PUBLIC SERVICE
              ACTIVITY REPORT
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About This Form

Amateur Radio donates thousands of man-hours of supplementary public service communications in civil emergencies, official drills and events such as parades and marathons each year. Such events show Amateur Radio in its best light, and it is critically important that ARRL bring documentation of this public service work to the attention of the Congress, the FCC and other public officials. Your information below is an important addition to the record. Please complete and return this form to the Public Service Branch at ARRL Headquarters. Thank you.
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1. Nature of activity (Check one).

X       Communications Emergency. Amateurs supplied communications required to replace or supplement
          normal communications means.

Alert. Amateurs were deployed for emergency communications, but emergency situation did not develop.

Special exercise. Amateurs supplied communications for a parade, race, etc.

Test or drill. A training activity in which amateurs participated.

 2. Brief description of activity: Search and Rescue of overdue hikers.

3. Places or areas involved: Pioneer Peak in the Knik River Valley.

4. Number of amateurs participating: 4

5. Event start date/time: 6 June 00/0800L                6. Event end date/time: 6 June 00/1330L

7. Duration of event (hours): 5.5                                8. Total man-hours: 22

9. Number of repeaters used: 1

10. Estimated manpower cost: $220.00 (man-hours times $10/hr)

11. Estimated cost of equipment used: $5,700.00 (hand-helds, repeaters, etc.)

12. Total estimated cost of service: $5,920.00 (add amounts from lines 10 and 11)

13. Nets and/or frequencies used (including repeater call signs): 146,04/64 KL7DOB Repeater

14. Number of messages handled: 12

15. Names of agencies receiving communications support: American Red Cross

16. Please list call signs of amateurs who were major participants: WL7BD, WL7IN, and KL7QZ

17. Other comments: On June 6, 2000, two young women went on a day hike to the rugged 6,398 ft. Pioneer Peak Mountain which is located about 10 miles southeast of Palmer, Alaska in the Chugach Mountains. When they had not returned to their car and reported in to their parents on the afternoon of their hike, their family drove to the trailhead and found the women's car locked in the parking lot. Family and friends continued to watch for them and some began searching about 3 or 4 in the morning of June 7th after they contacted authorities. At about 6 a.m. an official "Search and Rescue" was started. Eventually there were over 50 volunteers from 6 different agencies including the Red Cross. Dan O Barr, WL7BD, received a call from the Red Cross about 7 a.m. requesting communications for their canteen unit called the "Whale". The plan was to deploy the Whale at the command center to provide hot coffee, snacks, etc. for the searchers. The Red Cross had provided help for house fires in this area and already knew that cell phones didn't work at that location. WL7BD was on scene by 9 a.m. with his vehicle and a backpack full of spare radios and extra batteries. He had been talking to his wife, Gretchen, WL7IN, about this operation when John Bury, KL7QZ, broke into their conversation and offered his assistance from Anchorage if they needed him. WL7BD found that from that location he could operate three 2-meter repeaters: the 147.09 KL7DJE, the 146.85 MARA Club repeater, and the 146.64 machine that he maintains. While Dan had WL7IN and KL7QZ in the standby mode for handling traffic, he opted to use the phone patch on the 146.64 repeater to call the Red Cross office in Wasilla to coordinate the scheduling of Red Cross volunteers and food items. Things were going smoothly at the operations area they were getting settled into their routine when the girls were found at about 1 .p.m. WL7BD also assisted KL7IPO by providing coax and fittings for the emergency repeater used by the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group.

Article graciously submitted by Dan O'Barr, WL7BD

Please attach photos of amateurs in action, newspaper clippings or other data.

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Name of Amateur Radio organization providing service:

MATANUSKA AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION

Location of organization: City or town: Wasilla                 State: Alaska

Your name: Kent Petty                                                      Call sign: KL5T

Address: 2229 Turnagain Parkway, Anchorage, AK 99517

ARRL appointment, if any: Alaska Section Manager, VE

e-mail address: [email protected]

Telephone: 907.266.9277            907.243.5856
                            (days)                          (evenings)

I attest that the information provided above is complete and true to the best of my knowledge.

                                                  July 31, 2000
Signature                                                                                    date