Communication

Preparedness and Planning for “All Hazards”

~ grant.gallagher

Author Michael Daly is a former Captain in the United States Marine Corp. He holds a post graduate certificate in Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery from Norwich University and was responsible for planning and executing Continuity of Business and Disaster Recovery plans for one strategic line of business for CitiCards headquartered in New York City in the early 2000’s.

Many experts including the Government and private industry take an “All Hazards” approach to disaster planning and preparation, and you can use a personalized version in your home. This discussion will be a mile wide and an inch deep, intended to scratch the surface and get you started for your personal preparedness. In emergency planning the Government teaches All Hazards as something you plan at each level and in turn your planning dove tails into the next higher echelon. So it makes sense at the personal level to use a form of All Hazards planning for yourself.In an All-Hazards approach, you maximize available resources to meet an array of unforeseen events as well as probable events. In practically any event you will be directed either to shelter in place or to evacuate, be prepared for both.

There are five broad areas under All-Hazards preparedness; Biological Events, Chemical Events, Radiological Events, Natural Events, Trauma Events. What preparations might be common to all areas, what events local to you are then probable within these five areas (hurricanes, violent crimes, terrorism, etc).

There are a few basic steps you start with for All-Hazards preparedness; lets briefly discuss Go Kits, Communication Plans, Insurance Coverage review, and lastly how to remain informed.

A Go Kit is already packed and stocked to go with you if you are told to evacuate. Always packed and ready you grab and go, no wasting time gathering essentials or looking for important documents or medicines. Already packed. Consider a larger kit to shelter in place when authorities direct you to. Consider multiple kits; you’re at work and unexpectedly told to shelter in place? Or your kids are at school and told to shelter in place? What resources does your employer or your kid’s school have prepared and for how long? You’re on the road far from home and an event occurs, are you prepared to survive in unfamiliar places with only what is on hand in your car? There are many sources to look up suggested items for a Go Kit, more then I can detail in this limited space. Google and search, the CDC, FEMA, and Red Cross are great places to start. Also have an adequate stash of cash, bills and coin in *small denominations*.

Make a Communications Plan. How will you and your family communicate with each other if separated? Pick at least two meeting places to assemble as a group when the event happens; one immediately outside the home (for example, in the event of a home fire), and at least one place outside your immediate neighborhood if returning home is not an option. If you’ve already selected a “bug out” destination, ensure you can reach it on a single tank of gasoline.

Review your insurance coverage, are you adequately insured? Situations change over time, make sure you have adequate coverage that replaces anything that might be lost through an event. If you think you need flood insurance check into that. Do not assume Homeowners insurance covers loss by flood, usually it does not.

Stay Informed, be aware how local authorities will notify you of an event or update you with critical information. Ensure your prepared to get the best possible information in a timely manner to make proactive decisions. If one source such as your Smart phone fails (which it will), have additional backup means to receive information. Have a radio that receives NOAA weather alerts, it will also be able to receive Emergency Alerts. Even an old fashioned transistor radio to receive AM/FM terrestrial commercial radio transmissions for news is desirable. What about one with an integrated wind-up charger?

Always plan to be your own hero. Depending on the nature of an event, a local situation could become chaotic and full of fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). With an All-Hazards approach you can be ready to respond to any threat, adjust to the situation, and manage the FUD. Do not make the mistake of assuming authorities will be set up to take care of your every need, they will have much bigger problems initially then taking care of you.

In summation. All Hazards planning gives us flexibility and efficiency to use available resources. Individual preparations can be very extensive and require far more detail to delve into then can be briefly touched upon here.

If you likes this post, or disagreed with it, why not eave a comment using the link at the top of the page? We look forward to hearing from you!

HAM RADIO – an Old, Proven Technology: 2 – Yes, there’s a test…

~ grant.gallagher ~ 4 Comments

Author Michael Daly is a former Captain in the United States Marine Corp.  He currently works at the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Senior Enterprise Architect in Infrastructure Operations and previously was a Project Manager at the Defense Information Systems Agency at Fort Meade MD.  He has been involved in military and civilian communications technologies for over 40 years and holds a GMRS radio license (WRDQ914), a HAM Radio Amateur Extra class license (KC2SBR), is an accredited Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) Volunteer Examiner, an accredited ARRL Volunteer Emergency Communications Field Examiner, and currently is a volunteer radio operator with the Ocean County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (OCARES),  the Ocean County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), the ARRL Southern New Jersey Mutual Assistance Team (SNJMAT), and is a NOAA trained National Weather Service Severe Storm Spotter. 

Welcome back. Last time, we talked about the process for applying for your HAM license. This time, we’ll talk about actually getting it! This is where the fun starts – you have to study. The ‘Technician’ test is really very easy, provided you put in an hour or two a week of genuine study time. It’s a 35 question test and you must get at least 26 questions correct. Years ago there was also a requirement to be able to copy morse code at 5 words a minute, but that is no longer a requirement for any license.

There are many free resources on the Internet to help people study for the Technician test (there are also MANY that charge you money). I have found the free ones to be every bit as good as the one’s that cost money. It’s up to you.

I happened to use this one, but there are many out there. Under their resource tab they have study guides and practice exams using actual exam questions to help you get used to taking the exams and master the study material. There is a whole pool of 423 questions they draw from for the exams so it’s unlikely you will memorize the entire pool of questions and answers. The preferred goal is to learn the material so you can pass the exam.

You can also take practice exams that randomly ask questions, or you can take exams that focus the questions on specific topics. For me, I found working through a specific topic study guide and then taking an exam that focused on that topic really helped me. Then going back over anything I might not have a good grasp of, then taking the simulated exams where its set up like a real exam. That all helped me push my practice score up rapidly.

I also downloaded and used an app on my phone that did the same and anytime I had a spare moment I’d take an exam or study a topic. Your goal should be to consistently score above 80% on any practice exams. When you can do that consistently, you’re ready to take a REAL exam.

Where do I go for the exam? Years ago you’d have to travel to an FCC field office and sit for the exam, today many volunteer organizations offer the exams locally to you, so you no longer have to travel a long distance to sit for an exam. For example the Ocean County ARES (one organization I am involved with) conducts license exams at Robert Miller Airport in Ocean County every other month, but there are many other organizations through out the state. Its pretty easy to find a location, day and time convenient to you.You can go to the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) website and find a list of exams being offered in your area. Some exam locations allow walk ins meaning you just show up and take a test. Others require you to register before hand. Make sure you’re aware of the exam location you want to attend does allow walk-ins.

What do I need that night for the exam? You will need to bring the following with you on the night:

  • $15.00 cash or check made out to ARRL-VEC
  • A government issued photo identification – drivers license, passport, etc.
  • Federal Registration Number (FRN) from the FCC you previously obtained.

I also brought with me a few Number 2 pencils, a sharpener, an eraser (although many places will provide these as well).

Leave your cell phone in the car, you won’t be allowed to have it out for any reason during the exam and frankly cell phones going off are a distraction.

Take your time, answer each question. What will be different is that this real test is paper based, while all your previous practice exams were online. If you studied there will be no surprises. Those practice online exams you took will look identical to this paper exam. It’s multiple choice, so fill in and darken the little circle that corresponds to your answer for each question. There is no rush, I even took a moment when I thought I was done and just closed my eyes and relaxed for a few minutes. Then I went back and counted all the filled in circles just to verify I didn’t miss one. Don’t forget to check your answers.

When you’re ready, turn in your exam and it will be graded right there and verified separately by three volunteer examiners. You will know that evening if you passed or not. If not, you will be allowed to try and pass again that night. By all means try it again, there are different exams that pull different questions from the same question pool. Different exams means different questions.

When you pass you are given a receipt indicating you passed. It will take a few days to a few weeks for the FCC to process your exam paperwork and formally enter you into their record systems and assign your call sign. They used to mail you a paper license and I believe these days they send an email with your call sign. if you need or want a paper copy of your license, you can download it from that same CORES website where you got your FRN.

You’ll also be offered the chance of taking the next level exam that same evening, at no additional fee. It does not hurt to try even if you did not study for General. You passed the Technician already, so even if you do not pass the General exam that has no effect on your Technician. I have seen some people attempt and pass all three exams in one sitting. That’s quite an accomplishment if you can do it.

So now that was all Easy Peasy wasn’t it?? You passed and now you’re a HAM. You will have quite a satisfied feeling when the Volunteer Examiner tells you you’ve passed and you finally get your first call sign. It’s an accomplishment, be proud of yourself. Celebrate! You now have a skillset that will serve you and your family, and perhaps your community, in an emergency.

If you have any questions related to getting your first license, or just related to communications, please feel free to reach out to me, me at [email protected]. I hope to write a series of these blogs talking about specific topics of related interest such as how to select a first radio, other radio and communications technologies and when you might need each, Fox Hunting (Radio Direction Finding), Parks On The Air (off the grid operations), Building your own antennas, how to get power while your operating remotely, and other topics related to communications and preparedness.

Please take a moment to leave a comment!

HAM RADIO – an Old, Proven Technology: 1 – Applying for a License

~ grant.gallagher ~ 3 Comments

Author Michael Daly is a former Captain in the United States Marine Corp.  He currently works at the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Senior Enterprise Architect in Infrastructure Operations and previously was a Project Manager at the Defense Information Systems Agency at Fort Meade MD.  He has been involved in military and civilian communications technologies for over 40 years and holds a GMRS radio license (WRDQ914), a HAM Radio Amateur Extra class license (KC2SBR), is an accredited Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) Volunteer Examiner, an accredited ARRL Volunteer Emergency Communications Field Examiner, and currently is a volunteer radio operator with the Ocean County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (OCARES),  the Ocean County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), the ARRL Southern New Jersey Mutual Assistance Team (SNJMAT), and is a NOAA trained National Weather Service Severe Storm Spotter. 

I thought it would be helpful to everyone as an initial pair of articles (intended to be first in a series of HAM radio related articles) to give an introduction to how in 2022 one actually gets a HAM license. If you’ve never been licensed (or even if you previously held an older Novice license) and are considering licensing now, I’d like to walk you through the current process. It is fairly simple, it’s not a mystery, and it should never be intimidating. Despite some of the cryptic jargon HAM Radio is actually a fun and interesting hobby with valuable real-world skills that we all would want and need if an actual emergency occurred. So, let’s get going.

Why bother getting a license for such old technology? Communication is a vital component of safety, security, and preparedness in the 21st century. Our modern connected world with smart phones and the Internet has amazing capabilities when they work. These might practically overload us with information, but they give us a global reach to communicate almost instantly. However, if an event occurs that interrupts, disrupts, or destroys the infrastructure that supports all that modern communications, you’re instantly cut off – figuratively and possibly literally. What then? HAM radio provides a modern solution rather than an old solution; the tech has kept up with the times. In fact, many radios today are amazingly capable and physically no larger than a pack of cigarettes.

In such a scenario where real world events are disrupting our world, maintaining situational awareness is vital to allow you to make sound and timely decisions. These decisions may well affect you and your loved ones, and those decisions can only be as good as the information you have to work with. The goal is to make good decisions that result in a good outcome for you. It is better if such decisions can be made proactively because you have good information, available in a timely manner. Your goal should not be to sit idly and wait for circumstances to force you to be constantly reacting to the world and events around you under duress. A HAM radio can give you that connection to vital, timely information, and other people, when all else around you has failed.

Such timely information could be things such as getting the latest status of Red Cross shelters around you when you need to evacuate. It would be desirable to know before you travel to, and arrive at, a given shelter location whether its full and people are being diverted elsewhere or that other new shelter locations are opening up. You can get current weather reports from NOAA. You might need to contact authorities because you need rescue assistance. Maybe you want to email family outside your affected area and let them know you’re safe? Or perhaps you need to send or receive digital data such as electronic documents or images?

HAM radio can facilitate all of these things, even when the Internet and cell phones are completely dead. This “old” technology has actually kept up with the times and several things you do with a cell phone or the Internet you can do with a HAM radio. That is where HAM radio fills a critical niche in your personal safety and preparedness plans.

So what are these HAM licenses and which one do I need? As a simple overview there are three levels of licensing: ‘Technician’, ‘General’, and ‘Amateur Extra’. While you do not need a license to passively listen, you do need one to legally transmit in most situations. Basically each license grants you increasing privileges on various different operating frequencies and different modes of operating. ‘Technician’ is the first, introductory license; for most people this is really all they’ll need. It gives you the ability to talk on shorter range UHF and VHF frequencies, reach out to other HAMs directly, receive NOAA weather reports, and most importantly, reach out to local repeaters which greatly extends the range of your radio.

Next up is ‘General’, and this gives you more privileges on UHF and VHF frequencies. It also adds some additional HF frequencies, which allow you to speak to people farther away. The highest and most advanced license is ‘Amateur Extra’. This last one basically is “everything” an amateur HAM can do. However, for the majority of people, that first Technician license will meet the majority of your communications needs. The licenses must be taken and passed consecutively, so you must pass Technician before you take General, and you must pass General before you take Amateur Extra. You can’t just skip over Technician to get to one of the advanced licenses.

Okay I’m convinced I want to be a HAM. What do I need to do? So, if you are a first time test taker or have not yet gotten one, you’ll need to obtain a Federal Registration Number (FRN) from the FCC prior to testing. You will not be able to take a license test without an FRN.  Registration for an FRN is done online at the FCC’s Commission Registration System (CORES) website. It only takes a few minutes to get one.

The FCC also requires a valid mailing and email address in order to obtain an FRN. By obtaining an FRN, your name and address become part of the public record at the FCC. If you would prefer not to have your home address be part of this public record, you could use a post office box number or work address as an alternative. You are expected to update the FCC whenever your mailing address is changed.

OK – so go get your FRN, and tune in again for part 2!

Please take a moment to leave a comment, using the link at the top of the post!