The Amateur Radio Emergency Service is composed of licensed radio amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service, when disaster strikes. Every licensed radio amateur, whether or not a member of RAC or any other local or regional organization, is eligible for membership in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service or ARES. The only qualification is a sincere desire to serve. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but not a requirement. For more information, contact the Emergency Coordinator below that is in your area.

Local ARES Niagara Net

The local ARES Niagara Net is every Tuesday at 7:00pm on VE3RAF 145.190MHz- PL Tone 107.2Hz. Net Controller: Peter, VE3HM.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service Announces Annual Simulated Emergency Test for 2006

The SET (Simulated Emergency Test) will take place on Wednesday, November 1st at 9 AM. As usual, we will be testing our message handling capabilities with our area hospitals and the Red Cross.

It has become apparent to us that many of the personnel in the hospitals do not know what A.R.E.S. (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) is and why we are in their hospital. We are making a concerted effort to get hospital people acquainted with A.R.E.S. That is the main reason we are conducting this year's SET in the middle of the week. Please take the time to explain what you are doing in your hospital to staff members. This helps our efforts in Niagara and boosts Amateur Radio in general.

Due to a shortage of radio operators, the hospital on Ontario St in St. Catharines (Old Hotel Dieu) will not be on the air. As well, it was not possible to make an arrangement with the Region to operate in their EOC this year. Our net control will be at the EOC of the new Red Cross building, 211 Church St., a short distance from Delta Bingo.

Set-up may begin any time after 08:30. Officially, the exercise begins at 09:00. We expect to be finished before 12:00 Noon or sooner.

Chief operators, please make sure that your hospital knows about the exercise. If you haven't checked, give them a call, voice mail or email. If you need to know who your contact is, give me a call at 905-562-3956 or send an email to 3dve@look.ca.

We had a much sharper sounding net last year than I heard on Katrina. Keep up the good work.

73
Dave, VE3DVE
DEC(District Emergency Co-ordinator)ARES Niagara

Annual A.R.E.S. Niagara Simulated Emergency Test

Our annual SET (Simulated Emergency Test) was held on Nov 1, 2006. Our network consisted of radio stations at 7 out of 9 area hospitals with net control at the Red Cross on Church St in St Catharines. Our NCS (Net Control Station) operators this year, doing yeoman service, were Peter, VA3PKV and Brian, VE3BMX. This consisted of passing written messages between hospitals and the Red Cross. As an additional scenario, a blizzard was simulated out at the Sawmill Golf Course, south of Vineland. Over 150 Grade 5 and 6 students from Beamsville were marooned for three days at the Golf Course. High winds, snow and downed telephone lines made Amateur Radio their only lifeline out. Red Cross personnel actively participated in this scenario which lasted about 20 minutes.

Red Cross personnel present, Lyndie Ramsey Manager Disaster Management, and Co-Chair Sue Mariage.

Members of our ARES group who participated in SET 2006 were: Fort Erie Hospital: Wasi VA3NAZ. Greater Niagara General: John VE3JWH, Ken VE3MAZ, Denis VE3KVE. Welland General: John VA3AL, Vince VA3DV, Ron VE3RGD. Port Colborne General: Doug VE3JDF, Ron VE3MX. Hotel Dieu-Shaver: Frank VE3KLM, Jake VE3NCL, Peter VA3WET. St Catharines General: Sheldon VE3KEX. West Lincoln Memorial Hospital: Jack VE3CXH. Yours truly was working under cover in a back room at Red Cross sending out secret signals from Sawmill Road.

If I've missed anyone, it's not deliberate, we've not done our final de-briefing yet so I haven't determined a final tally.

Really, a pretty good exercise. We hope to involve Red Cross and hospital personnel even more next year.

73
Dave, VE3DVE
District Emergency Coordinator,
ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) Niagara

Jake, VE3NCL (left) and Frank, VE3KLM get ready to receive a message at
the Shaver Hospital during November 1st, 2006 Simulated Emergency Test.

Assistant District Emergency Coordinator

Golden Horseshow (Niagara)

Peter Vince, VE3HM
20 Baxter Cr.,
Thorold, ON L2V 4R5
Tel: (905) 227-6326
E-mail: ve3hm1 @ gmail.com
Website: ARES Niagara

Emergency Coordinators

Southern Niagara Region
Welland, Fort Erie, Ridgeway, Port Colborne, Wainfleet

Doug Frame, VE3JDF
895 Lakeshore Road East,
R. R. # 1, Port Colborne, ON L3K 5V3
Tel: Home: (905) 834-2210
E-mail: ve3jdf @ rac.ca

City of St. Catharines

Dave Flarity, VE3DVE
718 Sawmill Road
RR #3
Fenwick ON L0S 1C0
Tel: (905) 562-3956
E-mail: dave.flarity @ gmail.com