To submit articles for the Squelch Tail, contact Dale, AEØS at the next club meeting!

The Central Missouri Radio Association is a not-for-profit Mo. Association. Check out our web site:http:// www.qsl.net/cmra If you have ideas for content, see Jim, WYØB.

If you have any changes in your mailing address or E-mail, send it to AEØS at: AEØS@arrl.net

CALENDAR FOR March

Each Monday evening (except the Monday preceding the meeting) join with the members at the club station on Worley.

Each Wednesday is Club Net at 9:00 p.m. If you’re interested or willing to volunteer for Net Control or if you have questions, contact WMØH, Dewey.

At 7:00 on Wednesdays join us on packet: (145.09) for some fun with open style keyboard conversation and file transfer practice.

March 9, 2004 - next monthly meeting.

PLEASE PAY YOUR DUES AND KEEP THE REPEATER RUNNING

If 2004 appears on your address label your dues have been paid for last year.

To renew your membership for 2004, see the treasurer (or the corresponding Secretary) at the meeting OR mail a check for $20.00, ($25.00 per family) to:

CMRA

P.O. BOX 283

COLUMBIA, Mo. 65205

Minutes:

Meeting opened at 7pm

Introductions all around

Treasurer's report: Checking $2668.42 Savings: $2220.42.

Minutes read and approved.

Old Bus: No update on the link for the 440 as of yet

New Bus: Tornado Drill March 16th (at 1:30 and again at 6:30). Also in May: the Care 04 Exercise. We are planning on having more packet exercises on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 so do your best and come play with us. Lots of fun.

We had 15 at the February club meeting so be sure and come to the March meeting so we can fill up the room. We need to keep up with what's going on. YOUR VOICE COUNTS.

Well that's it for this time, see you at the March meeting.

Dewey

WM0H

Statewide Disaster Preparedness exercise: the Missouri National Guard is leading the way for a statewide exercise- (test of preparedness) that will involve many state agencies (e.g. Highway Patrol, Health, SEMA… and regional, county, and local public safety, health, and VOAD groups. The exercise will simulate several major catastrophic events happening in close succession. The major "emergencies" will happen in Boone County, and it is anticipated that responses will involve federal, state, and local government resources in FEMA region 7 (MO, IA, KS, NE). Air Guard medical assets will be involved, utilizing local airports. Non-government agencies essential to disaster response/consequence management will also be involved. Amateur radio operators will be called upon to provide back-up and emergency communications from the Incident Command post to the disaster scenes and the temporary response centers set up by government and non-government agencies. Redline May 17 – 22 on your calendars. Check your equipment. Prepare your "Go Kits."

Go Kits – The viewpoint from an experienced Search And Rescue unit.

In our ARES Classes, we’ve discussed the usefulness and expense of setting up a special pack to carry all the items that might be needed if we are called out to serve in an emergency.

Practicality is the first consideration here. If the call-outs are limited to weather spotting for one or two hours or a day-long communications via

hand-held or mobile unit for a public service event, the "kit" will consist of little more than the hand-held, spare battery packs, and clothing appropriate to the weather.

A cautious type will take along a pad of paper and some pens (waterproof), a water bottle, snacks, and perhaps sun screen or insect repellent if the whole day will be spent outdoors.

The day-long event, however, has the capability of turning out differently than anticipated. Weather can change quickly; the event can change from a simple monitoring and reporting assignment to something far more serious: vehicle accidents, medical emergencies. Amateurs are looked to for help, and sometimes it takes more than getting on a hand-held and reporting. The Virginia Group approaches these short events from a similar point of view. However, they have been involved in many longer and more serious events similar to the night-long search in Western Missouri recently for a lost senior citizen.

"The area in which you live may be unaffected by current events. You may live in the city and …think that you really [do not] need to carry a map and compass, pocketknife or fire building materials. During a disaster declaration, your RACES team could be activated to provide mutual aid away from home, in a neighboring

county, perhaps in unfamiliar, rural areas. So carry at least the "Ten Essentials" (see URL below). Additional items on the list are highly recommended. The clothing that you wear deserves thought, because it is also part of the ‘package.’ "

Their description of Level I is what you are wearing and your pocket items. They suggest "minimum" survival items such as a multi-blade pocket knife, a lighter or matches, eyeglasses, a small flashlight, and your HT and/or cell phone.

However, the Virginia group points out that part of your "kit" is your general knowledge, skill, abilities and your attitude. A levelheaded, positive approach to emergencies helps us bring to bear all the resources we have to solve the problem.

Level II prepares you for a longer stay and for a wider range of situations. It includes food, map and compass, extra HT batteries, a fold-up J-pole or pocket beam, daily medicines and basic pocket toolkit.A larger flashlight (with extra bulb and batteries) is also recommended.

So far, we are talking only about light-weight items that could be packed in a small pouch or "fanny pack." Even those of us who are accustomed to little more than walking behind a self-propelled lawnmower on the typical urban lot can carry a load like this for at least 5 hours.

Level III is described by the Virginia RACES group as "bulky life support items "to go" stashed in a backpack, containing the ten essentials of a

Map, compass, knife, fire starting and signaling materials, emergency shelter, extra clothing, water, food, and first-aid items."

Their approach is spelled out in an excellent article available on the web: http://www.naem.com/connection/7/ham51.html. The article is adapted from material developed by the Wind River Search and Rescue Group, in Washington State.

In April, we’ll look at another approach to Go Kits: it includes items such as food, water, first aid kits, and rain gear. It also includes tools and materials to help set up and repair a "field-day" radio station in locations where we can’t jump into the car to run home for an extra roll of coax or to MacDonald‘s for coffee and burgers.

Send me your suggestions for what to pack in a Go Kit. Let’s see if we can come up with a comprehensive, yet practical list.

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor

ADVERTISEMENT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit your group on the web, go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cmra-mo/

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:

cmra-mo-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.