Report of the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service 2009
The Town of Southwick Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (R.A.C.E.S.), under Federal Emergency Management Agency jurisdiction and Federal Communications Commission regulations, reports to the Southwick Emergency Management Director. R.A.C.E.S. is an important communications facet of the Town’s Emergency Operations Center with all members being F.C.C. licensed amateur radio communication operators appointed by the Town of Southwick.
These volunteer members provide government emergency public safety communication linking the Emergency Operations Center within Southwick and with adjacent community and State Emergency Operations Centers during severe weather and critical emergency incidents and disasters. Emergency communication liaison is also established and maintained with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Taunton National Weather Service, the American Red Cross and to the Amateur Radio Emergency Service representing other Public Service Agencies during times of emergency activation and need.
Monthly radio communication drills are conducted between Southwick and adjacent communities, to other regional communities, and to Massachusetts Emergency Management on the first Monday of every month and our members participate in weekly radio drills each Sunday on 75 meter High Frequency for Western Massachusetts communications and on VHF and UHF using simplex and repeaters for local and regional communication.
On June 1st Southwick RACES members, using the Emergency Operations Center and mobile communications command vehicle, along with other Massachusetts R.A.C.E.S. groups, the Military Affiliated Radio System, American Red Cross, National Weather-Taunton, and Massachusetts Emergency Management conducted a Statewide Hurricane scenario disaster communications exercise.
During the last weekend of June, Southwick R.A.C.E.S. with the Emergency Management, C.E.R.T. and Auxiliary Police members participated in an annual continuous twenty-four hour disaster communications exercise hosted by Southwick Emergency Management Agency. Besides Southwick, Agawam, Westfield, Springfield, Chester, Granville, East Longmeadow, Blandford, and Ware R.A.C.E.S. also participated in this event. During this exercise, while operating under simulated field disaster conditions and emergency generator power, drill-test emergency messages were sent and received to areas throughout the United States and Canada. Local, regional and national communications were established using SSB, digital packet, FM, and CW on the 160, 75, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6 and 2-meters frequency bands using the Southwick EOC WC1SW FCC assigned call sign. Southwick SEMA participants were: Director Charles Dunlap K1II, Assistant Director Chuck Housner KB1FLI, Assistant Director Keith Stromgren N1MOC, Pauline Dunlap N1EVE, Robert Miller and Howard Pohlman. Southwick Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members Bob Menaguzzo K1YO, and Bill Ferry K1BZM, also provided assistance.
Activations this past year were: Westfield Road Race on Apr 5th, six EOC activations for severe weather, a State–wide hurricane drill on June 1st, the Aug. 29th National Moto-Cross, Southwick Firemen’s Carnival/Fire Works, Halloween Eve and Halloween night Regional School anti-vandalism detail, and two extended local power grid failures.
On Feb 28th members, Charles Dunlap and Eric Carroll presented an emergency communications mobile command vehicle retrofit workshop conference for local public safety communications groups at the Springfield American Red Cross.
FCC Licensed RACES Members are:
Director: Charles Dunlap, K1II
Radio Officer: Eric Carroll, N1HVM
Assistant Director: Keith Stromgren, N1MOC
Assistant Director: Charles Housner, KB1FLI
Members: Pauline Dunlap, N1EVE, and David Houle, KB1NCK,
Anyone interested in R.A.C.E.S. membership should contact a member or call 569-0308. Additional information is on the SEMA website.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles H. Dunlap, Director