{"id":5533,"date":"2021-09-08T22:36:47","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T02:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ohd3ares.org\/wp\/?page_id=5533"},"modified":"2021-09-15T21:22:48","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T01:22:48","slug":"2014-training-archive","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ohd3ares.org\/wp\/?page_id=5533","title":{"rendered":"2014 Training Archive"},"content":{"rendered":"

Training Archive: 2014<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. ICS Courses<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

2. ARES E-Letter<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

3. THIRA Training<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

4. Center for Homeland Defense and Security<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

5. IFRC Learning platform<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

6. 18th Annual Severe WX Symposium<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

7. ARES E-Letter\/Training Requirements<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

8. Tracking Volunteer Hours<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

9. Red Cross Apps<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

10. FEMA Textbooks available<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

11. DisasterReady.org<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

12. SPC and PTWC web sites<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

13. Hazard Mitigation<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

14.\u00a0 LinkedIn<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

15.\u00a0 Weather Tracking<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

16. e-Learning Course on Climate Change<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

17. ARC First Aid and CPR Certifications<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

18.\u00a0 Storm Chaser Web Sites<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

19. LinkedIn Redux<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

20. Exercises<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

21. National Building Museum<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

22. Radiological Event Training<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

23. Field Day 2014<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

24. CERT Online Refresher Training<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

25. Disaster Training Videos<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

26.\u00a0 NTED<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

27. FEMA Continuity Excellence Training<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

28. Pet First Aid<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

29. National Planning Framework<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

30. UAVs for Humanitarian Responses<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

31. Ohio SCIP and NIMS<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

32. Mass Notification<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

33. UNEP MOOC<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

34. eHealth Systems Africa<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

35. Chronicling America<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

36. Free MIT Electronics Courses<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

37. Epidemiology online course<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

38. ARC Bloodborne Pathogens online course<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

39. Mass Casualty Incidents<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

40.\u00a0 Detailed Emergency Planning<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

41.\u00a0 The National Cybersecurity Institute<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

42. WebEOC<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

43.\u00a0 ICRC Health Care in Danger course<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

44. Broadband-Hamnet<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

45. CHDS<\/a> <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

1. ICS Courses<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

It has now been just over a year since we restarted the District 3 ARES net programs, which is a good time to return to the first ones.\u00a0 Since we probably have a few new ARES members since last January, let\u2019s review the four FEMA courses every ARES member should take.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are now at least nine versions of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>ICS-100 Incident Command<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0course online, referred to as IS-100 on the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Emergency Management Institute<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u2019s (EMI) Independent Study website (<\/span><\/span><\/span>training.fema.gov\/is\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>) or Q0462 on the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>National Fire Academy<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(NFA) website (<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.usfa.fema.gov\/nfa\/nfaonline\/browse\/index.shtm<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>).\u00a0 All are considered equal to each other for credentialing purposes, so take the one that interests you.\u00a0 There are three versions of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>ICS-200 Incident Command<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0course, known as IS-200 at EMI or Q0463 at the NFA.\u00a0 Again, you need only take one of the three to be properly credentialed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

IS-700, the National Incident Management System<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(NIMS) and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>IS-800, the National Response Framework<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(NRF) are only on the EMI site.\u00a0 These two should also be taken to round out your credentials as an incident responder.\u00a0 For extra credit, also consider\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>IS-704, NIMS Communications and Information Management<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>IS-802, NRF Emergency Support Function #2, Communications<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Once you have certificates from these courses, please pass copies along to your county\u2019s ARES Emergency Coordinator.\u00a0 And if you were checking into this net last January and still have not taken these courses \u2013 tsk, tsk!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2. ARES E-letter<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Have I ever mentioned the American Radio Relay League\u2019s ARES E-letter?\u00a0 The ARES E-letter is an electronic newsletter providing readers with news and updates of interest to emergency communicators.\u00a0 The ARES E-letter is free, but you must maintain your ARRL membership to stay on the list of subscribers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The ARES E-letter has been edited since August 2005 by Rick Palm, K1CE.\u00a0 Rick is a former ARRL headquarters staffer, and editor of their FCC License Manual in the 1980s.\u00a0 When not working at his hospital in Florida, he devotes much spare time to keeping up with emergency communications topics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the steps to take in order to receive the ARES E-letter:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Join the American Radio Relay League<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.
\n2.\u00a0 Activate your personal account at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.arrl.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.
\n3.\u00a0 Once signed in to your account, go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Edit your Profile<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.
\n4.\u00a0 From there, go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Edit Email Subscriptions<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.
\n5.\u00a0 Finally, place a checkmark next to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>The ARES E-letter<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When you receive your first ARES E-letter, note that back issues are available via a mouse click near the top of the first page.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While in Edit Email Subscriptions, checkmark anything else that looks interesting.\u00a0 These items are all free with your ARRL membership.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

3. THIRA Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

FEMA\u2019s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) continues to add online courses.\u00a0 Some are for FEMA staff use, others are for anyone in the field of emergency management and others are intended for the general public.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the newest EMI offerings for anyone in emergency management is IS-2001 \u2013 Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA).\u00a0\u00a0 This one hour course is an introduction to THIRA and where it fits into the National Preparedness System.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As usual, going through this hour of training along with successful completion of the accompanying online test will enable you to download an EMI course completion certificate.\u00a0 IS-2001 may be found at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.training.fema.gov\/IS\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span> . <\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Center for Homeland Defense and Security<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) is a joint project of The Naval Postgraduate School and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.\u00a0 Unlike the all-hazard schools operated in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this school is mostly about anti-terrorism.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Beginning at the CHDS home page (<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.chds.us\/\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>), you can read thousands of documents in the Homeland Security Digital Library or download articles from the nine volumes of Homeland Security Affairs.\u00a0 There are online homeland security courses available through a link on the lower left corner of this page.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And if you already hold a regionally accredited B.A. or B.S. and are looking for a high quality, but inexpensive grad school click on the Master\u2019s Degree Program button at the upper left of the page.\u00a0 If employed full-time by a local, state or federal agency, you may earn an M.A. from the Naval Postgraduate School for a fraction of what most grad schools cost.\u00a0 But be advised that the competition is fierce to enter this program.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

5. IFRC Learning platform<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Those of you who have been paying attention to my ramblings over the past year may have realized by now that whenever I find a new free training portal on the internet I\u2019m like a kid in a candy store.\u00a0 Last week I stumbled onto yet another such training site, and have already completed four classes on it!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva, Switzerland has established the IFRC Learning platform for volunteer and paid staff members of Red Cross\/Red Crescent units all over the globe, as well as for their partners and the general public.\u00a0 The portal can be reached on their secure website at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/irfc.csod.com\/client\/ifrc\/default.aspx<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been taking courses to improve my knowledge of security issues at Red Cross disaster operations, as well as a couple of short courses on pandemic influenza operations.\u00a0 Some others I\u2019ve seen up there include short courses on management topics and a two-day orientation on the Red Cross\/Red Crescent movement.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

6. 18th Annual Severe WX Symposium<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Each spring the Ohio State University Meteorology Club hosts a very fine severe weather symposium.\u00a0 Their\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>18th Annual Severe Weather Symposium<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0is scheduled for Friday, March 21st from 9 AM to 5 PM at the Ohio Union, 1739 North High Street in Columbus.\u00a0 Note that there is a fee for parking in the garages near the facility.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For those who have attended in the past there is a change in the registration procedure for this year.\u00a0 Registration and additional information for the 2014 symposium is at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OSUmetclub<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span> , despite the fact that the OSU Met Club website where we registered in previous years is still in operation.\u00a0 I found that I had to set up a Google Gmail account in order to register, and you may need to as well.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After you register return to their Facebook pages weekly for updates.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

7. ARES E-Letter\/Training Requirements<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the freebies available to members of the American Radio Relay League is the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>ARRL ARES E-Letter<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, edited by Rick Palm, K1CE.\u00a0 Today\u2019s edition included information on upcoming hurricane conferences, webinars for health officials to introduce the topic of amateur radio, a report regarding a recent Florida ARES activation and other ARES related topics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Two items that caught my eye were an opinion piece from a former district emergency coordinator who believed that the requirement to complete IS-100\/200\/700 and 800 was driving potential ARES members away, followed by closing remarks from Mr. Palm. This former DEC lost his local ARES membership because he failed to complete the four FEMA courses noted above, and as a result his many years of disaster experience could no longer benefit that ARES organization.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at what is required of some other local volunteers.\u00a0 All Ohio volunteer firefighters must complete 36 hours of training before they begin fighting fires, and most are expected to attend monthly training drills.\u00a0 Ohio EMT-Basic volunteers must take 130 hours of training, with continuing education requirements.\u00a0 Anyone wishing to volunteer as a sworn peace officer in Ohio must complete 579 hours of training.\u00a0 All must also take IS-100 and IS-700.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In view of these training requirements, the four courses requested of Ohio ARES members seem quite reasonable. Our final thought for tonight is: If you are unable to complete these courses in your spare time, just how are you planning to drop everything to respond to a no-notice ARES activation during an actual emergency?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

8. Tracking Volunteer Hours<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Many of us volunteer a few hours each month for various emergency response agencies.\u00a0 But how many of us are careful to document those volunteer hours?\u00a0 It\u2019s always appropriate to do so, and in some cases it may someday be vital.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For example, if the agency receives money through United Way, volunteer hours are ammunition to partially justify continued funding each year.\u00a0 It probably won\u2019t decide if an agency receives funds, but it may affect the level of that funding.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Each county\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>ARES Emergency Coordinator (EC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Emergency Manager<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) coordinator<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, etc. has a procedure for logging volunteer hours.\u00a0 After you report your hours to your county EC, he or she is responsible for reporting total hours to a\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>District Emergency Coordinator (DEC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, who in turn reports his or hers to a\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>) who reports section totals to ARRL headquarters.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>American Red Cross\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>now has a nationwide system for tracking volunteer hours.\u00a0 All hours should be entered into\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Volunteer Connection<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/volunteerconnection.redcross.org\/\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 I learned last week that Red Cross national and regional leadership is beginning to pay attention to these numbers as part of their corporate metrics.\u00a0 In other words, they are comparing the number of volunteer hours entered for each chapter.\u00a0 If you are a Red Cross volunteer who is not reporting hours on Volunteer Connection, your chapter may already be suffering in comparison to others with higher reporting rates.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

9. Red Cross Apps<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

If you are hearing tonight\u2019s program or reading it later on the District 3 website, it probably means that near-earth asteroid DX110 missed us as it passed by around 4 PM.\u00a0 But I\u2019m not here to talk about asteroids this evening.\u00a0 Maybe next week.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It seems that everyone except me has a smart phone these days.\u00a0 I\u2019ll get one too when my income starts to exceed my outgo.\u00a0 The American Red Cross has continued to add to its App selections, so it may be time for you to revisit your favorite App store.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are now nine Red Cross Apps available at the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>iTunes Store<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>, and eight at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Google Play<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 Disaster related Apps are free, although there is a modest charge for the Red Cross Pet First Aid App.\u00a0 A couple of Apps, Swim and Pet First Aid, are also now available on the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Amazon Marketplace app store<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

10. FEMA Textbooks Available<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Anyone who has purchased a textbook lately knows that prices have gone through the roof.\u00a0 So it might interest some ARES members that there are emergency management textbooks to be had for the cost of the paper and ink.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Half a dozen emergency management titles are available on\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>FEMA\u2019s Emergency Management Institute Higher Education<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0pages,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov\/EMIWeb\/edu\/collegecrsbooks.asp\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 Titles available here include\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Fundamentals of Emergency Management, Comparative Emergency Management, Disciplines, Disasters and Emergency Management<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Emergency and Risk Management Case Studies<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 There are also two volumes of papers and articles.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If the cost of paper and ink is still more than you can afford, just download these texts to your favorite internet device and read them without making a hard copy.\u00a0 It\u2019s the wave of the future.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A reminder, most of our past Ohio District 3 programs are available at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.ohd3ares.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

11. DisasterReady.org<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

You\u2019re probably not going to believe this, but I\u2019ve found yet another free online training site for disaster and humanitarian aid workers!\u00a0 It is located at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.disasterready.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The DisasterReady website<\/a> is one of several activities of the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation.\u00a0 It hosts online disaster training courses and provides links to trainings hosted on the sites of other organizations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been too busy to try any of these out yet, but I plan to begin by looking into the Staff Safety and Security courses once I reduce my backlog of open course registrations on other sites!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As always, I would like to hear from anyone who tries one of these courses.\u00a0 Contact me at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>maschulsinger@yahoo.com<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

12. SPC and PTWC web sites<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

If you haven\u2019t visited the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>National Weather Service\u2019s Storm Prediction Cente<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>r website at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.spc.noaa.gov\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0recently, tonight might be a good time to become reacquainted with it.\u00a0 Tomorrow\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Convective Outlook<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0calls for a 15% chance of severe weather within District 3, with\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>damaging wind\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>and a few tornadoes<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0as the primary threats<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 In other words, our spring severe weather season for 2014 begins tomorrow.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Of less importance locally, but interesting nevertheless, are the websites of their\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Pacific Tsunami Warning Center<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(<\/span><\/span><\/span>ptwc.weather.gov<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>), and the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>National Tsunami Warning Center<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, (<\/span><\/span><\/span>ntwc.arh.noaa.gov<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>).\u00a0 These two centers were very busy after an 8.2 earthquake struck off the coast of Chile yesterday, issuing tsunami advisories, watches and warnings.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As usual, check the District 3 website at<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.ohd3ares.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0for past programs.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

13. Hazard Mitigation<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Over the decades I\u2019ve volunteered in emergency management, when money gets tight the first programs to be cut are often those associated with hazard mitigation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Mitigation may be defined as any process that lessens the force or intensity of an event.\u00a0 An example everyone can relate to is the automotive seat belt \u2013 it doesn\u2019t prevent a crash but often reduces the impacts of that crash on the individual who buckles it.\u00a0 Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms may also be thought of as hazard mitigation devices.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

FEMA\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Emergency Management Institute<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0offers many hazard mitigation courses at their Emmitsburg, Maryland campus, through state EMA offices and online.\u00a0 Over a dozen are available free and online at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov\/EMIWeb\/IS\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>IS-393.A: Introduction to Hazard Mitigation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0is a good starting point.\u00a0 Mitigating a hazard before it happens is nearly always easier and less expensive than cleaning up and rebuilding after some event occurs.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

14.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/h2>\n

Most of you have probably heard of\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>LinkedIn<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.linkedin.com<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\/ , which is primarily a website for making various business connections.\u00a0 Many of you probably already have <\/span><\/span><\/span>LinkedIn<\/b> accounts, and some are probably way more familiar with the site than I am.\u00a0 But if you are not a regular to this site you may not know that there are many thousands of no-cost\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>LinkedIn<\/b>\u00a0groups that you may join.\u00a0 Has anyone out there noticed that I am a huge fan of the word\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>free<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>?
\nThese groups offer open discussions of topics of interest to the group members.\u00a0 Any member can initiate these discussions, as I have in the American Red Cross group.
\nI\u2019m going to list just a few of these groups that some of you might want to consider joining:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

1. American Red Cross
\n2. ARRL HAM Radio Operators
\n3. Community Emergency Response Team
\n4. Emergency Managers Global Forum
\n5. International Association of Emergency Managers
\n6. Public Safety Professionals
\n7. Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you know of any other groups that are appropriate for this net, consider sharing them with us here.\u00a0 I can be reached at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>maschulsinger@yahoo.com<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

15. Weather Tracking<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

NOAA\u2019s National Weather Service Storm Prediction Cente<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>r in Norman, Oklahoma, (<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.spc.noaa.gov\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>) is predicting a significant multi-day severe weather event for this weekend in the south-central Great Plains.\u00a0 While the main thrust of this should pass to our south, there are ways to follow such storm systems from your computer, smart phone or tablet.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Broadcastify<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.broadcastify.com\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>) provides listening links to emergency response agencies and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Skywarn<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0nets across the United States, among other services and locations.\u00a0 Basic listening is free, with premium services such as archived recordings also available.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When storm chasers are actively hunting tornadoes or hurricanes we have a link to them from the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>WHIO<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0website (<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.whio.com\/livestormtrackers\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>).\u00a0 Many storm chasers transmit audio from their chase vehicles, and some even stream video.\u00a0 This link may be inactive when there is nothing to chase.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

16. e-Learning Course on Climate Change<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

A recent\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Associated Press<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0poll of over 1000 adults in the United States concluded that 37 percent of us do not believe that the average temperature of the world is rising mostly because of man-made heat-trapping greenhouse gases.\u00a0 This is an important issue for any disaster responder, because climate change shifts the locations and intensities of droughts, floods, blizzards, tornadoes and hurricanes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>United Nations Institute for Training and Research<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0now offers an\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Introductory e-Learning Course on Climate Change<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 At twelve hours it\u2019s a little longer than most online courses that I recommend here, but this topic isn\u2019t easily understood and it is potentially vital to do so.\u00a0 Registration is free of charge at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/unccelearn.org<\/a><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>, and a course completion certificate from the United Nations awaits everyone who finishes the course.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I would like to share one final comment.\u00a0 The exams associated with this training are randomly generated, can be unusually difficult to pass, and only three attempts are allowed.\u00a0 I found the first one, science, to be easy enough, but the quiz on international agreements humbled me to the point that I am rereading the entire section before I take this test again.\u00a0 Consider yourself warned!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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

American Red Cross First Aid and CPR courses are offered at no cost to those who are registered with, and serve as volunteers for, a Red Cross chapter.\u00a0 This is quite a bargain, as these courses now run the general public between $55 and $115 dollars each, and must be taken every two years in order to remain First Aid and CPR certified.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to let you in on an inside secret \u2013 Red Cross First Aid and CPR courses within District 3 are being canceled because not enough people are preregistering for them.\u00a0 This makes life difficult for some healthcare workers who must maintain their certifications in order to remain employed.\u00a0 When a course is canceled some of these healthcare workers must drive great distances to reach a class before their certification expires.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You can do both these folks and yourselves a mutual favor by asking your chapter to supply you with the code to make your class registration free.\u00a0 After you sign up the Red Cross will send you an email link to complete an online portion prior to the scheduled class date.\u00a0 Your online completion certificate is the admission ticket to the two hour classroom portion of the training.\u00a0 Within the next month courses are scheduled in Dayton, Springfield, Troy, Urbana and Xenia.\u00a0 Just one Red Cross volunteer can sometimes be the tipping point that allows a class to take place.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

18. Storm Chaser Websites<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a link on Channel 7\u2019s website to Live Storm Chasers, also shown as Live Storm Trackers elsewhere on their site.\u00a0 Well, this link seems to be broken at this time, so I must apologize and make amends.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve found several other similar chasing sites on the internet, although I haven\u2019t spent enough time on them to recommend one over the others.\u00a0 The three sites I\u2019ve stumbled onto are:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.chasertv.com\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/tvnweather.com\/live\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.severestudios.com\/livechase\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This afternoon I used the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>severestudios<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0link to follow a WHAS TV11 chase team, known as Sky King, on Interstate 65 south of Louisville, Kentucky.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As a reminder, most of these programs are added to the District 3 website shortly after they are presented on the Ohio District 3 ARES net.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

19. Linked-in Redux<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Some of you may not be familiar with LinkedIn, (<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>) a social networking internet site often used by jobseekers.\u00a0 Others probably know about LinkedIn, but are not actively checking into it.\u00a0 What I failed to notice until this year is that a large number of specialized groups are now networking here.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Just a few groups that I have noticed so far include:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Amateur Radio Emergency Communicator, with 2,000 members<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

American Red Cross, with 17,000 members<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

American Red Cross Volunteers, with 5,000 members<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

ARRL Ham Radio Operators, with 6,000 members<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Emergency Managers Global Forum, with 11,000 members, and<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster, with 1,000 members<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I was planning to add one more just for Bob Rhodes, our District Emergency Coordinator, but I discovered that he is already a member of the Master Exercise Practitioner group!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

20. Exercises<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

This is an exercise message.\u00a0 Last Wednesday morning various government agencies, Red Cross staff, hospitals and health care facilities in eight west-central Ohio counties participated in a major four-hour radiological response functional exercise.\u00a0 The scenario had fictional environmental activists spreading radiological materials at a Friday night Hobart Arena kiddy concert, followed by a Saturday dirty bomb explosion at a certain Hara Arena event familiar to all District 3 ARES members!\u00a0 Again, this was only an exercise, and no children or hams actually came to harm.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This morning I participated in a debriefing, or hotwash, for this exercise.\u00a0 One aspect of this event that concerns me, and may concern you as well, is that while several telecommunications systems failed over the four hour period, no organizations I\u2019m aware of resorted to using their backup radio systems.\u00a0 Many players had access to regional and county-wide talk groups on the statewide MARCS system, and some also had amateur radio operators as exercise participants.\u00a0 As has often happened during past exercises, these operators complained that they were not actually used for anything.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you are ever asked to help design such as exercise, consider establishing an exercise window during which no telephone or cell calls, including text messages, tweets, etc., will be accepted by certain players.\u00a0 As someone who spent three weeks around Ground Zero during 2001, I can assure you that such a simulated event mirrors real world happenings at major incidents.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

21. National Building Museum<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The Washington, D.C. area has no shortage of interesting museums.\u00a0 In addition to the permanent displays, many museums also offer rotating temporary exhibits.\u00a0 While many of us will not be visiting our capital over the course of the next year, others surely will.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The National Building Museum (<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.nbm.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>), 401 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202-272-2448) is concerned with architecture, engineering and design topics.\u00a0 Their rotating exhibit Designing for Disaster runs through August 2, 2015.\u00a0 Two questions this exhibit asks are:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Where should we build?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How should we build?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While admission to the National Building Museum is free, there are modest fees associated with visiting the Designing for Disaster exhibit.\u00a0 See the website for further information.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

22. Radiological Event Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

A few weeks ago I mentioned that the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association had conducted a radiological exercise covering their eight counties.\u00a0 Any actual radiological event involving multiple counties will be a big deal, and many responders will be needed.\u00a0 Unfortunately, radiological incidents are among the most poorly understood, so the usual responders may be very reluctant to get involved, even if it means risking the loss of their jobs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Amateur radio operators may have an edge here.\u00a0 In order to obtain an FCC license hams need a basic understanding of electron behavior, and a Beta particle may be thought of as just an unattached electron.\u00a0 An Alpha particle is just a helium nucleus and a Gamma ray is a wave somewhat higher in frequency than the microwaves some hams play with.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, if you would like to be better prepared mentally for a radiological incident, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has a number of publications and videos available for no cost at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.bt.cdc.gov\/radiation\/resourcelibrary\/all.asp<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

23. Field Day 2014<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

ARRL Field Day 2014 is this coming Saturday and Sunday, and we hope that you will elect to participate in some manner or other.\u00a0 Many clubs have mapped their Field Day locations on the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.arrl.org\/\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>website, and others may be found by asking questions on area repeaters.\u00a0 Field Day club stations should not be stingy with this information, as there are bonus points available for sharing your site with the public, with elected officials and with emergency managers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are too many ways for stations to earn bonus points to list here.\u00a0 But stations can earn 100 points for originating a\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>National Traffic System (NTS)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0radiogram directed to their<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0Section Manager (SM)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0or to their\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 Field Day stations who handle such messages for the originating stations may earn ten bonus points per message handled up to a maximum of 100 points.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One suggestion I\u2019ll offer for Field Day 2014 only is to direct your radiogram to the Ohio Section Manager.\u00a0 Radiograms should not be addressed to the Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator at this time.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

24. CERT Online Refresher Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0and its local partner agencies have been offering\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0training for just over a decade.\u00a0 In areas where disasters are frequent or common CERT teams thrive, but in regions where disasters are rarer these teams have languished or even disappeared entirely.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

FEMA\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Emergency Management Institute (EMI)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0has been offering an independent study course,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Introduction to Community Emergency Response Teams<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, for many years as\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>IS-317<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/training.fema.gov\/EMIWeb\/IS\/courseOverview.aspx?code=IS-317<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>).\u00a0 This course was updated last month to also serve as a refresher for those who have received a classroom version of the CERT training at some time in the past.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you are new to the CERT concept or have taken CERT training some years ago, it can\u2019t hurt to spend a few hours taking or retaking this revised version of IS-317.\u00a0 Many of the skills learned here can be used in an emergency whether your community has a formal CERT organization or not.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

25. Disaster Training Videos<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

One asset nearly every ARES organization can use is a healthy supply of videos for their scheduled meetings.\u00a0 Videos can add to the understanding of a discussion topic, or they may be used as a stand-alone program within the meeting.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Disaster Resistant Communities Group<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0is a non-profit dedicated to assisting governments, other non-profits and faith-based organizations in their disaster-related work.\u00a0 One of their ongoing projects is the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Just In Time Disaster Training Library<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.drc-group.com\/project\/jitt.html<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>).\u00a0 This is a collection of over a thousand short videos of disaster related topics. I\u2019ve only scratched the surface of this collection, but something here just has to be of use to anyone running a meeting on disaster topics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Every ARES organization should meet from time to time, and individual ARES members sometimes receive requests to speak on ARES, disasters or related topics.\u00a0 So make a pass through this website to view the offerings, or better yet bookmark it.\u00a0 And remember, you don\u2019t have to schedule a meeting to view these videos.\u00a0 You can do it just for fun!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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

It\u2019s been a while since we mentioned the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>National Training and Education Division (NTED) Course Catalog<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(<\/span><\/span><\/span>https:\/\/www.firstrespondertraining.gov\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>).\u00a0 Produced by the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>National Preparedness Directorate<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0of the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, this catalog lists hundreds of emergency management and homeland security classes.\u00a0 Some are presented on school campuses, some are brought to a law enforcement, fire department or emergency management training facility near you and others are online offerings.\u00a0 The forty online offerings are easily identified by class ID codes ending in a \u201cW\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike most such listings, the NTED catalog is available online and is updated as needed, often several times a month.\u00a0 The 14 July 2014 edition, which is current as this is being written, has grown to 342 pages of offerings.\u00a0\u00a0 Classes are taught at no cost to the student, though he or she often (but not always!) must cover transportation, meals and any overnight expenses.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the courses are open to any emergency responder, although some are limited to sworn police officers due to the sensitive nature of the topic covered.\u00a0 Because the offerings change every year, I bookmark this catalog and try to scan its table of contents several times per year.\u00a0 Maybe you should too!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

27. FEMA Continuity Excellence Training<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Does anyone out there remember my mentioning the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Continuity Excellence Series\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.fema.gov\/training<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0)?\u00a0 I could have sworn I did a program about this around Christmas or New Year\u2019s, but could not locate it today.
\nAnyway, FEMA\u2019s National Continuity Programs (NCP), established to keep all levels of government running during disasters, include two levels of certification in the area of Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP).\u00a0 The Level I title is Professional Continuity Practitioner, while Level II is known as the Master Professional Continuity Practitioner.
\nJust a few months ago the first of these programs was extremely difficult to finish, as midweek classroom time in large cities was needed.\u00a0 But recently it became possible to substitute Emergency Management Institute (EMI) independent study courses for all of the Level 1 classroom time.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So any ARES member who would like to start out in the relatively new emergency management\/homeland security COOP specialty may do so from anywhere with an internet connection.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

28. Pet First Aid<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

When it comes to emergency and disaster response, some hams are interested in working communications only.\u00a0 Others would like to help wherever and whenever needed.
\nMany of us have certified and re-certified in First Aid, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automatic Emergency Defibrillators (AED), but are you aware that there are similar first aid programs and training materials available to treat sick and injured dogs and cats?
\nSome American Red Cross chapters within ARES District 3 have offered Pet First Aid classes in the past, and may be able to schedule a class again if there is sufficient demand.\u00a0 Red Cross also offers Dog First Aid (P\/N 657780 \u2013 $16.95) and Cat First Aid (P\/N 657781) materials at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/www.redcross.org\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.
\nWhile these Pet First Aid items are especially useful during large emergencies, when the services of veterinarians might be spread too thin, they also have day-to-day value if you are particularly fond of your dogs and\/or cats.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

29. National Planning Framework<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

In previous programs we have occasionally discussed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\u2019s National Response Framework, the overall guidance for integrating federal agencies into emergency and disaster incidents.\u00a0 But we haven\u2019t said a word about the rest of the National Planning Framework.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The National Planning Framework currently consists of five related documents. The National Prevention Framework describes citizen\u2019s roles with regard to prevention of terrorist attacks.\u00a0 The National Protection Framework concerns everyone\u2019s part in safeguarding against any threat or hazard.\u00a0 The National Mitigation Framework addresses risk reduction through mitigation techniques.\u00a0 The National Response Framework was already mentioned above.\u00a0 And the National Disaster Recovery Framework promotes effective recovery following major incidents.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Individual ARES members and ARES organizations can become involved in each of these planning areas, although historically they have leaned primarily toward response.\u00a0 Anyway, to learn more go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.fema.gov\/national-planning-frameworks<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

30. UAVs for Humanitarian Responses<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

While web surfing on the ReliefWeb site\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/reliefweb.int\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0I noticed some interesting webinar recordings\u00a0 that I had missed when they actually occurred. They were the first two of four free webinars on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Humanitarian Response. This seems like a natural topic of interest for the more technologically oriented ARES members.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I was able to view and listen to the first of these recordings, and I felt that the fifty-three minutes of information provided was worth the effort. The only thing I knew about UAVs before this was that you shouldn\u2019t fly them into National Parks, especially the hot springs!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The link to reach these webinars (\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/solutionscenter.nethope.org\/programs\/unmanned-aerial-vehicles<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0). Note that you may need administrative privileges for any computer you use for this, as Cisco WebEx or Java or both may need to be installed or updated to view and listen to these webinars.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

31. Ohio SCIP and NIMS<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

On July 30th I promised to prepare a program on communications interoperability for District 3 DEC Bob, KC8WHK.\u00a0 I also promised it for the August 6th net.\u00a0 That was three weeks ago.\u00a0 Sorry, Bob.
\nAnyway, the State of Ohio has a carefully crafted Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan (SCIP), available to any and all interested parties at\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/ema.ohio.gov\/Documents\/pdfs\/Ohio_Interop_Appendices.pdf<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 Approved in March of 2008, it hasn\u2019t been updated since.\u00a0 But while some of the annexes grow old and gray, the main body of this 345page document is still useful and in force.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Section 5.3.2 of the plan requires all political jurisdictions within Ohio to eventually become fully National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliant.\u00a0 NIMS includes formal training, such as the IS-100 ICS course, preparing emergency plans, exercising those plans, adjusting the plans based on exercise and actual incident outcomes, and starting the training, planning, exercising and reviewing cycle all over again.\u00a0 While NIMS compliance is not a requirement for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) under this plan, Ohio does promote and encourage it.\u00a0 Any Ohio ARES members who also carry local government IDs would be bound by NIMS.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ohio Red Cross staff members are a special case.\u00a0 A previous Ohio Attorney General ruled that in Ohio the American Red Cross is a quasi-governmental organization, not an NGO.\u00a0 That\u2019s why my chapter\u2019s vehicles bear license plates marked Government.\u00a0 It is not clear to me if Red Cross staff members must be NIMS compliant under Ohio law, but it\u2019s a moot point because the American National Red Cross is definitely heading in that direction today.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I never did get around to discussing the topic of interoperability this week, did I?\u00a0 Oh well, there\u2019s always next Wednesday!\u00a0 Sorry again, Bob.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

32. Mass Notification<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Have you registered your cellphone to receive urgent messages from emergency response agencies in your area? Many counties and cities within District 3 have contracts to automatically send such messages to all landlines within their jurisdictions, usually through a 911 center. But cellular telephones are a different matter. They must often be registered with the 911 center in order to be recognized as belonging to your address.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For example, Champaign County has a contract with CodeRED to send emergency messages within that county. Clark and Greene use hyper-reach, a different service provider. Darke County has TFCC, yet another provider. I was unable to locate countywide services in Montgomery and Preble, but understand that some cities in Montgomery County have individual contracts.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Using Clark County as an example, you can register using any one of several different links on the County home page, a Clark County Sheriff\u2019s page and yet another button at the Clark Emergency Management Agency.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Please consider looking into this in your community. It can be embarrassing to be a ham radio operator and the last to know about a local major incident!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

33. UNEP MOOC<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Have you ever wanted to get in on the ground floor of some major undertaking? Well, such a deal I have for you! The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is launching Disasters and Ecosystems: Resilience in a Changing Climate, its first ever Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Disasters and Ecosystems will teach participants how to factor in climate change when conducting disaster risk reduction activities. The UNEP hopes to use MOOC techniques to reach a million people worldwide over the next five years.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than tailor this twenty hour course to one specific audience in one country, the UNEP is seeking participants ranging from international policy makers to students. And registrants can take it anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Not only that, but the tuition is \u2013 here comes my favorite ARES training word \u2013 free.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The course will begin on October 1st, with about two hours of study per week through December. Those completing it will receive a Certificate of Participation and a few other disaster-related newsletters and benefits. To learn more or enroll before October 1st, contact the course sponsor at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>the.mooc@unep.org\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>. And by the way, I found this course on the training pages of the website\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>reliefweb.int<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

34. eHealth Systems Africa<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Are you getting bored waiting for that rare west-central Ohio ARES activation?\u00a0 Are you having trouble breaking into the emergency management field in Ohio?\u00a0 Do you crave a little more adventure in your life?\u00a0 Well, eHealth Systems Africa can just about guarantee all of the excitement you can handle, and perhaps much more.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This firm is seeking management and logistics people to serve as Ebola Emergency Response Coordinators and other positions in the West African nations of Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone.\u00a0 The candidates will manage the non-medical aspects of the response to the Ebola Virus in these countries, such as warehousing and contracting for local security guards.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So if you are up for a little adventure, and have your passport handy, go to their recruiting webpage,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>ehealthafrica.theresumator.com<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.\u00a0 And if, I mean when, you return please share your African experiences with us on this net.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

35. Chronicling America<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

When planning responses for future disasters in a community, one of the best tools an ARES member can use is local history. Area libraries can be very useful for researching such past events, and that is probably as good a place as any to begin.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But I have stumbled upon an online resource that I\u2019d like to share with you. The Library of Congress has a website you might want to visit at your leisure. The Chronicling America site (\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/chroniclingamerica.loc.gov\/<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0) features thousands of daily and weekly newspapers that have been scanned in and are searchable by keywords, dates, locations, etc. The earliest newspapers date from 1836 and the last entered so far are from 1922.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have researched Springfield and vicinity floods, tornadoes, fires and train wrecks using this site, learning a great deal about my community in the process.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Note that when searching these for a major event in western Ohio you are just as likely to find it in a Washington, D.C. or California newspaper as in an Ohio one. The telegraph distributed these stories evenly around the nation within hours of their occurrences.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

36. Free MIT Electronics Courses<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Most of the programs I\u2019ve prepared in the past two years pertained directly to emergency response or planning in some way.\u00a0 Tonight I\u2019d like to just talk about learning a little more, or even a lot more, about different aspects of electronics.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the past I\u2019ve mentioned many online sites offering free courses in emergency management topics.\u00a0 It should come as no surprise that there are even more sites offering free courses in subjects other than emergency management.\u00a0 The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, arguably one of the finest schools available at any cost, has placed over 2150 courses online as MIT Open Courseware at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>http:\/\/ocw.mit.edu<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you go to their Course Finder drop-down menus, start with Engineering in the Topic menu, then go to Electrical Engineering in the Sub-Topic menu, and finally choose either Electronics or Telecommunications in the Specialty menu.\u00a0 This will bring up lists of undergraduate and graduate level courses that you can access.\u00a0 I found about 25 undergraduate and 30 graduate courses available in these two specialties alone.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

37. Epidemiology online course<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Well, the first person to present with Ebola symptoms while already in the United States has now died, and Spain is caring for a nurse who contracted it treating patients in Madrid. So Ebola may be trying to break out of West Africa. This is a good time for ARES members to review and perhaps update their personal and family plans concerning pandemic emergencies.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Many of us have been happy to assist area health departments during large flu shot clinics, but will the same Hams be so eager to face Ebola? Possibly not, although more people die from flu complications in the United States each year than have died from Ebola worldwide since that disease was first identified. As a side note, flu shots are now widely available for the coming flu season.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

An email I received from Coursera this week is promoting Epidemiology: The Basic Science of Public Health. This is a free, on-demand five hour course from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On-demand is new to Coursera, as most of their classes have historically had start and end dates. View this and many other Coursera offerings at (<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.coursera.org<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>).<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

38. ARC Bloodborne Pathogens online course<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Around November 1st of this year the four American Red Cross chapters covering Champaign, Clark, Darke, Logan, Miami and Shelby Counties will merge to form a single chapter. The new executive director will be Lynne Gump, presently with Darke County. Most other Red Cross paid staff within these six counties are laid off effective on that date.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This and similar actions will save the American National Red Cross many millions of dollars annually. It remains to be seen how the move will impact donations.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

No details have been announced regarding the new chapter\u2019s name or how many of the six existing Red Cross offices within the new chapter will be retained, but those details should be released soon.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Previously I have suggested joining Red Cross as a volunteer, as they are eligible for many free classes. I recently retook their Bloodborne Pathogens course, as my annual certification expired in late September. With daily mentions of Ebola in the news, this seemed timely. While you can still reach the paid staff in your area, contact them to obtain the code to take this online course at no cost. Then go to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.redcross.org<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>, click Training & Certification near the top of the page and find Bloodborne Pathogens. It will ask for your code and if the course fee shows 0 dollars you are good to go. Start the course from the email link they send you.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

39. Mass Casualty Incidents<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The third edition of Clark County\u2019s Mass Casualty Incident Plan was released this week, and I hope it comes as no surprise that Amateur Radio operators are noted as being active participants in every mass casualty incident.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Patient Tracking Team Leader\u2019s and\/or the Transport Dispatcher\u2019s staff include at least one Amateur Radio operator to provide 2-way communications with the hospital emergency departments. Other hams will be needed at each participating hospital. This assumes that the regular hospital frequencies and talk groups may be overloaded with patient condition information, and backup radio capability is needed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

These hams will assist by relaying transportation information (medic unit number, number of patients on board and patient priority (red or yellow) \u2013 no names, please) to the hospitals.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Have any hams in your county looked into your expected roles in your Mass Casualty Incident Plan?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

40. Detailed Emergency Planning<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Yesterday I worked a 15 hour day as a Polling Location Manager for my county\u2019s board of elections. There are changes every single year in how elections are run, and a change that caught my attention last November was that each polling location received a copy of the board\u2019s new Emergency\/Crisis Management Plan.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This plan was designed for use at all locations, and contained general information about what actions to take if commonly encountered types of emergencies occurred. The specifics of each polling location were not considered.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I thought about this plan with regards to my particular polling location. The polling place was located in a meeting room at the county Combined Health District. Normally, I would not have zeroed in on that fact, but I happened to know that this same meeting room was also designated as the health district\u2019s Disaster Operations Center, or DOC, during a health emergency. With Ebola in Ohio as a real concern, two weeks ago I approached the elections leadership about adding a specific contingency plan for that possibility.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I was pleased when the county health commissioner contacted me later to let me know that if needed he would temporarily open the DOC in another room of the building to avoid having to move the polling location. So now I had both a general and a specific emergency plan for my precinct!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And while we\u2019re on the subject of health departments, have you gotten your flu shot yet?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

41. The National Cybersecurity Institute<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The National Cybersecurity Institute, affiliated with Excelsior College in Albany, New York, is a relatively new source of computer and smartphone security information. The Institute offers free security news, webinars and podcasts, as well as online college courses, certificate programs and degrees.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally, being a Certified Public Cheapskate I will point out the free stuff first. The Institute currently offers 25 past webinars and podcasts on various aspects of cybersecurity. These may be found at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.nationalcybersecurityinstitute.org<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0. From that home page select the Podcasts & Webinars button near the top.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to move into this growing field, Excelsior College offers:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Twenty cyber courses<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One undergraduate cyber certificate program<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Two Bachelor of Science cyber degrees<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One graduate cyber certificate program<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One Master of Business Administration degree with a cyber concentration,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

and One Master of Science cyber degree<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

42. WebEOC<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Most Ohio ARES members are at least somewhat familiar with MARCS, Ohio\u2019s statewide analog and digital 700 and 800 MHz communications system.\u00a0 But I wonder how many know about WebEOC 7.4, the internet software that links all 88 of Ohio\u2019s county Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) with the State EOC and Joint Dispatch Center near Ohio State University Airport.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

With permission and approval, county EOC staff members are able to access WebEOC from computers in their homes or offices, in addition to access from the actual county EOC.\u00a0 Once you are signed in, you can follow major state events such as the recent Ebola response in northeast Ohio, as well as events within your home county.\u00a0 Another benefit is access to a daily report compiled by the Ohio State Highway Patrol Intelligence Unit.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Persons assigned to an active incident within their county can use WebEOC to request resources from the State EOC or forward situation reports (SITREPs) to Ohio about the event.\u00a0 While writing this at Clark County\u2019s Red Cross office, I happened to see that Carl, N8NSD, our EC, added a note yesterday in conjunction with EOC training conducted by Clark County.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you are an EOC staff member in your county, contact your emergency manager to obtain a username and password for WebEOC.\u00a0 Once you have these, sign in to download the training information needed.\u00a0 Then sign in often enough to remember your username and password, and to practice reading the online traffic until it is your turn to submit requests and reports.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

43. ICRC Health Care in Danger course<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Since I began this series of programs I have mentioned a number of free, online disaster preparedness courses offered by the American Red Cross, or ARC, and even a few offered by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, or IFRC.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tonight we will add yet a third source of free Red Cross training \u2013 the International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC. The ICRC is currently offering Health Care in Danger \u2013 It\u2019s a Matter of Life & Death. This online course discusses the rights and responsibilities of health-care personnel working in armed conflicts and other emergencies. District 3 ARES activities would generally fall under the heading of \u201cother emergencies\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you are an ARES member who also volunteers for your local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), or if you are a medical professional or a fire\/EMS department member, you may want to consider taking this course. The place to begin is\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.healthcareindanger.org\/elearning<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

44. Broadband-Hamnet<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

The November 20th Clark County ARES meeting featured an interesting program about Broadband-Hamnet and its local representatives \u2013 the Miami Valley Mesh Alliance (MVMA). An MVMA team demonstrated several capabilities of this merger of ham radio and internet digital technologies, and the audience seemed suitably impressed.
\nBroadband-Hamnet links modified 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz routers into Amateur Radio nodes, which resemble Part 15 wireless computer networks but may operate under higher power and with greater range.
\nAfter viewing the program I did not immediately drop everything to run out and purchase a Broadband-Hamnet compatible router \u2013 it took me until today to track a used router down!
\nIf you don\u2019t already know about Broadband-Hamnet, check out their site at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.broadband-hamnet.org<\/a><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0. MVMA\u2019s next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, December 13th at 9:30 AM. The location is Beavercreek Fire Station 61, 2195 Dayton-Xenia Road on the east side of Beavercreek.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

45. CHDS<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

For this final program of 2014 we will return to the\u00a0Center for Homeland Defense & Security\u00a0<\/b>(CHDS<\/b>). The Center is part of the\u00a0Naval Postgraduate School<\/b>\u00a0in Monterrey, California, which might be thought of as the Navy\u2019s counterpart to Greene County\u2019s\u00a0Air Force Institute of Technology.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The CHDS offers accredited Master of Arts degrees in Homeland Security for professionals working in this field. The difference between this program and all others that I know about is that CHDS degrees are absolutely free! Naturally, admission to this MA program is extremely competitive.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For the rest of us, the CHDS has assembled nine free, noncredit courses in such Homeland Security topics as Critical Infrastructure and Intelligence. These are short versions of the graduate classes being offered in residence.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If you are interested in applying for the CHDS MA program or registering for one of their noncredit courses, visit their website at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>www.chds.us<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

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