Section Emergency Coordinator's report for March..

ARRL Ohio Section - FSD-96
Month: March
Year: 2016
Total Number of ARES Members: 1683
Change since last month: 76
Number of DEC's / EC's reporting this month: 10
Number of ARES Nets active: 537
Number of Nets active with NTS Liaisons: varies
Call-signs of DEC's / EC's reporting: WD8PNZ W8UY KC8WHK WF8B AI8P KB8STK N8KKW N8SUZ W8FHF N8AUC
Number of drills, tests and training sessions this month: 180
Person Hours: 1887
Number of Public Service Events this month: 36
Person Hours: 520
Number of Emergency Operations this month: 18
Person Hours: 154.5
Total number of ARES/RACES Events this month: 825
Total Person Hours: 4864.8
Comments: We had several activations for wind/tornadic activity. Many stations participated in severe weather readiness activities, including siren testing and skywarn training. Counties are readying their equipment for the spring and summer public service season.
Submitted by and call-sign: Stan Broadway N8BHL
Email: broadways@standi.com
Files to upload?: 

OES reports for March..

Name	Call	County	District	PS Hours	EM Hours	Hours Net Participation
Marshall	N8PIB	Marion	7	2	0	6
Scott	N8SY	Richland	6	15	0	60
Mark	KB8YMN	Franklin	7	10	0	7
Bob	W8RWR	Franklin	7	1.5	0	6
Clair	W8KF	Huron	1	3	0	1.9
David	NF8O	Medina	10	26	24	2
Tony	KC8UR	Knox	7	2	0	14
Matt	KD8TTE	Franklin	7	16	0	21
Jack	KB8WPZ	Mahoning	5	5	0	5
Randy	KA0AZS	Montgomery	3	1	0	4
Andrew	N8VES	Montgomery	3	0	0	5
Jeff	KB8ZUN	Lorain	10	0	0	0
Alan	N7CEU	Pickaway	7	0	3	11.5
John	K8PJ	Pickaway	7	0	0	5

Hi all!  Hope you’re gearing up for NVIS antenna day on the 23^rd!!  This promises to be a lot of fun, we’re looking forward to it. Details are on the SEC/ARES page of arrl-ohio.org.  WE NEED TO SEE YOUR COUNTY ON THE AIR!!!  This will give us numbers to show the state and others our capabilities for emergencies! 

Here are the monthly comments for March- I always enjoy reading what’s going on in your counties. There is a correlation in these reports:  there is a large number of counties who are NOT holding any training at all. Their memberships show to be very small.  The more you train, the more active you are will result in increasing interest and activity for your members…your numbers will grow.   EC’s need to be proactive in your relationships with served agencies. Check in with your EMA, your health department, Red Cross and others regularly!  Get active, re-ignite the spark. It’s important.

Excellent work to all who made the Skywarn training!  This is something we should do every season. We can directly contribute to the safety of our families and our neighbors!

Ohio ARES Reports, March 2016

District 1

Totals include Northwest Ohio Traffic and Training Net and District 1 Skywarn operations. Northwest Ohio Traffic and Training Net had 234 check-ins, passed 122 pieces of traffic in 485 minutes. Man hours include meetings attended for public service events, Skywarn spotter training set up and stuffing folders.

District 2

ARES Storm Spotter Teams participated in refresher weather spotter classes.

District 3

Clark: Spotter Class & Statewide Tornado Drill, both on 23 March

Green: (3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29) Weekly Nets; (3/6, 3/13, 3/20) Greene County License Courses (T+G+E); (3/7) Skywarn Training Class; (3/9) Beavercreek ARES Group Planning Meeting; (3/14) EC ARES Presentation for XWARN Meeting; (3/23) Ohio Statewide Tornado Drill; (3/28) Beavercreek ARES Group Planning Meeting
Miami: Received 1 additional ARES forms turned in, bring the number of members in Miami County to 19. . MCES ARES/RACES Net 145.23-: 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/20, MCES ARES/RACES Net 147.21+: 3/3, 3/10, 3/17, 3/31. On 3/24, held Weather Spotter Training in Piqua between Shelby and Miami County with 79 people in attendance (8 of these were ARES or RACES members). On 3/13, held a Weather Net due to server weather resulting in wind damage around the county and possible tornado touchdown in Southwest corner of the county.
Montgomery: We had a drop in membership as we are in the process of updating our roster, we dropped serval due to inactivity or no longer interested due to ICS. The EC participated in the ARRL Webinar on Mar 1, MoCo ARES had 26 members participate in annual Skywarn training provided by the NWS and Dayton Skywarn on Mar 12. We have several PSE\'s coming up in April, the first event will be Apr. 2 for a 5K walk/run.

Shelby: : 3-14-16 SkyWarn net Severe TS Warning 3-17-16 Skywarn spotter training 3-23-16 Ohio tornado Drill 3-27-16 Training and monthly meeting 3-27-16 Skywarn net Tornado warning

District 4

Hamilton County: Signed an operational MOU with local club to provide radio assets to ARES for exercises and activations. Participated in pa NBEMS DIGI testing on HF Attended MCI Exercise planning meeting Ohio Statewide Tornado Drill SkyWarn activation Meeting with EMA liaison

Clinton County: E-ops time was in support of the National Weather Service office in Wilmington.

Butler County: System Fusion buildout continues hoping to get tower work done sometime in April.

District 5

Stark Co ARES completed 5 public service nets for the month of March that totaled 153 check-ins. There were no public service events during the month but we will give a short presentation on the ARES during the Technician Class training being conducted by the Massillon Amateur Radio Club. This will include an introduction to ARES and our net activity. We are also attending monthly meetings for the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival that will be held this August. Over 40 radio operators will be needed for this annual event.

District 6

District Six Richland/Wayne County had a Public Service Event this March. Both Counties held a net for the Yearly Tornado Siren Test and got a lot of response to it. Richland County ARES is holding FEMA Course Classes have 6 Members in Class and Some are doing it from home and Turning in Certificates Richland County ARES and Intercity Amateur Radio Club are testing out a New DMR Repeater and it has takin off like a wildfire Thanks to Vasu Communication and Arlin Bradford(KD8EVR) for doing a Presentation on DMR that night 12 radios were ordered and now we are getting close to 40 in Richland County with Mostly Handhelds . I have Learned this can be a great tool for Emergency Communication. We also Started a Richland County Ohio DMR Group Page on Facebook. We are using the N8DPW 444.700 Repeater as the Test Site.

District 7

Delaware: April is here and the Delaware ARES will be involved in several events from the annual Weather Spotter Course to a Health Department exercise. We are gearing up for a season of events and activities .
Franklin: No report

Knox: With the help of my new AEC, we are training up an ARES leadership team within the county and working closer with EMA to facilitate their communications needs. Excited to see what is happening!
Licking: Licking County had a busy March! Planning for upcoming events and 2 severe weather nets. Thankfully there were no injuries or any significant damage to report, some small limbs and wires were downed throughout western Licking Co. according to reports from FD’s and PD’s. We are gearing up for NVIS Day and will operating out of the CERT/ARES trailer.
Madison: no report

Marion: Marion County Ohio FSD-212 Comments March – 2016 March was a quiet month for the Marion ARES crew with no emergency or weather incidents, but busy with other activities. EC Lynn Lovell, W8MLL and AEC Don Freeman, KD8BKT, attended the Marion County LEPC meeting, presenting a report of ARES activities to the group. March 15th was the SKYWARN program with 91 in attendance at the Marion Technical College Health and Technology Auditorium. EMA Director, Sarah McNamee, KD8UUC, updated the group at the March Training Session on the ARES participation at the countywide SET planned for April and plans for the NVIS antenna exercise were also discussed. The Marion group will be one of the anchor stations at the Fairgrounds EOC, along with having two teams in the field at different locations on each side of the county experimenting with different NVIS antennas.

Morrow: No report

Pickaway: no comment

Union: no comments

District 8

Athens: Upcoming events: Iron Furnace Trail Run at Lake Hope State Park, Saturday, April 2, 9 AM, Athens Marathon, 8 AM, ACARA Athens Hamfest, Sunday, April 24, 8 AM to noon.

Hocking: We have purchased a 12ft box trailer and have just started working on getting it ready to be our new emergency communications vehicle.

Lawrence: another great testing

Pike: Completed communications and repeater testing for Dogwood Cycle Tour event. Tested 8 J-pole antennas for remote location deployment.

Scioto: Scioto ARES had big attendance for refresher training at NWS Wilmington Spotter Class in Scioto County; Severe Weather Nets were operated for Scioto EMA and NWS; A Laptop Raffle is underway for funds to maintain repeater for Scioto ARES purchased by Scioto EMA; Red Cross and EMA will do damage assessment training at next quarterly meeting for Scioto ARES.

DEC Comments: SKYWARN spotter training is scheduled for Monday, May 2, 6-8 PM at the Athens County Red Cross office, 100 South May Avenue, Athens, OH 45701

District 9

COSHOCTON CO: No Comments.

GUERNSEY CO: During the March 1st ARES/Skywarn net all stations were requested to change to the assigned ARES county simplex frequency. This gave us the opportunity to evaluate simplex coverage and practice in using simplex communications. During the tornado siren test on March 23 a net was conducted with NCS at the EMA office to observe and support the test. A written report of the net was submitted to the EMA director. On March 22 the EC and three AECs meet with the EMA director to discussion the May county exercise and ARES's role in the exercise. The monthly ARES training was how to repair a cut coax………….

MUSKINGUM CO: No Comments

DEC: Only three counties reporting this month. Sonny W8FHF

District 10

*** District 10: Don\'t miss NVIS day on April 23! ***

Ashtabula County: Though it's back to being cold outside there is at least warmer weather in sight. Here is to hoping that we can all cure the colds, flu, and other bugs that have been plaguing us so we can get out and do something productive!! Dayton is around the corner, NVIS drill, Field Day will be here before ya know it. The best season for hams is beginning for 2016. Here's to a great one!

Cuyahoga County: Many ARES members participated in Skywarn Spotter Training this month as well as the Skywarn net run for the statewide tornado drill helping Cuyahoga County Skywarn obtain 50 checkins, the most in the entire Cleveland County Warning Area and the most for any tornado drill in recent memory. We are slowly receiving direction for the RNC from the county and have currently been formally requested to staff the county EOC for the entire week.

Geauga County: Many attended the District 10 Workshop. Majority of ARES members in Geauga County has a participation rate of at least 14%.

Lake County: Activated the Garfield Home again this month for NPOTA. We use our NVIS Antenna on 40m with excellent results. We more than doubled our QSO's. It sure is fun to work the pile up. The James A Garfield Home is a rare site.

Lorain County: No Comments.

Medina County: No Report Submitted