Category ACT Team Drill

Mar 2 2018

ACT Team General Guidelines

Amateur Radio Communications Team Logo Export

 

 

 

 

Chain of Command:

  • Joe – W2OFD  Emergency Coordinator / Team Leader
  • John – KD2DZY Team Vice President
  • Gary – N2TBC  Communications Officer / Webmaster

As Team Leader,  Joe can assign positions to members of the Team or remove them from their assigned positions at any time as he sees fit to benefit the Team. This includes temporary assignments before, during and after an activation.


Team Information:

Any information that needs to be shared with the Team should be sent to Joe or Gary for approval and posting to the Team via email, text, Zello app, Facebook etc. No member shall use any contact method that sends information to the Team directly bypassing Joe or Gary.

The group texting app is used to send one way reminders and alerts to Team members. There is no need to respond to these one way text messages. At times there may be brief periods where we need to share more info and/or require a response during weekly nets and especially if we get activated.  Please keep responses on topic. We don’t want this to turn into social media and become an annoyance to Team members. It is only for discussion relating to Team issues.

 Communications:

Please enter these channels in your ham radios. Don’t wait until we get activated and then ask for help to program your radio during an active emergency. These are the frequencies the Team will be using.

  • ACT A1   146.540   Simplex
  • ACT A2   442.400+  PL 114.8 K2BNL repeater primary
  • ACT A3   145.210 –  PL 136.5 W2DQ repeater
  • ACT A4    444.850+ PL 123.0 W2OFD repeater

Primary methods for sending out Team info are email and Facebook.

Secondary methods are listed below.

Zello app – our group name is ACTResponseTeam. If you join you must be confirmed by a moderator. This is a walkie-talkie type app like the old Nextel direct connect.

Groupme – private group text. You must request to be added/removed from this group. When you get added you must reply to the welcome text quickly or your account will not activate. You need to provide a cell number for this. Any post to this group goes to every Team member enrolled in group texting.

Life360 – Find Family and Friends app – This app lets the Team see where your location is based on the GPS signal from your cell phone. You need a group code to join the ACT circle. You can request the code from Joe or Gary (N2TBC). The code is only required once to join the ACT circle. This app is only to be used when the Team is activated. Any Team member using this app will see all the position of all other Team members using the app on a map. Remember to turn off position reporting when not using the app.

Members:

As a member of the Team, you need to have at least one way to be contacted in case we get activated. This includes email, group texting, Zello app, Life360 app, Facebook or any combination of the above. We will also use the ham radio as a means of communication during a drill or activation.

If you need IDs please contact Gary (N2TBC). We also have Team license plates, mugs, mouse pads, gear bag tags, etc.

Any Team member responding to a scene must have proper ACT Team identification and should have proper safety equipment such as a reflective vest and amber vehicle warning lights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 26 2018

Important Team Safety Advisory

Amateur Radio Communications Team Logo ExportFrom the Desk of the ACT Team Safety Officer:

ACT members participating in the march cleanup in Mastic Beach are reminded that Safety is very important. Please try to follow these basic safety tips as you go about your day.

1. Use the buddy system (working in pairs of two when possible).

2. Wear appropriate safety vest, jacket or shirt at all times along with your ACT Team ID card.

3. Use appropriate safety gear as needed. I.e. gloves, eye protection, hard hat, etc.

4. Stay in contact with the ACT Team Emergency Coordinator and Net Control at all times Via the Primary Repeater (W2DQ) 2 METER, 145.210, PL 136.5 / Auxiliary Repeater (W2DQ) 70 CM, 446.625, PL 110.9. and or cell phone. If possible download and use the “life360” application.

5. Do NOT handle any hazardous waste or dangerous items. Any such items need to be called into the event coordinator. Give detailed description of the items and exact location so that they can notify the proper authority to handle it.

6. Use your vehicles warning flashers when you or others are outside of vehicles and working near the roadway. If you have an “amber warning light” for your vehicle it is suggested that you use it.

7. Do NOT violate any NYS Vehicle and Traffic laws.

8. Keep you vehicle out of the roadway when parked.

9. Notify the Net Control Operator of any Emergencies. Give the nature of emergency, the location and what services you need. I.e. Ambulance, Police or Fire Department.

10. Report in to the Net Control and our ACT TEAM Emergency Coordinator when you arrive and deport the operation.

Thank you in advance for supporting your Team and your community.

ACT Team Safety Officer – Origen S. Symes, KD2MRN

 

Nov 23 2015

ACT Team Muti-Faceted Drill, November 21st

this is a drill - plan prepare practice

 

Introduction:
The Amateur Radio Communications Team staged a multi-faceted drill on November 21st. The drill included a thunderstorm Super Cell with 60 MPH winds, an area power outage, a downed aircraft and motor vehicle accident with personal injuries.

There were 13 check-ins including 2 non-members.

 

Roles and Responsibilities:
KB2HRB Tony – Central Dispatch – Communications Officer on backup power, no phone access
W2OFD Joe – Emergency Coordinator – established Mobile Command Post, responded to auto accident scene
Samatha R. and Cheyeanne R. – stationed at Mobile Command Post to administer first aid if needed
W2ALW ART Unit 1 – patrolled outer section of west side, responded to auto accident scene
KE2YK Gary Unit 2 – patrolled inner section of west side, found victim and downed plane 100 feet inside park
N2TBC Gary Unit 3 – patrolled north side of area
KD2FEL Renee Unit 4 – patrolled east side of area, dispatched to notify EMS of scene
KD2JMQ Tom Unit 5 – patrolled middle section of west side and manned the EC comm radio
KD2IKF Max Unit 6 – checked in but lost communications with dispatch
KD2DZY John Unit 7 – dispatched to notify airport, fire department and local police of incident
KD2GMD John – checked in
KC2COL Bill –  SKYWARN spotter

Drill Activities:
Dispatch on backup power, unable to raise police, fire or EMS due to power outage.
Dispatch contacts N2XII in Poughkeepsie, NY by HF radio.
Dispatch requests N2XII, a state trooper to contact his HQ to inform local state police of incident.
Dispatch sends ACT Team units to locations previously noted to commence search.
Unit 2 finds dazed man walking around in park 100 feet in off road.
Unit 2 reports smell of fuel, requests ambulance to scene.
Unit 4 dispatched to EMS to request assistance.
Unit 1 reports landfill personnel noticed single engine plane in distress heading in easterly direction.
Unit 2 reports EMS on scene, aircraft spotted, fuselage intact, wings broken off and emitting fuel.
Dispatch updates state police about fuel spill via HF radio.
State police reports DEC is dispatched to scene.
EC reports moving command post to crash scene.
Unit 7 dispatched to fire department to request their presence at crash scene.
EC reports that state police have arrived.
Dispatch advises EC to turn scene over to police.
Unit 2 reports pilot performed emergency procedures with aircraft prior to  crash.
Unit 2 reports fire department has arrived on scene.
Dispatch requests ACT units to stand down and return to home of EC for debriefing.
EC reports major motor vehicle accident en-route to home location.
EC reports life threatening injures at auto accident scene.
Unit 1 reports managing traffic flow near auto accident scene, requests police presence.
Dispatch breaks into police and fire frequencies due to life threatening injuries.
Unit 4 responds to auto accident scene, reports child involved.
Dispatch advises Unit 4 to turn child over to EMS upon their arrival.
EC reports EMS, state police have arrived at scene.
Unit 7 dispatched to local precinct to inform desk Sargent of auto accident and sets up comms.
Dispatch reports power back up at his location.
Dispatch releases Amateur Communications Team from scene.
Team meets and EC home location for debriefing.

Aug 29 2015

Amateur Communications Team Drill August 29th, 2015

Amateur Radio Communications Team Logo ExportAmateur Communications Team Drill #3 (Download Audio Track)

The Act Team held a drill on August 29th, 2015 commencing at 10:00 hours.

Purpose of Drill:

The idea behind the drill stemmed from a prior actual evacuation when patients became unaccounted for while being transported to local hospitals for safe keeping.

The ACT drill simulated a natural gas leak at the Bellhaven Nursing Home in Brookhaven NY. The responsibility of the ACT Team members was to track and account for the patient’s movement from Bellhaven to local hospitals and shelters and also account for their safe return to the nursing facility.

To simplify the drill, a total of 20 patients were involved in the drill. 15 of the 20 were transported by Ambulance to local hospitals. The balance of the able bodies patients were taken to the local Bellport Middle School which was opened as a temporary shelter.

During the course of the drill there was also a motor vehicle accident simulation in which 3 patients were transported to triage at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital.

5 patients were transported to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, 5 to Mather Hospital and 5 to Peconic Bay Hospital for monitoring during the simulated evacuation.

Simulated Ambulance Companies were:

  • South Country transported 5 patients from Bellhaven to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital and provided return transportation.
  • Medford Ambulance transported 5 patients from Bellhaven to Peconic Bay Hospital and provided return transportation.
  • Brookhaven Ambulance transported 5 patients from Bellhaven to Mather Hospital
  • Port Jefferson Ambulance provided return transportation for the 5 patients from Mather Hospital to Bellhaven.

Actual Communications Equipment:

  • The W2DQ Amateur Radio 2 Meter Repeater was the primary Amateur Radio system used for radio communications during the drill.
  • The ACT Team Private’s Zello Internet Communications channel was used to transmit sensitive patient information for public Amateur frequencies.
  • Digital communications were also available to the team members via the KC2WCB DMR repeater.

Participating ACT Team Amateur Radio Operators and Their Responsibilities:

  • Art W2ALW – Radio Command and Control
  • Joe W2OFD – Emergency Coordinator
  • Ken KD2DZZ – EOC Operations Command and Control
  • Gary N2TBC – Mobile Unit and Communications At Bellhaven
  • Gary KE2YK – Dispatched To Peconic Bay Hospital
  • Renee KD2FEL – Dispatched to Mather Hospital
  • Vinny KC2WPP – Dispatched to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital
  • John KD2DZY – Dispatched to Bellport Middle School Temporary Shelter
  • Jeff N2OEP – Mobile Communications Standby
  • Samatha R – Dispatched To Bellhaven
  • Cheyanne R – Dispatched To Bellhaven

Other Simulated Services on Scene:

  • 5th Precinct Sector Cars 505 and 506
  • Emergency Safety Officer
  • PSEG
  • National Gas

Wrap Up:

At about 10:35 hours, the gas leak was detected and repaired. Venting the gas smell was complete at about 10:50 hours and the all clear was given by the safety officer. The emergency coordinator gave the signal to the ACT Team members located at the area hospitals that patients could be returned to Bellhaven.

Peconic Bay was the first to begin the return transport of patients followed by Mather and Brookhaven.

The able bodied patients were returned from the shelter at 11:00 hours.

The drill was secured at 11:04 hours by W2ALW Radio Command and the repeater was returned to normal Amateur Radio operation.

All Team members met for debriefing at the Bellhaven Nursing Home.

 

 

Aug 20 2015

ACT Drill Plan – 8/29/15

 

Amateur Radio Communications Team Logo Export

On Saturday 8/29/15, the ACT Team will be hold an important drill.

Be sue to participate in this important drill.

Download The Drill Plan Here!