A monthly publication of the Middle East Tennessee Emergency Radio Service, Inc.

METERS is a registered non-profit service organization based in Knoxville, serving all the surrounding area.

Club call sign:  KG4NLF         Website: www.metersinc.org

Meetings are held at 7 PM, the 4^th Tuesday every month. Our March meeting will be at Tennessee Technology Center, 1100 Liberty Street, Knoxville 37909. This location is between Middlebrook Pike and Sutherland Ave. at about 3200 West off Middlebrook. (See the website for directions, or watch the Net Reminder.). Licensed Amateur Radio Operators are invited to join METERS and assist in meeting the needs of our served agencies.

Members’ submissions are invited for this newsletter, in .rtf, .doc, and plain text formats, subject to space available and editing.

 Editor: Larry Osterman, W8JYQ, e-mail to w8jyq (at) arrl (dot) net.

President’s Statement for March 2006 - You Are The Reason!

By Alan Sims KG4MMG

I may be saying this over and over, but if not for YOU, we would have no reason for Calling Nets, Providing Training, Setting up our Public Service activities, or having Meetings. These are organizational jobs that some of us volunteered for, and are willing to do, for you and our community. But folks, it is mighty disappointing when you don't check into our Nets or come to Meetings. It takes a lot of time to prepare and get training ready for you. It also takes time and preparation to call the nets and prepare agenda items for our meetings.

My point is, YOU should support METERS; Support WI8X Dick, Training Officer; and Support your Net Control Stations, by being there for THEM. We did good getting out for the EOC January meeting. Let’s keep it up: Please, show YOUR support for METERS and 'ham' radio.

Thanks - Alan KG4MMG

Vice President's Notes

From Tyra Buczkowski AI4KG

1. There are THREE FREE publications that may be of interest to members. These three booklets are available to Knox County residents free of charge.

A.     It's a Disaster and What Are You Going To Do About It.

B.     Hazardous Materials Compliance Pocketbook.

C.  Hazmat Made Easier for all Employees.

To request a free copy of any or all of the above FREE publications, Knox County residents should call (865) 215-1166.

2. NIMS CLASS COMING UP SOON

METERS is sponsoring a NIMS class on Tuesday April 11, 2006 from 6:00-10:00PM at the Blount County EOC/TEMA Regional Office. The course will be conducted by Carl McDaniel, Area Coordinator of TEMA, and will culminate in a multiple-choice exam. The participant will earn FEMA/TEMA certification in NIMS upon successful completion of the exam. If interested please contact Gary AG4XO at AG4XO@metersinc.org

3. Knoxville Marathon coming up early Sunday March 26, 2006. It is still not too late to contact David KE4FGW to volunteer and get instructions. (Ph. 212-4049 or KE4FGW@metersinc.org)

4. A "Did you know?" Tidbit:  Did you know that there are two US Congressmen who are amateur radio operators? They are Representative Mike Ross WD5DVR from Arkansas and Representative Greg Walden W7EQI of Oregon.

5. Something of interest to METERS members & anyone interested in EmComm:  This year the Dayton Hamvention 2006 will be from May 19-21 and has the theme of "Ham Radio IS Public Service".

73, Tyra AI4KG

Treasurer Talk!  (Good Guys Wanted)

By Dave Ogle KE4YBZ

Our budget projects our expenses based on dues income from 45 paying members. As of late February we only had 34 paid. We really need to find more participants, not just for our activities, but to be sure we can pay our bills (Liability insurance, Website renewal, State reports, Admin fees). Ours is the serious side of "ham" radio, the side in which we offer our radio skills to our community. I believe there are at least a dozen other "good guys" in our local amateur radio community willing to join (or rejoin!) our efforts, if we will search for them. Please spread the word folks.  

We now have received our first order for EmComm 2 books, and all but one has been paid for. If you'd like to be on the next order (?) please let me know. By combining our order we cut the shipping cost for all.

Please remember that when you renew, or join ARRL for the first time, you can do it through METERS and we will get a small "finders fee" from ARRL to help the budget. Please download the application form from ARRL then give it to me with your check at one of our meetings.    –Dave KE4YBZ

Tornadoes Reviewed

From Knox News 2/5/06, Page A20

You may have missed this article of special interest to SkyWarn observers. Under the old Fujita categorizing system an F-5 tornado had estimated wind speeds of 261 to 318 mph. This was supposed to be the level needed to destroy a typical frame house. But now, studies of 148 tornadoes in 12 states during 1974, done by Texas Tech University's Wind Science and Engineering Research Center, found that a strong frame house can be lifted off its foundation by wind speeds of "only" 200 mph and this speed will also disintegrate the house. They said that (objects moving at) 200 mph would also badly damage a reinforced concrete building. A new rating scale will go into effect in 2007, as announced at a meeting of the American Meteorological Society in Atlanta (and at our recent SkyWarn class).                            - Larry W8JYQ

Survival Skills

By Fred Koenig KI4EOJ (from Simplex Net 2/15/06)

Survival skills require the Will to Survive foremost. The word 'survival' has an acronym that may be useful in remembering some basics if you are lost or in survival mode:

S – Size up your situation, your surroundings, personal condition, equipment, and supplies,

U – Use all senses and do Not Move until the size up is completed,

R – Remember where you are, use a map; look around in all directions,

V – Vanquish fear and panic, use relaxation techniques to stay calm,

I – Improvise. Learn to use everything around you; shelter can be some branches or a cave,

V – Value life, your endurance and will to live will keep you alive,

A – Act like the natives, watch the animals – they too need water, etc. - but beware of toxins,

L – Live by your wits. Practice survival techniques when in the field and stay alert.

Psychology is important and reducing stress is a big part of this. Stress is a reaction to pressure. Stress will test your adaptability and flexibility. Your goal is to learn to avoid stress, which will lead to distress. Signs of too much stress are nervousness, low energy, quick to anger, constant worry, making too many mistakes, and withdrawal from the group. Speaking of which, stay with the group if you are in a survival (or lost) situation. Your survival will depend on your ability to manage your stress and ability to reduce too many stressful events. Keep as calm as possible.

Editorial Notes –

* Our March meeting will be at an entirely NEW location, Tennessee Technology Center, at 1100 Liberty Street in close-in West Knoxville. If you are approaching from Middlebrook Pike, the Liberty Street intersection is at 3200 West, (in front of the Pepsi Bldg.) and a turn South takes you directly to the main building of Tennessee Technology Center, which will be on your left. Please come in at the main Liberty Street entrance, and watch for our arrow signs once you are inside. There will be someone in the office to direct you if you miss the signs. If you can walk up the hill please use the big, lighted parking lot, north of the building, otherwise there are five handicapped spaces in front of the building and some on the south side near the south entrance. We'll have more in the weekly Net Reminder and on the website.

* Thanks to you all who braved the elements to join David KE4FGW at the Strawberry Plains Half Marathon. It may have been cold and snowy but David said many of the 300+ runners had only shirt and shorts on.  (Our next Marathon event on March 26^th should offer better weather conditions.)

* We announced at our February meeting that METERS would soon be soliciting support from a few good Sponsors. A Sponsor is any commercial organization or individual willing to support our efforts by providing dollars ($50, $100, or more) or specific use items needed by the organization. Right now we are in need of a working digital projector for use in training our operators for EmComm-2 certification. (Squint-o-vision has been a reasonable stopgap measure but wall projection of training material would be more effective.)  Sponsor benefits: notation and links on our website, business card size promotion on our brochure, and logo identification or mention on our event banners. Please e-mail me with any suggestions.

* Noticed that some of our members received nice kudos from ARRL, in February QST, for Katrina service. Namely, Tyra AI4KG, and Gary AG4XO, appeared on the Honor Roll. Congratulations! 

New Madrid Preparedness, FEMA Priority

(From an AP article By CHERYL WITTENAUER, via Gary AG4XO)

Preparing for a catastrophic earthquake on the New Madrid fault line is a priority, said Michael Pawlowski of FEMA, Friday before a congressional field inquiry on government readiness to handle natural disasters. "New Madrid is at the top of the list. It's our primary objective," said Mr. Pawlowski, Section Leader of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Pawlowski told a congressional committee that FEMA has "significant concerns" regarding the potential of a catastrophic earthquake, which may be equal in magnitude to those that struck parts of the Mississippi River Valley in 1811-1812, and again in 1895. The estimated magnitude of those earthquakes is greater than 7.5 on the Richter scale. The probability of a magnitude 6 or larger earthquake may be 25% to 50% over the next 50 years. Even a magnitude 7.0 quake could destroy over 60% of the buildings in St. Louis and Memphis, since most buildings there pre-date building codes aimed at resisting earthquakes, officials estimate.

"A catastrophic earthquake in the central United States along the New Madrid Seismic Zone could pose unprecedented problems and challenges," Pawlowski said. FEMA officials are worried about how quickly they could enter the affected area because many roads, bridges, and approaches could not withstand a high-magnitude earthquake, he said. "It will be a monumental challenge, that's why we want as many partners as possible to address this," Pawlowski said

FEMA, sharply criticized for its handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, recently began to prepare for the possibility of an earthquake along the New Madrid fault. Pawlowski didn't say whether the Katrina criticism had prompted the agency's interest in the 50-mile-wide New Madrid fault zone, centered near the southeast Missouri town of New Madrid, and which stretches all the way from Alabama to Illinois. Instead, he pointed to its potential, wide-ranging impact on the nation's economy, estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. He said a strong earthquake could disrupt the flow of commodities by underground pipeline, rail, barge and highway; halt the flow of food exports, fuel oil and coal outside the region; cripple FedEx's hub in Memphis, and block routes for emergency services. Pawlowski said FEMA expects to have a regional response plan in place by June 2007.

A House subcommittee chaired by Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., and which oversees FEMA and federal emergency management, traveled to St. Louis to gauge how prepared local, state and federal governments would be in responding to a natural disaster, and avoid problems that emerged with Katrina. Shuster served on a special committee that last week released the findings of its investigation into the government's response to Katrina. He said he is leaning toward introducing legislation that would separate FEMA from Homeland Security. That's in response to criticisms that FEMA's traditional role of dealing with natural disasters had gotten lost in Homeland Security's emphasis on fighting terrorism. "Response was slow and key decisions were made late," Shuster said. "We can't afford to get it wrong again. Business as usual doesn't work in a catastrophic disaster."

Missouri emergency management director Ronald Reynolds said most federal emergency funds have been tied to terrorism and not available for natural disasters. "That's been changing since Katrina," he said.

Eugene Schweig of the U.S. Geological Survey testified Friday before the committee, that the New Madrid earthquakes of the 1800's, and the thousands of aftershocks, upended land, made the river(s) un-navigable, and created landslides in a multi-state region. "Such an event today would rupture underground pipelines, burst levees, and wreak havoc in the Midwest and East," he said.

Added Note on New Madrid

By Larry Osterman, W8JYQ

After reading the above, I was especially interested in an article in Knox News on Feb. 26, 2006 (Page A23) written by Lee Bowman of Scripps Howard, which reviewed the history of New Madrid. In the article, Bowman quotes from Mark Zoback of Stanford University who gave a talk at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science recently. Zoback said the problem of New Madrid goes back 700 million years, and relates to the North American tectonic plate trying to break apart in the middle. The current stress in the earth's crust goes down 10 to 15 miles, and had been aggravated by the pressure of ice-age glaciers. The U.S. Geological Survey had estimated that in the next 50 years there is a 10% chance of repeating the 1811 and 1812 earthquakes (which created Reelfoot Lake, and changed the course of rivers throughout the area).  FEMA has suggested beefing up building codes close to New Madrid, but without a catastrophe there seems to be a lot of foot dragging. Dr. David Gillespie, professor and sociologist at Washington University said, "- most people will not begin to care about the risks until an earthquake happens."  He suggested government leaders should take a longer view, perhaps 25 to 50 years, in their planning for the eventual catastrophic quake that is coming. Are we far enough away not to be affected? You may want to read the entire article at the Knoxville News-Sentinel website, or at the library.  

France Secretly Upgrades Capacity of Nuclear Arsenal

By Kim Willsher, Paris, Friday February 10, 2006, The Guardian (from Gary AG4XO)

France has secretly modified its nuclear arsenal to increase the strike range and accuracy of its weapons. The move comes after President Jacques Chirac warned that, states that threatened the country, could face the "ultimate warning" of a nuclear retaliation.

A military source quoted yesterday by "The Liberation" newspaper, claimed France had tinkered with its nuclear weapons to improve their strike capability and make this threat more credible. The source said there had been two major changes: the bombs can now be fired at high altitude to create an "electromagnetic impulse" to destroy the enemy's computer and communications systems; and the number of nuclear warheads has been reduced to increase the missiles' range and precision.

During his surprise speech, which was made in January, President Chirac said: "The number of nuclear warheads has been reduced in certain of the missiles in our submarines".

Military experts said this was not a step towards disarmament, but a move to improve the performance of the weapons. Until now each submarine carried 16 French-made M45 missiles, each fitted with six nuclear warheads. After being fired, each warhead would separate to hit a different target, in effect giving each submarine 96 nuclear bombs. In reducing the number of warheads, down to one per missile in some cases, the weapon is lighter and has a longer range. It can also be targeted more accurately. Liberation speculates that while potential targets are "secret", it is clear they include the Middle East or Asia, and that its military contacts suggest the changes are aimed at adding "flexibility" to France's nuclear deterrent. "These evolutions are aimed at better taking into account the psychology of the enemy," Defense Minister, Michele Alliot-Marie said after President Chirac's warning in January.

In a speech to MPs, she added: "A potential enemy may think that France, given its principles, might hesitate to use the entire force of its nuclear arsenal against civilian populations. "Our country has modified its capacity for action and now has the possibility to target the control centers of an eventual enemy."

French government sources said the president's speech, given at a nuclear submarine base in Brittany, was not targeted specifically at Iran - despite Tehran's decision to continue its nuclear program - or at individual terrorist organizations, but at countries that posed a direct threat to France itself. It is also seen as an attempt to justify the money France spends to maintain its estimated 300-350 nuclear weapons more than a decade after the end of the cold war.

"The ultimate warning restores the principle of dissuasion," the military source told Liberation. The president is not talking about a choice between an apocalypse or nothing at all."

The paper says, according to its information, "ultimate warning" could take two new forms. The most demonstrative would be to fire a relatively weak warhead into a deserted zone far from centers of power and habitation. The more radical option would be to explode a bomb at an extremely high altitude with the aim of creating a brief but enormously strong electromagnetic field, which would disable or destroy all non-protected electronic systems in the area.

During the cold war France's "ultimate threat" involved firing nuclear bombs into Soviet military divisions and large cities.

From ARES E-Letter (ARRL)

February 15, 2006, Rick Palm K1CE, Editor

=================                           

(Shortened to fit our Newsletter. –Ed)

+ New ARRL Committee to Evaluate National Emergency Response

At its Annual Meeting in January, the League's Board of Directors established the National Emergency Response Planning Committee. The rationale was evidence and personal interviews with staff that such a committee would be necessary.  "The League's national emergency response to large-scale disasters like Katrina warranted Board-level understanding and support of such work, and the creation of this committee takes care of that," said Dave Patton, NN1N, Manager, Field

and Educational Services Department, ARRL Headquarters.

+ NIMS/ICS Training Essential

The Department of Homeland Security is requiring all first responders, including volunteers, to complete training in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) by 2007. This sounds formidable, but in reality there is an Independent Study course from FEMA that covers it. The course is IS-700 - go to http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIweb/IS/crslist.asp> and find the course list. Follow directions and you will get to IS-700. Readers can take the course on line or download the material and do it at their own pace. It shouldn't take more than three hours in any case. There's a final exam on line, but it isn't going to cost much sweat (or any money - courses are all free). After passing the final, the student will get notification by e-mail or regular mail.

Readers are encouraged to look at the rest of the course offerings on the FEMA training Web site. They represent a wealth of knowledge, organized so that us real people can get through them and actually learn something. They aren't rocket science, just good stuff we need to know! -- John Amos, KC6TVM, ADEC, Hospital Net Coordinator, Santa Clara County, California.

+ Opinion: ARES Appointment Requirements Should Include FEMA/ARRL Courses

Successful completion of the ARRL Levels 1, 2, and 3 EmComm courses and FEMA courses IS-100 and IS-700 should be a requirement for all new SECs, DECs, ECs and Official Emergency Stations (OES). ARRL could grandfather current appointees with the provision that they complete the required course work within three years. These courses provide the basics that every ARES appointee should have if they are to work effectively with served agencies and each other. There is a need for a new minimum level of training for ARES operators. – Dennis Baumgarte, AE2EE, EC Duchess County, New York; SEC Eastern New York; and Radio Officer, Orange County, New York

+ In Support of "Plain Language"

From the FEMA NIMS FAQ: The use of plain language in emergency response situations is a matter of public safety, especially the safety of first responders and those affected by the incident. It is critical that all local responders, as well as those coming to impacted area from other jurisdictions, know and use commonly established operational structures, terminology, policies and procedures. This is what NIMS and the Incident Command System (ICS) are all about - achieving interoperability across jurisdictions and disciplines.

The use of common terminology is about the ability of area commanders, state and local EOC personnel, federal operational coordinators, and responders to communicate clearly with each other and effectively coordinate response activities, no matter what the size, scope or complexity of the incident. FEMA requires that plain English be used for multi-agency, multi-jurisdiction and

multi-discipline events, such as major disasters and exercises. Beginning in the fiscal year that starts on Oct. 1, 2007, federal preparedness grant funding is contingent on the use of plain English in major incidents requiring assistance from responders from other agencies, jurisdictions and functional disciplines. It is important to practice everyday terminology and procedures that will need to be used in emergency incidents and disasters. NIMS implementation is a

long-term effort and it's probably not possible to persuade everyone to change ingrained habits overnight. But over time, everyone will understand the importance of using common terminology, that is, plain English, every day.

See http://faq.fema.gov/cgi-bin/fema.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php --

Submitted by Les Rayburn, N1LF

+ ARES Marketplace

A handsome all-brass ARES belt buckle is available: The company has a marketing agreement with the ARRL and is producing the belt buckles with an ARES theme. ARRL receives a portion of each sale. They're not cheap, but I know I'm going to get one. (http://www.ItsUrCall.com)  - K1CE

HAMTHREADS, http://www.hamthreads.com, makes ARES, RACES, and SKYWARN hats, shirts, jackets and vests, with 3M Reflective Tape for high visibility. Club discounts provided. - Dave Birdsley, KF8WS, B & B Embroidery/Ham Threads

ARRL Emergency Response Planning Committee

NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 28, 2006 (from Gary AG4XO)

(Tyra and I worked with one of the committee members, Greg Sarratt W4OZK, during our Katrina deployment to Gulfport, MS. –Gary)

ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, has appointed 13 individuals to serve on the ARRL National Emergency Response Planning Committee. ARRL's Board of Directors resolved to establish the panel during its annual meeting in January "to appropriately prepare for future large-scale disasters." The committee will develop a comprehensive recommendation for ARRL responses to regional, national and international disasters.

"This group reflects a nationwide assembly of individuals with direct field experience in all aspects of emergency communications at various levels with disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods and terrorist activity to name a few," Harrison said. "There were many excellent recommendations for this committee, which is quite encouraging in itself and speaks highly of Amateur Radio's productive involvement in emergency communications."

ARRL First Vice President Kay Craigie N3KN, will chair the ad hoc committee. Among the members is Alabama Section Manager Greg Sarratt W4OZK, Mississippi DEC Karl Bullock WA5TMC, and IARU Region II Emergency Coordinator Rick Palm K1CE (IARU liaison).

Harrison said the committee begins its work immediately under Craigie's direction. Among other things, the Committee will thoroughly evaluate the responses and actions of ARRL and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) during Hurricane Katrina as well as lessons learned. The Board's resolution establishing the committee noted that the emergency communications resources and organization needed for national and international disasters "are markedly different" from what's required at the regional and local level. Given the unprecedented scope and devastation of the 2005 hurricane season in general, and of Hurricane Katrina in particular, ARRL Headquarters was placed into a leadership coordination role through national-level requests for help from served agencies such as the American Red Cross. The ARRL Board will consider the committee's recommendations at its 2007 annual meeting next January.