Hello All EC Ecomm's

  I found this alert in my mail thought it would be good for us here,,
  _________________________________________________________________


   Please begin your initial Situational Awareness on Hurricane IRENE. NWS
forecasts are indicating that there is a potential for a direct impact from this
system on the NNJ Section perhaps as early as late Sunday (8/28) or Monday
(8/29)

The official National Hurricane Center Tracking Forecast is available here:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2011/graphics/al09/loop_5W.shtml

If the official forecasts continue to indicate IRENE will impact the NNJ
Section, we will begin in the next 24 to 48 hours to increase the NNJ Alert
Status Levels as noted here: http://www.hudson.arrl.org/nnj/ares/

NNJ ARES Leadership has been monitoring this event since Sunday and is being
kept directly informed by updates from the local NWS Forecast offices along with
their other OEM and EmComm partners. We have also notified ARRL HQ and
Leadership of our now state of Situational Awareness as per our SOB

Thank you in advance for your attention to this developing situation.

George Sabbi
KC2GLG
ARRL NNJ Section Emergency Coordinator
Email: KC2GLG@...
Website: www.hudson.arrl.org/nnj/ares

All Radio Operators,

Over the next two days:

1)      Check all alternate power sources and make sure they are fully charged.

2)      Insure all battery operated light sources are functioning.

3)      Test your radios. Put in those frequencies and repeater parameters you have intended to.

4)      Be sure your HT's are fully charged.

5)      Consider taking down antennas with higher wind resistance, rather than losing them in high winds.

6)      Test your sump pump if you have one.

7)      Secure outdoor furniture.

8)      Put aside some dry goods.

9)      As the storm approaches watch this site and your email for activations and status announcements.

10)   Watch the TV and internet weather reports.

11)   Touch base with your local EC.

12)   When the storm begins (if you haven't already) turn on your radio and monitor WA2JSB 146.415 for alerts or nets.

These are some ideas that you may have already thought of. You probably have more ideas of your own. Please point them out on this forum. It's not just for "official" announcements. It is also here for your discussions. Don't be shy.

Bob Crifasi KC2RFC CEC

Governor Christy has declared a state of emergency.
Fyi

Sent from my Samsung Captivate(tm) on AT&T

Bob <CrifasiRF@...> wrote:

>
>All Radio Operators,
>
>Over the next two days:
>
>1)      Check all alternate power sources and make sure they are fully
>charged.
>
>2)      Insure all battery operated light sources are functioning.
>
>3)      Test your radios. Put in those frequencies and repeater
>parameters you have intended to.
>
>4)      Be sure your HT's are fully charged.
>
>5)      Consider taking down antennas with higher wind resistance,
>rather than losing them in high winds.
>
>6)      Test your sump pump if you have one.
>
>7)      Secure outdoor furniture.
>
>8)      Put aside some dry goods.
>
>9)      As the storm approaches watch this site and your email for
>activations and status announcements.
>
>10)   Watch the TV and internet weather reports.
>
>11)   Touch base with your local EC.
>
>12)   When the storm begins (if you haven't already) turn on your
>radio and monitor WA2JSB 146.415 for alerts or nets.
>
>These are some ideas that you may have already thought of. You probably
>have more ideas of your own. Please point them out on this forum.
>It's not just for "official" announcements. It is also here
>for your discussions. Don't be shy.
>
>Bob Crifasi KC2RFC CEC
>

Hey guys - I got the below email from a Newark official via the WEARC
website.  I forwarded this directly to Bob Crifasi and Ray Linke, but
posting it here as well in case they are out of the area.

MESSAGE FROM CITY OF NEWARK NJ PRESS SECRETARY

Hi Everyone,
I'm trying to get in touch with the Amateur Ham Radio society that covers
Newark, NJ area and wanted to get them engaged in our Hurricane Preparedness
Plan. Do you have a contact you can send me?
Thank you,
Esmeralda Diaz Cameron
Press Secretary
City of Newark, NJ
Cell#201-396-2556


Regards,

Mike, NI2S

Essex County EmComm,

                Our Alert Status is now raised to Monitoring.

I know many of you have prepared for this situation over the last few days. Please stay safe and keep your family together. The next 24 hours may prove to be an unwelcome experience. With the right attitude and preparation we will weather this well. I will be manning one of two shelters West Orange has set up today. I will be reachable by radio, cell phone, text or email conditions permitting. Please feel free to contact me if you need to. Essex County is setting up a shelter at the arena. Please join us on WA2JSB repeater tonight when the net begins.  EC's and EC EmComm officers start the net prior to any official announcement if needed.

Stay safe, stay calm and stay in touch.

 Bob Crifasi KC2RFC

Essex County Emergency Coordinator

THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN UPTON NY HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS & SMALL STREAMS IN.
  HUDSON COUNTY IN NE NJ.
  BERGEN COUNTY IN NE NJ.
  ESSEX COUNTY IN NE NJ.
  UNION COUNTY IN NE NJ.
  PASSAIC COUNTY IN NE NJ.

* UNTIL 245 PM EDT SUNDAY

* AT 848 PM EDT.BANDS OF HEAVY RAIN CONTINUE TO CIRCULATE
ACROSS NE NJ. SO FAR UP TO ONE INCH OF RAINFALL HAS
FALLEN ACROSS THE WARNING AREA.& UP TO 8 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS
EXPECTED THROUGH SUN AFTERNOON.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE ELEVATED LEVELS ON
SMALL CREEKS & STREAMS & PONDING OF WATER IN URBAN
AREAS, HIGHWAYS, STREETS & UNDERPASSES AS WELL AS OTHER POOR
DRAINAGE AREAS & LOW LYING SPOTS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS, MAKE
THE SMART CHOICE. TURN AROUND. DON'T DROWN.

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST
FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
WATER COVERED BRIDGES, DIPS, OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO
CROSS A FLOWING STREAM, EVEN A SMALL ONE  ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING
WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

TO REPORT FLOODING, HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATL WEATHER SVC FORECAST OFFICE.

&&

Please be be advised i have no internet.  I can get text.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

In anticipation to today's release of the movie Contagion, please note the communication below from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This information includes talking points on the importance of public health in preparing for potential health emergencies. It also provides a website created by the CDC Foundation to help separate fact from fiction and to highlight the CDC's role in preparedness and response.

__________________________________________________________

Dear Colleague,

On September 9, Warner Brothers will be releasing the movie Contagion, a fictional drama that portrays CDC and other U.S. and international partners responding to an emerging infectious disease outbreak. We are reaching out to you in an effort to take advantage of this opportunity to provide accurate and potentially life-saving information to the public about how to prepare for a public health emergency.

When asked to respond to the inevitable question about the plot of the movie, "Could this really happen?" CDC is compelled to say, "Not only could it happen, CDC scientists are working 24/7 to find out if it's happening right now." The following websites are being highlighted to enhance your awareness, particularly during September (National Preparedness Month).

* CDC Preparedness Information http://emergency.cdc.gov/
* Emergency Preparedness for Individuals http://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/
* Flu Prevention Information http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm

In addition, I hope the following information about CDC's role in emergency preparedness and response is helpful.

* CDC works with state and local health departments across the United States, as well as international partners around the world, to recognize disease patterns and improve the public health community's ability to respond to health threats.
* CDC and its partners play key roles in homeland security by maintaining the ability to detect and respond to outbreaks, as well as natural and man-made disasters, at home and abroad.
* CDC is a key source of evidence for health action — monitoring health, informing clinical and policy decision-making, and providing individuals the information they need to take responsibility for their own health.
* CDC supports state and local public health partners with training and guidance to ensure nationwide lab capacity for detecting and responding to health threats, as well as the capacity to address key risk factors leading to premature death, injury, and disease.
* CDC recognizes that state and local public health departments are the first responders when disease threats occur, and it is their initial investigations that help CDC quickly assist them.

With a sense of urgency do we take this opportunity to educate others about how CDC and the public health community work to keep America safe and how they can join in by being prepared themselves. To learn more about Contagion and how CDC protects America 24/7, visit the following sites:

* Contagion Official Website http://contagionmovie.warnerbros.com/index.html - Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the movie stars Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lawrence Fishburne
* Contagion and CDC http://www.cdcfoundation.org/content/how-cdc-saves-lives-controlling-real-global-disease-outbreaks - A website created by the CDC Foundation to help separate fact from fiction and to highlight CDC's role in preparedness and response
* CDC 24/7 http://www.cdc.gov/24-7/ - A CDC website that includes information you may find useful on how public health protects Americans from outbreaks

Thank you for your help in spreading the word about the critically important role emergency preparedness plays in protecting the health of people in this country and around the world.

Sincerely,
Judith A. Monroe, MD, FAAFP
Deputy Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Director, Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support

Essex county EmComm:

            In coordination with NNJ ARES we are now at a MONITORNG alert status.

 If any Unit or Municipal ARES ECs find it necessary to raise the status further please advise me or any of the other county officers.

Be advised that starting at 12:00 Noon on Friday, 10/28/2011, the ARRL NNJ ARES Alert Status will be raised to MONITORING in conjunction with the forecasted Winter Storm situation

MONITORING: A Heightened State Of Awareness Is Requested Of All NNJ ARES Members By Leadership And Communications To/From Leadership With Local ARES Members Is Initiated

Bob Crifasi KC2RFC

Essex EmComm Radio operators,

                This is not specifically amateur radio, however please be aware of the test described below. There are many people that are not emergency comms savvy. Please help set them straight if you see that they are confused, or worse worried, by the test. Also monitor any or all of the methods mentioned and email me with your impressions of the test.

On November 9, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct the first ever simultaneous test of the nation's Emergency Alert System (EAS) at 2 p.m. The test will last for 30 seconds, during which time an alert tone will precede a message announcing the test on broadcast media outlets, including radio, TV and, National Weather Service alert radios. The EAS is a national warning system to rapidly and widely broadcast emergency information. It is often used during times of severe weather and other emergencies, but has never been activated nationwide.

If any of you have anything to report regarding the last snow storm, IE power out in your area, damage, shelters operated etc, please email me with it. HQ is requesting that we report back with any information, numbers, etc. no matter how minor they may seem. Any info is good info. Thank you all in advance. I hope you all came through it in good shape. Some of you may still be without power, I have been assured that will not continue for long.

Bob KC2RFC

Once again this year, we get the opportunity to offer our appreciation and
thanks or what our forefathers made possible, more than 235 years ago.

Thanksgiving, one of Americas greatest holidays is upon us.  It's a time for
gathering with our family and friends and for celebrating the gifts that God has
bestowed upon us... our lives, our freedom and others in our lives.

So, from my family to all of you and your families, Happy Thanksgiving to you
all...

Frank, Peggy and Anthony...

...HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT...

WESTERN PASSAIC-EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN-
EASTERN BERGEN-WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION-
EASTERN UNION-
WED DEC 7 2011

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM EST THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE
TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY...INCLUDING
   THE FOLLOWING AREAS...EASTERN BERGEN...EASTERN ESSEX...EASTERN
   PASSAIC...EASTERN UNION...HUDSON...WESTERN BERGEN...WESTERN
   ESSEX...WESTERN PASSAIC AND WESTERN UNION.

* FROM 10 AM EST THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT.

* AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL PASS JUST SOUTHEAST OF THE REGION
   LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...BRINGING A PERIOD OF MODERATE
   TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY RANGE
   FROM TWO TO TWO AND ONE HALF INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
   AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO FALL
   DURING THE FIRST HALF OF TONIGHT.

* THE RAIN MAY LEAD TO FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS...POOR DRAINAGE
   AND URBAN AREAS...AND ROADWAYS. THE LARGER RIVERS ARE NOT
   EXPECTED TO REACH FLOOD STAGE AT THIS TIME.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE
ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO
FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING
DEVELOP.

&&

$$

Happy Holiday and Happy New Year!

Our first Net of the year is coming up on Tuesday the 3^rd at 8:00 PM.

Our first Quarterly Meeting is on Saturday the 7^th at 9:00 AM.

Let's get the year started right and make it a big one. Please get on the net and plan to attend the meeting. We have a lot cooking in the county and this will be an important year. There are many issues to discuss and many tasks to work on. It looks like this will be a pivotal time for us.  If you have any questions or just want to talk, contact me by email or phone.

Bob Crifasi   KC2RFC

Essex County Emergency Communications Coordinator (ARES)

E-mail - CrifasiRF@... (Personal)

Phone - (201) 259-8446              (Cell)

Hey folks,

                Don't forget Tuesday January 3^rd at 8:00PM WA2JSB repeater. It will be our first Net of 2012. Let's make it a good start to the New Year for Essex County Emergency Communications.  I will be monitoring the repeater most of the day today and as much as I can between now and the Net. Any one that wants to do a radio check or talk EmComm, get on and give a shout. Plan to be at our first Quarterly meeting of the year on Saturday January 7^th at 9:00AM at the West Orange First Aid Squad HQ building on Mountain Place in West Orange. Remind your fellow radio operators about the Net and bring them with you to our Quarterly Meeting the first weekend of 2012.

Bob Crifasi   KC2RFC

Essex County Emergency Communications Coordinator (ARES)

E-mail - CrifasiRF@... (Personal)

Phone - (201) 259-8446              (Cell)