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<br />the same time a thunderstorm passed over
<br />head. This movement increased the burning
<br />area from approximately 20 feet to 60 Icct,
<br />but the rain helped keep the plume low to the
<br />ground and diluted it as well. The coordina
<br />tion of selling the car level at exactly the right
<br />lime was achieved wiih ihc consianl contact
<br />with the SKYWARN Group. WB8CQK, and
<br />other operators between the site and the
<br />storm. Incoming weather information proved
<br />to be invaluable to the Miamisburg Fire
<br />Department command post as the area was
<br />in a severe-thunderstorm watch.
<br />On Saturday, July 12. the fire finally
<br />subsided at 10 AM. The MARA emergency
<br />net was not released by the city officials
<br />until 7:29 PM that evening. This completed
<br />99 hours of continous emergency net opera
<br />tion. A total of seven repeaters were used.
<br />There were often three amateur operators
<br />assigned to the command post and two or
<br />more to the Miamisburg Central Dispatch
<br />Office. In addition, amateurs were needed to
<br />assist out-of-town police patrolmen at the five
<br />roadblocks, three to six shelters, evacuation
<br />buses, four repeater net controls, and three
<br />to six shadows for key personnel. A total of
<br />357 Amateur Radio operators volunteered
<br />their help, logging over 3520 hours of as
<br />sistance to the city of Miamisburg, Ohio, and
<br />neighboring communities.
<br />Much was learned and will be documented
<br />as time goes on. One fact stands out: Amateur
<br />Radio can provide vital communication
<br />services on short notice when needed, and
<br />should be a part of every city ’s emcrgcncy-
<br />prepaicdness team, rhere arc few recorded
<br />instances where amateurs have been given as
<br />much responsibility and authority. To the
<br />operators’ credit, requests were carried out
<br />almost flawlessly without exceeding their
<br />assigned responsibilities.
<br />A letter of appreciation to the Mon-.anto
<br />Amateur Radio Association I'rom Barbara C.
<br />lillison. Assistant Vice I'residcm, Professional
<br />Services, Sycamore Hospital, stated We
<br />really needed you. You responded prolcssion-
<br />ally and graciously, and we are grateful.” t ity
<br />of Miamisburg Nlayor, Robert M. Meats, Sr,
<br />expressed his gratitude on behalf of the City
<br />of Miamisburg to all Amateur Radio opera
<br />tors on a well-organized and disciplined corps
<br />of communicators. According to Federal
<br />officials, this was the largest mass evacuation
<br />ever caused by a tra:” accident.
<br />The Monsanto /'.matcur Radio Association
<br />and Amateur Radio operators of neighbor
<br />ing communities have verified that HAM
<br />radio truly stands for ‘‘Helping All
<br />Mankind.”—Frost, WDHDFP
<br />IN SKRVICE...
<br />n Pittsburgh. PA—May 30. The Allegheny
<br />County ARLS was activated after heavy rains
<br />caused serious flooding. Anywhere from 1 Vi to
<br />3 inches of rain fell in the period of 1 to 2 hours.
<br />Many areas were devastated as runoff from the
<br />hills carried brush and trees to compound the
<br />problems of the flood. Radio amateurs provided
<br />communications for the Red Cross in setting up
<br />ciiiergi’iicy shelters on Friday evening.
<br />On Sa urday, the hams supported Red Cross
<br />as they piovidcd emergency services, including
<br />food, cleaning supplies and medical ireaiinent.
<br />Allegheny County radio amateurs were joined
<br />by operators Iroiii Beaver County and Ohio to
<br />assist search teams for survivors and fatalities
<br />of the disaster.— Willium L. Kristuff, Jr,
<br />UJttPB, EC, Allegheny County
<br />( I Torrance, CA—Jun 27-29. The South Coast
<br />Radio Amateur Network (SCRAN) provided
<br />communications for the (.‘alifornia Special
<br />Olympics which was held at the UCT.A
<br />\Ve.^twood Campus. Thirty seven SCRAN
<br />members provided continuous communication
<br />at each of the 1 1 venues. .\ nerve center was
<br />established at the Track and I'ieUI venue to
<br />coordinate all the evetils as well as to dispatch
<br />celebrities to various game locations for
<br />presentation ot ribbtms and medals to ihe
<br />vvinnets.— Perry, KtibNA, ontl Itoh UeLorenzo,
<br />KVbl)
<br />I J Lone Pine, C'A--Jun 29-30. At 2100, N6jO\
<br />radioed WA6K/.V fiotn the summit of Ml
<br />Whitney to report that his Inking party planned
<br />OSTi
<br />to stay on the summit overnight because of icy
<br />conditions on the trail. WA6KZV phoned the
<br />parents of the four young people involved and
<br />informed them. That evening, N6JOY called
<br />again to say that hikers were feeling the effects
<br />of hypothermia m the 20-degree weather and
<br />light clothing. WA6KZV called the Inyo County
<br />Sheriff, who got in touch with the Mountain
<br />Search and Rescue Team (SAR) from Ridgecrest.
<br />At 0330, N6EXK accompanied the SAR Team
<br />to a base camp in l.one Pine to supply com
<br />munications with N6JOY and WA6KZV. A
<br />helicopter rescued one of the four hikers and
<br />ground teams rescued the other three. KA6CIE
<br />and WU6VQY monitored the activity and helped
<br />where needed.—LloydDrubuker, iVA6KZy, EC
<br />Eastern Kern County
<br />□ Victor, NY—Jul 8. At about 1100 UTC, a
<br />utility crew digging to set a power pole accidently
<br />severed an underground telephone cable. This
<br />disrupted telephone service to much of the town
<br />of Victor, which borders both Monroe and
<br />Ontario Counties in western New York. The
<br />Monroe County Fire dispatcher requested
<br />backup conununicalions from the County Office
<br />of Emergency Pretvaredness. RACES/ARES EC
<br />WA2UGE dispatched NF2Z to the Fishers
<br />Volunteer Fire Department. Using a public-
<br />safety access feature of the N2JC 146.28/88
<br />repeater, communications were established with
<br />the Ontario County Hh>rilfs Department and
<br />the MonrtK County 911 Center. NF2Z remained
<br />at the scene until telephone service was restored
<br />at approximately 1715.—Edwin J. lloldsworth,
<br />N2EH
<br />□ Irving. T.X—July 27. The eastern half of
<br />Irving lost its telephone service in tiiS morning |
<br />of July 27. Twenty-five members of the Irving
<br />Amateur Radio Club were summoned by city
<br />cincrgeiicy-management coordinators. Fhc radio
<br />amateurs weie assigned to various areas of the
<br />city to patrol the streets and inform businesses
<br />of the situation. In addition, an operator stood
<br />by at a local nursing home in case an emergency
<br />situation came up. Radio amateurs received
<br />piaise from the city's |K>lice, fire and community
<br />officials following the telc’l.oiie enieigency.
<br />—Everett Dickey, KD5IIE. EC, Irving, TX
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