Emergency Communications Plan Penobscot County, Maine

RECOVERY
Shelter Operations
Amateur Radio operators provide backup for overloaded Red Cross communications systems, staffing Red Cross Shelters, various Red Cross units, and the office of Emergency Management, the Salvation Army and others involved in the aftermath of tragedy. In times of disaster, the nation's ham radio operators are often the first to volunteer their communications expertise. Today, there are nearly 700,000 Amateur Radio operators in the United States and more than 2.5 million worldwide.
Shelters are a temporary place of protection where disaster victims can find assistance and supplies. Shelters may operate during an event, Response, such as stranded motorists during a snow storm, or after an event, Recovery, such as individuals and families displaced by a tornado.
In shelters, children may need to be entertained, but adults are worried about what happens next. Repeaters and auto patches allow Welfare communication to inform, advise and reassure friends, families and relatives.
Hams at shelters provide communication support and backup, handle outgoing health-and welfare traffic, and reassure shelter residents that they are not totally out of touch with the outside world. Hams working in the shelters should maintain a high profile.
Health and Welfare
In the event of a natural or man-made disaster, radio amateurs, including ARRL-certified volunteers will work with community organizations to relay vital information in a structured and accurate manner. They are skilled at composing and relaying messages by voice and through computer based Amateur Radio communications modes. ARS volunteers will join local ARES nets and will support emergency activities ranging from equipment logistics, victim location and identification, emergency shelter, food and water information, medical equipment and material distribution, and, sometimes, life-and-death communication.
Emergency | Priority | Break

Break -- The normal, polite request for an opportunity to interrupt an ongoing contact is the lowest priority of interruption. Break is also often recognized during an Open Net and may be granted during an Informal Directed Net. The NCS can break back with a higher priority should events warrant a change in net status.

NCS or an operator on any contact will always STOP everything and answer the following interruption priority calls immediately.

Priority -- The second highest level of interruption, Priority, means the traffic concerns an immediate safety issue regarding human life or injury, or impending property damage.
Emergency -- The highest level of priority, Emergency, is reserved for only danger-of-death or serious-injury-if-message-is-not-heard-immediately messages

Emergency calls can interrupt Priority, Break, Welfare or normal traffic. Priority calls can interrupt Break, Welfare, or normal traffic, but not Emergency. Break should never be used during a Formal Directed Emergency Net. During nets, rely on NCS to dispatch assistance. If you have EMERGNCY traffic, use the proword BREAK, BREAK, BREAK. Upon hearing BREAK repeated three times, all stations will prepare to copy the traffic and lend assistance.
Emergency messages within the disaster area often have life-death urgency. Much of the local traffic will be on VHF/UHF. Emergency, Priority and Welfare traffic flowing outside the disaster area may be best handled on HF using the NTS. Incoming Health and Welfare traffic should be handled only after all Emergency and Priority traffic is cleared because it can easily overload an already busy system.
Property Damage Surveys / Assessments
Damage caused by natural disasters can be sudden and extensive. Responsible officials in and near the event may need communications assistance. Such reports and data are used to initiate and coordinate disaster relief and recovery.
Red Cross damage assessment teams survey an area to calculate initial impact estimates. EMA may request surveys to ascertain the amount of outside assistance needed in an area. Using a ride-along ham provides instantaneous contact with the Chapter or EOC.

CONCLUSION

Community Contacts

Penobscot County Emergency Management Agency

69 Hammond Street

Bangor, Maine 04401

Michelle Tanguay, Director 207.945.4750 - Work 207.478.3137 – Mobile [e-mail]

Denise Molinaro, Administrative Assistant 207.945.4750 – Work 207.232.3154 – Mobile [e-mail]

Northeastern Maine Regional Resource Center & Regional Emergency Operations Center

797 Wilson Street

Brewer, Maine 04412

Kathy Knight, Director for Emergency Preparedness 207.973.8008 - Work 207.356.2525 - Mobile 207.818.4848 - Pager [e-mail]

Down East Emergency Medicine Institute (DEEMI) Search and Rescue

P.O. Box 268

Orono, Maine 04473

Richard Bowie – Director 207.866.2109 – Home 207.745.4796 – Mobile [e-mail]

Robert Bowie, MD – Medical Director 207.866.3048 – Home 207.852.6656 – Mobile [e-mail]

VK9 Scent Specific Search and Recovery - New England Region

Julie Jones, Director 207.735.4350 - Mobile [e-mail]

AI+RRNET (AERIAL IMAGERY [and] RESCUE RECOVERY NETWORK)

Julie Jones, Director 207.735.4350 - Mobile [e-mail]

NORTHERN AND EASTERN MAINE CHAPTER – AMERICAN RED CROSS

145 Exchange Street, Suite 1

Bangor, Maine 04401

Caroline King Executive Director 207.941.2903 x 402 - Work 207.272.9561 – Mobile [e-mail]

Danielle Hardre, Disaster Program Manager 207.941.2903 x 405 – Work 207.233.0933 – Mobile [e-mail]

Amateur Radio Contacts

Maine ARRL Section Manager Bill Crowley, K1NIT 150 Maple Street Farmingdale, Maine 04344 [e-mail]	Maine ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator Phil Duggan, N1EP 195 Kansas Road Milbridge, Maine 04658 207.546.1575 - Mobile [e-mail]
Maine ARRL District Emergency Coordinator Dennis Bosley, WA1URS 49 Main Street, Apt B2 Caribou, Maine 04736 207.493.1014 - Home 207.999.1510 - Mobile [e-mail] [e-mail]	Penobscot County ARES Emergency Coordinator Kevin Badger, N0UKM 135 Parkview Ave Apt C Bangor, Maine 04401 207.944.8371 - Mobile [e-mail]

Facilities Access and Points of Contacts

St. Joseph Hospital

360 Broadway

Bangor, Maine 04401

207.907.1000 – 24 hour number

Set Up Location: Switchboard Room 246

Jennifer Sullivan, Emergency Management Specialist 207.907.1323 – Work 207.478.0016 – Mobile [e-mail]

After normal duty hours: Go to the Emergency Room, identify yourself to the charge nurse as a member of the Penobscot County ARES Group and explain that you need to get to the radio which is in the Switchboard Room. The radio is all set up and ready to go. Security may or may not take you there.
Eastern Maine Medical Center

489 State Street

Bangor, Maine 04401

207.973.7000 – 24 hour number

Chris Shaw, EMMC Telecommunications & Call Center Manager 207.973.9007 – Work 207.852.5794 – Mobile [e-mail]	Pam Hand 207.973.7400 – Work 207.944.4115 – Mobile 207.848.2324 – Home [e-mail]
Steve Russell, Manager of Security, Grounds and Parking Services 207.973.7762 [e-mail]

Storage Location: Locked brown metal disaster cart. Bottom shelf, right side door.
Set Up Location: Medical Library across from Mason Auditorium. Set up on table. Plug into dedicated red colored electrical outlet labeled HAM RADIO
Normal duty hours or actual event: Stop at the main security office, identify yourself as a member of the Penobscot County ARES Group. If you have your EMHS Contractors ID Card, you will need to have security activate it in order for you to have access to the Incident Command Post in Mason Auditorium and the Medical Library. While you are there you will need to pick up the keys that say “FOR HAM RADIO OPERATORS” and “HAM RADIO” on the round tag. These keys are now on a black lanyard. Explain to them that you need to gain access to the two large brown metal disaster communications carts located in Mason Auditorium to get the following equipment: one Icom IC-V8000 radio in its box; one clear plastic tote that contains extension power cord, headphones, and coax jumper; one MFJ-4245MV power supply in its yellow cardboard box. These items will then be set up in the medical library across the hall from Mason Auditorium. (Information current as of 20 May 2015) DO NOT FORGET THE YELLOW BINDER IN FRONT OF THE RADIO'S IN THE CART ON THE BOTTOM SHELF.
Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center

656 State Street

Bangor, Maine 04401

207.941.4000 – 24 hour number

Mark C. Faulkner Plant Maintenance Engineer & Emergency Preparedness Coordinator 207.941.4246 Work 207.944.0216 Mobile [e-mail]

Normal Duty Hours: Go to the main entrance, stop at the visitors’ window just inside on the right, identify yourself as a member of the Penobscot County ARES Group. Explain that you need to gain access to the conference room to set up the radio.
Between midnight & 0700 hours: Call the Engineers at 207.941.4002; identify yourself as a member of the Penobscot County ARES Group. If they do not answer, go to the Engineers room located at the base of the chimney and explain who you are and they should let you in.

The Acadia Hospital

268 Stillwater Avenue

Bangor, Maine 04401

207.973.6100

Set Up Location: Radio is now set up and ready to operate from the Call Center room. The Call Center room is on the first floor. DO NOT BRING ANY SHARP OBJECTS OR KNIVES INTO THIS FACILITY.

Steve Treadwell – Facilities Operation Manager 207.973.6181 Work [e-mail]

Chris Henderson [e-mail]

Normal Duty Hours: Go in the main entrance to the counter to the right and identify yourself as a member of the Penobscot County ARES Group. Explain that you need to gain access to the radio that is located in Call Center room. The main lobby is open 24 hours a day.
After duty hours: Go to the main entrance and ask for the House Administrator. Explain that you need to gain access to the Call Center room.
Millinocket Regional Hospital

200 Somerset Street

Millinocket, Maine 04462

207.723.5161

Storage Location: Director of Plant Operations office. Radio can be accessed by paging Maintenance at 207.580.6099. They will know where to set up the radio.

Dale McLaughlin, Director of Plant Operations 207.723.7246 - Work 207.217.8425 - Mobile [e-mail]

Missy Marter [e-mail]

Penobscot Valley Hospital

7 Transalpine Road

Lincoln, Maine 04457

207.794.3321

Karen Mueller, Chief Nursing Officer 207.794.3321 - Work [e-mail]