Welcome to the Stark County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Website
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Welcome to the Stark County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Website |
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Click above for the latest weather information from
WKYC Cleveland Weather
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ARRL to Shine Spotlight on Public Service Communications at Hamvention 2018.
2017 Year End ARES Report
Nationally, there were 31.322 members (a 12% increase from last year) The caveat is that more sections have been reporting than ever before, so you’d expect that number to be up. There were 34,125 Ares nets Drills training and tests: 42,838 Public service: 5,730 Emergencies: 1,913 Skywarn: 1,198 Total monetary value ( at $24.14) $17,354,958 So that is ARES contribution to our nation in 2017- something we can be proud of! How about Ohio? Ohio reported 1858 members, with 9,457 events and a contribution of $2,051,972 You invested 85,003 hours in service to your communities!! This, with our reporting record of 100%, puts Ohio in the top five ARRL sections. We are actually third by state (California 2265, Texas 1930 are ahead) in membership. Ohio is FIRST in number of ARES events! And we are second in the amount you have contributed to your communities: $2,051,972. We are second behind MI (90,244) in hours contributed. Dividing this by FEMA region (we are in 5) we are in the strongest position with the most members, by far the most events and volunteer hours. Our contribution as Region 5 is $5,459,213. Region 5 is OH, MN, WI, IN, IL, MI These are great numbers to show your EMA Directors! The takeaway is that even with major events such as hurricanes, our Ohio Section ARES is the most consistently active organization- showing that we DO have the training and track record to be a valid partner! I cannot thank each of your enough for your time and energy!! These results show that it’s working, and very worthwhile! Stan Broadway, N8BHL What about here in Stark County ? The Stark County ARES was involved in 3 Community Service events last year that involved 55 radio amateurs who provided 268 total Community Service hours. 2018 looks to be just as busy with our normally scheduled events plus an anticipated Airport Drill in April. Congratulations to every ARES member for your dedication and hard work !
Ohio ARES Conference
Other topics covered were expanded use of DMR communications in Ohio ARES, additional training opportunities and future state wide drills here in Ohio. Attending from Stark County were EC Terry Russ, N8ATZ and Assistant EC's Don Wade, W8DEA and David Beltz, WD8AYE.
Great attendance for this years ARES Conference
2018 Skywarn Spotter Training
Conducting the training was Zach Sefcovic, Meteorologist from the Cleveland NWS Office. Nearly 100 people attended this years training consisting of Amateur Radio Operators, area public safety forces, hospital, school employees and the general public. This training included a new powerpoint presentation that included content from last years severe weather here in northeast Ohio. County EMA Director Tim Warstler and ARES EC Terry Russ would like to thank Zach Sefcovic for the great training presentation, Keith Obermeier, IT Director representing Jackson High School for arranging for the use of the great facility. The training was very well received by those in attendance. I would also like to thank my Assistant EC's for their help with registration for this years community service. They were David Beltz - WD8AYE, Mike Palmer - KD8ENV, and Mike Lackney - KB8MIB.
Registration was busy right up to the start of the training
Another full house again this year
2018 Calendar of Events
(Dec 27, 2017) - - The 2018 Calendar of events page has been updated and is currently posted on our website. The calendar includes the schedule for our Tuesday Night Nets as well as currently schedules public service events for the year including our annual Skywarn Spotter Training and the Hall of Fame Football Enshrinement Festival. Be sure to mark your personal calendars with these important dates. We always need help from our core ARES volunteers. Changes Coming to the
ARRL ARES Program
(Dec 23, 2017) - - - The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) has been the public service communications program of the ARRL since 1935. Over the program’s eight decades it has occasionally undergone updates to make sure it meets the needs of partners at all levels, adjusts to changes in the Amateur Radio Service, and incorporate lessons learned from emergency and disaster activations. However, the last major update to ARES occurred more than 40 years ago, and it is quite clear that a lot has changed since then. So, two years ago, the ARRL board of directors created the Public Service Enhancement Working Group to study the ARRL’s public service offerings and recommend changes and improvements. The working group focused on many areas including training, volunteer management, field organization positions, and mission – all areas of concern brought to the board and staff’s attention from those in the field. The recommendations were vetted through a peer review group of field organization volunteers and readied for implementation. In the months ahead, you will receive information on enhancements coming to the ARES program, including:
The first step in the next evolution of ARES is group identification. Currently there is no way to identify ARES groups or their associated volunteers with a searchable unique designator, which makes reporting and accountability difficult. Beginning January 1, 2018 ARES groups will need to sign up for their unique ARES identification number. This number will be utilized by the ARES Connect system and provide ARES groups with unique benefits (think club affiliation, but for ARES!). Once ARES groups receive their identification numbers they will be eligible for benefits including:
Groups that will need an ARES identification number include local level (city/county/district) and section level. Information about the ARES identification application process will be sent out the week before the application system opens. If you have any questions, please contact ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, ki1u@arrl.org In the coming months Stark County ARES will be providing additional information on how this new ARES program will be implemented here as we are also reviewing the current ARES registrations into those members eligible for Tier 1 Status. Contact Stark County EC Terry Russ, N8ATZ with any questions on this new program.
The Next Go-Box Designs
(Dec 23, 2017) - - I recently completed two new Go-Box Equipment Stations using parts obtained during my trip to Dayton Hamvention this year. The first is a VHF/UHF design using the classic Ammo Box design while the other is an updated design of an HF station box. If you are interested in looking for ideas or are ready to building a portable Go-Station have a look at our Projects webpage where you will find several of my own designs as well as stations assembled throughout Ohio ARES complete with photographs and assembly ideas. You may already have some spare equipment that would work out perfectly for a Go-Box. Time to start thinking about assembling one of your own ! Canton Repository Grand Parade
Among the thousands of parade volunteers, Amateur Radio operators help
to organize this vast ensemble of parade participants. These volunteers are
members of the Stark County Amateur Radio Emergency Services and multiple other
area radio clubs. For over 40 years,
amateurs have provided communications services for this event that will total
over 200 volunteer hours of service on this day alone. The parade has grown
steadily in size over the years and now is the single largest public service
event handled by amateur radio operators here in Again this year over 500,000 spectators watched the parade and behind the scenes lies a core of amateur volunteers many of which have over 20 years of experience assisting with the parade. This dedication is one reason that parade organizers have long realized the importance of effective communications that are necessary in organizing a parade of this magnitude. Also over the years, they have come to understand and appreciate the fact that it takes more than a radio to make an effective communicator. Parade General Chairman Pete Truemper realized the limited range of their commercial radio's and he was grateful to learn that our communications was solid throughout the parade route thanks to our wide area coverage ARES Repeater on 147.12 Mhz. The Canton ARC's club repeater on 146.79 Mhz was also ready to use as our backup if needed. The last several years, parade officials have used loaned commercial radio's to maintain communications with their committee members.. While this has worked for routine short range communications, parade organizers have relied on the discipline and experience of amateur operators to handle urgent communications needs and especially medical traffic that occurs throughout the nearly two and a half mile parade route. Continuing this year, in a reorganization of parade communications, our responsibilities covered four separate areas, each with it's own control point. These were Staging, Route Communications, Dispersal and Medical Support. Staging is where it all begins. Event organizers and radio operators setup and
arrange the over 130
units that make up this years parade. Beginning at about 2:00 A.M., this job is
like taking a 5,000 piece puzzle and assembling all the pieces to create the
final picture in a little over five hours. This doesn't include the setting up
of the Television Broadcast area, Route Communications then kicks in to help maintain the pace of the parade units. The pace of the parade is set by Canton Police Department motorcycle units. Each successive unit is to follow maintaining a certain spacing set by football helmets painted along the entire 2.5 mile parade route. Expected slowdowns occur during the parade in the TV area, where all units slow to perform for the crowd then speed back up to maintain proper spacing. Parade spacing and movement is a top priority for event coordinators, a role headed up another committee member who was in charge of all parade marshals positioned throughout the parade route. Shadowed by a ham liaison Mike Daughenbauch, KE8EHG, he monitors the condition of the entire route thanks to our network of radio operators. As spacing became an issue, Mike relayed instructions to all marshals to get everything back in sync. A task that would not be possible without the support of ham radio. This continued to be a daunting task and thanks to amateurs disciplined communications experience, we were effective in minimizing unit gaps throughout the parade. In addition, amateurs watched for trouble spots, assisted with broken down floats, crowd control, seating assistance, media relations, and medical support, these being only a few of the responsibilities handled by amateur radio operators. Net Control, under the direction of Ron Hendershot, KA8FTP, helps to ensure orderly parade radio traffic and maintains overall communications with all parade operations. Ron also monitored weather radar, another benefit provided by radio operators. Thirty radio operators were positioned along the entire parade route to handle this facet of parade operations. Medical Support has continued to remain one of our most important parade
responsibilities as thousands of participants and spectators crowd the route
each year and brave a myriad of changeable weather to watch the grand parade. In
recent years, county medical squads have updated their communications equipment
to provide for better interoperability between the many emergency medical
service units called in to assist with the parade. Due to these advances,
amateurs' role in this area was decreased although operators along the route were
prepared to assist should emergencies arise. Again this year several
emergencies did occur and radio operators again were called upon to
support the As in previous years Emergency Coordinator Terry Russ - N8ATZ maintained communications
with the Parade Chairman in the Parade Dispersal continues to be an increasingly complex segment of the Grand Parade in recent years. This years responsibility for as Dispersal Communications Coordinator was Wade Huthmacher - WD8MIU. An important part of the parade, dispersal has had to handle numerous
situations and problems including reuniting participants and parents and general
disassembly of the entire parade. For the eleventh year in a row, additional
volunteers were assigned to this area. With local amateurs running in
short supply, volunteers were obtained from the The 2017 Enshrinement Grand Parade was another great success thanks to the many
volunteers including the amateur radio operators who assisted us again this
year. Parade General Chairman Pete Truemper and
Communications Coordinators Wade Huthmacher – WD8MIU and Terry Russ -
N8ATZ want to thank all the volunteers for their help and
assistance during this years parade. Their tireless efforts, although largely
unnoticed by the general public, have proven their worth time and time again
over the years. Parade Officials were very appreciative of the ham operators assistance in the parade each year, "I really don't think we could pull this thing off every year without ham radio assistance." County EC Terry Russ agreed: For over thirty years, ham radio operators have been the backbone of the parade, providing the bond that keeps it all running smoothly for the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Committee." Volunteers for this year’s parade include the following operators: STAGING/COMMUNICATIONS Center: Terry Russ - N8ATZ and Dave Beltz - WD8AYE, and Mike Daughenbauch, KE8EHG. General Net Control - Ron Hendershot - KA8FTP. DEMARSHALLING COORDINATOR: Wade Huthmacher - WD8MIU. ROUTE COMMUNICATIONS: Steve Simon - KD8SPF, John Wagner - W8JJW, Tony Casebolt - KD8UXK, Don Wade - W8DEA, Vern Sproat - KE8VS. North Route: Perry Ballinger - W8AU, Pat Quinlon - KA8DAL, Jeff Gortney - K8JAG, Ted Faix - KB8PRK, Igor Nikishin - K8INN, Tom Gill - KC8QOD, Al Perry - KE8EHE, Lori Perry - KE8EHF, Roger Grey - W8VE, Carl Cunnert - AB8CC, Dan Anastis, N8DZM, Mike McNamara - KB8OTK, Andy Williams - KE8ELR, and Jennifier Williams - KB3GXB. DISPERSAL Team Leader: Wade Huthmacher - WD8MIU, Tom Gill - KC8QOD, Denise Gill, Leonard Johnson - N8XPI, Frank Koby - N8SGS, Brian Dazey - KD8VCI, Ted Armstrong - K8TWA, Justin Corner - N8JKC, and John Kocher - N8ZXB Congratulations to everyone on another great Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival !
HOF Community Parade
Recap
Again this year amateurs provided both logistical support communications for
parade staging as well as medical support covering the Digital packet communications were utilized to synchronize the nearly 100 parade units making up this years parade. A voice relay is normally used to relay the exact line up to Tom Gill, KC8QOD and Charlie Scherger, KB8STV who then send this down to Jason, KC8LIN inside the Television Production truck. This system allowed parade officials to make any last minute lineup changes and accurately convey this to the TV producer. Packet is used for this function and has proven to be the perfect choice as it allows van personnel to continuously monitor the status of all units in the parade. This marks the 18th year this has been used and is an important aspect of our parade assistance. This year the weather cooperated and the parade was completed with only a few minor unit breakdowns and no injuries to any of the participants. Our other parade responsibility and perhaps our most important, is medical support. Amateurs were stationed along the route to provided a common communications link to the medical command center in demarshaling area. Community Parade General Chairman Roger Manse expressed his heartfelt thanks to all the radio operators for their assistance. "Your operators are a vital part of this parade", said Roger, "your continued support year after year makes all the difference". A special thank you to the following volunteers who assisted with this years event. The TV Production and logistical support crew included packet operators Tom Gill – KC8QOD and Mike McNamara - KB8OTK, Charlie Scherger - KB8STV and Jason Stroll - KC8LIN in the TV Production Van. Net Control was handled by Terry Russ - N8ATZ. Medical Unit support included Mike Palmer – KD8ENV in staging with Tony Casebolt - KD8UXK in demarshaling. Igor Nikishin - K8INN, new volunteers Vern Sproat - KE8BYW, Al Perry - KE8EHE, Lori Perry - KE8EHF provided reports along the Market Avenue Route. Dave Beltz, WD8AYE provided weather updates to parade officials. A terrific job from a great crew, thanks again for your support of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival !
KC8QOD in the Comm Trailer Packet Station
Stark ARES Display
(Oct 30, 2016) -- Stark ARES hosted an information table at the October 23rd Massillon Hamfest. The table was staffed by ARES Net Manager Mike Lackney - KB8MIB and Assistant Net Manager Mike Palmer - KD8ENV. Our display included a PowerPoint presentation covering basic ARES & Skywarn operations, a display of several versions of Emergency Response or (Go-Boxes) and informational literature. New this year was literature provided by the Stark County EMA Office. Many visitors stopped by with questions and comments covering our ARES & Skywarn programs here in Stark County. My thanks to both Mike's for staffing the booth during the hamfest !
Mike Lackney, KB8MIB at the ARES Display
ARES Assists With RNC
(Jul 30, 2016) - - Stark County ARES was active on standby status during the Cleveland Republican National Convention. EC Terry Russ, N8ATZ was a backup operator for the Summit Co Red Cross Operations Center during the event which was staffed around the clock during the convention. Summit Co EMA was the primary agency during the event. Stark County EMA was also prepared to provide support in case it was needed. Summit Co EC Ken Dorsey, KA8OAD expressed his appreciation for our offer of support for the event. Below are some pictures taken on the Summit Co Command Post.
The main Command Post with volunteers
Hourly communications were maintained between the Summit Co Command Post and Cuyahoga County Main Operations Center
One of the operating stations at the command center
Stark County EMA
Activation
(Feb 6, 2016) - - The Stark County EMA was briefly activated last Monday evening when a train derailment occurred at the Brewster Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway station. Four railroad tanker cars derailed and one carrying butane caught fire at about 5:30 PM. By about 6:15 PM the Stark County EMA was activated uncertain as to the extent of the emergency. ARES was requested to activate the communications center to monitor the county emergency station and establish and an emergency net in case additional support was needed at area hospitals and the Red Cross Center. About 100 local residents in close proximity to the scene were evacuated and assisted by the Red Cross. County Emergency Coordinator Terry Russ, N8ATZ was contacted and also responded to the EOC with Assistant EC David Beltz, WD8AYE who staffed the Comm Center for several hours assisting with communications. Once the on scene fire and Haz-Mat crews had the situation under control at about 8:00 PM, the EMA was deactivated and our Emergency Net was closed. EMA Director Tim Warstler appreciated the quick response from the Stark County ARES who monitored communications during the emergency.
A Tanker Car Fire
Gary Garnet Selected
as Meteorologist-in-Charge of NWS Cleveland 
(Jan 17, 2016) - -Gary Garnet has served the
National Weather Service for over twenty six years.
Since starting his career in 1989, Gary has held
many positions including: Intern in Charleston
South Carolina, General Forecaster in Charleston,
West Virginia, Science Operations Officer in Grand
Rapids Michigan and most recently sixteen years as
the Warning Coordination Meteorologist in Cleveland,
Ohio. Gary has served periods as the Acting
Meteorologist in Charge at NWS Cleveland and briefly
at NWS Pittsburgh.Gary has earned several awards throughout his career including the U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal for actions during Hurricane Hugo and the NOAA Administrators Award for work with the Great Lakes Marine Program. Gary has provided support to multiple other NWS offices during significant events such as Deep Water Horizon, Super Storm Sandy and the Super Tornado Outbreak of April 2011. Gary holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Atmospheric Sciences from The Ohio State University and a Masters of Computer Science from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Mr. Garnet assumed his new position on January 10, 2016. ARES Activation
(Jan 19, 2015) - - Stark County ARES was activated the evening of January 13th when a telephone outage caused by an equipment failure in a Summit County AT&T switching station caused multiple equipment failures throughout the area. Here in Stark County local emergency service phone line failure resulted in an emergency declaration and the Stark County EMA office was activated. EMA Director Tim Warstler requested ARES activation to provide communications and logistics support to his office. ARES member David Beltz was first to respond to the office at 9:00 PM only to find that our equipment had been temporarily removed as building renovation was in process. Dave contacted EC Terry Russ to respond as well. Our portable equipment kit was brought to the EOC to establish communications. Antennas had also been removed and thanks to support from local radio station WHBC and their remote truck, station engineer Dale Lamm, NX8J, we were able to setup a temporary antenna. This completed we established a net on our ARES Repeater. During net operations, we made contact with the multiple EMA offices affected by the phone outage. We were also in contact with the Ohio EMA office in Columbus. During the next four hours we helped maintain communications links with multiple offices and public safety forces as well as staff the MARCS Statewide Radio System. The Massillon ARC offered the use of their Communications Trailer in case support equipment was needed. Stark County Sheriff George Maier and EMA Director Tim Warstler were thankful for area amateurs quick response to this short communications emergency. Full phone service was restored and by approximately 1:30 AM we closed down the emergency net and operations from the EOC. Click Here to read the ARRL recap of the comm emergency.
County EC Terry, N8ATZ operates using our Go-Box from the
radio room. "Go-Box" Version 2.0
(UPDATED Feb 16, 2016) (Dec 27, 2014) - - While I was very satisfied with my latest Equipment or Go-Box based on the Gator 8U Rack Mount Case, it did have several limitations. On my latest design, I tried to correct these limitations and come up with a more useful Field Box. The full report including several pictures is posted on the Projects Page. Have a look at it and let me know what you think. Finally I have been able to collect a lot of Go Box pictures from my travels to several ARES Conferences over the last several years. These pictures are now posted on the photo page. Have a look if you are looking to build your version of a equipment Go-Box. ARRL ARES E-Letter Posted
Amateur Radio
Volunteers Active in Latest Round of California Wildfires 
(Dec 11, 2017) - - The massive and barely
contained Thomas Fire in Southern California has
consumed more than 230,500 acres, and the emergency
has caused residents in fire-threatened areas to
evacuate. Amateur Radio volunteers remain active
supporting communication for American Red Cross
shelters in Ventura County. More evacuations are
likely, although the need for Amateur Radio
assistance remains dynamic. Cal Fire said today
(December 11) that evacuation operations will occur
ahead of westward fire growth, speeded by low
humidity and gusty Santa Ana winds, which will push
the fire further into Santa Barbara, County. One of
several fires that have broken out across Southern
California, the Thomas Fire is far and away the
largest.
Ventura County Auxiliary Communication Service (ACS)/ARES activated a week ago to support Red Cross shelters there, providing communications between shelters. Radio amateurs also have deployed to the Ventura County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). ACS/ARES expects to be deployed while shelters are open. According to ARRL Ventura County District Emergency Coordinator Rob Hanson, W6RH, the ACS/ARES volunteers are staffing four evacuation centers, in addition to the EOC. Read More...
Volunteers Invited to Assist in 2018
Boston Marathon 
(Feb 2, 2018) - -
Opportunities for
Amateur Radio
and non-amateur
volunteers are available
for the 122nd running of
the
Boston Marathon
on Monday, April 16,
sponsored by the Boston
Athletic Association (BAA).
Amateur Radio volunteers
are needed for starting
line, course, and finish
line positions, and
non-amateur volunteers
are wanted for medical
transportation and
various other medical
and logistical roles.
Volunteer
registration
is open through
Wednesday, February 7.Those interested in volunteering for the 2018 Boston Marathon but unsure if they will be able to participate in April should register now and notify the volunteer coordinators later, if it turns out they will not be able to attend. “It will be very difficult to bring in volunteers once registration closes, and if you register but can no longer volunteer at the event, please let us know as early as possible so contingency planning can be completed,” the Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Communications Committee has announced. Amateur Radio volunteers do not need to specify any group name or passcode; just request at least one ham radio assignment of your preference. Volunteers will receive an application confirmation number. Returning volunteers will be asked to provide a BAA Volunteer Loyalty Number, sent by BAA via e-mail in early January. “Help us get the word out by forwarding this e-mail to your club and other hams who might like to volunteer, and for non-hams to any volunteer groups who might be interested in supporting the event,” the Committee said. “If you know new amateurs or other new people involved in volunteering for events, let them know. Even a quick mention at your club meeting or regular meeting of your organization can be a big help.” Prospective Amateur Radio volunteers should visit the Boston Marathon - Amateur Radio Communications page or the Boston Marathon Volunteer Registration page for more information.
ARES - SKYWARN Car Magnets and lots of other items available
at www.hamcrazy.com
Our thanks to Mercy Medical Center for their commitment to the Stark County Amateur Radio Emergency Service and for their support of Stark County Winlink. Total Visitors To Our Site
This site is best viewed at 800 x 600 resolution using Internet Explorer The Stark County Amateur Radio Emergency Service ARES®, Amateur Radio Emergency Service and the ARES logo are registered trademarks of the American Radio Relay League, Incorporated and are used by permission.
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Click above for official ARES Logo merchandise from the ARRL.
The Official Stark County ARES Name Badge Supplier. Click on the logo for details.
The Stark County ARES is a proud supporter of the Annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival providing communications support for over 25 years ! ***********
Stark County EMA is now on Facebook. They will use the new social media site to provide ongoing public information about disaster related issues in the county. Please Like and share with your friends ! Look for them by going to "starkcountyema" on facebook. **************
Looking for a ready made "Go-Kit" ? Checkout Quicksilver Radio for several ready to go VHF Go-Kits. Click on the pix below to see the current specials. Have a look at our Projects Page for a review of their latest product.
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| last reviewed/updated on 04/01/18 |
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ARES Info |
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(Apr 1, 2018) - - Stark County Skywarn and the County EMA office hosted
our annual Severe Storm Spotter Training this year at Jackson High School on
Wednesday, March 21st from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
(Aug
19, 2017) ...
The Canton Repository Grand Parade starts long before the seats along 
Monitor the
147.12 Mhz Repeater for Severe Weather information here in Stark County !
The ARRL recently reviewed a new website that
does a great job of describing the Anderson Powerpole connectors. The site
describes the connectors in detail and provides tips on assembling and using
them on your equipment.
(Mar 26, 2006) -- The ARRL has
introduced a new Emergency Communications Catalog containing a host of items
using the "When All Else Fails" theme. The items are a great
reminder that Amateur Radio provides immediate, high-quality communications that
work every time, when all else fails.
