EmComm Trailer Project

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Category: EmComm
Published: Tuesday, 11 May 2021 13:04
Written by Administrator
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ARES, RACES, AuxCom

We get so sophisticated and we have gotten so used to the reliability and resilience in our wireless and wired and our broadcast industry and all of our public safety communications, that we can never fathom that they’ll fail. They do. They have. They will. I think a strong Amateur Radio community [needs to be] plugged into these plans.

—Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator (2009-2017), 3 May 2011

 

Craig Fugate was right, and it fits right in with our EmComm Trailer Project!

With our EmComm trailer we hope to supply a new communications tool for the Menominee County, MI and Marinette and Oconto Counties in Wisconsin Emergency Management teams. These tools should provide wide coverage voice and data communications when all else fails. Last resort communications will work when cell towers and 800 MHz systems fail, and when the electrical power grid fails. Amateur radio operators have the ability to operate during emergencies and disasters, and we drill regularly for disasters.

Our club acquired the trailer we're converting from Menominee County on permanent loan after a building collapsed on it crushing the roof. We repaired to roof, then re-wired it, and finally started working on the interior.  We are ready to start installing the electrical equipment, batteries, shore power, and radios when Spring arrives in 2022. We are actively seeking grants and donations to fund our purchases in 2022.

Below are some photos of our progress, we hope you'll agree it is looking promising!

 

 

Local Emergency Communications

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Category: EmComm
Published: Tuesday, 23 March 2021 10:34
Written by Administrator
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Local Emergency Communications

The Marinette & Menominee Amateur Radio Club has the organization and resources to help our communities with communication and eyes & ears on the ground. During any emergency where extra and more reliable communications are necessary.

Our 147.000 repeater reaches radios and scanners from Escanaba, to Green Bay and east almost to Iron Mountain.  That is a huge footprint at the disposal of any emergency communications need due to Radio Failure, Lightning strikes on towers, or something rarely considered - Solar Storms.

The most frequently used of these situations is SkyWarn. Skywarn dispatches trained weather spotters during weather events to be the National Weather Service's eyes and ears on the ground. We watch for heavy wind and rain, hail, and tornados on the ground and relay on the radio back to our Skywarn Net Control Operator who relays pertinent information back to the NWS. We regularly dispatch 15-20 volunteers during weather events to watch the skies. We are always looking for volunteers for this service if you are a ham operator or cell phone operator!

For more immediate needs, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Team serves as direct communication agents between local and state authorities, and relay critical information from our local Emergency Coordinators, police, and sheriff departments to necessary agencies in state and federal agencies. We provide the backup to existing departmental communications. We are always looking for volunteers for ARES, which has more training, education, and certification by FEMA.

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