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

[KT2T - Mike Oliver]

Hi Evans,

I have a passport and can help if needed.

73,
Mike, KT2T


On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 17:33, Evans F. Mitchell KD4EFM
<kd4efm1 at verizon.net> wrote:
> 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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>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
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>
>



-- 
Mike Oliver, KT2T
+1-863-738-2334
kt2t at arrl.net -or- mwoliver at gmail.com