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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 16 Minutes Town of Los Altos Hills EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE March 16, 2010 @ 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 E Charlie Ellinger KI6JPM E Rick Ellinger KJ6NU P Andy Fawcett KI6MAF E David Gilmour WQ1K Bob Hall KF6DHX P Edwin R Jones, EC, Chair W7WPO P Andrew Kirk WB6CLS P Duncan MacMillan KI6VMY P Lynn McLeod KG6YIT Scott Overstreet N6NXI P David Pratt K6LWT E Bob Rowe AF6LD P Miles Seiver, Secretary KI6LDU P Terry Smith K7YNO P "Smitty" Smithwick W6CS E Maynard Stevenson W7MVT Jerry Tomanek AF6HY P Gary Waldeck K6AIR P Al Whaley KV6U E 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. Chairman Ed Jones reported that due to illness the minutes from the January and February ECC minutes would be approved at the April meeting. Chairman Ed Jones described the upcoming CERT drill and the importance of packet communication. Ray Egan is in contact with the creators of Outpost (software used for packet) regarding some issues he noticed during the February 20, 2010 ECC drill. Councilman Rich Larsen introduced for discussion a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Town of Los Altos Hills and the Los Altos Hills Emergency Group (LAHEG). He said that this new agreement had been created with input from the LAHEG. He suggested that the ECC support the new MOU to the Town Council if it finds it agreeable. Terry Smith presented the details of the new MOU, section by section. It is attached in Appendix A. He reported that Jim Abraham and Scott Overstreet had already agreed to the new MOU. Jerry Tomanek asked Rich Larsen whether the MOU should include indemnification. Rich Larsen responded that the Town attorney had already reviewed the document and found no issues. Scott Overstreet supported adding indemnification to the MOU. Gary Waldeck noted that the lease agreement with Purissima Hills Water District for the property where the Town’s repeater is located includes indemnification and prohibits tower climbing. Rick Ellinger added that in Santa Clara County private parties must indemnify public entities. Rick Ellinger observed two distinct legal environments relevant to the MOU: during an emergency and during normal activity. He felt that since each Assistant Emergency Communicator (AEC) must be able to fulfill the role of the Emergency Communicator (EC), all AECs must have control authority over the repeater. Terry felt this was not an issue since the MOU requires that some ECC members have control codes for the repeater. Rick Ellinger noted that in the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Commanders (ICs) have control over any equipment used in emergency response. Terry Smith said that in an emergency, ECC members can contact the individuals with the repeater control codes if the repeater needs to be turned off. Rick Ellinger suggested that the MOU be valid for any amateur radio repeater used in relation to the Town’s emergency response. Bob Anderson felt that only an MOU with the Town repeater was necessary because the Town is a party to the site and owns the equipment. Scott Overstreet noted that you cannot buy use of an amateur radio repeater or direct its use and that FCC regulations give control of a station to the holder of the station’s license. Terry added that, in an emergency, only the station trustee will have physical access to the repeater and that control codes can only turn a repeater off. Finally, he added that simply using a repeater does not indicate control of the repeater. Rich Larsen noted that different definitions of “control” in the discussion. Dru Anderson felt that the Town must not confuse terms. Rich Larsen asked Chairman Ed Jones to contact Steve Garcia and Mike Sanders for specific information regarding control during an emergency in the Town of Los Altos Hills. Duncan MacMillan made a motion that the ECC support the Town and the LAHEG in entering an agreement as described by the presented MOU but with the addition of a hold harmless clause. Bob Anderson seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Councilman Rich Larsen reminded the committee of a drill on May 26, 2010 at around 4:30pm which will include three major zones, town staff participation, and an activated EOC. He suggested that one ECC member be stationed at each field command location. Dru Anderson felt that the ECC needs to distribute County log sheets to all members. Rich Larsen also reported that Steve Garcia and Mike Sanders had nominated the Town of Los Altos Hills as the most prepared community in the County. Jim Abraham reported that the repeater went down before the March 15, 2010 net and was returned to service after a reset. He and Scott Overstreet were in the process of determining what exactly caused the failure. The backup repeater can be used by tuning your radio to the same frequency but with a PL of 118.8. Gary Waldeck described the new Los Altos Hills Neighborhood Network program. He encouraged other ECC members to attend the meetings in their neighborhoods. At 8:02 pm Bob Anderson moved to adjourn the meeting, Rick Ellinger seconded, and the motion passed. Respectfully submitted, Miles Seiver LAHECC Secretary Memorandum of Understanding Between The Town of Los Altos Hills And Los Altos Hills Emergency Group This Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") is between the Town of Los Altos Hills ("LAH") and the Los Altos Hills Emergency Group ("LAHEG"), collectively the "parties", and is effective on the later of the dates of the signatures below. The purpose of this MOU is to express an understanding between the parties and to provide a framework for their cooperation, in facilitating the provision by LAHEG of Amateur Radio Emergency Communications repeater capabilities for the benefit of LAH and its residents. RECITALS, LAH recognizes that amateur radio operators, who are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), provide important emergency and public service communications on a voluntary basis, in time of need, when other communications modes are unavailable or may be overwhelmed; and LAH recognizes that LAHEG is a private amateur radio club formed in 1999 and duly governed by its elected officers. LAH further recognizes that except for this MOU LAHEG is not nor shall be connected with or controlled by LAH, its employees, or its committees. LAH recognizes that LAHEG is the legal holder and trustee of an amateur radio repeater license and that LAHEG is authorized by the FCC, to operate a repeater using the call sign W6LAH on the transmit frequency of 146.745 MHz in the vicinity of Los Altos Hills, subject to current FCC regulations governing such licenses, and frequency coordination granted to LAHEG by NARCC, an independent organization sanctioned by the FCC for such purposes. LAH recognizes that as licensee and trustee of W6LAH, LAHEG is solely responsible to the FCC for the control and operation of this repeater, and that LAHEG may not delegate its rights or obligations under this FCC license, and that LAHEG is obligated to disable the repeater if unauthorized persons obtain physical access or control of the repeater equipment. LAH recognizes that the Telecommunications Act of 1934 does not allow the holding of an amateur radio license or control of an amateur radio station or repeater by a town or city. LAH further recognizes that LAHEG has made the W6LAH repeater continuously available for use by amateur radio operators in and around Los Altos Hills since its initial deployment in April, 2002. LAHEG recognizes that LAH has provided funds for the purchase of repeater equipment for use by LAHEG under its FCC repeater license, and further that LAH has assisted LAHEG in arranging to locate this repeater within facilities made available to LAH by the Purissima Hills Water District; therefore UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE PARTIES LAHEG shall make the W6LAH repeater available twenty-four (24) hours per day (except when the repeater is down for repairs or scheduled maintenance), on an 'open' basis, for use by licensed amateur radio operators, with preference (to the extent allowed by the FCC) given to those who are participating in emergencies, drills, and community services in connection with LAH. LAHEG will make written reports to the LAH City Manager on the operating status of the repeater system, at least once per calendar quarter. Should there be an unscheduled change in operational status LAHEG will make an effort to promptly notify the LAH City Manager and the LAH Safety Officer. Email shall be a sufficient means for the delivery of such reports and notifications. LAH agrees to assist LAHEG in having unrestricted physical access to the repeater equipment it manages, twenty-four (24 hours per day and seven (7) days per week for as long as the repeater equipment is located within the present Purissima Hills Water District facility. LAHEG may from time-to-time request funding from LAH for repeater equipment enhancements and for expenses related to repair and maintenance of the repeater system. Such requests shall be made in writing to the City Manager and shall include explanations of the purpose of the request. LAH may from time-to-time request from LAHEG upgrades or enhancements to the repeater system, subject to LAHEG's acceptance, which shall not to be unreasonably withheld. As a condition of such requests LAH shall provide funding reasonably required by LAHEG, in advance, for its expenses related to accomplishing such accepted upgrades or enhancements. Such requests for upgrades or enhancements shall be made in writing by the LAH City Manager to the LAHEG President and shall include explanations of the purpose of the request. LAHEG shall periodically make a presentation to the members of the LAH Emergency Communications Committee ("ECC") describing how this repeater is equipped and how it operates. Such training presentations shall be updated as needed if the repeater configuration or operation are changed in a material way by modifications or enhancements. In addition to the current four (4) LAHEG members who are all licensed amateur radio operators and repeater control operators, LAHEG shall train up to four (4) additional repeater control operators who shall be selected by the mutual agreement of LAHEG and LAH. Such additional repeater control operators must be licensed amateur radio operators and must also meet the requirements of the LAHEG. The additional control operators will be provided with the necessary control codes and training by LAHEG on the repeater operating protocol and procedures. LAHEG agrees to notify the LAH City Manager of the names and contact information for all repeater control operators. LAHEG will provide a supervised tour of the repeater equipment to LAH officials and/or ECC members, at least once per calendar year, upon request from the City Manager and with reasonable advance notice. LAHEG has no financial interests and no tangible property. Additional equipment used by LAHEG to provide operation of the LAH owned radio equipment may be owned personally by LAHEG members or others. LAHEG assumes no financial liability for or ownership in equipment funded or purchased by LAH. LAH may recover equipment it has purchased or funded, at any time, with reasonable advance notice, and LAH acknowledges that its possession of such equipment does not entitle LAH or any other party to operate the repeater equipment using either the call sign or frequency granted to LAHEG by the FCC and/or NARCC. This memorandum shall take effect when signed below by authorized representatives of the LAH and LAHEG. The memorandum may only be modified by the mutual written consent of LAH and LAHEG and may be terminated by either party with thirty (30) days prior written notice. LAH BY: DATE: LAHEG BY: DATE: