day. Mark your calendars.
The following information was received from Harry Bloomburg, W3YJ, SEC for WPA ARES:
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To: All Western PA ARES Emergency Coordinators
The US Air Force Reserve will be holding a major airshow the weekend of May 13-14 at their base in Moon Twp. near Pittsburgh. Continue reading
After I posted the report on the 2016 MS-150 I received an e-mail from Sharon O’Keiff, Director of the Keystone Chapter of the MS Society. The e-mail included comments from one of the ride participants. Here are the comments related to amateur radio. It’s very gratifying to see our work acknowledged by the riders. Continue reading
The 2016 MS Keystone Country Bike Ride was held Saturday and Sunday July 23 and 24. As usual, amateur radio provided essential communications for ride administration and safety. The ride starts in Hollidaysburg, PA on Saturday morning and ends in State College that afternoon. On Sunday, the riders repeat the process back to Hollidaysburg for a total of 150 miles. 2016 is the 21st anniversary of the ride and amateur radio has been part of the event from it’s inception. Forty two people volunteered to help with amateur radio. Thirty seven of those were amateur radio operators.Amateur radio volunteers came from the following Pennsylvania counties; Bedford, 8: Blair, 14; Butler, 1; Centre, 13; Huntingdon, 3; Snyder, 2; Venango, 1. Continue reading
Due to the impending weather PEMA ACS will be activating this weekend.
The PEMA SEOC will be activated to an “enhanced” level on Friday evening. PEMA ACS personnel will be monitoring HF Voice Operations on 3.9935N LSB HF and the Eastern Area Office will monitor 3.9875N LSB HF. We will also be monitoring PaNBEMS on 3.5830N Olivia 1500 Hz 8/500. They will be taking reports of snowfall amounts from counties and others… Our hope is to keep the SEOC and our command staff informed with the most up to date information on snowfalls by location. This should provide a much more accurate picture of how bad it is in different parts of the state than the news would. It should also help us to keep PennDOT informed as to snow amounts and may directly affect their decision making about plowing roads. We don’t expect the snow to hit until later in the evening but it may come in earlier. We hope that you will be able to reach us to share information on snowfall amounts. If you do not have HF capability, please let me know what UHF or VHF frequencies you will be operating on and I will add your frequencies to my operational ICS-205 so that our guys can listen communicate with you. If this does not work, our landline in the radio room is 717-346-3101.
On Saturday morning both the PEMA SEOC and EAO will be operating in a Level 2 activation mode. Both radio rooms will continue to monitor. Using the daytime frequencies on the attached ICS-205. Western Area will have staff monitoring our Western Area channels as well. We expect to remain in an activated state until sometime on Sunday.
PEMA ACS would not be able to provide information like what is needed this weekend without the support that you, the ACS units, RACES, ARES and Skywatch teams that serve your county and local governments provide. It is truly a team effort. Those of you who know me know that I am sincerely grateful for your support. Much appreciated. I can be reached at the number below if you have any questions.
Susan
Susan D. Singer | ComL, Emergency Management Specialist,
Commonwealth EMAC & ACS Coordinator
On Saturday, September 19th, 2015 members of the Nittany Amateur Radio Club (NARC) provided communications support to the Annual Penn State 4-H Competitive Trail Ride in the Rothrock State Forest. Centre Communications of Bellefonte PA again loaned their Display Vehicle to the Emergency Coordinator who set the unit up at the race midpoint.
The Display Vehicle not only provided a VHF radio but also a comfortable location with a table and a white board. Here the operator, K3CWP, used the white board to note when riders entered and left the midpoint. This allowed race organizers to see the status of the riders at a glance. After the midpoint closed the SUV transported two operators to the last checkpoint before the riders entered a very rough ‘horse only’ trail.
Special thanks to Centre Communications sales representative Kevin Ermol and owners Karl Hosterman, K3ARL and Eric Brooks, N3EB for the use of this valuable asset.
By Carmine Prestia, K3CWP
The Penn State Cycling Club put on its first ever Nittany Stage Race on Saturday, August 1st and Sunday the 2nd. The Road Race on August 1st was held in the Black Moshannon State Park and Forest. Race organizers asked local amateur radio operators to provide communications during the Saturday event. Eight (8) Amateurs volunteered and staffed the Incident Command Post and several positions along the 21 mile route. Two operators provided roving coverage or ‘tail end’ coverage as needed. This year saw the addition of an amateur radio equipped vehicle at the Command Post that was loaned to the event by Centre Communications, Inc.
K3CWP operates the Incident Command Post/Net Control Station out of the Centre Communications display vehicle.
By: Drew McGhee, KA3EJV, EC Blair County and Carmine Prestia, K3CWP, EC Centre County
ARES and Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) assets from Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, and Huntingdon counties provided safety, health, and welfare communications support for the 2015 Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society Bike MS “Keystone Country Ride.” Further assistance came from the Bedford County Amateur Radio Society (BCARS), Horseshoe Amateur Radio Club (HARC), Huntingdon County Amateur Radio Club (HCARC), and Nittany Amateur Radio Club (NARC) Amateur Radio operators. The ride was held over the July 18 – 19, 2015 weekend. Continue reading
By John Szwarc, N3SPW, Event Coordinator for Amateur Radio
At times it may seem that volunteering for public service events is a waste of time. Cell phones are the norm these days and amateur radio is often regarded as “old school”. It’s often difficult to find enough volunteers to staff all the needed amateur radio positions. And when recruiting volunteers someone inevitably says something like “nothing ever happens anyway.” Continue reading