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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNovember 17 Minutes Town of Los Altos Hills EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE November 17, 2009 @ 7:00 PM, Council Chambers Roll call: Member Call Sign Attended Absent Jim Abraham W6EB P Dru Anderson KG6LAD P Bob Anderson KC6ZWG P Ray Egan W6FQY P Charlie Ellinger KI6JPM E Rick Ellinger KJ6NU P Andy Fawcett KI6MAF P David Gilmour WQ1K E Bob Hall KF6DHX E Edwin R Jones, EC, Chair W7WPO P Andrew Kirk WB6CLS P Duncan MacMillan KI6VMY P Lynn McLeod KG6YIT E Scott Overstreet N6NXI P David Pratt K6LWT E Bob Rowe AF6LD P Miles Seiver, Secretary KI6LDU P Terry Smith K7YNO E "Smitty" Smithwick W6CS E Maynard Stevenson W7MVT E Jerry Tomanek AF6HY E Gary Waldeck K6AIR P Al Whaley KV6U P Sam Wood K6MSR P Other Hams present Council Liaison Rich Larsen KI6VMW P Chairman Ed Jones called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Bob Anderson moved to approve the minutes of the October ECC meeting, Gary Waldeck seconded, and the motion passed. Al Whaley reported that District Emergency Coordinator Larry Carr is encouraging towns to adopt the new county MAC guidelines at a local level. Practical training for the MAC program will take place at the upcoming November 29, 2009 Los Altos Festival of Lights event. A Live Scan background check is a new requirement for MAC certification. The Committee assigned members to run the weekly Town Net: November 23–Andrew Kirk, November 30–Gary Waldeck, December 7–Andy Fawcett, December 14–Bob Rowe, December 21–Dru Anderson, December 28–Andrew Kirk. The Committee discussed the recommendations of the ECC subcommittee on CERT trailer communications. The subcommittee suggested there be two amateur radios in each trailer and a packet link to the EOC. CERT members would communicate to a HAM liaison who then passes information on to the trailer which consolidates reports to send to the EOC over packet. Newer Kenwood radios make packet communication simple. All voice communication would take place at the rate of 5 words per transmission. Andy Fawcett added that many CERT members are now licensed amateur radio operators. Councilmember Rich Larsen asked that the EOC keep in mind the 32 LAH neighborhoods when discussing coverage. Al Whaley proposed that some ECC members volunteer their homes as supplemental communications hubs, increasing coverage. Further testing of FRS radios is needed to determine their range in various conditions. Councilmember Rich Larsen reminded the ECC of the upcoming December 8, 2009 CERT drill and its planning session on December 2, 2009. Chairman Ed Jones provided the results from the August 8, 2009 ECC drill to map repeater coverage. Scott Overstreet reported that, save for a few holes, the LAH repeater functions well in the Town. He will continue to analyze weak spots. Chairman Ed Jones informed the Committee that the Town will reimburse non-alcoholic expenditures for the ECC holiday meeting on December 15, 2009. Dru Anderson was selected to chair a subcommittee to organize the event. Subcommittee members are: Miles Seiver, Andy Fawcett, Dru Anderson, Bob Rowe. Councilmember Rich Larsen reported that there will be a joint Los Altos and Los Altos Hills council meeting on December 1, 2009. The ECC suggested that Larsen ask the Los Altos council what emergency preparedness programs its Town offers. In response to a question from Councilmember RIch Larsen, the ECC stated that radiation from radio towers is not a threat to Town citizens. Dru Anderson expressed issue with the lack of light outside of the LAH EOC. Scott Overstreet had no update on the status of new ECC vests. Jim Abraham reported that the NAARC board has been changed. Rick Ellinger transferred Smitty Smithwick’s town-issue IC-W32A radio to Chair Ed Jones. At 8:47 pm Bob Anderson moved to adjourn the meeting, Gary Waldeck seconded, and the motion passed. Respectfully submitted, Miles Seiver LAHECC Secretary