Hi Everyone,
I hope you are staying cool in this hot weather and that you are safe from the
daily thunderstorms. The tropics are becoming busy with waves looking
threateningly at us. Keep your ARES EC advised of your availability.
I enjoyed seeing many of you at the Fort Pierce Hamfest. Forums were well
attended and yielded many ideas for the attendees and the presenters. I hope
to see many of you at the Melbourne Hamfest for the state convention.
The News page is updated with an extensive resource list and photos:
www.arrl.org/sections/SFL.html
If your group or served agency is looking for grants this link has many tips
for you:
http://www.homeland1.com/tips/420182/
Register your group for Emergency Preparedness month.
http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/intro.html ARRL Media and Public
Relations Manager, Allen Pitts, W1AGP says linking up with the Ready.gov
people and participating in September's National Preparedness Month is an
easy win. The federal people are already doing all the hard work. All you
really have to do is sign up. Most clubs and ARES groups are already doing
activities which fit into their structure, so why not get credit for your
actions? Of course, if you do something more with this opportunity, so much
the better! But you have to sign your group in and no one can do that for
you. There are hundreds of ARES groups and clubs in the country. Wouldn't it
be fun to have even 70 percent of them sign up and get noticed?
ARES orientation. Does your group ask a new ham or someone new to the area to
complete an ARES application and then issue a membership card or badge and
then nothing else happens? I spoke with a long time ham who recently moved
to the section and this scenario happened to him, followed by nothing. Not
even a sheet of paper about net schedules, meetings, or at the least contact
information for the ARES EC. Lend a hand and help your EC develop an
orientation session for new ARES members or at least a handout with useful
information.
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REPORTS:
SARs for July: KA4FZI 339, KE4CB 101, AA4BN 57, KC4TM 18, W7GXW 14
==============
PSHRs for July: KA4FZI 120, KE4CB 105, AA4BN 87
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TOTAL CHECKINS/QNI = 2275 (Up from 2110 in June)
TOTAL TRAFFIC/QTC = 659 (Up from 524 in June)
Practice checking into a net before an emergency/hurricane strikes.
NET ABB. SESS, QNI, QTC, MGR
All Florida CW Traffic Net, QFN, 62, 462, 358, AD4DO
Broward Co. Emergency Prep. Net, BCEPN, 4, 75, 19, KI4WDQ
Florida Amateur SSB Traffic Net, FAST, 31, 260, 71, K4SCL
Florida Medium Speed (CW) Net, FMSN, 31, 191, 48, AG4RJ/AB4XK
Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group, JTRG, 9, 91, 14, AG4BV/W4FK
Palm Beach County Ares Net, PBCAN, 8, 123, 29, K4DLF
Saint Lucie Repeater Association, SLRA, 4, 39, 1, KE4UEI
Southeast Florida Traffic Net, SEFTN, 31, 694, 54, AG4RJ/KI4IQZ
Southwest Florida Traffic Net, SWFTN, 27, 340, 65, KE4CB/N9WS
==============
ARES Report for August:
Total reported number of ARES members in the 10 counties reporting: 1000.
ARES nets active: 16, 6 with NTS liaison, sessions: 72
DECs/ECs reporting: N4LEM, KF4MJJ, N5KFR, AA4BN, WA4ASJ, WA4GUK, AI7Q, K4FLC,
AD4RZ, WN7YJJ reporting for Osceola
Number of drills, tests and training sessions: 89, Person hours: 498
Number of public service events: 2, Person hours: 31
No emergency operations this month.
Total number of ARES operations: 91, Total Person hours: 529
SFL ARES Net Report --- QNI 22, QTC 1, Time 40 Min.
Here is a great place to check for other ARES/NTS info:
http://wx4j.com/
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Please share your education sessions from FD. Many of you claimed bonus
points for offering an educational session on Field Day. Send me a brief
description, even a web link, of your education offering and we can share
them. This will give all of us new ideas for next year and help compile a
program for new hams.
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A paper on the National Emergency Communications Plan was released by
Department of Homeland Security last month. To view the document go to:
http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/publications/gc_1217521334397.shtm
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Finally, from the August issue of Contact!
What does news media want? Simple!
ARE vs. WERE
Hams ARE doing this -- that's news.
Hams were doing that -- that's just old history.
Would you like a Media Hit? Possibly regional or even national news coverage
of your group aiding the community? Would you like an AP reporter or network
camera crew to come see you? It can happen! BUT -- not unless you let people
know what's happening right now!
Unfortunately, despite all our claims about communications options, the one
piece of equipment often appearing to NOT be working in a crisis is our "PR
brain." Again and again ARRL headquarters gets "after action reports" days
or even weeks after the fact. For news release uses in the modern 24 hour
cycle, these are worthless. But the rare call telling us that "hams ARE
doing _____" is a true jewel. Those are the ones we can act on, and if
appropriate we can call up the reporters and push the story.
Give us a decent "Hams ARE..." plus a good quote and a contact or two and things
can happen!
Give us a slow "Hams were..." and sadly listen to the sounds of silence.
Till next month, stay safe, stay on the air, and keep an eye on the tropical
weather.
73,
Sherri, W4STB