This was forwarded to me, again ametures help out!
>Subject: Fwd: ARLB021 Amateur Radio Provides Critical Communication
>in Colorado Flooding Response
>From: Tom Mills <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 19:42:20 -0400
>
>
>
>Tom Mills
><http://www.tommills.zenfolio.com>www.tommills.zenfolio.com
>It's all about the light and composition
>Please consider the environment before printing this email or its attachments.
>
>Begin forwarded message:
>
>>From: "ARRL Web site"
>><<mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]>
>>Date: September 16, 2013, 3:01:23 PM EDT
>>To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>>Subject: ARLB021 Amateur Radio Provides Critical Communication in
>>Colorado Flooding Response
>>
>>SB QST @ ARL $ARLB021
>>ARLB021 Amateur Radio Provides Critical Communication in Colorado
>>Flooding Response
>>
>>ZCZC AG21
>>QST de W1AW
>>ARRL Bulletin 21 ARLB021
>> From ARRL Headquarters
>>Newington CT September 16, 2013
>>To all radio amateurs
>>
>>SB QST ARL ARLB021
>>ARLB021 Amateur Radio Provides Critical Communication in Colorado
>>Flooding Response
>>
>>More than five dozen Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
>>volunteers have deployed in and around flood-stricken counties of
>>Colorado, providing critical communication for Red Cross shelters
>>and state and local emergency operation centers. Recent heavy rains
>>have caused veritable mountainside tsunamis that have caused rivers
>>and streams to overflow their banks, ravaged roads and property and
>>displaced an undetermined number of residents. At least three people
>>are known to have died. ARRL Colorado Section Manager Jack Ciaccia,
>>WM0G, says that with power cut off to affected communities and many
>>cell telephone towers along the Big Thompson River toppled by the
>>flooding, ham radio is providing medical and health-and-welfare
>>traffic between evacuation centers and the EOCs.
>>
>>"Every EOC is being staffed by ARES people," Ciaccia told ARRL.
>>"Almost every evacuation center has an ARES communicator, doing
>>either voice or packet communications between EOCs and shelters."
>>
>>The isolated towns of Estes Park, Lyons, and Jamestown were or still
>>are relying solely on ham radio for contact with the outside.
>>Jamestown has since been evacuated. "Everybody was huddled into the
>>high school there," Ciaccia told ARRL. He was in contact with the
>>mayor there and trying to get the community needed resources as soon
>>as possible. Hams in Estes Park have been working out of the EOC in
>>the Town Hall, which is on high ground. "There's no place to go.
>>Everything's flooded," Ciaccia said. "The only ham in Lyons was
>>working out of an evacuation center at the local elementary school."
>>He said the National Guard has been relocating some evacuees, as the
>>shelter has become overcrowded.
>>
>>On Saturday, September 14, US Congressman Cory Gardner (R-4) visited
>>the state emergency operation center to express his appreciation to
>>the Amateur Radio operators responding to the historic flooding
>>disaster. Rep Gardner asked Colorado Section Emergency Coordinator
>>Robert Wareham, N0ESQ, to extend his thanks to all ARES members
>>staffing positions in the field as well.
>>
>>Boulder County has deployed miniature drone aircraft carrying
>>Amateur TV cameras to survey the affected, more remote regions, for
>>now to spot individuals who may need to be rescued. "We're still in
>>a search-and-rescue mode," Ciaccia said, "not really in a
>>damage-assessment mode."
>>
>>Ciaccia said the drones - a fixed-wing aircraft and a hybrid
>>gas/electric-powered helicopter - have been transmitting ATV video
>>via UHF to the ground and simultaneously recording the video on a
>>memory stick. The helicopter can remain in the air for more than 5
>>hours at a clip, recording images for officials at the EOC to
>>evaluate. Ciaccia said Boulder County Emergency Coordinator Al
>>Bishop, K0ARK, owns Reference Technology, the company providing the
>>drones.
>>
>>Ciaccia said that during the past year the Boulder County ARES team
>>created the Mountain Emergency Radio Network (MERN) on its own time
>>and money and put up two repeaters - one at Allenspark and another
>>in Gold Hill. "The intent was to start educating people in the
>>mountain regions to become hams," Ciaccia said. Some 65 individuals
>>have gotten their licenses, and the team provided each with a radio.
>>"Those radios and those people - they became the eyes and ears for
>>their communities," Ciaccia explained.
>>
>>As power was lost, the only remaining means of communication were
>>the two repeaters operating on propane-powered generators. "The
>>system worked," Ciaccia added, "and we were able to utilize it for
>>emergency communication purposes." Those communities have since been
>>evacuated.
>>
>>News media accounts citing the state Office of Emergency Management
>>say 19 Colorado counties remain under a high threat of flooding.
>>These include Boulder, Arapahoe, Weld, Park, Jefferson, Larimer,
>>Clear Creek, Adams, Douglas, Broomfield, Gilpin, Denver, Logan,
>>Morgan, Washington, El Paso, Teller, Pueblo and Elbert.
>>
>>State authorities are warning residents in the hard-hit counties to
>>stay off the road. Interstate 25 from the Wyoming line to Denver has
>>been closed, along with part of Interstate 70.
>>NNNN
>>/EX
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