DISTRICT 24

AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE

AFTER ACTION REPORT

 

1.                  Date of activity

 

October 15, 2005

 

2.                  Description of activity

 

Annual Simulated Emergency Test

 

3.                  Duration of activity

 

4 hours

 

4.                  Serving amateur radio groups participating

 

None

 

5.                  Served agencies participating

 

Elbert County Office of Emergency Management

                Elizabeth Fire Department

               

6.                  Other agencies participating

 

None

 

7.                  Describe served agency participation

 

Observation and introduction to ARES

 

8.                  Number of amateurs participating

 

12

 

9.                  List of amateurs participating

 

KA9ODE, Garry Hefty, 4 hours

KB0VJY, Mike Martin, 4 hours

NQ0R, Randy Reynard, 4 hours

            W6AUN, Perry Lundquist, 4 hours

            KB6IGN, Nancy Malm, 4 hours

            KF6FK, Richard Malm, 4 hours

            K0VKM, Thomas Lane, 4 hours

                N7ZFN, Larry Matney, 4 hours

            KA0ULN, Russ Lawrence, 4 hours

            W0CBH, Benji Campbell, 4 hours

            KC0SWX, Donnita Hilfinger, 4 hours

            KC0MHT, Dave Cook, 4 hours

 

10.              Person-hours of amateur service

 

48

 

11.              Describe the goals of the activity

 

The goal was to provide initial windshield survey of damages for a simulated tornado in the Elizabeth area.  ATV will be used to transmit live pictures to the EOC in Kiowa.  A survey team will report simulated damage back to the ICP at Elizabeth Fire Station no. 11 in Elizabeth.  Packet radio will be used to transmit survey damage reports to the EOC in Kiowa.

 

ARES capabilities will be demonstrated to Elbert County emergency services.  Members will become familiar with Elbert County geography and radio propagation challenges.

 

12.              Did the event fulfill the goals?

 

Survey teams completed the mission of reporting simulated survey damages.

 

ATV was transmitted directly from the compactor site to Kiowa EOC and Elizabeth Fire Station no. 11.  However, the ATV repeater did not junction properly resulting in no video transmission from other sites.

 

Packet radio traffic was not completed between the ICP and the EOC.

 

ARES capability was demonstrated to Elbert County emergency services.  Members became familiar with Elbert County geography and radio propagation challenges.

 

13.              What went well?

 

The operations and participation was at a professional level.  Members learned about the importance of a thorough knowledge of digital and ATV equipment and propagation limitations.  Most importantly, the start of a working relation was developed with Elbert County emergency services.

 

14.              Areas needing improvement

 

Packet radio protocols and set up need to be improved.  The flow of information between points of generation and recipient needs to be well thought out and the needs clearly defined.

 

 

 

 

15.              Lessons learned

 

Equipment or technology which is not used on a frequent basis will result in difficulties during an actual event or field exercise.

 

16.       Additional training needed

 

Training and frequent exercises are needed to keep equipment and skills honed for packet and ATV.

 

 

17.              General comments

 

This exercise provided was based upon a very real scenario which our group needs to be able to respond to.  In light of failure of packet it is hoped that in a real world scenario a back up plan would have been in place.  An additional problem which occurred was that survey reports were coming in prior to the packet connections being established.  In a real scenario this may also occur.  A structured way of gathering and compiling information as quickly as possible needs to be developed and rehearsed.

 

18.              Ideas for future exercises

 

To be determined.