FW: [WCFARES] Haiti Situation Report - Important Information for All Potential Volunteers To Haiti

Tue Jan 19 14:33:24 PST 2010

This is an email being forwarded to you from the Section EC.

Evans F. Mitchell
KD4EFM / WQFK-894

 Fla. D-Star Tech Support Group
 http://www.florida-dstar.info

 Polk ARES A.E.C.
 http://www.polkemcomm.org

BB8330 PIN: 30965B58

-----Original Message-----
Subject: [WCFARES] Haiti Situation Report - 
Important Information for All Potential Volunteers To Haiti

On Thursday Jan 14 The Section Leadership received a request for us to begin
collecting a list of Amateur Radio Operators who have Passports to possibly 
deploy to Haiti.
I started that process immediately and have gathered up 29 Volunteers from 
the West Central
Florida Section. I also have had volunteers from other parts of the country 
as far away as Alaska
calling or writing for information.

No amateur has been Nor will they be deployed by the State until The FLEOC 
deems it safe
enough to do so and they receive an Official Declaration from either the 
Governor or the President
or if they receive a specific request from an agency for amateurs to deploy 
with them. There are serious
crime and health problems to deal with at the moment. Repeat NO ONE has yet 
been deployed NOR
are there any immediate plans by the FLEOC to do so for the reasons I have 
mentioned. It would
appear that the communications part of the emergency will probably be over 
in about a week or less

In my efforts to help insure the Safety and Welfare of our volunteers should

they be deployed, I have
asked many questions. These questions are about items such as Immunizations 
required (it will be made
available to those who are actually deployed) also questions about 
reciprocal licensing or waivers as
well as those about equipment needs and limitations if any.

I want to be sure that in addition to all other traffic coming out of Haiti 
made by our volunteers that we
hear from them as at least daily as a minimum or more often as the situation

dictates. We have a number
of groups/stations who will be listening up for our guys including myself 
as well as from SATERN stations,
Local Clubs such as the TARC club and by MARS/SHARES members who by 
direction are supporting
SATERN communications. I am also making arrangements to get a VHF Repeater 
placed on board one of
the Navy Hospital or supply ships to provide in country comms between 
amateurs in and around the
Port-Au-Prince area.

Those Hams who are tasked to deploy by the State will have their basic 
expenses re-imbursed. Things
covered are gas, meals and lodging (if necessary until actual departure) BUT

ONLY if the FLEOC has
an official declaration as outlined above.

 If I receive valid requests from a church group or others such as the 
Salvation Army I will contact those
who have volunteered and the personal expenses involved and workman's 
compensation coverage will have
to dealt with by the individual and the non-government organization 
requesting them.

Here is the Official Florida Amateur Radio Operators Deployment Policy:

=================================================

Florida Disaster Amateur Radio Volunteer's Deployment Policy

It is the Policy of the State EOC and supported by All Three Florida
ARRL Section's (there are similar policies in place by other states)
that:

All mutual-aid deployments from the state-to-county, or from
County-to-county  or Out of Country from Florida will be coordinated
through the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee
and all incoming volunteers unless given a direct assignment will be
staged at the appropriate Staging area in each FDEM Area.

No amateur radio operators should be physically responding to a disaster
area without having a mission assignment and tracking number assigned
by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and/or your Section's
leadership. (Exceptions would be those Hams already working specifically
as Served agency volunteers and are covered by that agencies Workman's
Compensation)

NO Self-Deployments by individuals or groups will be allowed and you will
be turned back and sent home.

We want everyone to be protected by Workman's Compensation and Florida's
Good Samaritan's laws from the moment they leave their home until they
complete their assignments and return home AND that by utilizing this method
we can keep better track and control of where the Amateurs are actually
assigned  AND are NEEDED as requested by the county, or countries effected
by the disaster.

All Amateur Radio Operator Volunteers must be signed up on one of the three
Florida Section's Databases. The one used here in West Central Florida is
http://aresdb@ab2m.net/ and those volunteers who have completed the
required minimum training courses or have had previous experience in the 
Katrina
and Wilma hurricanes dispatched by the FLEOC will be given preference when
selections for assignments are made.
========================================
Number 1 on the list to do, is to continually pass the word that self 
deployment by people trying to get to Haiti will meet strong resistance from

all the various law enforcement agencies. The infrastructure is not in place

to support these type of deployments and they would become part of problem, 
not the solution. People without passports or other non authorized people 
will be arrested, incarcerated and eventually deport to the USA (With a rap 
sheet).

I know that all of are trying to help in any way we can, but lets keep this 
in perspective and let us not get overly excited. I will try to keep 
everyone informed as I can

and your attendance to our WCF ARES Nets on Monday evenings at 7:30 PM on 
the NI4CE Repeater System will allow me to do so. Thanks.

73,

Neil H. Lauritsen, Sr. W4NHL / NNN0TFH
WCF ASM/SEC
ACS Radio Officer/ARES Emergency Coordinator
Cell     727-643-1670

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