2021 has come to a close and as we move in to 2022, I thought we should take a look back at some of the things that we accomplished this year and while there are too many to list them all but here are a few…
- Update Weather Forms
- Winlink Training
- Operation Big Boy
- Updated Alert Application
- Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and Dispatch Training
- All things digital are just some of the things we did this year.
I would like to thank Randy Councell, NØOEM, and his Training Team. They did a fantastic job of putting together all the training. Also, a big thank you to Ben Baker, KBØUBZ, and the Administration Team for all they do without them we would be at a standstill as he and his team keep all the Google Forms up to date, the alert application, and a few other things so he has a lot on his plate. Ben is also our Operations Section Chief and does a great job helping me and running things when I am not available in addition to the normal things, he does nearly every day to keep us on track. After a year off because of COVID-19, the Arapahoe County Fair returned and we were again asked to provide Public Safety Communications on-site, provide roving patrols for situational awareness, and over-watch of the county’s largest Fair on record and to all those from other districts that responded to our mutual aid request to help with the Fair, a big Thank You! There were a couple of events last year that took us all by surprise and that was Peter Meer, KCØVAQ, stepping down as Emergency Coordinator and of course, the merger of Adams and Arapahoe Counties into one district and me being appointed the new Emergency Coordinator of the newly created district.
As we move into 2022 and beyond, I look forward to working to enhance the great working relationship that each of you in the two counties have established with each other on past exercises into one solid district that is the district everyone inspires to be like. While we lost a few people we picked up a few new members as well and with the background expertise the folks from Adams County ARES brings, we are in outstanding shape. That does not mean we do not have learning curve as each county brings new components to the table that we are not all at the same knowledge level with and we all need to learn about operating in another county. For example, Adams County ARES brings Amateur Radio Television (ATV) equipment and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. Arapahoe brings Incident Command System (ICS) training, Task Books and the Arapahoe County Fair. As you see, there is a lot of opportunity for you to be cross trained in just about any area you like, and you have the opportunity to become one of our Subject Matter Experts (our “go to person”) for just about any area you might like to learn about. Please share your knowledge with us! You are all extremely knowledgeable please share that knowledge with all of us. These two organizations that are merging into one are what they are because one reason. YOU! You are the reason this district exists and without you, your knowledge, your dedication, and willingness to serve other in times of need is why we are one of if not the premier district in the state and for that you should all be very proud!
2022 will bring with it many challenges but none that we cannot overcome if we all lean where we can and help where needed. We have already done training on the new Arapahoe County EOC and our position in Dispatch and soon we will do training at our other dispatch locations Aurora and Air Life. Recently, we were asked to participate in an Emergency Operations Center exercise at the Adams County EOC. There was limited space, so we had three seats available to us. This was attendee my myself, our ARES Operations Section Chief, and our ARES Training Section Chief. It is my understanding that this is the first time in a long time that ARES has been asked to participate. I believe we have built on the relationship that Adams County ARES had started, and I see us doing more with them in the coming years. Planning for the Arapahoe County Fair will start soon and as time goes on, we will have opportunities to work on planning for the Fair. If you are interested, watch for more information to come. I also expect that we may play a part in the Adams County Fair, nothing like the part we play in Arapahoe, but it is the following week. Key members of Command Staff have recently been granted access to some new tools that are used by State, the North Central Region and the Emergency Operations Centers that we have not been able to access to share someone else’s account. We now have our own accounts and have access from anywhere to these tools which is a huge leap forward for us! You may not realize it, but YOU are a big part of the reason we have made the strides we have. Because of you we have an outstanding reputation with our served agencies the region and the state and you have proven us to be a valuable asset to all of them. It is because of that we are granted more and more access and responsibility to the tools used by our agencies to manage disasters.
This is your organization as without your there would be no Adams and Arapahoe Counties ARES (ACARES). I and your Command Staff appreciate each of you and all you have done to make this organization what it is today! I am here to guide the ship, but this is your organization and your ideas and opinions matter and should be heard and I ask that bring any question, comments, ideas, or concerns to me or a member of your Command Staff.
Thank you for your service and all you do for ACARES and your communities you are ACARES and while we have a serious mission there is no reason you cannot have fun learning and teaching what you know.
Michael Curta, KDØUFO
Emergency Coordinator
Adams-Arapahoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Service
This past weekend, Arapahoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) showed how prepared we are for responding to our served agencies. The Arapahoe County Office of Emergency Management as well as the Aurora Office of Emergency Management utilized reports from our radio operators to assist in handling the fourth largest winter storm in the metro area history. Our nineteen volunteers, operating from their home stations, provided up-to-date information including: snow fall amounts, visibility, wind speed, temperature, and road conditions.That information was used by the City of Aurora and Arapahoe County to help dispatch appropriate equipment to specific geographic areas.
Arapahoe County ARES was on standby beginning Saturday, March 13th for ten (10) hours. On Sunday, we were active from 09:30 hours to 1800 hours. There was cooperation with our neighboring (Jefferson, Denver, Douglas/Elbert, Boulder, and Adams) counties. Our efforts are really what Amateur Radio and ARES is all about. We believe that we had over 300 volunteer hours of assistance, allowing our served agencies to more effectively handle such disaster as we saw this weekend.
As Emergency Coordinator for Arapahoe County ARES, I am extremely proud of the help we provided. Thank you to all our members who participated. Special thanks to: Mike Curta, KDØUFO, Severe Weather Coordinator, Ben Baker, KBØUBZ, Operations Section Chief, Randy Councell, NOØEM, Training Officer and Liaison Officer, John Nanny, ADØPD, Planning Section Chief, and Alan Bieber, KIØEP, Deputy Training Officer.
Working with Arapahoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Service and all the outstanding members remains a privilege for me.
Respectfully submitted,
Peter Meer, KCØVAQ
Emergency Coordinator
Arapahoe County Amateur Radio Services
It has been a very successful year for Arapahoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (Region 1, District 2). Here are some of our accomplishments for 2019.
1. The Arapahoe County Fair, our major event each year, provided all of us the opportunity to practice our radio skills while assisting the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and the Fair staff. Over 600 hours spread over 4 1/2 days of volunteer time helped assure the success of the Fair. We received assistance from Denver and Adams County ARES as well as OMEGA (thank you to each of them for their assistance during the Fair)
2. In September we worked with Denver County ARES on Operation AirSmack. A dozen of Arapahoe County ARES members participated in this Simulated Emergency Test (SET) staged in Denver's City Park. Working with the National Association of Emergency Room Physicians, members provided radio communications between the Headquarters and the five different locations within the park.
3. Our leadership team, listed below, has done an outstanding job. The team includes the following:
- Dan NØPUF, Operations Chief
- Alan KIØEP, Training Chief
- John ADØPD, Planning Chief
- Mark, KAØTPG, Logistics Chief
- Kevin N2NWA, Administration Chief and Webmaster
- Ben KBØUBZ Deputy Administration Chief
- Zeke KØXK, Finance Chief
- Mike KDØUFO, Public Information Officer and Severe Weather Coordinator
- Dave KBØLP, Health & Safety Officer
- Mark KD5DKQ, Liaison Chief for served agencies
4. Our current membership stands at 33 and should increase in this coming year.
5. Alan, KIØEP, has created a training program for all of our meetings January thru July of 2020. (Thank you Alan)
6. Creation of an Arapahoe County ARES specific Task Book (thank you Ben), so all of our members can be trained and certified to be better trained ARES members
7. We will continue our membership requirements (see the website) for attendance and participation in our efforts.
8. To increase cooperation between ARES districts, we have made it a point to make sure that neighboring districts are always welcome at our monthly meetings.
It has been a privilege to serve as the Emergency Coordinator of Arapahoe County ARES since March of 2019. Our membership continues to show professionalism as we work with our served agencies.
I wish all of you a Happy New Year, and look forward to a great 2020.
Respectfully,
Peter Meer KCØVAQ
Emergency Coordinator
Arapahoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Service
This year has proved to be a challenge due to the pandemic. But thanks to my team, we have met this challenge and still accomplished much in 2020. Here are just some of the things my team and I have accomplished:
- - We have successfully moved from in-person meetings to virtual meetings using Google Meet. Until the COVID-19 issue is resolved, we will continue to meet virtually.
- - Thanks to Randy NØOEM and Alan KIØEP, we now have great training at our monthly meetings and now have monthly training exercises. Check out our Training section of this web site for full details.
- - We anticipate having some role in the COVID-19 vaccination program. These details are not yet available.
- - We are actively preparing for the time that we will be needed during the pandemic, no matter what the role.
- - Through the hard work of Zeke, KØXK our Finance Section Chief, we are now an ARRL Affiliated Club! We are one of the few ARES organizations in Colorado that have this honor.
- - We are one of the first ARES districts in the state to have developed a Position Task Book. This Task Book is specific to Arapahoe County ARES and gives the members the requirements for training and improvement
- - Arapahoe County ARES has developed membership requirements. We value each member's participation but we also know that not everyone can give time to the district.
- + Active - Members who have taken the 4 required ICS courses as well as participated in monthly meetings, training exercises and nets
- + Reserve - Members who still want to participate but because of other obligations cannot fully participate
- + Youth - We have a number of young members who want to participate but because of their age, cannot participate unless accompanied by a parent
- + Emeritus - There are members who have been active members for at least 5 years but now cannot fully participate but still which to be members.
- - I feel that disasters do not have borders and as such, we need to know how to work with other districts. Because of this, I have invited other districts to join us during our monthly meetings and participate in our monthly exercises. This make us unique in the Colorado Section.
- - For the first time, we have kept all of our members from 2020. I thank all 34 of you for continuing to provide service to our community.
- - All members have signed up for the Colorado Volunteer Mobilizer (CVM) program. This will give us a state identifiable identification card in addition to our Arapahoe County ARES identification card.
For those radio operators that are not currently connected to an ARES group, please consider joining Arapahoe County ARES. We strive to be the best emergency communications group in the state.
73,
Peter Meer, KCØVAQ
Emergency Coordinator
Arapahoe County ARES
I am now seven months into the Emergency Coordinator position. A major objective has been to increase our training, both at the meetings as well as off site. Recently, the National Association of Emergency Room Physicians held their yearly conference in Denver. Ten members of Arapahoe County ARES participated in the Operation AirSmack exercise on November 9th, a culmination of this conference. The event was held in Denver's City Park with the scenario of two small aircraft colliding over the park with injures to plane passengers as well as people in the park. Simulated injuries were given to volunteers so the physicians could treat them. The event coordinator was delighted with the ability of ARES to communicate to the five stations around Ferrell lake as well as to communicate with the headquarters. This exercise ranks as one of the best training events I have attended in many years. We will continue to look for other opportunities to practice our radio skills as well continuing to work with our ARES neighbors as opportunities arise.
Within the next several weeks, we will publish a training schedule for our monthly meetings thru June of next year. I anticipate the training will include out of class room experiences. In order to be prepared for emergency communication we must continue to educate ourselves as well as practice our radio skills.
I have advised the Denver and Adams County ARES groups that they will be welcomed at our training sessions. This serves to further unite area metro ARES districts and increase our ability to work together as a team.
Respectfully,
Peter Meer, KCØVAQ
Emergency Coordinator
Arapahoe County Amateur Radio Emergency Service
146.670 Live Audio Feed
The 146.6700 Live Feed. The link is here. Contact EC at Adams-Arapahoe County ARES if you find it offline or have any questions or comments.