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Contact OCRACES
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Next OCRACES Meeting: June 2nd
The
next OCRACES meeting is on Monday, June 2, 2008, at 7:30 PM, at 840 N. Eckhoff Street,
Suite 104, in Orange. A briefing will be given to County and City RACES
members on our support of the June 3rd Statewide Primary Election ballot
transportation.
OCRACES/Tri-Cities RACES Assist Vision Quest
OCRACES
participated in an ACS activation with Tri-Cities RACES and SOARA (South
Orange Amateur Radio) members in the Vision
Quest Mountain Bike Pow Wow 2008 on March 1, 2008, which began at the
Black Star Canyon gate at 0530. The OCRACES emergency communications
response vehicle served as a command post at O'Neill Park.

OCRACES
Radio Officers Scott Byington, KC6MMF (left), and Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP
(left photo) check programming of APRS tracking boxes for Vision Quest,
while San Juan Capistrano RACES Radio Officer Joe Lopez, W6BGR (who was
also the race communications director), operates net control from the
OCRACES van (right photo)
OCRACES/Tri-Cities RACES in SONGS Siren Test
County
of Orange RACES and members of the newly forming Tri-Cities RACES unit,
assisted by members of South Orange Amateur Radio Association (SOARA)
participated in the annual test of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
(SONGS) community alert sirens on Thursday, December 6, 2007. Chuck Dolan,
KG6UJC, monitored the siren at Oglebay Norton Industrial Sands east of San
Juan Capistrano, while Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK, and Radio
Officer Joe Selikov, KB6EID, monitored sirens at two sites at the Northrop
Grumman Capistrano Test Site east of San Clemente. They reported test
results via one of the OCRACES UHF repeaters to Walter Kroy, KC6HAM, at
the Orange County EOC RACES Room, who communicated with OCSD Emergency
Communications Coordinator Marten Miller, KF6ZLQ, at the siren panel in
Control One.
Tri-Cities
RACES personnel and SOARA members monitored sirens in San Clemente, San
Juan Capistrano, and Dana Point, and coordinated their activities via the
SOARA repeater. Test results were sent to Dan Cleavenger at Southern
California Edison's San Onofre Diagnostic Center.
OCRACES Has Holiday Dinner on December 3rd
Members
of OCRACES (Harvey Packard, KM6BV, Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP, Jim Carter,
WB6HAG, Walter Kroy, KC6HAM, Ken Bourne, W6HK, Ernest Fierheller, KG6LXT,
Scott Byington, KC6MMF, Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, Bill Borg, KG6PEX, Randy
Benicky, N6PRL, Ray Grimes, N8RG, Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, Steve Sobodos,
KN6UX, Jack Barth, AB6VC, and Nancee Graff, N6ZRB) and their spouses
celebrated a year full of activities at the annual holiday dinner at Marie
Callender's Restaurant on Katella Avenue in Orange on Monday, December 3,
2007. They were joined by OCSD/Communications Director Robert Stoffel,
KD6DAQ, OCSD Emergency Communications Coordinator Marten Miller, KF6ZLQ
(who arranged the dinner), Gary Gray, W6DOE (former OCSD/Communications
Engineering Manager), Eric Christensen, K6EJC (HRO Burbank store manager
and BEARS City Radio Officer), and Tom Woodard, KI6GOA (American Red
Cross/Orange County Chapter Disaster & Client Services Specialist). In
addition to several certificates presented by Marten to members who showed
the most participation during the year, plaques were also awarded to the
Member of the Year (Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC) and Officer of the Year (Ken
Bourne, W6HK), as a result of member votes.

OCSD
Emergency Communications Coordinator Marten Miller, KF6ZLQ (left) presents
Member of the Year plaque to Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC (left photo), and Officer
of the Year plaque to Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK
RACES Responds to EOC for Storm/Evacuations
At
1041 on Friday, November 30, 2007, OCRACES was activated by OCSD
Communications Division Director Robert Stoffel, KD6DAQ, who handled net
control on the 2-meter repeater until Steve Sobodos, KN6UX, arrived at the
EOC RACES Room at 1125.. The EOC was at Level 2 activation, due to a storm
and eventual mandatory evacuation of Modjeska and Williams Canyons due to
mud slides in the burn areas. American Red Cross/Orange County Chapter
Disaster & Client Services Specialist Tom Woodard, KI6GOA, informed
OCRACES Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK, at 1103 that he was
monitoring from the Red Cross EOC in Santa Ana. Red Cross officially
activated at 1130. Ken arrived at the Orange County EOC at 1248 and worked
on scheduling other OCRACES members for four-hour shifts. Next to arrive
was Radio Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF, followed by Radio Officer Harvey
Packard, KM6BV, and then Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, who worked until past
midnight, when RACES assistance was no longer needed. The EOC was
officially deactivated at 1030 Saturday morning, December 1st.
Another
weather activation at the EOC was declared on Thursday, December 6, 2007,
due to another storm and potential canyon evacuations. Ken Bourne, W6HK,
arrived at the EOC RACES Room at 1455 (shortly after participating in the
SONGS siren test–see article above), and was relieved at 1900 by Scott
Byington, KC6MMF. Scott was relieved at 2300 by Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC. Chuck
was relieved at 0300 on December 7th by Tony Sanchez, AE6QT, who was
relieved at 0700 by Tom Tracey, KC6FIC. Tom worked until 1100, when RACES
assistance was no longer required. The EOC officially deactivated at 1200.
During
both activations, situation status bulletins were read from the EOC RACES
Room on the OCRACES 2-meter repeater and on the OA1, OA2, and WEROC (Water
Emergency Response Organization of Orange County) VHF low-band
frequencies.
OCRACES Goes on Fire Patrol
County
of Orange RACES activated early Saturday morning, November 24, 2007, for
Severe Fire Wearther Patrol duty, in response to a Red Flag Warning that
had been issued by the National Weather Service. Two-man patrols operated
in approximately 5½-hour shifts, covering four areas of Orange County.
Net-control operators were ready to telephone reports to appropriate fire
agencies, if plumes of smoke or suspicious activity had been spotted.
Morning
patrols were conducted by the following two-man teams: Ernest Fierheller,
KG6LXT, and Tom Tracey, KC6FIC, Area 1; Ken Bourne, W6HK, and Scott
Byington, KC6MMF, Area 2; and Randy Benicky, N6PRL, and Steve Sobodos,
KN6UX, Area 3. Morning net control was handled by Tom Stroud, N6FDZ, on 2
meters, and Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP, on 70 cm. Afternoon patrols were
conducted by: Jack Barth, AB6VC, and Harvey Packard, KM6BV, Area 1; Ken
Bourne, W6HK, and Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP, Area 2; Randy Benicky, N6PRL, and
Tony Sanchez, AE6QT, Area 3; and Nancee Graff, N6ZRB, and John Roberts,
W6JOR, Area 4. Afternoon net control on both repeaters was Tom Tracey,
KC6FIC.
Fortunately,
the wind was relatively calm and no fires were spotted. The patrol
provided a good test of radio coverage throughout a large portion of
Orange County.
118 Attend RACES Academy on November 17th

Gordon
West, WB6NOA (right), American Red Cross/Orange County Chapter, demonstrates his
HF mobile installation to Brad Wilson, N3BSW, of Los Angeles County Disaster
Communications Service, after Gordon taught his course at the RACES Academy
A
great learning opportunity for all radio amateurs involved in
emergency communications occurred on Saturday, November 17, 2007. On
that day, from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, County of Orange
RACES conducted an academy of courses in emergency communications
technology and operations at the Sheriff's Training
Facility in Orange. This academy was open to all radio
amateurs involved in emergency communications, including RACES, ACS, ARES,
SKYWARN, REACT, SATERN, etc. Total attendance (students and instructors) was
118. The 50-minute courses
included:
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0830-0920:
Amateur Television
(ATV)
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0830-0920:
Health
and Safety Considerations for First Responders
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0920-1020:
Winlink
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0920-1020:
NIMS
IS-200
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1030-1130:
Setting up a Communications Command Post
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1030-1130: HF
Mobile Operations and Installation (followed by Display of HF Mobiles
During 1130-1300 Lunch Break)
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1300-1350:
High-Speed Multimedia (HSMM) using 2.4 GHz
802.11 routers
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1300-1350:
Power
Systems
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1400-1450:
D-STAR
Digital Voice
and Data Protocol
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1400-1450:
Developing
Networks to Support Agency Communications
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1500-1550:
VHF/UHF
Mobile Installations
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1500-1550:
Mutual-Aid
Deployment
to Other Areas
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1600-1700:
DC
Distribution
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1600-1700:
Orange
County 800-MHz Trunked Radio System
Two courses ran simultaneously in two separate classrooms, allowing
students to attend up
to seven classes throughout the day, free of charge, and without the
pressure of drills and tests. Attractive certificates will be mialed to
instructors and to students who attended at least five of the classes.
County/City RACES Support Golden Guardian
County
of Orange RACES, as well as several City RACES units, supported the Golden
Guardian exercise on November 14, 2007. Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, operated from
the EOC RACES Room, and communicated with City RACES stations on 2 meters
and 6 meters, and with EOCs and WEROC (Water Emergency Response
Organization of Orange County) on VHF low-band.
Golden
Guardian 2007 was sponsored by the State of California Governor's Office
of Homeland Security and the Anaheim/Santa Ana Super Urban Area (UA)
Security Initiative. The focus was on security and response for
mass-transit and mass-gathering events. The exercise simulated a
multi-discipline, UA-wide response to a high-explosive terrorist attack.
RACES Responds to Santiago Fire
County
of Orange RACES was activated on Sunday, October 21, 2007, at 1819 hours,
and provided 24/7 coverage at the County/Operational Area EOC until 1800
hours on Sunday, October 28th. A total of 32 volunteers provided
continuous monitoring of EOC, RACES, and public-safety radio systems at
the EOC. Participants includes RACES members from Orange County, Anaheim,
Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Laguna Niguel, Placentia, Los Alamitos, and
Irvine.
The
Orange County Fire Authority requested the assistance of RACES volunteers
on October 23rd, asking for 24/7 staffing at the Incident Command Post. A
total of 54 volunteers provided continuous support at the ICP until
November 5th at 2200 hours. Participants included RACES members from
Orange County, Brea, Anaheim, La Palma, Westminster, Laguna Niguel,
Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Mission
Viejo, Laguna Beach, and Los Alamitos.
OCRACES Exhibits at OCFA Open House

Lt.
Scott Byington, KC6MMF (left), and Lt. Harvey Packard, KM6BV, with OCRACES
emergency communications response vehicle at OCFA Open House
OCRACES
exhibited its emergency communications response vehicle at the Orange County
Fire Authority Open House on Saturday, October 13, 2007, at OCFA's Regional
Fire Operations and Training Center (RFOTC) in Irvine. Many families
visited our display and learned about amateur radio and what RACES can do
during an emergency. OCRACES members at the event included Chief Radio
Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK, and Radio Officers Scott Byington, KC6MMF, and
Harvey Packard, KM6BV.
City/County/State/MOU Units Hold ACS Drill

OCRACES
Radio Officer Joe Selikov, KB6EID (left), operates on 2-meter repeater
from EOC RACES Room during City/County/State/MOU ACS Drill, while Radio
Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF, checks Winlink system
Members
of OCRACES and 17 City RACES and ACS units, plus San Clemente, one of
three cities forming the new Tri-Cities RACES unit, plus State OES ACS,
the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS), American Red
Cross/Orange County, Orange County SKYWARN, and REACT participated in the
City/County/MOU ACS drill on Saturday morning, October 6, 2007. The drill
began with a simulated weather alert from SKYWARN, triggering a simulated
severe flood. This was followed by a simulated break in Prado Dam, putting
much of Orange County under water. Message traffic was heavy, involving
requests for and offers of resources.
Communicators
Participate at VMAD

At
the VMAD Field Communications Command Post (OCRACES emergency
communications response vehicle) are (left to right) OCSD PSR and OCRACES
Member Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC,
Lt. Scott Byington, KC6MMF, Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, Lt. Harvey Packard,
KM6BV, and OCSD Emergency Communications Coordinator Marten Miller, KF6ZLQ
Almost
70 radio amateurs from 21 ACS/RACES, ARES, and SKYWARN units participated
in the Orange County California Citizen Corps Council (OCCCCC) Volunteer
Mutual Aid Drill (VMAD) on Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and 16, 2007.
The County of Orange RACES emergency communications response vehicle was
used as the Field Communications Command Post, feeding messages to the
Incident Command Post (ICP) from communicators on scenario teams in
"Laser Village" in the Orange County Sheriff's Department's
Training Facility. Besides voice communications on VHF and UHF
frequencies, we also had printed messages to the ICP and Logistics via
Winlink, thanks to OCRACES Radio Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF, and we
fed live images via Amateur Television (ATV), thanks to OCRACES Assistant
Radio Officer Jack Barth, Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, and Orange County Red
Cross Members Gordon West, WB6NOA, and Ken Leake, KB6EVR. An alternate net
control was set up in a communications trailer in the Display Area,
belonging to OCRACES Radio Officer Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP.
Participating
units included Brea RACES, Buena Park RACES, City of Orange Amateur
Radio (COAR), Costa Mesa RACES (MESAC), Fountain Valley RACES, Fullerton
RACES, Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS), Huntington
Beach RACES, Irvine Disaster Emergency Communications (IDEC), Laguna Beach
RACES, Laguna Niguel ACS, Mission Viejo RACES, Newport Beach RACES, County
of Orange RACES, Laguna Niguel ACS, Los Alamitos RACES, Orange County
SKYWARN, Placentia RACES American Red Cross/Orange County, Seal
Beach RACES, and Westminster RACES.
RACES Wants You!
Experience
the most exciting and rewarding part of amateur radio. Being a
RACES member gives you the opportunity to sharpen your
operating skills and technical knowledge while volunteering your services
in public-safety communications. Get involved in emergency communications now. Click the Contact
OCRACES link for more information.
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Events
Calendar
May
19: 7:00 PM
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Ray Grimes, N8RG
Pager: Harvey Packard, KM6BV
May
26: 7:00 PM
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Walter Kroy, KC6HAM
Pager: Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP
May
31: 7 AM-4 PM
OC Red Cross May Day Communications Training Event, Santa Ana
Jun.
2: 7:00 PM
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Martin La Rocque, N6NTH
Pager: Joe Selikov, KB6EID
Jun.
2: 7:30 PM
OCRACES Meeting, 840 N. Eckhoff St., Suite 104, Orange
Jun.
3: 8:00 PM
RACES Support of Statewide Primary Election ballot transportation
Jun.
9: 7:00 PM
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Harvey Packard, KM6BV
Pager: Jack Barth, AB6VC
Jun.
16: 7:00 PM
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: John Roberts, W6JOR
Pager: Ken Bourne, W6HK
Jun.
23: 7:00 PM
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Tony Sanchez, AE6QT
Pager: Scott Byington, KC6MMF
Jun.
28-29
Field Day, Craig Regional Park, Fullerton
Jun.
30: 7:00 PM
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP
Pager: Jim Carter, WB6HAG
Jul.
7: 7:30 PM
OCRACES Meeting, 840 N. Eckhoff St., Suite 104, Orange
Jul.
27: 5 PM-11 PM
OCRACES at OC Fair Ham Radio Booth
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