S.O.A.R.E.S. Makes The ARRL Letter, Vol 23, No 26

* Oklahoma ARES group assists in mass immunization drill: 
    The Southern Oklahoma Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Club in 
Ardmore, Oklahoma, recently participated in a mass inoculation drill. The Carter County
Health Department sponsored the exercise in association with the Oklahoma
Department of Health and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

     The drill scenario, a smallpox release, marked the third of its type in
Oklahoma this year. Although the local Amateur Radio community was not
included in planning the drill, ARES District Emergency Coordinator, Mike
Key, N5KEY, said health officials told the hams to show up during the
"walk-around" day, and "they would see if they needed us." When the hams
arrived, the incident commander presented them with a box of Family Radio
Service (FRS) transceivers from the state health department--units that
had not proven up to the task in the first two drills. The ARES group
determined the FRS units would work okay within a building but not between
buildings. At the officials' request, Key developed a plan to coordinate
communication between buildings and cleared it with the incident commander
and the primary communications manager. After checking in the morning of
the drill, the team set up stations in the command center and at strategic
locations, including the inoculation station and triage area. The VHF FM
simplex net had two or three operators at each station. Traffic passed
from the command center to the appropriate station via ham radio and to
its final destination via FRS. Key reports the net was very busy and ran
smoothly. Following the drill, Mindy Spohn, director of the Carter County
Health Department said, "I am now a firm believer in your group and your
abilities." A dozen amateur volunteers participated, and Key (N5KEY) said Amateur
Radio definitely will take part in the planning of any future drills.