| NIHRAC (K3YGG) NIH Building 13 Room G-903 Bethesda, MD 20892 |
Emergency Communications Center NIH Building 11 Room 308 phone: 301 496-5311 |
NIHRAC Web site http://nihrac.od.nih.gov
NIHRAC Email address nihrac@k3ygg.ampr.org
Vice President Larry Martin called the meeting to order at 12:10 p.m. He presided until President Walter Stewart arrived and assumed conduct of the proceedings.
Members attending the meeting included Akihiro Hashimoto AA3RV, Bill Hook W3QBC, Albert Lock KA3WCF, Larry Martin W3IBO, Andy Mitz WA3LTJ, Chuck Sherman N3WTO and Walter Stewart WM3Z,
Bill Hook gave Chuck Sherman a copy of his videotape for review. After final editing, the VHS tape will be made available for loan to interested members and for showing after a meeting.
As we learned after the last meeting, the top half of our new Cushcraft R7000 HF vertical antenna has been broken off. The cause remains unknown and no progress has been made toward removing the remaining portion so that we can determine what is needed to effect repair. Our 20 foot wooden ladder marked "K3YGG" and "NIHRAC" is missing. A search of the area around Building 11 should be undertaken so that we can retrieve it to work on the antenna.
There were no additional nominations made at the meeting. The following slate submitted by the Nominating Committee at the February meeting was elected by unanimous vote: President - Walter Stewart WM3Z, Vice President - Albert Lock KA3WCF, Secy/Treas - Chuck Sherman N3WTO and Asst. Secy/Treas - Frank Putnam N3ZPQ.
The following expenditures were approved by unanimous vote: - $8.25 for twenty-five 33 cent stamps, - $24.00 for T-MARC dues and, - an amount not to exceed $200 for repair of the Cushcraft R7000 antenna.
A decision was deferred concerning the purchase of a wide-band UHF/VHF antenna for the NIHRAC Listening Post receiver, soon to be relocated to the NIH Bethesda campus. A member has offered to donate a suitable antenna for the project.
The President appointed Chuck Sherman and Bill Hook to serve as a committee to conduct the annual audit of NIHRAC's finances.
Andy Mitz reported on his meeting with NIH Emergency Planning Coordinator Bill Magers on February 22. Andy provided the following summary of his talk.
The NIH Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is important to NIH's role in the Continuity of Government operations, on a National level. The program's purpose is to ensure that essential NIH functions will continue in the event of a catastrophic event, man-made or natural.
An overview of the Plan was presented, covering: 1) type of emergencies, 2) classifications of emergencies, 3) role of communications during emergencies, 4) command structure, 5) role of Logistics Team, 6) Plan testing, and 7) Plan activation.
NIHRAC has been included in the Plan as part of the Logistics Team. The Plan recognizes that normal communications could be disrupted during major emergencies, that Amateur Radio may be the only alternative available, and that communications are critical to successful recovery.
It is our responsibility to provide Mr. Magers a description of what functions we could fulfill to aid NIH in the event of an emergency either here in Bethesda, or at one of the remote NIH sites including Poolesville, MD, Hamilton, MT or Research Triangle Park, N.C. Along with the list of emergency services we could provide as a club, we must list those items needed to enhance our equipment or facilities sufficiently to provide the services listed. This request implies that funds could be provided to beef up our capacity to support the NIH.
All present were enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with Mr. Magers on having the NIHRAC integrated into the COOP.
A listing in draft form of what NIHRAC now has and what we will need to strengthen our participation was presented at the meeting. A final version of the list will be sent to Mr. Magers.
The supply of FCC Amateur Radio forms in the ECC are obsolete. A volunteer is needed to download these from the FCC Web site.
The meeting was adjourned by the President at 1:05 p.m.
Congratulations to Chuck Sherman who passed the test for the Advanced Class license on March 4 at the Landover, MD VEC session.
A member has for sale a Kenwood TS-830 HF transceiver with matching speaker and external VFO. Contact Bill Hook W3QBC for details.
de KA3WCF & W3QBC