NYC-ARECS Providing Maritime Communication Support

On June 23, 2012 the New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service (NYC-ARECS) provided maritime communication support for the Hawaiian Airlines Liberty Challenge on the rivers of New York Harbor in the middle of the Port of New York and New Jersey. [Press Release]

Radio operators were at this Public Service event for 12 hours from 0630-1830 stationed both on rescue and safety boats, as well as on the shore with race officials. The mission of the operators was to be an additional set of eyes and ears on the rescue and safety boats, and to ensure that reliable communications were expediently available in case an emergency condition arose on the water. Team members utilized both UHF and VHF repeaters, simplex, and VHF Marine radios to communicate with each other, to pass messages in regard to race setup, race operations, other safety boats, boats in-transit in the harbor, the Staten Island Ferry and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.

As always, when we assist with events like this, they are essentially training opportunities for the team. On this day, we were effective especially when one of the rescue boats' VHF Marine radio failed, as well as because distance between the boats made their radios ineffective.

PHOTOS: http://nyc-arecs.org/liberty_challenge2012.html

The New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service (NYC-ARECS), a NYC based auxiliary communications organization, is looking for a few good men and women to join their emergency communications team.

http://nyc-arecs.org/jv2012.html

The Following are 2012 Volunteer Positions Available

http://nyc-arecs.org/positions.html

NYC-ARECS Team Member on a water detail in the NYC Harbor

New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service (NYC-ARECS) to Provide Communication Assistance to America's Largest Cycling Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Point of contact: info@nyc-arecs.org

NEW YORK, NY (May 4, 2012) The New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service (NYC-ARECS) will be providing emergency communications support Sunday May 6, 2012, at the annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour, America’s largest cycling event. This event is one of a dozen that NYC-ARECS will provide support to, as part of its annual Public Service Event calendar.

Held annually the first Sunday in May, the TD Five Boro Bike Tour is America's largest cycling event. The Tour is produced byBike New York, the city’s premiere bicycling organization, in association with the City of New York and the New York City Department of Transportation. The TD Five Boro Bike Tour provides participants the unique and fun experience to bike through all five boroughs – a 40 mile, traffic-free ride for 32,000 cyclists. Proceeds from the event fund Bike New York’s education programs.

NYC-ARECS is an auxiliary emergency communications team made up of New York City based licensees of the Federal Communications Commission who specialize in Amateur Radio emergency communications. Charles Hargrove, NYC-ARECS President said, “Deployment of communication team members to an event with tens of thousands of people such as a marathon, or to a bike-a-thon, spread over a wide geographic area, provides a unique training opportunity.”

Amateur Radio Operators are utilized around the United States to enhance community disaster and emergency plans. Individual members of NYC-ARECS have been providing amateur radio public service and emergency communications since the 1980's. Many members of NYC-ARECS were activated during the 9/11 attack, the New York City Blackout and other city-wide emergencies. Annually, the team works with charitable organizations to provide communication at various venues, as part of their extended mission.

The over-arching mission of NYC-ARECS is to provide professional, timely, quality, and proficient auxiliary radio communications to both government and other organizations. Persons interested in learning more about how the organization can help their organization, or persons interested in joining, should write to: info@nyc-arecs.org.

http://www.nyc-arecs.org

Desiring to Continue to Enhance Support for Their Community, NYC-ARECS Participates in the NYC Citizen Corps Volunteers Creating Change Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Point of contact: info@nyc-arecs.og

NEW YORK, NY (May 2, 2012) Desiring to continue to enhance support for their community, leaders of the New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service (NYC-ARECS) participated in the Volunteers Creating Change, the NYC Citizen Corps Council's sixth annual Disaster Volunteer Conference which took place on May 1, 2012 at Pace University in New York City.

In celebration of the impact New York City's volunteers make, Volunteers Creating Change, discussed how change originates with an idea, and how these ideas often have a tremendous impact before, during, and after an emergency on individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

Conference speakers included: The Hon. Joseph F. Bruno, Commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management; Keynote Address by Jeff Parness, Founder and Executive Director of New York Says Thank You Foundation; Gary Bagley, Executive Director of New York Cares; Sara Farmer, Digital Humanitarian; and Pamela Kellner, RN, MPH, Coordinator of Infection Control for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The panel discussion was moderated by Herman Schaffer, MSW, Director of Community Outreach for the NYC OEM.

Members of NYC-ARECS have donated many decades of volunteering to their communities across New York City. They follow in the spirit of what Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, "New York has always been fortunate to be home to everyday people who want to pitch in and help—and we need as much help now as ever before." The over-arching mission of NYC-ARECS is to provide professional, timely, quality, and proficient auxiliary radio communications to both government and other organizations which support their communities across the five boroughs.

The conference was a collaborative project of the NYC Citizen Corps Council, supported by staff from American Red Cross Greater New York, American Red Cross New York State, Disaster Chaplaincy Service, New York Cares, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Office of Emergency Management, The Salvation Army Greater New York Division, and World Cares Center.

Persons interested in learning more about how NYC-ARECS can help their community or organization, or persons interested in volunteering, should write to: info@nyc-arecs.org.

http://nyc-arecs.org

NYC-ARECS Encourages New Yorker's to Participate in the National Weather Service SKYWARN Spotter Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Point of contact: info@nyc-arecs.org

NEW YORK, NY (March 14, 2012) As the severe weather season approaches, the New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service (NYC-ARECS) encourages New Yorker's to participate in Skywarn, a network of volunteer storm spotters trained by the National Weather Service.

To obtain critical weather information, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established Skywarn with partner organizations. Skywarn is a volunteer program of trained severe weather spotters. These spotters help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.

Although Skywarn spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a Skywarn spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes occur across the United States. These events threatened lives and property.

Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by Skywarn spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.

Skywarn storm spotters help make up the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives.

The NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service and access to communication, such as ham radio, to join the Skywarn program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches, synagogues, nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are also encouraged to become a spotter.

The next New York City Skywarn training class will be on April 18, 2012 at the NYC Office of Emergency Management, 165 Cadman Plaza East in Brooklyn. The training is free, the class starts at 7pm.

Members of NYC-ARECS are dedicated to providing auxiliary radio communications for New York City in the event of a technological, natural or terrorist disaster. Team members are licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and may participate in the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), a protocol created by the FCC and is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security / Federal Emergency Management Agency.

To learn more about the activities of the New York City Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Service, or if you are interested in joining the team, please visit www.NYC-ARECS.org.