HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptember 41
Minutes
Town of Los Altos Hills
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
September 4, 2012 @ 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
Andy Fawcett KI6MAF E
Bill Gibbons K6GH E
Bob Hall KF6DHX P
Jim Heintzelman KD6Y P
Edwin R Jones, EC W7WPO P
Andrew Kirk WB6CLS P
Duncan MacMillan, Chair KI6VMY P
Scott Overstreet N6NXI P
Bob Rowe, Vice Chair AF6LD P
Miles Seiver, Secretary KI6LDU E
Maynard Stevenson W7MVT P
Sam Wood K6MSR P
Associate Member
Gerald Tomanek AF6HY P
Council Liaison
Gary Waldeck K6AIR A
Marsha Hovey, Town Safety Officer, was also present.
1. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm by Chair Duncan MacMillan KI6VMY. Roll call
and minutes were taken by Bob Rowe AF6LD for Secretary Miles Seiver KI6LDU.
2. Review and approve minutes of past meeting - August 7, 2012
a. 6.a.iii: Corrected to read: "Packet equipment, per suggested guidance, would need
computers with 1 TB of memory and 8-12 GB of RAM. This was felt to be excessive
and that 2 laptops purchased earlier for ECC use by the former LAH city emergency
adviser S. Garcia would be fine."
b. 7.c.i: Corrected to read: "CERT wants the ECC to manage all the communications
during the October 20 drill, including overseeing the existing FRS system functionality
of the CERT program."
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c. Upon a motion from Bob Anderson, duly seconded, it was unanimously resolved that
the minutes of the August 7 meeting are accepted as corrected above.
3. Public comments from the floor: Marsha Hovey explained that she is acting under contract to
the Town for safety coordination purposes. She said would act as town coordinator at drills
and incorporate her observations into subsequent drills, such as October 20.
4. Update on the County and State – EC Edwin Jones W7WPO noted that the county would like
a warm-up drill on September 30 to prepare for the county-wide drill on October 20. Ed will
not be available for the drill on October 20.
5. Comments by Council Liaison - Councilmember Gary Waldeck K6AIR was not present but
reported via email that there was nothing to report.
6. Arastradero Preserve wildfire recap
a. Dru Anderson KG6LAD reported on the August 8 Arastradero Fire - an arson wildfire
started shortly after 4:00 PM and visible from the Anderson residence. Firefighters
responded with trucks, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft. Dru, Martha Bowden (a
neighbor, CERT), and Rick Ellinger (ECC Associate) alerted the neighborhood, using
their web alert system on www.nextdoor.com. The fire was controlled in just over one
hour. A cyclist reported a suspicious person in the area, who was subsequently
arrested and charged with arson.
b. Dru suggested that during fire season or during storms, hams would do well to monitor
W6LAH and/or SPECS repeaters. Also, the www.nextdoor.com service was suggested
as a good tool for getting the word out to affected neighborhoods, assuming that
telecommunication services were still working.
7. Old business
a. Associate membership: Duncan provided comments received from Ray Egan W6FQY,
who was on travel. Approximately13 letters were sent to associate members,
suggesting that their participation in Monday night nets, meetings, etc. was not up to
the requirements of maintaining that designations. About half of those replied noting
their past activities and continuing interest. Based on those data points, Ray will likely
report in the October meeting that about 6 of our current 19 associate members will be
vacating their positions. Time to recruit.
a. Grant purchases: Duncan and Jim Abraham W6EB advised that equipment purchases
under the new grant had been completed, except for receipt some batteries. Jim
advised that with a 10% duty cycle (transmitting), battery backup for the W6LAH
repeated should last for about 5 days. Duncan noted that one dual band radio, antenna
and power supply had been purchased/received to support a back-up EOC at Foothill
College, Building 1900. Marsha will check the status of Foothill's acceptance and
storage of this LAH-owned equipment, as well as the process for getting the antenna
installed.
b. October 20 drill: Duncan reported that the drill will take place 1:00-4:00 PM. ECC
members are to check infrastructure status and advise the EOC for subsequent updating
to the ARK by radio/packet. After this survey, members are to report to the ARK for
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further assignment. Some ECC Associate members may need to be activated for this
drill and will be a focus item in the October meeting.
8. New business
a. Memory provisions for ARK and EOC radios: In his absence, Duncan noted that Andy
Fawcett KI6MAF suggests that all ARK and EOC radios be programmed with the
same frequencies at the same memory locations as ham radios. Jim Abraham and
Sam Wood K6MSR will meet with Andy to implement this and are authorized to
purchase any hardware or software required, estimated to be in the range of zero to
$50.00.
b. Field survey of critical infrastructure list: Duncan will resend the spreadsheets
describing Mike Sanders' infrastructure items and the suggested call-in protocol for the
October 20 drill, including Mike-Mike scale (earthquake grading).
c. Inventory control of ECC equipment: Dru might be willing to maintain such a list,
once it is established. Duncan will create a spreadsheet with initial information
provided by Ray and others, including recent grant purchases. It seemed to be the
consensus of the group that the ECC should maintain this listing as opposed to relying
on LAH staff. Bob Hall KF6DHX suggested adding a 88'-100' long, 5/8” diameter
rope to ham go-kits for use in emergencies. Dru will talk to Mike Sanders about
this idea.
d. Cell service in an emergency: Jim Abraham and Scott Overstreet N6NXI reported that
the 680 freeway in Oakland was closed due to a police action, and that event caused an
overload and rendered cell phone service inoperable. No doubt a more widespread
disaster, like an earthquake, would have the same effect and require ham radio for
communication. A discussion revealed that the use of text messaging might still work
in such circumstances. Marsha will distribute a pamphlet describing
communications in an emergency.
9. Adjournment: There being no further business and upon a motion by Bob Anderson, duly
seconded, it was unanimously resolved that the meeting be adjourned at 8:16pm.
Prepared and submitted by Bob Rowe AF6LD for Miles Seiver KI6LDU, secretary.
indicates action item