Hello, North Bay 2-Meter Critical Mass colleagues—
Once again we will meet on Zoom; Marin County is one of the COVID-19 hotspots, and there’s no need for us to take chances during this ongoing pandemic. But here’s a change: as long as we meet on Zoom, we will start at 1030. We’ve found that trying to check into the Marin Amateur Radio Society’s Sunday morning net at the same time that we’re attending a Zoom session simply doesn’t work. But we DO encourage you to check into the net before 1030!
Our agenda for this month:
- A quick phonetic-alphabet practice: I will call the roll as I see each of your pictures or names pop up—please identify yourself with name and callsign, both using the NATO phonetic alphabet.
- We will discuss, point-by-point, the draft COVID-19 protocol (attached) that we intend to employ for whatever public service events that are to be held in the near future. We’ll be interested in your feedback and advice. The MARS board will consider this protocol at its August meeting, in advance of the August 15 Dirt Fondo, which has been confirmed.
- We will receive a presentation on radio communications with (and within) the nascent Neighborhood Response Groups that are being formed in some of Marin’s communities. Most of our communities have long-established CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams,) whose members have received 20 hours of training in search & rescue, radio protocol, shelter management, triage, first aid, traffic control, etc. But those trained members are thin on the ground in many neighborhoods. The NRGs are intended to be most knowledgeable about the needs and resources of their immediate neighborhood. Block Captains, each responsible for 10-20 houses, will be the building blocks for NRGs. Each NRG will have a command post to which the Block Captains will report. NGRs will be using FRS/GMRS radios to communicate within their neighborhoods. How will licensed radio operators communicate with them? How will CERT and RACES communicate with them? Skip, Ann, Rob and Cooley will give us a briefing on NRGs and their comm plans.
Please plan to attend this Zoom session—and pass the word to currently-licensed radio ops, or to those who are seeking their licenses!
Here’s the link:
Michael Fischer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
