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Devastating Hawaii Wildfires Prompt Response from Amateur Radio Emergency Service

Posted on by VA3DBJ

08/12/2023 – arrl.org

ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® is closely following updates from the Hawaii Amateur Radio Emergency Service®, Hawaii ARES®, as amateur radio operators respond following deadly wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

On Tuesday, August 8, wildfires, fueled by the strong winds of Hurricane Dora, were burning in Maui and Hawaiʻi Counties. By the next day, much of Lāhainā on Maui had been destroyed.

ARRL Section Manager Jospeh Speroni, AH0A, who serves the Pacific Section including Hawaii and US territories in the Pacific, sent a message to members across the Section on Wednesday. “The suddenness of the Maui Disaster is shocking. It affects us all,” he said. Speroni said it was difficult to know immediately the status of radio amateurs and equipment on Maui, including repeaters and gateways. “Sadly, there are now confirmed deaths and several of our ham friends have lost their homes.”

Speroni reported that the ARRL Hawaii ARES website, https://hawaiiares.net, was modified to provide the latest emergency communications news. The website includes updates on Maui’s amateur radio and communication infrastructure, including affected and operational radio systems, repeaters, and other emergency communication details.

“Wildfires have affected phones, internet, and cell services across Maui. VERY Limited Cell contact was established with Lahaina or its ham operators due to burned fiber lines and VERY limited hams in the area,” included one of the updates.

Hawaii has many amateur radio repeaters and an extensive internet-linked repeater system, including KH6COM, a VHF/UHF Maui countywide system with emergency backup power. An update, as of August 11, 2023, shares that the KH6COM repeater system is operational in Central Maui, Haleakala Summit, Lanai, and Molokai. “Repeaters on the Whaler and Kaanapali Beach Hotel lost linking due to fiber optics cables burned. Those in Lahaina can utilize the Pu’u O Hoku Ranch repeater at the East end of Molokai.”

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Hawaii and especially the Island of Maui,” said ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV. “[ARRL] was in initial contact with Section Manager Joe Speroni, AH0A, on Wednesday, August 9, and we have had daily briefs with him. This is an exceedingly challenging time for Hawaii, and we will be available as needed.” ARRL has offered equipment available through ARRL Ham Aid, a program established in 2005 and funded through donations that makes emergency communications equipment available on loan to amateur radio organizations during disaster response when communications equipment is unavailable.

Johnston emphasized that most of amateur radio communications, including any messages being relayed, are being handled on the existing repeater system in the state. On shortwave, HF stations across Hawaii are operating nets on 7.088 MHz.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), on Saturday, August 12, reported that “more than a dozen federal agencies and departments are mobilized to assist state, county, nonprofit and private sector partners to help the people of Hawaii with recent devastating wildfires. Personnel from FEMA, federal agencies and voluntary organizations are arriving daily to Hawaii to support active response and initial recovery efforts.” 

About Amateur Radio and ARRL

Amateur Radio Service licensees use their training, skills, and equipment to practice radio communications and develop radio technology. Amateur Radio Operators volunteer their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in public service and during emergencies. Amateur Radio also provides a basis for hands-on STEM education and pathways to careers.

ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® was founded in 1914 as The American Radio Relay League, and is a noncommercial organization of Radio Amateurs. ARRL numbers within its ranks the vast majority of active Radio Amateurs (or “hams”) in the US and has a proud history of achievement as the standard-bearer in promoting and protecting Amateur Radio. For more information about ARRL and Amateur Radio, visit www.arrl.org.

About ARES®

Amateur Radio Operators, or “hams,” have a long history of serving their communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, such as cell phone towers and fiber optic networks. Amateur radio functions completely independently of the internet and phone systems, and a ham radio station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Amateurs can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others.

The ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES® www.arrl.org/ares) consists of hams who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment with their local ARES leadership for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes. They use their training, skills, and equipment to prepare for and provide communications during emergencies When All Else Fails®.

Simulated Emergency Test: October 2018

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Date: Saturday, October 13

Note: In Ontario the Simulated Emergency Test will be held on Saturday, October 13 but at Emergency Operations Centres that are located in Municipal offices, that can’t get access on the weekend, the SET will also be held on Wednesday, October 10.

The Simulated Emergency Test is a North America-wide exercise in emergency communications, administered by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the RAC Emergency Coordinators and Net Managers. Both the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) and the National Traffic System (NTS) are involved. The SET weekend gives communicators the opportunity to focus on the emergency-communications capability within your community, while interacting with NTS nets.

RAC administers our Canadian SETs. Among other objectives we aim to strengthen the relationship between ARES and served municipalities and relief agencies. It is vitally important that this be done at the local EC level.

The deadline for receipt of all reports is January 31, 2019.

Note: Please use the SET Report Form. No other format is acceptable for reporting SET activities.

After their chosen SET weekend, participating ECs, Net Managers or others must complete the SET forms online. Please send a copy to your Section Manager (SM) and to your Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) or Section Traffic Manager (STM) as applicable. Please see the SET Report Form to submit an email copy for your own records.

Purpose of SET
  • To find out the strengths and weaknesses of the ARES, NTS and other groups providing emergency communications.
  • To provide a public demonstration to served agencies, such as the Red Cross, of Emergency Preparedness and, through the news media, of the value to the public that Amateur Radio provides, particularly in time of need.
  • To help Radio Amateurs gain experience in communications using standard procedures and a variety of modes under simulated-emergency conditions.
Format

The scoring format reflects broad objectives and encourages use of digital modes for handling high-volume traffic and point-to-point welfare reports out of the affected simulated-disaster area. Participants will find SET an opportunity to strengthen the VHF-HF link at the local level, thereby ensuring that ARES and NTS are working in concert. The SET will give all levels of NTS the chance to handle exercise-related traffic.

Test messages should carry the word “TEST” before the precedence; that is, “Test Priority” on phone and “TEST P” on CW. The text of such messages should also begin with the words “TEST MESSAGE.”

Preparing for SET

Emergency Coordinators

  • Sign up all available Radio Amateurs in the area under your jurisdiction and work them into your SET plans. Make special efforts to attract newly licensed Amateurs.
  • Call a meeting of all ARES members and prospective members to briefly outline (no details) SET activities and to give general instructions. Do not divulge the exact time or nature of the test to them at this time. This should come as a surprise. Take this opportunity to register new ARES members and get up-to-date information on others. Hold an on-the-air meeting if it’s not possible to meet in person.
  • Contact served agencies and explain the intent and overall purpose of the SET. Offer to send test messages to other branches of their agencies and invite officials to your ARES meetings and SET operating sites.
  • Contact officials of any adjacent communities having no active Amateurs and offer to provide representation in Amateur networks for them as well.
  • Arrange publicity in local newspapers and radio/TV stations by preparing an announcement and/or inviting the press to observe your group’s SET operation.
  • Set up liaison with one or more NTS local/section nets (if you don’t already have liaison) so you will have an outlet for all messages out of the local area.
  • Formulate your plans around a simulated disaster. Possible “plots” include: a flood, a serious fire, an ice storm, a missing person, a serious accident (automobile, bus, aircraft, for examples), a broken gas line, a tornado and so forth. Elaborate on the situation by developing a scenario but please be realistic.
During the SET
  • Announce the emergency situation. Activate the emergency net. Dispatch mobiles to served agencies.
  • Have designated stations originate messages on behalf of served agencies. Test messages may be sent simulating requests for supplies. Simulated emergency messages (just like real emergency messages) should be signed by an authorized official.
  • Emphasize tactical communications for served agencies.
  • As warranted by traffic loads, have liaison stations on hand to receive traffic on the local net and relay to your section net. You should also be sure that there is a representative on each session of the section net to receive traffic going to the local area.
  • Operate at least one session (or substantial segment of a session) of the local net on an emergency-only basis. Or, if a repeater is on emergency power, allow only emergency-powered stations to operate through the repeater for a certain time period.
After the SET

An important post-SET activity is a critique session to discuss the test results. All ARES members should be invited to the meeting to review good points and weaknesses apparent in the drill. Emphasize ways to improve procedures, techniques and coordination with all groups involved. Report your group’s effort to RAC and TCA and include any photos, clippings and other items of interest.

National Traffic System

The main function of NTS in an emergency situation is to tie together all of the various local activities and to provide a means by which all traffic destined outside of a local area, section or region can be systematically relayed to the addressee.

NTS routing should be followed. A valid exception is the handling of emergency traffic which should be routed as rapidly and efficiently as possible, bypassing various levels of nets when delivery can be expedited. Another exception is when one station is loaded down with traffic for one region or section. At the discretion of the Net Control Station (NCS), the station may be directed to bypass a normal channel and go directly to a lower (or higher) echelon net.

The interface between NTS and ARES lies in the liaison function between local nets and other NTS nets, particularly at the section level. Responsibility for representation of the local network on the section net lies with the local net manager who may or may not be the EC. Although we usually think of ARES members being the representatives in section nets, it is equally valid to expect NTS personnel to act as liaison to local nets.

At least one net session or substantial segment of a session should be conducted on emergency power. Plan a surprise session or two. Advise the NCS just before net time. If the NCS is unable to operate on emergency power, then someone else must be net control. Only stations operating on emergency power may report in during this time.

Summary

One of the first steps on the way to a successful SET is to try to get as many people involved as possible, especially new Amateurs. In a real emergency, we find Amateurs with all sorts of varied interests coming out of the woodwork. Let’s get them involved in SET so they will know more about how emergency communications should be handled. Promote SET on nets and repeaters. Sign up new, enthusiastic Amateurs. Many of those offering to help will be inexperienced in public-service activities. It’s up to you to explain to them what’s going on and provide them with useful roles. They may like it so much that they will become a permanent fixture in your ARES or NTS group.

FCC Grants Temporary Request to Permit PACTOR 4 Use in Hurricane Relief

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FCC Grants ARRL Temporary Waiver Request to Permit PACTOR 4 Use in Hurricane Relief

ARRL – The FCC has granted an ARRL request for a temporary waiver of Section 97.307(f) of the FCC’s Amateur Service rules to permit the use of PACTOR 4 digital mode for Amateur Radio communication within the continental US related to Hurricane Florence relief. The grant extends through Tuesday, September 18, and a formal order addressing the request for a 30-day waiver will be issued next week, the FCC said.

Section 97.307(f) of the Commission’s Rules limits the digital data emissions of amateur stations operating below 28 MHz to a symbol rate not to exceed 300 baud, and in the 10-meter band (28.0 – 28.3 MHz) to a symbol rate not to exceed 1200 baud, thus precluding the use of PACTOR 4.

PACTOR 4 is a data protocol that permits relatively high-speed data transmission in the HF bands, and many amateur stations active in emergency communications preparedness are capable of using PACTOR 4, which was used to great advantage, pursuant to FCC temporary waivers, in Hurricane Maria relief efforts, and, more recently in preparing for typhoon relief communications in Hawaii.

“ARRL has recently dispatched equipment to the Carolinas and is actively preparing to assist radio amateurs involved with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and otherwise to conduct disaster relief communications,” ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, told the FCC in requesting the waiver. The equipment includes PACTOR radio modems with PACTOR 3 and PACTOR 4 capabilities.

ARRL’s request proposed limiting the use of PACTOR 4 to radio amateurs in the Continental US who are directly involved with the hurricane relief efforts involving the US mainland. “This request is without prejudice to the resolution of Docket 16-239 [the so-called “symbol rate” proceeding], which is presently pending and addresses the rule section discussed herein,” Imlay added