{"id":5495,"date":"2021-09-08T21:30:05","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T01:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ohd3ares.org\/wp\/?page_id=5495"},"modified":"2021-09-15T21:24:11","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T01:24:11","slug":"2013-training-archive","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ohd3ares.org\/wp\/?page_id=5495","title":{"rendered":"2013 Training Archive"},"content":{"rendered":"

Training Archive: 2013<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Training presented during the weekly net in 2013<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

J<\/span><\/span><\/span>anuary<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 1: FEMA training and documentation for ARES members<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 2: FEMA ICS Courses<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 3: Emergency Management e-Mag<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 4: Information Security<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

February<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 5: SKYWARN and other weather training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 6: More weather training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 7: The Natural Hazards Center<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 8: FEMA College Credit<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 9: FEMA PDS Courses<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

March<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 10: Ohio EMA Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 11: Family Preparedness Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 12: Distributed Denial of Service attacks<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

April<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 13: Master Exercise Practitioners<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 14: Net training feedback<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

May<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week15: No Self Deployment<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week16: Psychological First Aid<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

June<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 17. First Aid and CPR Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 18. Monitoring non-amateur bands<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 19.\u00a0 National Shelter System<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

July<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 20. Responder Safety<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 21: Red Cross training and Operational Support web sites<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 22:\u00a0 Red Cross Mobile Phone Apps<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

August<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 23.\u00a0NCBRT Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 24. RDPC Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 25. National Preparedness Month<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

September<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 26. IPAWS<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 27. ReliefWeb<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 28. Resource Management Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 29. Free Red Cross Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

October<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 30: Yarnell Hill Fire After Action<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 31: Impact of Federal Shutdown<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 32: Working around the Federal Shutdown<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 33: GeoCONOPS Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>November<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 34:\u00a0 International Disaster Response<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 35: USFA Coffee Break Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

December<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2013 Week 36: FEMA Online Catalog<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 37: Preliminary Damage Assessment Training<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

2013 Week 38: AUXFOG<\/a>\u00a0 <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1: FEMA training and documentation for ARES members<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Effective January 1, 2013 Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) Matt Welch, W8DEC, has requested that all Ohio ARES members submit either .PDF copies of their FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI) training certificates or an EMI transcript.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

These items are to be sent to Assistant SEC Scott Phillips, N8SX, at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>n8sx@arrl.net<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and to your county Emergency Coordinator (EC).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>The email address for your county EC is located on the Ohio District 3 ARES web site<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The SEC requests that every Ohio ARES member complete the following EMI courses or their equivalents:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

EMI IS-100.b \u2013 Introduction to Incident Command System, or National Fire Academy Q462, or any classroom version of ICS-100.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-700.a \u2013 National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

EMI IS-200.b \u2013 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents, or National Fire Academy Q463, or any classroom version of ICS-200.
IS-800.B \u2013 National Response Framework (NRF), An Introduction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are many ways to locate these courses on the internet.\u00a0 A short internet address that I find useful is\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov\/IS\/NIMS.asp<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 This will take you to a page listing all four of the EMI courses requested by the SEC.
On this page you will note several versions of IS-100 and IS-200 targeted to different fields.\u00a0 If you plan to be employed in one of these fields in the future, I suggest taking that course.\u00a0 Otherwise take the plain vanilla version.\u00a0 In practice all versions meet NIMS requirements.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If firefighting is in your future plans, consider taking National Fire Academy courses Q462 and Q463.\u00a0 That internet address is\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.usfa.fema.gov\/nfa\/nfaonline\/browse\/im.shtm<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 You may submit .PDF copies of these instead of IS-100.b and IS-200.b.\u00a0 Also acceptable are certificates from classroom versions of ICS-100 or ICS-200 if you have taken those in the past.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2: ICS Courses<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Last week Matt, W8DEC, the Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC), requested .pdf copies or transcripts of any FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI) courses that Ohio ARES members have completed.\u00a0 These should be emailed to Assistant SEC Scott at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>n8sx@arrl.net<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and your\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>county Emergency Coordinator (EC)<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 He further asked that all Ohio ARES members complete IS-100.b, IS-700.a, IS-200.b and IS-800.B.\u00a0 But what should these courses teach ARES members?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-100.b is an introduction to the concept of the Incident Command System (ICS).\u00a0 It introduces basic definitions that all emergency responders need to know, such as Incident Commander, Safety Officer, Command Post and Emergency Operations Center.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-700.a explains how the Incident Command System fits in with the other components of the National Incident Management System.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-200.b returns to the Incident Command System to show where individual responders fit into the ICS.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-800.B introduces the concept of the National Response Framework, the master plan for adding Federal responders to incidents where local and state responders are already committed.
Next week\u2019s program will consider a source for emergency management readings with emergency communications (EMCOMM) in mind.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3: EM e-Mag<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Our first two 2013 programs discussed four FEMA independent study programs that the Ohio SEC requested of all Ohio ARES members.\u00a0 This third program offers some free, but completely optional, readings on various emergency management topics.\u00a0 After all, we wouldn\u2019t want to neglect those ARES members who have already completed their four FEMA courses.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Emergency Management is an e-magazine published bimonthly for the responder community.\u00a0 While some articles may be of limited interest to most ARES members, others should get the attention of nearly all of us.\u00a0 For example, the cover story of the January-February 2013 issue is\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Black Hole of Communication<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span>, five pages about Superstorm Sandy.\u00a0 Another, The\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Catastrophic Outage<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span>, considers what might occur if a power outage lasted for months instead of weeks.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ARES members who wish to request a subscription to Emergency Management should apply at their website,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.emergencymgmt.com<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.
Next week we look at free online computer security training.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4: Info Security<\/h2>\n

This week we return to the subject of free online training.\u00a0 Most ARES members rely on computers, and most also know that computer security is a bigger issue each year.\u00a0 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has funded a series of online computer security courses.\u00a0 These awareness level courses are intended for members of the responder community.<\/p>\n

AWR-175-W,\u00a0Information Security for Everyone<\/strong>, is a ten hour introduction to the field.\u00a0 It is offered on the website of the National Emergency Response & Rescue Training Center (NERRTC), part of the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) of the Texas A&M University System.\u00a0 To check into the course, go to\u00a0http:\/\/www.teex.org\/NERRTC\/<\/a>\u00a0and click on the Information Technology Online Training button.\u00a0 TEEX is a confusing website, so follow their instructions carefully when returning to register for and take the course.<\/p>\n

After you complete AWR-175-W there are nine additional computer courses on this site.\u00a0 If you complete any of these, please email Mike Schulsinger at\u00a0n8qhv@arrl.net<\/a>\u00a0with your opinion of the value of this training.<\/a><\/p>\n

5: SKYWARN Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Our annual<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>Skywarn Weather Spotter training\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>season is approaching, and we encourage all Ohio District 3 ARES members to attend a training session near them every couple of years.\u00a0 For most ARES members two hours of weather training every few years is enough.\u00a0 But what if you are interested in a weather topic that isn\u2019t covered in these opportunities?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

On Friday, March 22, 2013 the Ohio State University Meteorology Club will host its 17th Annual Severe Weather Symposium.\u00a0 The location will be the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Fawcett Center<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0on the west side of the OSU main campus, one of the few places on campus where parking is free.\u00a0 This has historically been an 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM activity with an hour break for lunch.\u00a0 Details are still being released, so check\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.geography.osu.edu\/metclub<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0weekly for further information.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then on Saturday, March 23rd the Wilmington National Weather Service office will conduct an Advanced Spotter Training class from 1 to 5 PM at the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Golder Conference Center, Bethesda North Hospital, 10500 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 To preregister for this free training, go to the Wilmington NWS home page and click on the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Advanced Class scheduled link<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For our next program, what if you want still more free weather training?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

6: More weather training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Before I begin the program I have updates to Program 5.\u00a0 The location of the 17th Annual Severe Weather Symposium at OSU has moved, and there is now a link on their Metclub website to a registration and parking pass page.\u00a0 Dr. Josh Wurman, who developed the Doppler on Wheels, is on the list of speakers, and there will also be a presentation on the 1913 Dayton Flood.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Last week I threatened to supply more free weather training opportunities, so now I\u2019m making good on that promise.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You can spend months on the MedEd website.\u00a0 It offers hundreds of free online weather and climate related training opportunities, from one hour modules for middle school students to two week-long cross-training courses for working meteorologists.\u00a0 Available topics include aviation weather, tsunamis, tropical weather, fire weather, hydrology, polar weather and climate change.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.meted.ucar.edu<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and click the \u201cSign Up\u201d button.\u00a0 Next, select the \u201cEducation & Training\u201d button and look over the various modules.\u00a0 Each module will have a colored numeral between zero and three associated with it.\u00a0 Stick to skill levels zero or one, the easiest modules, unless you have some training in meteorology or have experience as a masochist!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

7: The Natural Hazards Center<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Tonight we visit the website of the Natural Hazards Center.\u00a0 The center is part of the University of Colorado at Boulder, and offers a number of publications, mostly free.\u00a0 The web address is\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.colorado.edu\/hazards\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For the past fifteen years one of my favorite free newsletters has been their Natural Hazards Observer.\u00a0 The January 2013 edition is twenty-four pages of disaster commentary, short articles, book reviews and upcoming conference announcements.\u00a0 Much of the content is directed at disaster academics, but I have learned something new with almost every issue.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Natural Hazards Center can send you notifications when new issues of the Observer are released.\u00a0 Just supply your name and email address, then answer a few questions.\u00a0 A subscription to the print edition of this every-other-month newsletter is also available for $15 per year.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So far our programs have discussed things that you can do to benefit District 3.\u00a0 Our next program will discuss a benefit for those who take FEMA Independent Study courses \u2013 undergraduate college credit!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

8: FEMA College Credit<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

If you have been to the FEMA independent study website you may have noticed that academic credit is available for many of these courses.\u00a0 Frederick Community College in Maryland, accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, is a school similar to District 3\u2019s Clark State, Edison or Sinclair Community Colleges.\u00a0 It has partnered with FEMA\u2019s Emergency Management Institute to offer up to 50 semester hours of undergraduate credit for online courses.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After completing qualifying courses at the EMI website, you can switch over to a non-governmental site,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.em-study.com<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 There you can buy semester hour credits from Frederick Community College.\u00a0 Not only is the cost of these credits less than at our community colleges, you won\u2019t need to purchase textbooks, pay student fees or obtain a parking pass.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To use the previously discussed IS-100.b and 200.b as examples, a student completing both courses may purchase the one semester hour Frederick course FEM 150, Incident Command System.\u00a0 The same student completing IS-700.a, 702.a and 703.a may buy FEM 151, National Incident Management System.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you intend to use these credits to work toward an undergraduate degree, make sure that the college granting your degree will accept these Frederick Community College transfer credits.\u00a0 Many schools will, but none are required to.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

9: FEMA PDS Courses<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

If you have taken IS-100, 700, 200 and\/or 800 on the Emergency Management Institute website you may have looked over some of the other course offerings.\u00a0 Another item that might draw your attention is the reference to the FEMA Professional Development Series.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The PDS is a group of seven EMI independent study courses that give the person taking them a solid understanding of the basics of emergency management.\u00a0 You can take the courses in any order and at your own pace.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The EMI keeps track of your independent study course completions, and shortly after you pass the last of your seven final exams your Professional Development Series certificate should automatically be sent to you as an email attachment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to get further into emergency management, a PDS certificate is a good start.\u00a0 To learn more, go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov\/emiweb\/PDS\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A future program will discuss the next level \u2013 the FEMA Advanced Professional Series certificate.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

10: Ohio EMA Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Some ARES members are also affiliated with a local fire department, law enforcement agency, health department or emergency management agency.\u00a0 If you are an ARES member also credentialed by one of these agencies, you may wish to look into the training opportunities available through the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Ohio EMA conducts courses at the state Emergency Operations Center on Ohio State Route 161, and at other locations hosted by county Emergency Management Agencies.\u00a0 The one to three day courses cover damage assessment, storm debris management, public information, and the use of National Weather Service forecasting products.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Over the course of two or three years, regular attendees of these courses can complete most of the requirements for FEMA\u2019s Advanced Professional Series certificate.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ohio EMA courses are free, and may include a motel room for ARES District 3 members attending at the state EOC.\u00a0 But transportation and meals are not covered by the state.\u00a0 To look over the courses available, go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/ema.ohio.gov\/Training.aspx<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 If you see one of interest, get your response agency supervisor\u2019s permission to apply.\u00a0 Then set up your account on the training site and register.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

11: Family Preparedness Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Emergency response organizations have learned over the years is that disaster staff, both paid and volunteer, must have their work, home, family and pet situations under control before they can be deployed to help others.\u00a0 FEMA has recognized these issues and its Emergency Management Institute has prepared several Independent Study courses in response.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-909,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0might be a good starting place.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-394.A,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Protecting Your Home or Small Business from Disaster<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, followed by:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-22,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0might be next.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, the northern District 3 counties especially should take IS-325,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Earthquake Basics: Science, Risk and Mitigation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to prepare their homes for possible damaging earthquakes. All IS courses are available at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>training.fema.gov<\/a><\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

12: Distributed Denial of Service attacks<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, the internet suffered its worst cyber assault ever earlier today (Wednesday, March 27, 2013).\u00a0\u00a0A Distributed Denial of Service attack was launched against Spamhaus, a British\/Swiss firm that blocks internet sites known to generate spam.\u00a0\u00a0The probable attackers were eastern Europeans suspected of generating such spam.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To learn more about Distributed Denial of Service attacks, go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.teexwmdcampus.com<\/a><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>and sign up for its free Department of Homeland Security cyber security courses.\u00a0\u00a0The two I would start with are\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>CYBER 173-W<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Information Security Basics<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, or\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>CYBER 175-W<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Information Security for Everyone<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.As mentioned last January,\u00a0\u00a0there are eight additional cyber security courses on this Texas Engineering EXtension website, as well as\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>AWR-160<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Terrorism Awareness for Emergency First Responders<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

13: Master Exercise Practitioners<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Many Ohio District 3 ARES members have participated in one or more emergency exercises with their county, hospital, airport or business.\u00a0\u00a0Many of these exercises are planned and evaluated by FEMA certified\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Master Exercise Practitioners<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, or MEPs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

MEPs start by taking nine Emergency Management Institute Independent Study courses, followed by a Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) course at the Ohio EMA.\u00a0\u00a0Finally, qualified MEP candidates are selected to attend the three week long\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Master Exercise Practitioner Program<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(MEPP) at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

MEPP selectees have their room and transportation paid, but must buy EMI meal tickets while at the institute.\u00a0\u00a0Anyone completing the MEPP may add the letters MEP after their name.\u00a0\u00a0I bring this up because retired ARES members might be good candidates for the program.\u00a0\u00a0The 2013 EMI application window for the MEPP begins May 1st<\/sup>\u00a0and ends July 1st<\/sup>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For complete information on the MEPP, visit\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov<\/a><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

14: Net training feedback<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now that we have three months of programs behind us, it\u2019s time to look at whether they have been of value to you or not.\u00a0\u00a0With a new District Emergency Coordinator in place, this is a good time to solicit feedback regarding the first 13 programs.\u00a0\u00a0If you wish, you may review them at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.ohd3ares.org<\/strong><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0.\u00a0\u00a0Go to the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>NET INFO<\/strong><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0button along the top and select\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>TRAINING<\/strong><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0from the drop down list.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you feel that the programs are a complete waste of time, contact District 3 DEC Bob Rhodes at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>kc8whk@arrl.net<\/a><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0All Ohio District 3 ARES net volunteers serve at his pleasure, so he needs to know if this, or any other portion of the net, is a problem for you.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you have a topic that you would like to learn more about, or a topic you already know about and would like to share with the net, please contact Mike Schulsinger at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>n8qhv@arrl.net<\/a><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Most people who check into the net do not respond to such requests, so the few who do wield a great deal of power regarding the future direction of these programs. <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

15: No Self Deployment<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Ohio District 3 ARES program, Wednesday, May 22, 2013<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This morning Matt Welch, W8DEC, the Ohio ARES SEC, sent an email to Ohio ARRL members regarding the Moore, OK tornado.\u00a0 He stated that he had not received any requests for ham radio assistance to the affected area, and asked Ohio ARES members not to self-deploy.\u00a0 Why is self-deployment such a problem?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Security.\u00a0 Police officers, firefighters, emergency managers, Red Cross staff and others affiliated with national response organizations arrive on the scene with completed background checks.\u00a0 Without such a check you are unlikely to be admitted to the affected area, the emergency operations centers, the command posts, the shelters, the kitchens, the day care facilities, etc.\u00a0 You will just be taking up space until your check is completed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Limited resources.\u00a0 Anyone who has ever attended Field Day knows that hams consume disproportionate amounts of liquids, food and restroom facilities, all of which are in short supply in disaster areas.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Need.\u00a0 Hams are a vital communications resource during the first hours of every large disaster.\u00a0 However, the simple fact is that if you drop everything to jump into your camper and race to Oklahoma, by the time you arrive the need for emergency communications volunteers has generally passed.\u00a0 Hams are most valuable in and near their ARES districts.\u00a0 There will occasionally be exceptions to this rule, such as ice storms and hurricanes, but most disasters will never require hams to deploy from other states.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

16: Psychological First Aid<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

It should come as no surprise that any ARES member responding to a disaster needs skills beyond his or her knowledge of ham radio.\u00a0 One that you might not think of initially is a brief coursein Psychological First Aid, or PFA.\u00a0 Psychological First Aid may be useful when dealing with disaster victims, with you fellow disaster responders or even as a coping strategy for yourself.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Like traditional first aid, PFA is a way to patch up people affected by disaster until they can be properly treated by clergy, social workers and\/or mental health professionals.\u00a0 Everyone responding to disasters would benefit from a day of PFA training.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The American Red Cross offers Psychological First Aid classes to its volunteer and paid staff.\u00a0 Contact your local chapter for training near you.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Pennsylvania and Ohio Public Health Training Center offers Stress Response During Disasters: An Overview for Healthcare Workers.
A third option is the 6 hour online Psychological First Aid course from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.\u00a0 You can register for it at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/learn.nctsn.org\/course\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

17. First Aid and CPR Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Over the past 5 months we\u2019ve discussed many things that ARES members can do to prepare for disasters within their communities.\u00a0 But I think that I neglected to mention one of the very first steps.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All ARES members should attempt to somehow obtain and maintain their first aid and CPR training.\u00a0 The American Red Cross and the American Heart Association provide these courses in many communities, and there are commercial providers on-line as well.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you are a registered volunteer for your local Red Cross chapter, the staff may be able to provide you with a code that allows you to take Red Cross first aid and CPR at no charge.\u00a0 If not, your workplace may provide no-fee classes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Many 911 centers can now walk you through first aid and CPR steps in the field, but in cases where time is critical the few minutes necessary to teach you might be better spent actually treating the patient!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

18. Monitoring non-amateur bands<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Listening to emergencies unfolding elsewhere can be very instructive for an ARES member.\u00a0 You can learn what communications techniques work well by monitoring radio traffic from jurisdictions that handle disasters every year.\u00a0 An example pulled from today\u2019s news might be tuning in Colorado Springs, Colorado, during one of their frequent wildfires.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The live scanner feeds from the Radio Reference website are in the process of migrating to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.broadcastify.com\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 The site currently claims 3,500 such feeds.\u00a0 Any internet device with sound capability can be used to follow these transmissions.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you enjoy the tornado chases on the Weather Channel and other cable stations, take a peek at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.whiotv.com\/livestormtrackers\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 Dozens of chasers stream video, and often audio, as they race along Interstate highways trying to spot severe weather.\u00a0 Some chase hurricanes as well!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If computers aren\u2019t your thing, listening to emergencies unfold via AM radio can be riveting as well.\u00a0 A good quality AM radio, a list of clear channel stations and a little practice can bring the incident right into your listening post.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

19. National Shelter System<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Computer savvy ARES members with time on their hands might wish to look into helping their local Red Cross chapter as a National Shelter System (NSS) volunteer.\u00a0 The NSS is a nationwide computer database designed to list all disaster shelters in the country.\u00a0 There are over 55,000 shelters at present, many with a map of the shelter location attached.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The NSS actually consists of two separate databases \u2013 one maintained by the American National Red Cross and one operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).\u00a0 They exchange information regularly and are essentially interchangeable.\u00a0 FEMA inputs information about government run and independent shelters, and the American Red Cross staff inputs information about Red Cross managed or partnered shelters.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In a large emergency, such as a fire involving many apartments, the Red Cross chapter will open a shelter rather than filling up an entire motel with their fire clients.\u00a0 The Dayton Area Chapter did just that last week for an apartment complex fire in Trotwood.
NSS volunteers are trained to initiate an event in the system, open one or more shelters to support that event, report the populations of their shelters once or twice a day, close the shelters as their populations reach zero and close out the event that they opened days or weeks earlier.\u00a0 When not working on a disaster, which is most of the time, NSS volunteers can update details about the shelters their chapter maintains in the database.\u00a0 Michael, N8QHV, maintains about 100 NSS shelters in addition to conducting some specialized mapping work for National.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For more information about the NSS, visit your Red Cross chapter or contact N8QHV at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Michael.schulsinger@redcross.org<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

20. Responder Safety<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

When professionals respond to an emergency their top priority is generally to be able to go home when the emergency is over \u2013 in other words, responder safety is number one!\u00a0 A perfect example from this week\u2019s news was the local tree trimmer who made contact with high voltage lines and was critically injured.\u00a0 Any attempt to rescue him before power was disconnected might have seriously harmed several rescuers without improving his odds of survival.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Activated ARES members must think along similar lines.\u00a0 You must weigh any risks to yourself against the possible benefits to others.\u00a0 Red Cross First Aid training teaches us to survey the scene of any accident prior to attempting assistance.\u00a0 One injured person might require the assistance of three paramedics and a medic unit, but one injured person plus an injured would-be rescuer would require double those resources.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Disaster areas are inherently dangerous places.\u00a0 Many years ago two Red Cross volunteers I knew were assaulted while serving in the US Virgin Islands.\u00a0 One, a retired police officer, required stitches!\u00a0 They were out after dark and were not paying attention to their surroundings.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Today my Red Cross chapter was asked by one of our village governments to help two campers who reportedly lost most of their possessions in the thunderstorm.\u00a0 We offered some services, and the village agreed to transport the pair to a local motel for us.\u00a0 But when the transportation turned out to be a police car and the officer, as a safety measure, insisted on viewing the contents of the bags they had saved, the pair declined and started walking rapidly out of the county!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Paid or volunteer, responder safety should be number one.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

21 Red Cross training and Operational Support web sites<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The American Red Cross has a number of interlinked websites for the use of both volunteer and paid staff.\u00a0 In addition, there are two sites open to the general public.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The main site available to all is at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.redcross.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 From the top of this home page you can find buttons to take first aid and CPR classes, shop for Red Cross clothing items or continuing education credits or join a nearby chapter as a volunteer.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Another site open to everyone is the American Red Cross Learning Center (SABA),<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/classes.redcross.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 Most online Red Cross classes are taken here, as are the online portions of blended learning classes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Volunteer Connection\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/volunteerconnection.redcross.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0is a resource for volunteers only.\u00a0 Chapter information for volunteer use is posted here, and volunteers post their hours worked on this site as well.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Exchange,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/intranet.redcross.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0is where staff now goes to get the Disaster Operations Center daily report, blank Red Cross forms, background information about classes (not class dates), press releases and much more.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Remote Email Access,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.redcross.org\/arcmail<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0, allows staff to manage their Red Cross emails.\u00a0 See your chapter for a Red Cross email account.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The National Shelter System site,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/nss.communityos.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0gives you access to over 55,000 Red Cross, FEMA and other shelters.
There are other Red Cross sites, but we will let those go for now.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

22 Red Cross Mobile Phone Apps<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Over the years I\u2019ve learned that almost everyone is better able to afford a smart phone than I am.\u00a0 I try not to be bitter about that, but it does mean that phone apps are strangers to me.\u00a0 Last week we examined several Red Cross websites, and this week we will consider their smart phone apps.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you have either an iPhone or an Android, the first Red Cross App I would look at is the First Aid App.\u00a0 This app is useful for everyday emergencies even if you are unable to access a cellular tower or the internet, although it will not be able to dial any emergency numbers for you.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Their Volunteer App, also available for both iPhone and Android, is a tool to properly place new volunteers within the Red Cross system.
Red Cross Apps are also available to help you handle four different types of disasters \u2013 tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires.\u00a0 Ohio District 3 sometimes sees tornadoes, and occasionally experiences earthquakes.\u00a0 The others may be useful to you when traveling.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Finally the Red Cross Shelter Finder App is only available for iPhones at this time.\u00a0 This app displays a map showing any open Red Cross shelters and permits you to zoom in to examine these open shelters in more detail.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To look into any of these, go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.redcross.org\/prepare\/mobile-apps\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 Tell me what you think about them, because it may be years before I can afford a smart phone!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

23. NCBRT Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

I recently received the 2013 training catalog from the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training at Louisiana State University.\u00a0 The NCBRT conducts 21 different counter-terrorism courses around the country, with all expenses paid under a FEMA grant.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally, many people cannot arrange to attend these courses, so a dozen of them are also available in free, on-line versions.\u00a0 ARES members in rural areas may be interested in\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>AWR-117-W, Preparing Communities for Agroterrorism<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>AWR-203-W, Citizen Ready: Pandemic Influenza<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0may be of value to anyone.\u00a0 Five of these courses,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>AWR-190-W through AWR-195-W<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0were originally prepared for American Red Cross use.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For more about these courses, visit\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.ncbrt.lsu.edu\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

24. RDPC Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Two weeks ago we covered a training catalog I received from the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training.\u00a0 A few days later I received another training catalog from the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium.\u00a0 The RDPC is a group of six colleges and universities that brings thirty different Department of Homeland Security training courses to local responder agencies.\u00a0 The consortium offers online versions of nine of these courses for those who cannot attend a classroom session.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Online offerings that may be of value to some ARES members include\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Terrorism and WMD Awareness in the Workplace<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Dealing with the Media<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Resource Inventory Management<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 One offering that is not of value in west-central Ohio but is just plain interesting is\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and Maritime Personnel<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the online offerings, on November 2nd the Versailles Fire department will offer the one-day course\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>AWR-147, Rail Car Incident Response<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To look over the offerings, or to register for one of their online or classroom courses, go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.ruraltraining.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

25. National Preparedness Month<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

National Preparedness Month begins this Sunday, September 1st.\u00a0 In conjunction with this event, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is offering all citizens the opportunity to join the National Preparedness Community, (<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/community.fema.gov<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>) a FEMA moderated website that includes national announcements, training events, discussion boards and preparedness planning information.\u00a0 Almost 27,000 Americans are now members of this community.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I found out about the community through The InfoGram, a publication of the U.S. Fire Administration\u2019s Emergency Management & Response\u2013Information Sharing & Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.usfa.dhs.gov\/emr-isac\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 This two-page weekly newsletter has tons of interesting and useful response links<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

26. IPAWS<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Recently FEMA\u2019s Emergency Management Institute released a new course in their Independent Study series.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>IS-248, Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) for the American Public<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov\/IS\/crslist.aspx<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>), is a half hour introduction to the IPAWS components that the average person might encounter.\u00a0 I took it last week and thought it was so dreadful that I\u2019m interested in the feedback of other ARES members.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A somewhat more useful training, at least in my mind, is the two hour\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>IS-247.a, Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, available through that same web address.\u00a0 It is more technical, but hams should have no trouble with that.\u00a0 If anyone out there takes both courses, I\u2019d enjoy hearing from you even if you disagree with me about the content of the new class.\u00a0 Contact me at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>maschulsinger@yahoo.com<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>n8qhv@arrl.net<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0with your thoughts.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

27. ReliefWeb<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

While the United States has suffered disasters both manmade and natural in the 21st Century, it is easy to forget that there are places in the world that are nearly always much worse off than we are.\u00a0 The reason we can forget so easily is the shortage of media coverage in those locations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you are curious about such events, there\u2019s a website for that \u2013 ReliefWeb (<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/reliefweb.int\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>).\u00a0 ReliefWeb is a service of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).\u00a0 It tracks emergencies and disasters all over the globe, especially complex emergencies.\u00a0 Complex emergencies are situations where multiple events are occurring simultaneously in the same location.\u00a0 Examples might include food insecurity due to a drought in a war zone, or flooding as a result of the loss of trees due to a wildfire.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ReliefWeb collects emergency situation reports from many governments and non-governmental organizations.\u00a0 In addition to these documents, ReliefWeb posts hundreds of employment and educational opportunities for international humanitarian workers.\u00a0 All of this makes ReliefWeb worth checking out.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

28. Resource Management Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Tonight\u2019s training opportunity will not be for every ARES member, but it certainly would be of benefit to any who are responsible for tracking the communications assets of a county ARES unit and its members.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A relatively new opportunity from the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium is\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>MGT-339-W, Resource Inventory Management for Rural Communities<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 At an estimated eight hours, this free, online course is a bit longer than most of the RDPC offerings.\u00a0 It introduces the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Incident Resource Inventory System<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, or\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>IRIS<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 IRIS is a tool to assist organizations in resource typing, or classification, and inventory activities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you are responsible for keeping track of what your ARES organization and\/or members can bring to an incident, this may be a good start in that direction.\u00a0 To begin, go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.ruraltraining.org\/training\/courses\/mgt-339-w\/\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>to learn more and register.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you have been thinking about taking any of the courses I have mentioned since January, consider doing so sooner rather than later.\u00a0 Courses that begin as free offerings don\u2019t always stay that way forever, and we don\u2019t know yet if next year will be another year of sequestration.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

29. Free Red Cross Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Earlier this year, I mentioned that ARES members who also register and serve as volunteers at their local Red Cross chapters may be eligible to take first aid and CPR courses for no fee.\u00a0\u00a0 These combination first air\/CPR\/AED classes now run $70 to $85, so a no-fee class is quite a benefit for volunteering.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to these classes, other no-fee classes are now also available.\u00a0 Bloodborne Pathogens Training is a one hour online course intended for people who might occasionally have to work around an incident involving another person\u2019s blood.\u00a0 It teaches protective measures primarily to protect from the spread of hepatitis and HIV.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Anaphylaxis and Epinephrine Auto-Injector, a half hour online class, teaches how to assist someone how is having a severe allergic reaction through the use of an epinephrine auto-injector.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

These classes are normally $20 to $25 each, which begins to add up when, like first aid and CPR, you must retake you training every year or two.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

30. Yarnell Hill Fire After Action<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

On September 23rd the State of Arizona published a Serious Accident Investigation Team report on the Yarnell Hill Fire, which resulted in the deaths of 19 members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew.\u00a0 This 122 page document, available online at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.azsf.az.gov\/yarnell-hill-fire-documentation<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0, is well worth reading.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Two of the investigation team\u2019s sixteen conclusions pertain directly to radio communications.\u00a0\u00a0 First, some radios in use did not have tone guards programmed into their radios.\u00a0 Thus, they could hear everyone on frequency but not necessarily talk to them.\u00a0 The report mentions that they developed workarounds to continue using these radios.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Second, radio transmissions during the fire were noted by the investigation team as brief, informal and vague.\u00a0 The Granite Mountain Hotshots were believed by the incident command staff to be in an area already burned, and thus safe from any fire heading in their direction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Both of these conclusions should interest ARES members.\u00a0 Many of our newest radios are no longer easy to program in the field.\u00a0 Perhaps we could establish a few Districtwide 2 meter and 440 MHz repeater pairs and simplex frequencies (with analog or digital tones, as appropriate) and request that everyone possible preprogram their radios for these.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

31: Impact of Federal Shutdown<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The United States government shutdown that began on October 1st is annoying for many of us, but it might get much more serious before it is resolved.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Most US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) websites are no longer being actively managed during the shutdown.\u00a0 This includes Ready.Gov and most Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sites.\u00a0 The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) online courses are still available, but the site doesn\u2019t mention whether classroom courses are.\u00a0 The National Fire Academy site is in a similar situation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Much of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is in a similar state, though its National Weather Service (NWS) sites are operational.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are running a bare-bones operation despite the tainted meat outbreak centered on the west coast.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There has been a commuter plane crash in the Mariana Islands, and bus crashes in Tennessee and Pennsylvania, but the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is responding with significantly reduced staff or not at all because crash investigations address long-term life safety issues, not short-term.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s just the stuff I know about!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

32. Working around the Federal Shut Down<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

As of this afternoon, much of the United States government is still shut down.\u00a0 While we can hope for the best regarding this situation, ARES members and other emergency workers in particular should consider preparing for the worst.\u00a0 While federal assistance will still be provided in times of disaster, it will be slower to arrive.\u00a0 It takes time to bring back laid off workers, so federal staffers we are accustom to seeing three days into a disaster might arrive in five days now.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What does this mean to ARES members?\u00a0 Make sure your families have what they need for the first week after an event.\u00a0 Common sense says that ARES members must care for their families first, or they will spend their time worrying about family instead of helping with the emergency response.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the shutdown, the preparedness information at FEMA\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.ready.gov<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and the Centers for Disease Control\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>emergency.cdc.gov<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0is still available online.\u00a0 The American Red Cross preparedness pages are business as usual at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.redcross.org\/prepare<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 A preparedness site I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve mentioned before is\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>ncdp.crlctraining.or<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>g at Columbia University.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When you\u2019ve read all of these let me know and I give you a few more. <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

33. GeoCONOPS Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) has just released four short Independent Study courses related to the arcane topic of Geospatial disaster operations.\u00a0 Since this relates to highly technical disaster computer operations, tech-savvy ARES members may find an opportunity here to become a valuable part of their community\u2019s disaster response as they take on a task where there are few experts at this time.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-60: Introduction and Overview \u2013 Homeland Security Geospatial Concept-of-Operations (GeoCONOPS) introduces the topic.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-61: GeoCONOPS In-Depth presents the four basic values of GeoCONOPS to potential users.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-62: GeoCONOPS In-Practice discusses the value of GeoCONOPS to emergency managers, incident commanders and geospatial techs.
IS-63: Introduction and Overview \u2013 DHS Geospatial Information Infrastructure (GII) discusses GII data services, tools and capabilities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All four courses may be completed in under two and a half hours total, and they may be found at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov\/IS\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

34: International Disaster Response<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

After a major disaster has been in the news for several days in a row, people will contact the Red Cross chapter where I volunteer and insist that they must fly immediately to the disaster area to help out those poor people in Somalia, India, Japan, or, this week, the Philippines.\u00a0 While there are a few people who already possess the needed skills and\/or experience to justify spending thousands of dollars to fly that person to the affected area, most of us need hundreds of hours of training and several years of domestic disaster experience before we qualify for such a ticket.\u00a0 Of the hundreds of responders I\u2019ve met over the years, only a handful qualified as international responders.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But it is possible to become one of that handful.\u00a0 In a news release dated November 11th, the Darke County Chapter of the American Red Cross announced that one of their local volunteers was being sent to the Philippines.\u00a0 For security reasons I will not mention his identity over the air, but he is an amateur radio operator being sent to set up and operate a portable Red Cross satellite earth station for communications use.\u00a0 He has been a domestic Red Cross disaster responder for years, and I look forward to hearing about his international assignment when he returns.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

35: USFA Coffee Break Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Buried within the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).\u00a0 Within FEMA is the United States Fire Administration (USFA), and within the USFA is a federal training school at Emmitsburg, Maryland known as the National Fire Academy (NFA).\u00a0 The NFA offers many different kinds of training primarily intended for fire and emergency medical services personnel, but some of these training opportunities have value to the general public, including ARES members.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One opportunity, known as Coffee Break Training\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>(\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.usfa.fema.gov\/nfa\/coffee-break\/index.shtm<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0), is designed for those with just a few minutes to spare.\u00a0 The trainings are typically a single page long.\u00a0 The Coffee Break home page includes a section labeled Command and Control series, which includes pages on various incident command functions, use of spontaneous volunteers and volunteer reception centers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As usual, this information will be posted to the Ohio District 3 ARES website.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

36. FEMA Online Catalog<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Over the past year we have mentioned a number of online emergency management training catalogs offering free or low-cost courses.\u00a0 For several years now the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been gradually developing a master online catalog.\u00a0 This publication, known as the FEMA National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) Online Course Catalog, combines the separate course listings of the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and the National Training and Education Division (NTED).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This catalog is available from the FEMA training home page,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t completely user friendly, so consider printing out the accompanying 12-page user guide, also linked to that home page, before you attempt a catalog search.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ARES members should be aware that the search term \u201cCommunications\u201d in this catalog refers to public and internal information more often than to telecommunications.\u00a0 So don\u2019t be discouraged if your first catalog searches don\u2019t turn up anything interesting.\u00a0 Just stick with it until it bears fruit!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

37: Preliminary Damage Assessment training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Many ARES members nationwide have assisted Red Cross chapters and local emergency managers by training for and conducting Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA) following disasters.\u00a0 PDAs are a natural match for ARES and Red Cross volunteers, as damage assessment teams require regular communications with the Red Cross chapter, the local emergency operations center or both.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) recently released IS-772: IA PDA Orientation to explain how FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) participate in a second round of PDAs, which helps to determine if a federal disaster declaration will include Individual Assistance \u2013 help for individuals and families.\u00a0 While this may be confusing, many federal declarations only provide Public Assistance, which helps local governments and some non-profit organizations recover financially from emergencies.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-772 takes roughly one hour to complete online, and is available at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov\/EMIWeb\/IS\/courseOverview.aspx?code=IS-772<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

38. AUXFOG<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

I was planning to spend this week reviewing a few of this year\u2019s past programs, but last week the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Office of Emergency Communications screwed me up by releasing version 1.0 of their Auxiliary Communications Field Operations Guide, or AUXFOG.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The AUXFOG is 144 pages of information useful to FCC Part 95, Personal Radio Service and Part 97, Amateur Radio Service and other radio operators who are prepared to work within the National Incident Management System, or NIMS, during significant preplanned or emergency events.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The body of the AUXFOG consists of just three small chapters for a total of 14 pages.\u00a0 The bulk of the document is consists of twelve appendices with tons of interesting information.\u00a0 My favorite was Appendix K, the website listings, but all are useful.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Since this is version 1.0, expect a few boo-boos.\u00a0 I\u2019ve already caught one in the Appendix C under the amateur radio band listings.\u00a0 To download your very own copy of AUXFOG version 1.0, go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.publicsafetytools.info\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Return to Net Training Archive Page<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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