Corrected 10/21/2017 @ 21:10
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FLAGSTAFF – On Thursday, October 19 the Alternate Emergency Operation Center was activated in Flagstaff, Arizona. The Coconino Amateur Radio Club ARES members were a part of the activation. The Emergency EOC is located near Buffalo Park.

I was able to participate in the set up and operation. I was also able to see how the emergency center would be set up in the event of an actual emergency. It is set up in standard FEMA format with the Incident Commander, Finance Section, Logistics Section and so-forth. The amateur radio group is a component of logistics.

Emergency centers are divided into modular units and only those needing to be activated are. The purpose of the activation was mainly to acquaint member of the teams with computer equipment and programs they would be using.

On the amateur side, we were given the opportunity to test communication with various areas of northern Arizona and the emergency center in Phoenix. We were given a small break room to use which proves that it doesn’t take much room to operate emergency communications. Hopefully we’ll be able to add CW in the future.

We had to arrive early to set up the Alpha Delta DX DD dipole and Diamond X-50NA vhf/uhf antennas. We tested HF frequencies and communications to repeaters.

My main contribution was to test the 146.780 repeater on Bill Williams repeater maintained by the Bill Williams Mountain Radio club. I contacted Todd Hitzeroth N6ZXJ who happened to be traveling west on I-40 at the time. It is interesting who you meet on amateur radio.

Overall it was an enjoyable and educational experience. Unfortunately it was conducted when many people had to work. I was able to rearrange my schedule to participate in the event. There are ways in which people can participate without having to travel to the center itself. In fact, boots on the ground are as important as the people in the center. The people in the small room in Flagstaff cannot see what is happening in Valle, Williams, Ash Fork and other northern Arizona areas.

If you live in Valle, Parks, Williams, Ash Fork or any other area where you can reach a repeater or have HF capability, you can listen in and make reports concerning the condition of your area. If you hear of the activation of the EOC in the future, contact someone involved and let them know you are available.

The report from Joe W7LUX reads:

Thanks to:

Glen KG7YDJ
Janice KI6WCK
Ken KF7DUR
Lina KE7QFE

who set up and operated HF and VHF/UHF amateur radio equipment at and during the full scale activation of the alternate EOC.

Thanks to:

Bob WA6OJY Greenhaven/Page
Doug K7YCA/N0DAJ Yavapai County ARES/RACES
Earl AD7EO Indian Wells (Navajo County)
Erv KE7QFI Southwest Flagstaff (Army MARS representative)
Gary K7GH Scottsdale (Representing Arizona State EOC)
Lee KF7YRS Saint George
Jeremy KG7HZA Page (Sheriff’s substation)
Vince WB7UWW Page (Home and sheriff’s substation)

for helping Coconino ARES meet the goals of good communications around Coconino County, with Yavapai County (also conducting an exercise), and with the state.

Also, thanks to:

AC7AJ Mingus Mountain
K6DWP Good test of 40 meter short skip Flagstaff to Cottonwood
KF7WOT Prescott
N6ZXJ Williams Area
W7YRC Yavapai Club

for providing additional signal reports and Community Status Reports.

Frequencies and modes used were:

3990 KHz LSB
7252 KHz LSB

146.780 MHz FM Repeater
146.980 MHz FM Repeater (ARA)
147.140 MHz FM Linked Repeater (ARA)
448.875 MHz FM Linked Repeater (ARA)

40 meter propagation was much better Thursday than during the Alternate EOC practice setup on 10 October. 75 meter propagation was adequate, but long paths were becoming weak by 1100. The new dipole antenna at the EOC worked very well. The Northlink and Rimlink linked repeaters also worked well.

Special thanks to Vince, WB7UWW, for making an unscheduled trip to the Page sheriff’s substation to conduct 40 meter radio checks.