From: "Austin Osborne"
Date: Mon, 3/14/2011 8:11:24 AM
To: "K5RC"; "MIDGE" <tom@k5rc.cc>
Cc: "Donna Giboney"
Subject: Emergency Preparedness
Midge,
Thank you for the interesting news clip. I will forward it and the news link to our team.
Thank you,
Austin Osborne
From: K5RC [mailto:tom@k5rc.cc]
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 7:41 AM
To: MIDGE
Subject: Emergency Preparedness
In response to the devastation in Japan, some Northern Nevada hams spent the weekend preparing to handle health and welfare messages in and out of Japan. In a joint exercise, Storey County and Washoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) volunteers spent two days establishing communications protocol on international High Frequencies (HF), local communications on Very High Frequencies (VHF) and on Internet-based voice and data communications systems. For a number of the ARES volunteers, this was their first exposure to HF communications and operating in a joint exercise with neighboring counties and foreign countries.
More than a dozen Japanese hams were contacted, all outside the earthquake area. We are now on standby, awaiting permission of the Japanese government to begin formal third party communications relays. ARES of Northern Nevada not only has the capability for international emergency communications, but now has the practice in activating their network in a real-world environment.
Tom Taormina, K5RC
ARES Emergency Coordinator, Storey County
The Comstock Memorial Station, W7RN
Virginia City NV