Welcome to the Stark County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Website
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ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager
to Step Down 
(Feb 5, 2019) - - ARRL Emergency
Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, has announced
that he will depart ARRL on February 15 to pursue
another career opportunity. He has been part of the
ARRL staff since 2010.“Mike has accomplished much during his nine years on the job, including expanding the Ham Aid program, national disaster response, working with our national partners, and, most recently, the rollout of ARES Connect,” said ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX. "The Headquarters team will miss Mike’s friendly personality and wishes him well in his pursuits. As Mike is an active ham, there is a good chance we will run into him on the air." As part of the overall restructuring at ARRL Headquarters, ARRL management will take the opportunity to examine the administration of the emergency preparedness program.
2019 Ohio ARES Annual Conference
More information will be coming out soon. In addition the Ohio NVIS Antenna day will be held on April 27th. This is a great time to test out your portable/temporary HF Antennas !. Mark your calendar to make sure you plan on joining Stan for this always interesting day of training !
2018 Public Service Report
Stan Broadway, N8BHL - SEC broadways@standi.com Ohio Section: Amateur Radio Emergency Service Yearend Report, 2018 Ohio ARES members provided at least $2,674,295.00 in service to their communities during 2018. For the year 2018, Ohio Section ARES volunteers donated their time and equipment in large numbers. The monetary value of their time is calculated using $24.69 according to “The Independent Sector” as used by the ARRL. We calculate the value of equipment at $300 per volunteer. December is anticipated based on prior years. For 2018 Activity 2018 Total 2018 Average Monthly Monetary Value
ARES is structured so that each county Emergency Coordinator (EC) operates autonomously with training, relationships and service to served agencies. A guideline for them is provided in ARRL EC training material, and in the Ohio Section Emergency Response Plan (OSERP). Under their guidance, radio nets and training meetings help to keep members active and ready. ARES county organizations participated in numerous drills and exercises throughout the year, from active shooter training to many other scenarios. ARES members were activated for a number of real events, including missing person searches, storm damage, and other events. Some counties made use of ARES members during elections as supplemental communications back to the various boards of elections. Others used our volunteers for additional security and situational awareness at fairgrounds, special events, and Halloween observances. We provided free communication support for hundreds of events including major marathons, Ironman, and numerous other large public gatherings. ARES members participate in a weekly statewide radio net anchored at the Ohio JDF/EOC where station W8SGT is located right off the main control floor. This activity confirms our ability to communicate from the state EOC to various counties throughout Ohio. On the same evenings, the Ohio Digital Emergency Net (OHDEN) does a similar exercise using digital message modes, such as would be employed to send forms such as IS-213 messages between counties and from county to state. Most counties are active in early January for the “Ohio ARES VHF Simplex Contest”, testing our ability to use VHF / UHF frequencies without repeaters to relay messages. In late April, we stage our annual “NVIS Antenna Day”, employing “Near Vertical Incident Skywave” antennas designed to communicate to neighboring and nearby locations. These antennas are the type that might be deployed after a major disaster removes normal communication equipment and antennas. In late June, we participate in the ARRL’s “Field Day” exercise- where remote stations provide portable antennas, power, and equipment to communicate across the country for a 24-hour period. All of these activities further our mission to be able to communicate “when all else fails”. Our ability to provide this important service is dependent on having proper antennas to allow us to make contacts. With these resources in place in our homes and public buildings, we are able to stay ready to provide this important service. 73, Stan N8BHL Stark County Year End Report: Stark County ARES was involved in 5 Community Service Events last year that involved 78 radio amateurs that totaled nearly 400 Service hours. This was a 5% increase over last year.
Annual Massillon Holiday Parade
In the early years of the parade, we provided only communications support to the Massillon JC’s organization who handled the staging of all the parade units. When they disbanded, the city struggled to find volunteers willing to take on this task. Since the MARC handled communications support, somehow we got nominated to take on this responsibility as well. A few years later, Massillon Cable began filming the parade in conjunction with the Massillon High School Communications Department and again the club was called upon to assist with this part of the parade also. Last minute omissions or changes to the parade line up are passed on to the production crew so that the announcers can follow along with the parade units. We had experience with this as well as amateurs routinely handle staging activities including TV production control relay duties at the Hall of Fame Festival Community Parade. The Holiday Parade has depended on this ever since. Over the past several years the parade has been sponsored by the Downtown Merchants Association with President Donald Harwig serving as Parade Chairman. During this time and before the club has always been there to make sure the parade is properly staged and starts on time down the parade route. We have become an integral part of the parade and I wonder if they could pull it off without us. I’m glad to report another successful public service event with very few problems thanks to our communications and parade skills. Over 50 years and counting Santa has arrived in the city in no small part thanks to the MARC. Parade Organizers and Communications Coordinator Perry Ballinger, W8AU express their appreciation to the MARC for their continued support of this annual holiday parade. The following club members assisted with this years event. Perry Ballinger - W8AU, Steve Hall - KD8ACF, Igor Nikishin - K8INN, Dan Anastis - N8DZM, Jim Farriss - WA8GXM, Evan Rankl - KE8IDH, Tom Gill - KC8QOD, Terry Russ - N8ATZ, Bob Ballinger - N8KXO, Robin - N8EBS, Vern Sproat - KE8VS, Fred Reed - KD8SMO, Mike Daughenbaugh - KE8EHG, Wade Huthmacher - WD8MIU, Russ McMahen - N8PII, Don Rankl - N8IVJ and Anne Ballinger - N8GAF. This event provided over 60 hours of community service.
Oregon ARES Drill Scenario to
Simulate Double Virus and Hypothetical Terrorist
Attack
(Nov 11, 2018) - - On November 8 in
Oregon, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES)
emergency preparedness drill known as the Simulated
Emergency Test (SET) will use an exercise scenario
focusing on viruses — biological and computer — that
wreak havoc on the state’s communication systems.The drill begins with a simulated highly contagious bird flu virus that spreads to the state’s borders, overwhelming hospitals and leading to mass panic. A day later, the drill moves to a simulated widespread internet shutdown owing to what’s called the “stepper virus.” If that weren’t enough, it goes on to include a hypothetical virus that would cause the shutdown of digital processors in wireline and cell towers. The scenario also involves power companies and government telecommunications being affected. Participants will be told that ham radio repeaters are on back-up power or have failed and will have to stretch their skills accordingly. Ultimately, the exercise will simulate the introduction of biological and computer viruses by a state-sponsored terrorist organization that is trying to find vulnerabilities in the state’s infrastructure. Then, exercise participants will train local officials on using VHF and HF radios. As the exercise continues, ARES volunteers will need to set up high-powered stations in remote areas to communicate with urban centers. After participants prove that ARES would be able to maintain telecommunication links for several days, the exercise simulated storm damage to antennas on county emergency operations centers (EOCs). This multi-step exercise scenario is designed to encourage ARES volunteers to use their ingenuity and training to restore communications when faced with a multifaceted disaster event. “The MacGyver among you will have the opportunity to solve this problem, gain extra points, and help your county shine while teaching us all something new,” said Grant County ARES Emergency Coordinator Steve Fletcher, K7AA, who outlined the description of the scenario. Oregon ARES teams will join with the Oregon Office of Emergency Management in conducting the drill. More information is on the Oregon ARES website. — Thanks to John S. Sanders, KE7JSS, Oregon Section Public Information Officer
Fall Skywarn Severe Weather Training
Here in
Stark County our local training took place
AARC Assists With Alliance Carnation Festival
The logistics for the event include a parade route of 2.1 miles long, which included using a part of State Route 183 and US Route 62. AARC positioned Ten (10) radio operators in such a manner in which the entire parade route was visible at all times. Incidents along the parade route could be relayed to W8LKY net control and passed on to a representative of the Grand Parade Committee. A Tactical Call Sign System was created for the duration of the event, “Carnation Control” acted as net control for the event which was located at the beginning of the parade. The radio operators used various Tactical Call Signs such as “Carnation Six (6)” which designated the location of the radio operator and occasionally the operators would add their own call letters to their parade status reports. The parade itself, took approximately One and a Half Hours to reach the end of the parade route at Broadway and South Union Ave. where it dispersed on West Broadway. The project was completed by 1:30PM with the sign off of the radio operator at Union and Broadway Streets, which signified the last unit, had entered the dispersement area. The Alliance (Ohio) Police Department also monitored the activity ofW8LKY’s 2018 Grand Parade Communication Project. The Operations: We started with a 9AM PR Parade briefing at Rockhill Elementary School. Each radio operator was given a packet containing a parade lineup and other project information. Each operator proceeds to their assigned locations and checked in at 9:30AM with “Carnation Control” the Tactical Control for the project. Each location operator reported the first unit’s arrival and the last unit passing their assigned location and any incident that may have occurred during their time in the viewing area of their assigned location. After the last unit passed their location, they were dismissed. The Ten(10) radio operators of the Alliance Amateur Radio Club who participated in this project included: Frank Sanor WA8WHP, Loren Kleinhans KD8WVE, Paul Richardson K2ASA, Howard Miller JR. K8DXR, Ron Rittenhouse KE8HCY, Shawn Gentle KD8ZEZ, Dwight Turner KD8YFV, Dave Kleinhans KE8IYN, Dave Moreno KE8JLP and Mike Urban KE8CKL. Frank Sanor WA8WHP served as “Carnation Control” or Net Control for W8LKY for the Greater Carnation Festival 2018 Grand Parade Communication Project. Ron Rittenhouse KE8HCY served as coordinator for the event. Submitted by Ron Rittenhouse - KE8HCY 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 nearly 25 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 Drew Felberg 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. With the introduction of Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) Technology, we also increased both our communications range and ability to cover the entire parade route this year. 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. Nearly 30 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 twelfth year in a row, additional
volunteers were assigned to this area. With local amateurs running in
short supply, volunteers were obtained from the The 2018 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 Drew Felberg 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, Don Wade - W8DEA, Vern Sproat - KE8VS. North Route: Perry Ballinger - W8AU, Pat Quinlan - KA8DAL, Jeff Gortney - K8JAG, Ted Faix - KB8PRK, Igor Nikishin - K8INN, Tom Gill - KC8QOD, Al Perry - KE8EHE, Lori Perry - KE8EHF, Roger Grey - W8VE, Dale Lamb - NX8J, Dirk - KE8JGX, Tom - KD8JRK, Perry - N8VXQ, Mike - N8COM, Don - N8IVJ, Justin - N8JKC, Brian - K3CAK, Ted - K8TWA, Dennis - AI8P, and Deb - KD8DEB. DISPERSAL Team Leader: Wade Huthmacher - WD8MIU, Tom Gill - KC8QOD, Denise Gill, Leonard Johnson - N8XPI, Frank Koby - N8SGS, Keith - KE8DTS, Sandy - KB8PHO, Adam - KE8IEM and Jay - W8DAP. 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 90 parade units making up this years parade. A voice relay is normally used to relay the exact line up and was provided by Evan Rankl - KD8IDH to Tom Gill, KC8QOD and Ted Armstrong, K8TWA who then sends 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 19th 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. 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 Ted Armstrong, K8TWA, 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 Perry Ballinger, W8AU in demarshaling. Igor Nikishin - K8INN, Very Sproat, KE8VS, Steve Simon - KD8SPF, and Don Wade - W8DEA positioned along the Market Avenue Route. 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
2018 Akron-Canton Airport Drill
The FAA requires all commercial airports to prepare and conduct full scale drills every three years. This years drill was coordinated by the Akron-Canton Airport and Stark County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) with the help of over twenty-one participating agencies including both the Stark and Summit County ARES. Our role in this drill was to provide communications support at multiple hospitals including Altman and Alliance General. Operators also staffed multiple transport busses used for volunteer/victim transport to the crash site and area hospitals, Finally we provided tactical communications between the Airport Command Post and hospitals & crash site. Finally we provided tactical communications between the Airport Command Post and EMA. A portable communications Go-Box was used at the Command Center while portable handhelds were used on the busses. As expected, communications with the busses proved difficult even using external antennas to provide better range. Constant communications was maintained between the busses, hospitals and the command center throughout the exercise providing vital information on the status of all volunteers/victims. This would provide critical information should this had been an actual disaster site. Multiple local repeaters were utilized as well as simplex frequencies for this drill. Summit County ARES also assisted with this event providing communications for several Summit County Hospitals. Stark County EMA Director Tim Warstler expressed his total appreciation for the assistance of both Summit and Stark County ARES as we again proved that our ability to provide reliable support communications would be a vital part should an actual incident happen at our local Airport. The following operators participated in this drill that totaled over 50 hours of community service. David Beltz - WD8AYE, Terry Russ - N8ATZ, Jim Farriss - WA8GXM, Don Finley - W8DEF, Linda Finley - K8MOO, Tom Gill - KC8QOD, Don Wade - W8DEA, Frank Sanor - WA8WHP, and Mike Palmer - KD8ENV.
The Command Post at the Akron Canton Airport
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 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 !
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
Dave Popkin, W2CC/AAR2BU Receives
Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award
(Aug 15, 2018) - -
A New Jersey radio
amateur and Military
Auxiliary Radio System
(MARS) member has
received a Lifetime
Achievement Award from
President Donald Trump.
ARRL Charter Life Member
Dave Popkin,
W2CC/AAR2BU, was
recognized for his
extraordinary
contributions as a MARS
volunteer.“On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank you for your lifetime of service to your fellow Americans and those most in need,” President Trump said. “Through at least 4,000 hours of service, you have ensured the continuation of America’s unparalleled commitment to improving the lives of others. You have served as a model of the American spirit. Your many hours of service have strengthened the bonds of cooperation and trust that bring people together, while helping to address some of the greatest challenges of our time.” MARS Region 2 Director Carver Washburn, W2TFM/AAA2RD, said Popkin’s “long and distinguished” history as a volunteer extends over 56 years with US Army MARS, averaging some 2,000 hours a year. “Dave is particularly noted for his MARS leadership roles, mentoring, and training initiatives,” Washburn noted. “It all started with his inspiration and his motivation to take positive action that, to this day, has fundamentally enhanced the ability of [the Department of Defense] to achieve its goals under the most dire of circumstances, such as occurred in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria in September 2017.” Washburn said Popkin served as net control for MARS radio nets in Region 2, and has served as MARS New Jersey State Director. “Also evident were his unique talents to train and mentor these team members, substantially expanding the strength of the organization,” Washburn said. “Dave made a difference in innovative ways through this role. He worked on the HQ senior staff for many years as well. Chief Army MARS Paul English and I are most grateful for his long and valued MARS service.” A former FCC field inspector who also served as an ARRL Official Observer, Popkin has made similar contributions to Amateur Radio, Washburn said, citing Popkin’s years of leadership with the New Jersey Phone Net and with the Englewood Cliffs (New Jersey) Amateur Radio Club’s ARRL Field Day operation. He also has held ARRL Field Organization appointments as Official Relay Station, Net Manager, Official Bulletin Station, Official Emergency Station, Emergency Coordinator, and Local Government Liaison. The President's
Volunteer Service Award is a
civilian honor bestowed by the President of the
United States. Established by executive order by
George W. Bush, the award was established to honor
volunteers who give hundreds of hours per year
helping others through the President's Council on
Service and Civic Participation. The award can be
granted to individuals, families and organizations
in the US to recognize more than 4,000 hours of
extraordinary service as a volunteer. — Thanks to
Carver Washburn, W2TFM/AAA2RD
ARES Volunteers Assist in California
Fire Response ![ARES Volunteer Samuel Brignoni, KM6QDQ, of the Shasta-Tehama ARES team. The Glenn County EC Michael Maddalena, KJ6KIZ, also worked the Weaverville shelter for several days. [Courtesy of Greg Kruckewitt, KG6SJT]](http://www.arrl.org/images/view/News/Samuel%20Brignoni%20KM6QDQ-1.jpg) [UPDATED 2018-08-08 @ 1210 UTC] Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) volunteers have pitched in to assist where needed to provide or support communication as catastrophic wildfires have struck California. Volunteers from multiple ARRL Sections in the state have stepped up to help, as some fires remain out of control. The fires have claimed several lives, destroyed more than 1,000 homes, and forced countless residents to evacuate, including radio amateurs. ARRL Sacramento Valley Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) Greg Kruckewitt, KG6SJT, said this week that things have calmed somewhat compared to the past couple of weeks, with American Red Cross shelter communicators stepping down after 10 days of support. Initially, there were four shelters in Redding. On August 5, the Shasta-Tehama ARES team was able to take its communications trailer to Trinity County to support a shelter in Weaverville opened for Carr Fire evacuees, he said.“This relieved the Sacramento County ARES volunteers who had been up there for several days,” Kruckewitt said. “For mutual assistance to Weaverville, it is a 4.5- to 5.5-hour drive for the Sacramento Valley Section people who helped out. Communications at the shelter have been important, as power and cell phone coverage is often spotty, with power going off for hours at a time.” All ARES activations for the Carr Fire ended the evening of August 7. CalFire reports that the Carr Fire in Shasta and Trinity counties covers more than 167,000 acres and is 47% contained. Evacuations and road closures are in effect. At one point, more than a dozen ARES volunteers from Shasta, Sacramento, Butte, Placer, and El Dorado counties were working at shelters opened in the wake of the Carr Fire. READ MORE
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 02/03/19 |
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ARES Info |
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(Aug
12, 2018) ...
The Canton Repository Grand Parade starts long before the seats along 
(Jul 29, 2018) - - With a picture perfect day for an opening day parade, members of the Stark Co ARES, Canton &
Massillon ARC's once again assisted in the opening events of the Pro Football
Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival by providing communications support for the
Community Parade held this year on Sunday, July 22nd.
(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.
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.
