2006 EC SET Report - GA_ARES Gwinnett SET.pdf · 2006 EC SET Report FORM A *PLEASE PRINT* ... Georgia EMA, Newton Medical Center, Rockdale Medical Center 9 X 5 45 K Number of communities

2006 EC SET Report FORM A *PLEASE PRINT* Please fill out this report in triplicate (one copy to ARRL Headquarters, one copy to your SEC or DEC, one copy for your files). Attach newspaper clippings, photos, remarks, suggestions and any other material to be used in the write-up. Deadline for reporting is January 31, 2007.

ARRL Section: Georgia Area of Jurisdiction: Gwinnett County, Georgia DEC’s or EC’s Call sign: WB4QDX (John Davis – EC) E-mail address: [email protected] Date of local SET: 10/07/2006

Computation of score: Points

A Number of amateurs who participated in the test 34 X 2 68

B Number of new amateurs (licensed on or after January 1, 2002) participating

7 X 3 21

C Number of formal 3rd party written traffic messages originated or delivered during the SET on behalf of served agencies

23 X 1 23

D Were TACTICAL communications conducted on behalf of served agencies? (1 hour or more, score 20 points; 1/2 hour to 1 hour, score 10; less than 1/2 hour, score 5.)

> 1 Hour

N/A 20

E Number of stations on emergency power during the test 2 X 2 4

F Number of emergency-powered repeaters used during the test

• Give call signs of repeaters: W4GR (VHF & UHF), WX4NET

3 X 10 30

G Is dual membership in ARES and RACES actively encouraged? If YES, score 10 points. (RACES not available within county)

N 0

H Was liaison maintained during the SET with an NTS section or local net? If YES, score 10 points.

• Give call signs of station(s) performing liaison: WA4YIH, N4EEE

Y 10

I Were digital modes utilized at any time during the exercise? If YES, score 10 points

• Name the digital modes utilized: Packet

Y 10

J Number of different agencies for which communications were handled: East Metro Health District, Gwinnett EMA, Rockdale EMA, Gwinnett Health System, Gwinnett County Public Health, Georgia EMA, Newton Medical Center, Rockdale Medical Center

9 X 5 45

K Number of communities in which agencies were contacted. (If none, score MINUS 10)

• Name the community(ies) served: Lawrenceville, Buford, Norcross, Atlanta, Covington, Conyers

6 X 10 60

L Was a press release submitted? If YES, score 10 points, attach copy.

Y 10

TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS 301

Deadline for reporting is January 31, 2007. Mail to: ARRL HQ, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 USA CC: ARRL HQ, SEC/DEC

ARES Exercise Scenario Saturday, October 7, 2006

Announcement Preamble

The following message is an ARES exercise only. I repeat, this message is only an ARES

exercise. It is only a drill.

Announcement Conclusion

The preceding message is part of an ARES exercise only. This is only an exercise. This is only

a drill.

Two Months Out (09/11 Net and Web)

The CDC, in collaboration with the WHO, issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory

notifying clinicians and health departments to be on the alert for patients with severe respiratory

illness and a history of travel to the region of Asia, where at least 25 cases of a the type A

influenza virus (avian flu) have been identified in humans. The CDC has determined that the

virus is type A H7N3, a subtype never before found in humans. Isolates of the virus were sent to

the WHO Collaborating Centers and to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so that

they can begin to produce a reference strain for vaccine production. Influenza vaccine

manufacturers have been placed on alert, and surveillance has been intensified throughout

Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim. The outbreak caused by the novel influenza virus has begun

to make headlines in every major newspaper and has become the lead story on major news

networks.

One Month Out (09/18 Net and Web)

Human cases of the new virus have been reported in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and

Japan. Although cases are reported in all age groups, young adults appear to be the most

severely affected, and case-fatality rates are approaching 5%. Public unease is growning because

vaccine is not yet available and supplies of anti-viral drugs are severely limited.

Two Weeks Out (09/25 Net and Web)

Human cases of the H7N3 virus have been identified in the United States. The CDC reports that

the virus was isolated from ill airline passengers arriving from Hong Kong and Tokyo in Los

Angeles, Chicago, and New York. State and local agencies have been asked to intensify

influenza surveillance. Officials in metro Atlanta are preparing for the arrival of the virus in the

metro communities in the coming weeks.

Three Days Out (09/26 General Meeting and Web)

Gwinnett, Rockdale, and Newton counties are feeling the impact of the pandemic flu as a

noticeable increase has occurred in the number of persons presenting to emergency rooms with

symptoms consistent with influenza. The East Metro Health District has received 50,000 doses

of Tamiflu (an antiviral drug) and N95 masks to dispense to first responders and high-risk

populations. Three Neighborhood Emergency Help Centers (NEHCs) will be established in

Gwinnett County (Lawrenceville, Buford, and Norcross) to provide initial triage for persons

experiencing flu-like symptoms and to dispense Tamiflu and the masks in order to alleviate some

of the burden that the hospitals and physician offices are experiencing. As word is spreading

through the community about the assistance available at the NEHCs, lines of people seeking help

and information are beginning to form around the buildings and phones are ringing constantly as

well as at all hospitals in the district. Crowd control, security, and communications are the main

concerns of health officials at this time. County Emergency Management Agencies have

activated their Emergency Operations Centers to help manage the situation.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service®/East Metro Health District Exercise

October 7, 2006

After Action Report

Exercise Scenario:

The exercise was centered on a worsening pandemic influenza situation which finally reaches

Georgia and begins affecting the East Metro Health District (EMHD). Gradually

communications between the East Metro Health District and its key response partners

deteriorated to a point where it was difficult to make contact because of a panicked

population trying to call healthcare providers that overloaded the communications

infrastructures of the agencies. Because of these problems, EMHD requested assistance from

the three Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES

®) groups serving EMHD. In addition,

the State Operations Center was staffed with ARES representation.

The ARES groups and their teams were requested on the evening of October 6 to report to

their designated locations to begin setting up their stations at 8:30 AM on October 7.

The following information was provided over a period of a few weeks prior to the exercise to

the ARES organization using their weekly nets, the Gwinnett ARES website, their general

meeting and special nets to set the stage for the exercise:

Two Months Out

The CDC, in collaboration with the WHO, disseminates a Health Alert Network (HAN)

advisory notifying clinicians and health departments to be on the alert for patients with

severe respiratory illness and a history of travel to the region of Asia, where at least 25 cases

of a the type A influenza virus (avian flu) have been identified in humans. The CDC

determines that the virus is type A H7N3, a subtype never before found in humans. Isolates

of the virus are sent to the WHO Collaborating Centers and to the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA), so that they can begin to produce a reference strain for vaccine

production. Influenza vaccine manufacturers are placed on alert, and surveillance is

intensified throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim. The outbreak caused by the novel

influenza virus begins to make headlines in every major newspaper and becomes the lead

story on major news networks.

One Month Out

Human cases of the new virus are been reported in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and

Japan. Although cases are reported in all age groups, young adults appear to be the most

severely affected, and case-fatality rates approach 5%. Public unease grows because vaccine

is not yet available and supplies of anti-viral drugs are severely limited.

Two Weeks Out

Human cases are identified in the United States. The CDC reports that the H7N3 virus has

been isolated from ill airline passengers arriving from Hong Kong and Tokyo in Los

Angeles, Chicago, and New York. State and local agencies are asked to intensify influenza

surveillance. Officials in metro Atlanta brace themselves for the arrival of the virus in their

communities in the coming weeks.

Three Days Out

Gwinnett, Rockdale, and Newton counties begin to feel the impact of the pandemic flu as a

noticeable increase occurs in the number of persons presenting to emergency rooms with

symptoms consistent with influenza. The East Metro Health District receives 50,000 doses

of Tamiflu (an antiviral drug) and N95 masks to dispense to first responders and high-risk

populations. Three Neighborhood Emergency Help Centers (NEHCs) are established in

Gwinnett County (Lawrenceville, Buford, and Norcross) to provide initial triage for persons

experiencing flu-like symptoms and to dispense Tamiflu and the masks in order to alleviate

some of the burden that the hospitals and physician offices are experiencing. As word

spreads through the community about the assistance available at the NEHCs, lines of people

seeking help and information begin to form around the buildings and phones begin to ring

constantly as well as at all hospitals in the district. Crowd control, security, and

communications are the main concerns of health officials at this time. County Emergency

Management Agencies have activated to help manage the situation.

Note: All releases were prefaced and followed by the fact that these were exercise messages.

Executive Summary of Results:

Overall the exercise was a tremendous success. The exercise provided an excellent

opportunity for ARES members to interact with the EMHD and other agencies. This was the

first exercise for ARES in which they actually interacted with EMHD as a served agency,

processing actual messages originated and terminated by the served agency. The exercise

also provided served agency personnel an opportunity to observe the operation of ARES. It

also served as an exercise involving the three ARES groups located in the three-county

district.

ARES members exhibited a high level of enthusiasm and willingness to do what was needed.

They presented a professional approach and interaction with served agency representatives.

During the hotwash that ensued after the exercise, they were willing to address issues

encountered and make suggestions about how to improve the ARES response.

While the initial response was slow in transferring messages, as a routine was established, the

backlog of messages was eliminated and the typical response was approaching the needed

five-minute expectation. This is typical of emergency operations at the initiation of the

response when confusion is most prevalent. However, there are opportunities to improve

these performance issues.

The exercise was secured at 11:30 AM. Details are in the following sections.

Special appreciation is extended to the served agencies for their support and participation:

Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale Emergency Management Agencies, Gwinnett Hospital

System, Newton Medical Center, Rockdale Medical Center, Sheri Russo – GEMA Area 7

Field Coordinator who evaluated the exercise, Allie Bowen-Cox – EMHD Emergency

Preparedness Trainer who developed the exercise scenario and injects, Shelia Fultz – clinic

manager who coordinated clinic participation and decided what routine reporting was needed

for operations in the District Emergency Operations Center (DEOC).

Participating Functions:

Gwinnett County:

Communicators: 34

Locations staffed: 6 – Gwinnett Mobile Command Post (EMA), Gwinnett Medical

Center, three Gwinnett Health Clinics, East Metro Health District EOC, ARES

Mobile Communications Facility

Served agency participants: 13

PIO’s Used: 2

Newton County:

Communicators: 14

Locations staffed: 3 – Newton County EMA, Newton Medical Center, Newton

County Health Department (not open for service)

Served agency participants: 2

PIO’s Used: 0

Rockdale County:

Communicators: 9

Locations staffed: 2 – Rockdale Mobile Command Post (EMA), Rockdale Medical

Center

Served agency participants: 2

PIO’s Used: 0

State Operations Center:

Communicators: 1

Observations/Recommendations:

An exercise review was held by the Gwinnett ARES group following the exercise. They

assembled for lunch and discussion after the event. They were joined by OHS/EMA Director

Alan Doss, Gwinnett Hospital representative Chris Ryan, and East Metro Emergency

Preparedness Coordinator Stan Edwards and later by Newton County ARES Emergency

Coordinator Carl Wulfestieg. Spirited discussion of the exercise ensured with the following

summarizing the discussion.

The following issues major issues with actions to be taken were identified:

• Slow start in moving messages resulted in significant backlog at the beginning. After

about two hours, objective times of five minutes began being met.

o Should start resource net earlier for coordination.

o Have assigned net control station team just as for other response teams with NCS

stations ready to activate net immediately when operational requirements are

known. (In this instance, a response team was available that could have provided

net control station resources.)

o Resource net control should immediately move responding teams to tactical

frequencies upon arrival and acknowledgement that the station is installed and

operational at its assigned location.

o Resource net or other operating specified net manager should coordinate packet

alias vs. control station call signs.

o Conduct a mini-simulated emergency test midway between the annual simulated

emergency tests to maintain proficiency in deployed operations.

• There were issues with the high number of messages arriving at the same time at the

health district’s emergency operations center (DEOC).

o The use of digital modes for routine reporting into the DEOC would greatly speed

the transfer of traffic and make operations within the DEOC much more efficient.

o Conduct training on operation of the packet client to improve understanding of its

operation and capabilities.

o To minimize operator distraction from outside “noise”, operators should come

with headsets.

o Position indicators should be available for staff positions in the DEOC so

messages can be delivered directly by ARES members to the destination function.

• There were issues with using proper precedence.

o A hard copy of all plans and Standard Operating Guidelines should be maintained

by all ARES management staff and response teams, including a permanent copy

at fixed locations such as the DEOC station.

o Tabletop exercises should be conducted quarterly that includes transfer of

messages in a simulated net environment and grading of message precedence.

o Weekly nets should include the transmission of messages among two or more

stations.

• There were issues with formal vs. tactical forms of communications.

o A hard copy of Standard Operating Guidelines should be maintained by all

response teams, including a permanent copy at fixed locations such as the DEOC

station.

o Information submitted for transmission in tabletop exercises should include

grading for tactical vs. formal message forms.

• Establishing communications between Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale Counties seemed

confused.

o The plan established for the transmission of messages inter-county was not

followed. If the plan is not functional, ARES EC’s should develop functional

alternatives that provide an efficient means that will meet the performance metrics

required by the EMHD. Capabilities must include intercommunications among

all three counties in the district. Intra-county communications should not be

transmitted on this net.

o The plan should be exercised at least quarterly to verify functionality.

Other recommendations from the discussion included:

• Define status reporting by response teams so there is a clear definition by what is meant

when reporting station status at the deployed location.

• Define default call signs to use with designated aliases associated with packet. This may

have a practical limitation if using only the organization’s call sign.

• Status boards are needed in the DEOC. Properly configured with instruction, an ARES

representative can update the status with information received in routine reporting.

• Use different color message forms for incoming and outgoing messages to alleviate any

confusion about the message destination.

• All deployed stations’ operators should be equipped with headsets to minimize “noise”

interference to operations.

• Net control operators/stations should operate from their fixed stations or other location

where interference from external activity is minimized. Alternate net control stations

should always be available for every net and liaison stations should be appointed as

appropriate for the particular net.

• Served agencies should work to provide accessible space for ARES operations that is

convenient to the information that might be requested during a communications

emergency. Installations should include permanent antennas with antenna connections at

the operating location(s). (This currently is available in some installations.)

PRESS RELEASE

Health Emergency and Communications Exercise

Hospitals, Health Agencies, and Ham Operators test response

to major health emergency in metro Atlanta

Public Health District to design “real-life” emergency simulation for hams.

Contact: Dorothy Jubon- Public Information contact, Gwinnett County ARES

678-482-0703 home

678-491-7421 (mobile phone, active on day of event)

[email protected]

When: Saturday, October 7, 2006 8am – early afternoon (this is an open-ended exercise)

Where: East Metro Health District offices 2570 Riverside Parkway - Lawrenceville, GA 30045

A simulated emergency drill for a wide-area public health crisis will be conducted in early October. Several hospitals, health agencies and law enforcement agencies in a three-county area, along with the Gwinnett Amateur Radio Emergency Service (Gwinnett ARES), are conducting a test response to a simulated health emergency affecting much of North Georgia.

In a new “twist” on what is part of a national exercise, East Metro Health District, which serves

Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale Counties in Georgia with public health services, will be

creating a disaster scenario. However, no details will be revealed to amateur radio participants

until the exercise begins early in the morning. Stan Edwards, Emergency Preparedness

Specialist for the District, will only say that “something” true to life will be occurring, on a

simulated basis, that will be as close to “how it would really occur” as the exercise planners can

make it.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has charged Georgia Public Health agencies with

“demonstrating the ability to communicate with all (their locations) in the absence of land

telephone, Internet, and cellular” services – and that would leave only satellite telephone and

radio communications. As was demonstrated in the response to Hurricane Katrina, the only

reliable form of communications immediately following major disasters is amateur "ham" radio.

Therefore much of this disaster drill will focus on the capability of ARES groups in the three-

county area to establish and maintain emergency communications for and between the

participating agencies. Among the communications capabilities of ARES to be tested will be

voice and data (radio e-mail) using ham radio systems.

Major Alan Doss, Gwinnett’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Director, considers ARES to be an integral part of the county's emergency preparedness

planning.

This exercise is part of the nationwide Simulated Emergency Test conducted every October and

coordinated by the ARRL – the National Association for Amateur Radio.

Participating Agencies:

East Metro Health District

Emory Eastside Medical Center

Gwinnett Health System

Recent activities of Gwinnett ARES: Gwinnett ARES provided staffing at the Gwinnett Joint Resource Recovery center, backup

communications during a recent missing-persons search, participated in a disaster drill with Emory

Eastside Medical Center, and continued severe-weather spotting as part of the SKYWARN program of

the National Weather Service, as well as regular training sessions. Gwinnett ARES members are all

volunteers, providing their time, expertise, and equipment in a spirit of community service.

Visuals Include: • Director of the simulation communicating with field units • East Metro Health District - deployment of Mobile Communications trailer

• Setup and operation of communications gear, including

• computers communicating via ham radio

• antenna systems

• power generators

• Operators sending and receiving simulated emergency messages

Potential Interviews:

• ARES volunteers

• Officials from served agencies

• Hospital representatives

• East Metro Health District participants

• Gwinnett emergency preparedness personnel

### 30 ###

What IS working — ham radio!

Emergency drill to test communications

10/06/2006

By Jim Brock

Staff Writer

[email protected]

LAWRENCVILLE - The deadly flu pandemic has made its way to the Gwinnett area.

Thousands upon thousands of men, woman and children are bed-ridden, some hours away from death.

Communication via the Internet, cell phones, Blackberries and landlines are completely down.

What do we do?

That question will be answered Saturday when Amateur Radio Emergency Service chapters from Gwinnett,

Rockdale and Newton Counties will be spread throughout the area at health facilities, providing a communication

network through the use of ham radios (two-way radios that use multiple frequencies with an antenna)

Dorothy Jubon, spokeswoman for Gwinnett County ARES, said this is the big test the organization performs every

year to ensure its ability to serve the public.

"The assumption is that the flu has hit in force, so labor forces are diminished," she said. "You've got all the people

that are panicking and calling into the hospital, (and) hospitals' systems will be down.

"This is just the scenario that Public Health has been talking about. We will go to the hospital or health clinic and set

up communications."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have charged public health agencies statewide to demonstrate the

ability to communicate if typical methods of communication are down.

And while the East Metro Health District will create the scenario, ham operators will respond.

According to an ARES press release, other health agencies and hospitals as well as law enforcement from the three-

county area will be also involved with the test.

Jubon said the ham operators will walk into the situation Saturday morning with only the general idea of the crisis

listed above, hence the name emergency communications.

"We don't get the absolute details (of where to go) until Saturday morning," she said. "Its about activating quickly,

and it serves no purpose if we have a day's notice and can show up and camp out."

Jubon also said that while satellite phones can be reliable, air time can become congested, which validates the theory

of ham radio being the best communication method.

This was proven during Hurricane Katrina last year, according to the press release.

A form of radio e-mail, transmitting voice and data, will also be tested during the simulations, which begins around

8 a.m. and will last until around lunchtime, Jubon said.

The organization is always looking for new operators, but those who are not members of the organization will not be

able to participate on Saturday.

For more information, visit www.gwinnettares.org for more information.

EXERCISE SITE PHOTOS

Self-contained Go Kit in operation at Buford Health Clinic Site

Response Team operating at Buford Health Clinic (L-R Danny Kelley KI4KXO, Vester Scott N8EKA)

Operation at East Metro Health District Operations Center (L-R David Adcock KA4KKF, Eddie Foust WD4JEM)

Response Team operating at Gwinnett Medical Center

(L-R Charlie Parkhurst K9CMP, Steve Back WB2OGY, Mike Reiser WB4WTL)

Self-contained Go Kit in operation at Gwinnett Medical Center

Georgia Office of Homeland Security/Emergency Management

Area 7 Coordinator Sheri Russo (right) and Gwinnett County Homeland Security/EMA Director Maj. Alan Doss (left) observe the SET at East

Metro Health District Operations Center