News & Information
NOAA Weather Radio audio available on the Internet
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that audio from many NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) channels is now available online, either as streaming audio or as MP3s and podcasts.
Though National Weather Service (NWS) offices are not hosting live streaming audio, many third parties do so, and the NWS maintains a list of streams at www.weather.gov/nwr/streamaudio.htm
In addition, a few dozen NWS offices are uploading audio files of weather radio messages to their Web sites, either as MP3 files or as podcasts.
The audio files available vary by site, but typically contain routine messages such as forecasts, hourly weather round-ups, and climate summaries.
For the list of sites with downloadable audio, go to www.weather.gov/nwr/streamaudio-d.htm
Fujita Scale to be revised
ATLANTA --The government is changing
how it categorizes tornadoes after finding that it doesn't take 300 mph winds to
disintegrate homes and turn cars into missiles -- a 200 mph twister can do just
as much damage.
The National Weather Service said Thursday it had changed the Fujita Scale, a
three-decade- old system of ranking a tornado's strength, to align wind speeds
more closely with actual damage.
"It was apparent that many of the speeds used in the estimates were too large,
said Joe Schaefer, director of the service's Storm Prediction Center. "The scale
guiding wind speeds wasn't in tune with reality."
The change was introduced at the American Meteorological Society meeting in
Atlanta.
However, the new system will not fully go into effect until February 2007,
giving weather scientists time to adjust to it.
Under the old system, created in 1971, an F-5 tornado -- considered the most
powerful of tornadoes -- was capable of destroying a typical frame house, with
wind speeds estimated at 261 mph to 318 mph. Since then, engineering studies
have shown that much slower winds could cause the same damage.
"It doesn't take 300 mph winds to totally destroy an ordinary frame house," said
Greg Forbes, a former member of
Penn State's
meteorology department who studied tornadoes under Theodore Fujita, the
University of Chicago professor who created the scale. Forbes now works for The
Weather Channel.
Under the new system, an F-5 tornado -- which can disintegrate a strong frame
house after lifting it off its foundation or badly damage reinforced concrete
buildings -- has wind speeds of at least 200 mph.
Because the new system still uses actual tornado damage to estimate wind speeds,
officials said it is not likely that the new system's lower wind speed rating
for the F-5 tornado will result in more tornadoes being classified with the
nation's top tornado rating.
The old system rated tornadoes only based on damage to homes. The new system
classifies tornadoes based on damage to 28 other types of structures, including
trees, mobile homes and other types of buildings.
"If a tornado went over a row of trees and didn't hit a house, there was no way
to estimate the scale," Schaefer said.
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Illinois state statutes that protect SAR K-9s and LE K-9s Found at
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1717&ChapAct=510%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B70%2F&ChapterID=41&ChapterName=ANIMALS&ActName=Humane+Care+for+Animals+Act%2E
|
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FROM THE
OFFICIAL USCG PRESS RELEASE WASHINGTON - The Coast Guard reminds all boaters
that beginning January 1, 2007, both 121.5 and 243 MHz Emergency
Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) are prohibited from use
in both commercial and recreational |
Link to FEMA page with all eight Typed Resource Definitions (catalogs):
http://www.fema.
Link to SAR
catalog (Typed Resource Definitions)
http://www.fema.
Emergency Preparedness Systems LLC
Lighting Facts & Safety for SAR Teams
| To Respected SAR Volunteers, It has been brought to my attention that some “SAR Teams” (and I use the term lightly) either does not have a Code of Ethics or has chosen to ignore them. As SAR Volunteers our main goal to “Search”, hopefully “Rescue” and if need be “Recover” Lost Family members within our communities, as requested by either our Emergency Management Agencies, Law Enforcement or Fire Districts. We, as SAR Volunteers, do not SELF-DEPLOY, nor do we present ourselves as being sent by an association or organization such as Alzheimer’s Association, Missing and Exploited Children, National Association of Search and Rescue or other’s. Just showing up, saying you and your team were sent as a representative of one of the above is just wrong, especially when it is at the family of the lost person(s) door step, and then involving and taking the family along in the search and giving false hope that the missing person was picked up and/or has driven off with some stranger, or giving false information of “INDICATIONS” of where the lost family may be or has been. Nor, as Volunteers do we charge a FEE and should never contact the family of a lost loved one and tell them that if they want to find their family member you and/or your team will come if they PAY for your services. Any team that charges a fee for SAR is not a volunteer, but instead, is nothing more than a ”PREDATOR” praying on the emotions of families and has no place in SAR Community; particularly, when you state that you and your team are the ”ONLY ONES” who will be able to find the missing family member and will only do so; after the fees have been paid. It is a shame that there are some who believe that self-deployment, false representation and charging for services is ethical and has no conscience in doing so. It is no wonder that requesting agencies are reluctant to contact legitimate SAR Volunteer Teams when there is a lost person(s), and when they do; each of the requested responding teams must prove their selves during the incident. We, as SAR Volunteers must educate and develop relationships with our requesting agencies. Let them know what your Code of Ethics and Call-Out Protocols are; work with them to develop Mutual Aide Agreements, Memorandums of Understanding; invite them to your training; and foremost keep the lines of communication open. Together, SAR Volunteers must and can overcome the past history of unethical and down right illegal practices of these unscrupulous Teams! To those that hold to a Code of Conduct, I apologize for the tone of this post, however to those who do not hold to a Code of Conduct: GET ONE!! So That Others May Live! Pamela Carroll, APDS Hotamitaneo American Response and Rescue Teams Founder |
DHS is mandating that by 30 Sept 2006, all individuals who interact with any government agency or organizations that interact with a government agency and receive federal funding (including federal, state, territorial, local, tribal, private, and NGOs) must have two federal certifications or lose federal funding.
The
following are what is required:
* "ICS-100 Introduction to ICS"
* "IS-700 NIMS: An Introduction"
From: "Slatten, Rick"
To: "Discussion list for Search and Rescue"
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 1:28 PM
Subject: [SAR-L] Canine Claims
My unit was called for mutual aid to a nearby jurisdiction over the weekend to
look for a missing woodsman. After quietly finding the
subject's body, we slipped back to our home turf with little fanfare. What made
me chuckle, however, was the glassy-eyed, awestruck look on some of the general
staff in the CP at the "track record" of one of the canines present
(not ours). I heard someone say, "that dog made 74 finds last year."
So it is, with no small amount of jocularity (keeping in mind that in every bit
of humor lies a nugget of truth), I offer to you Slatto's Index of Suspicion for
Evaluating SAR Canines & Handlers. The presence of one or more items on the
list does NOT necessarily mean the canine team standing before you isn't any
good. However, the more items you see, the more you should be suspicious, and
the more digging into the team's background you should do. Here we go...
1. INCREDIBLE NUMBERS OF FINDS. If we added up the numbers of finds claimed by
all the dog handlers in North America, the sum would be greater than all the
people who have gone lost or missing in recorded history. Working a case where
the subject was found while the dog was within a five-mile radius does NOT
equate to a find for the dog! A good dog may go its entire career with no more
than one or two true "finds." Some good dogs NEVER get a true find. If
the handler is claiming "hundreds of finds," by the handler himself or
the dog, ask for more data. Who? When? Where? How can I contact the responsible
agency and confirm this?
2. THEY'RE A LEGEND IN THEIR OWN MIND. "My dog found Jimmy Hoffa, Amelia
Earhart, Pocahontas, and the Unknown Soldier." If the only source of
information about the team's capability is the team itself, beware. The handler
should be able to give you contacts of official agencies with whom they have
worked who will vouch for them. If they "promise" results, they're
lying. And if they spend more time talking to the media than talking to you or
working their dog, fire them and find another team who knows what the primary
mission is: Find the subject. Above all other things, the dog and handler have
two responsibilities: The dog must detect the scent of the object you seek; and
the handler must recognize when the dog is detecting it. Without those two, the
fact that the dog can respond to hand signals, shoot a compass bearing, and make
coffee all while humping your leg is irrelevant.
3. THEY CALL YOU FIRST. Cold sales calls from a canine team should be treated
with the same suspicion as they would coming from a telephone solicitor or a man
in a plaid sport coat standing on your front porch holding a briefcase. Newly
formed teams may need to do some marketing. There is nothing wrong with that,
but their style and manner should discretely communicate quiet competence and
confidence, not sell used cars.
4. A "SECRET FORMULA" FOR TRAINING. A good handler should be able to
explain, clearly and concisely, how they train, how OFTEN they train, why their
training works, and how their training is in keeping with recognized best
practices. They should also be able to prove that they DO train. If they claim a
"secret" or "proprietary" method of training that they are
not willing to share, run the other way.
5. A BIG BAG OF REASONS WHY THEIR DOG WON'T PERFORM. A team of four-wheelers on
that distant bluff. A nearby team member is smoking a cigarette. There is no
distilled water available for their dog to drink. The wind is from the west on a
Tuesday. Beyond trying to optimize environmental conditions for their dog, if
the handler makes myriad excuses why their dog doesn't seem to know its ass from
green paint, that's a red flag.
6. FLAMBOYANT NAMES. The good dogs I have worked with had names like Lacey, Abe,
Otter, and Amos. If the dog is named One-Eyed Sally, Three-Day-Drunk, or
Slap-My-Ass-and-Call-It-Mayonnaise, your eyebrows should go up. (See Item 8,
"Nanook of the North" below.) But then again, "The Legendary
Molly" doesn't have quite the same ring to it as "The Legendary
No-Neutered Sam," does it?
7. ONE BIG OPERATION MAKES THEM AN EXPERT. There were dozens of dogs in New
Orleans and at the World Trade Center. There were also some dogs and handlers
who maybe shouldn't have been there. There are also outstanding canine teams who
have never been to a search of national prominence. Presence at a national
disaster does NOT automatically convey capability through osmosis! If they hang
their hat on the fact they were present at the Last Big Thing, find out how they
got there, as well as what Little Things they've done that resulted in helping a
subject. Then, refer to the other items on this list.
8. "NANOOK OF THE NORTH" APPEARANCE. The best handlers I have worked
with were regular people. French Voyageur clothing, swashbuckler hats with
pheasant feather plumes, and three feet of facial hair are not necessary to be a
good handler (or coveralls and a vest that would look right at home on a Third
World Dictator). Any handler is entitled to their own unique personal
"pizzazz," but the farther they stray from mainstream, the more you
should wonder. Are they a capable team, or are they marketing an image? Are they
looking for the subject, or media exposure? Looking like Gandalf from "Lord
of the Rings" does not add to the effectiveness of the team.
I believe the web server for this list is located in western Canada. When I
test-fired this on my dog handler partners, they figured we
should be able to see the glow in the sky from here.
Best regards,
Rick Slatten
Duluth, Minnesota, USA
ACR ELECTRONICS - GLOSSARY OF TERMS
|
Category I EPIRB: type of 406 MHz EPIRB that will automatically deploy and activate when in contact with water. Unit can be manually activated while in its bracket or manually deployed and activated. |
|
Category II EPIRB: type of 406 MHz EPIRB that is manually deployed. EPIRB will automatically activate when in contact with water and not in its bracket. |
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Class 1 EPIRB: and EPIRB that is rated for operation in extreme cold climates (48 hrs @ -40°C, -40°F). All ACR 406 MHz EPIRBs are rated Class 1. |
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Class 2 EPIRB: an EPIRB that is rated for operation in more temperate climates (48 hrs @ -20°C, -4°F). |
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COB: Crew-Overboard |
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COSPAS-SARSAT: the international cooperative among the United States, Canada, Russia and France that operates the satellite monitoring system for 406 MHz EPIRBs. |
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EPIRB: Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. A 406 MHz EPIRB broadcasts on that frequency and is capable of transmitting a unique coded signal identifying the carrying vessel. A Class B EPIRB transmits only an audio tone alert on 121.5 MHz and 243.0 MHz and is not capable of vessel identification. |
|
FCC: Federal Communications Commission is a United States governmental agency responsible for regulating products manufactured in the United States, that transmit over the airwaves. |
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GEOSAR: geostationary high earth orbiting satellites that receive 406 MHz signals nearly instantaneously. Position is provided by a GPS-enabled EPIRB. |
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GMDSS: Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. Minimum safety standards agreed to by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). |
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INTEGRAL GPS: 406 MHz EPIRB with a built-in GPS receiver. It is self-contained and needs no external position data input when transmitting an emergency signal. |
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LEOSAR: low earth orbiting satellite that receives signals from EPIRBs and records their Doppler shift data. |
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MCC: Mission Control Center. The location that gathers satellite information from the LUT, verifies user registration information to determine if the signal may be a false alarm, then issues an alert to the appropriate Rescue Coordination Center (RCC). |
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NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The United States government agency that, among other things, manages the USA’s EPIRB registration database and serves as a nodal MCC. |
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PLB: Personal Locator Beacon. A 406 MHz PLB broadcasts on that frequency and is capable of transmitting a Unique Identifier Number (UIN) identifying the carrier. |
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RCC: Rescue Coordination Center. The location that deploys and directs search and rescue personnel. |
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RDF: Radio Direction Finder. |
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SAR: Search and Rescue. Emergency response forces that could be funded by federal, state, municipal or private agencies. |
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SART: Search and Rescue Transponder. This device amplifies a radar’s signal and returns it with an enhanced signature on the radar’s screen that includes a line of 12 "blips"—designed to get the attention of the operator. |
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SOLAS: Safety of Life at Sea. Minimum safety standards agreed to by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). |
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STROBE: intense, extremely conspicuous pulsing light for enhanced location in poor visibility conditions. |
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UIN: the Unique Identifier Number programmed into 406 MHz EPIRBs that is registered at the appropriate national authority and broadcast by the EPIRB in an emergency. |
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USCG: United States Coast Guard, the United States Marine SAR response agency. |
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WATERPROOF: the ability of a piece of equipment to prohibit water penetration of its exterior case or housing. Often rated as the ability to continue to remain functional despite complete immersion to a specified depth. |
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WATER-RESISTANT: the ability of a piece of equipment to continue functioning if it comes in contact with water but is not immersed. Sometimes called SPRAY or SPLASH-RESISTANT. |
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WATER SENSOR ACTIVATION: the unit will turn on when it has been armed and comes in contact with water. |
There is a local vet surgeon who has a specialized course in K9 First Aid for Working Dogs (Disaster, Police, Detector, and SAR) this is what he recommends.
|
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These are available in one
kit from: http://www.odinsfund.org/
A side note: one of the most important things is to have the emergency numbers
for you vets or a list of vets and emergency clinics in your coverage area that
you can access easily in the field or someone can access for you. Also, learn K9
CPR.
Hope this helps. If you are anywhere near New York, I highly recommend attending
one of his seminars. They are excellent.
-Trish RCSAR, NY
| Public Act
094-0599
HB0594 Enrolled LRB094 05165 AJO 36388 b
Effective Date: 1/1/2006
|
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Do not self deploy Just a word of caution. Be careful which groups you get involved in for the rescue efforts for Louisiana (LA) and that entire area. While yes there is a need for trained rescue workers there are also some scams going on and some less than reputable people out there trying to put "teams" together at the last minute. Be sure you are going at the request of a government agency and make sure that request is first hand not handed down via e-mail from who knows where. We all want badly to help but if you go in with the wrong group you can cause more harm than good. Do not self deploy, offer your services at the state level and wait until they dispatch you. I know most of you know all of this but at times like these it stands to be repeated. Gail (From SAR-IL Yahoo Group)
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New Campaign sweeping the Nation
"ICE"
Following the attacks in London, East Anglian Ambulance Service has launched a national "In Case of Emergency ( ICE ) " campaign.
The idea is that you store the
word " ICE " in your mobile phone address book, and against it
enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted
"In Case of Emergency".
In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff will then be able
to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It's
so simple that everyone can do it.
Please will you also email this to everybody in your address book, it won't take
too many 'forwards' before everybody will know about this.
It really could help the emergency services in doing their job. For more
than one contact name use: ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc.
The Florida Wilderness Search And Rescue Association has put together a new Search and Rescue Discussion Site, with email notifications of Mission Alerts and Amber Alerts.
Several topics have been added, and we are adding more as they are asked for.
Check it daily for news and Information from SAR members all over Florida. http://www.fwsara.com
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Wilderness Monitoring Protocol The purpose of this initiative is to
offer stations outside repeater range an opportunity to be heard when it is
needed the most!
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What To Do In An Caving Emergency: You should cave in groups no smaller than 4 people for safety purposes. If you are on a caving trip & you or a member of your group are injured. In the minutes after this happens you must do several things to insure the safety of the injured persons and the entire group. The following is a checklist that everyone that caves should keep in mind in the event that an injury occurs.
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New Toll-free Poison Control Number
The ASPCA has a new poison control hotline phone number for pets.
If
you have reason to suspect that your pet may have been exposed to something
toxic, either internally or externally, this phone number will connect you with
an ASPCA veterinarian specially trained to assist pet owners or other vets.
This is the only dedicated animal poison control hotline in the world manned by
veterinarians, not telephone operators. The number is staffed 24/7. A fee
of $45 is collected per case (which may involve many phone calls)
(Advise
them If the emergency involves a Search & Rescue Dog, they may wave the fee)
(888)
4ANI-HELP or (888) 426-4435
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=apcc
SAR Related e-mail Lists
Marine Frequencies
per US Coast Guard
|
Channel |
Transmit |
Receive |
Use |
|
01A |
156.050 |
156.050 |
Port Operations and Commercial, VTS. Available only in New Orleans/Lower Mississippi area. |
|
05A |
156.250 |
156.250 |
Port Operations or VTS in the Houston, New Orleans and Seattle areas. |
|
06 |
156.300 |
156.300 |
Intership Safety |
|
07A |
156.350 |
156.350 |
Commercial |
|
08 |
156.400 |
156.400 |
Commercial (Intership only) |
|
09 |
156.450 |
156.450 |
Boater Calling. Commercial and Non-Commercial. |
|
10 |
156.500 |
156.500 |
Commercial |
|
11 |
156.550 |
156.550 |
Commercial. VTS in selected areas. |
|
12 |
156.600 |
156.600 |
Port Operations. VTS in selected areas. |
|
13 |
156.650 |
156.650 |
Intership Navigation Safety (Bridge-to-bridge). Ships >20m length maintain a listening watch on this channel in US waters. |
|
14 |
156.700 |
156.700 |
Port Operations. VTS in selected areas. |
|
15 |
-- |
156.750 |
Environmental (Receive only). Used by Class C EPIRBs. |
|
16 |
156.800 |
156.800 |
International Distress, Safety and Calling. Ships required to carry radio, USCG, and most coast stations maintain a listening watch on this channel. |
|
17 |
156.850 |
156.850 |
State Control |
|
18A |
156.900 |
156.900 |
Commercial |
|
19A |
156.950 |
156.950 |
Commercial |
|
20 |
157.000 |
161.600 |
Port Operations (duplex) |
|
20A |
157.000 |
157.000 |
Port Operations |
|
21A |
157.050 |
157.050 |
U.S. Coast Guard only |
|
22A |
157.100 |
157.100 |
Coast Guard Liaison and Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts. Broadcasts announced on channel 16. |
|
23A |
157.150 |
157.150 |
U.S. Coast Guard only |
|
24 |
157.200 |
161.800 |
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) |
|
25 |
157.250 |
161.850 |
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) |
|
26 |
157.300 |
161.900 |
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) |
|
27 |
157.350 |
161.950 |
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) |
|
28 |
157.400 |
162.000 |
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) |
|
63A |
156.175 |
156.175 |
Port Operations and Commercial, VTS. Available only in New Orleans/Lower Mississippi area. |
|
65A |
156.275 |
156.275 |
Port Operations |
|
66A |
156.325 |
156.325 |
Port Operations |
|
67 |
156.375 |
156.375 |
Commercial. Used for Bridge-to-bridge communications in lower Mississippi River. Intership only. |
|
68 |
156.425 |
156.425 |
Non-Commercial |
|
69 |
156.475 |
156.475 |
Non-Commercial |
|
70 |
156.525 |
156.525 |
Digital Selective Calling (voice communications not allowed) |
|
71 |
156.575 |
156.575 |
Non-Commercial |
|
72 |
156.625 |
156.625 |
Non-Commercial (Intership only) |
|
73 |
156.675 |
156.675 |
Port Operations |
|
74 |
156.725 |
156.725 |
Port Operations |
|
77 |
156.875 |
156.875 |
Port Operations (Intership only) |
|
78A |
156.925 |
156.925 |
Non-Commercial |
|
79A |
156.975 |
156.975 |
Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only |
|
80A |
157.025 |
157.025 |
Commercial. Non-Commercial in Great Lakes only |
|
81A |
157.075 |
157.075 |
U.S. Government only - Environmental protection operations. |
|
82A |
157.125 |
157.125 |
U.S. Government only |
|
83A |
157.175 |
157.175 |
U.S. Coast Guard only |
|
84 |
157.225 |
161.825 |
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) |
|
85 |
157.275 |
161.875 |
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) |
|
86 |
157.325 |
161.925 |
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) |
|
87 |
157.375 |
161.975 |
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator) |
|
88 |
157.425 |
162.025 |
Public Correspondence only near Canadian border. |
|
88A |
157.425 |
157.425 |
Commercial, Intership only. |
MURS – Multi Use Radio System
Maximum 2 watt ERP
|
# |
Frequency |
|
1 |
151.820 |
|
2 |
151.880 |
|
3 |
151.940 |
|
4 |
154.570 |
|
5 |
154.600 |
FRS Frequencies
* Denotes Frequencies used also for GMRS
|
|
# |
Frequency |
|
* |
01 |
462.5625 |
|
* |
02 |
462.5875 |
|
* |
03 |
462.6125 |
|
* |
04 |
462.6375 |
|
* |
05 |
462.6625 |
|
* |
06 |
462.6875 |
|
* |
07 |
462.7125 |
|
|
08 |
467.5625 |
|
|
09 |
467.5875 |
|
|
10 |
467.6125 |
|
|
11 |
467.6375 |
|
|
12 |
467.6625 |
|
|
13 |
467.6875 |
|
|
14 |
467.7125 |
GMRS Frequencies
|
01 |
462.5625 |
09 |
462.6250 |
|
02 |
462.5875 |
10 |
462.6750 |
|
03 |
462.6125 |
11 |
462.5500 |
|
04 |
462.6375 |
12 |
462.6000 |
|
05 |
462.6625 |
13 |
462.6500 |
|
06 |
462.6875 |
14 |
462.7000 |
|
07 |
462.7125 |
15 |
462.7250 |
|
08 462.5750 |
|||
|
Note: Channels 1 through 7 are shared with FRS radios |
|||
CTCSS Tones
(Continuous Squelch System Tone)
Frequencies (in Hz)
|
CTCSS |
Frequency |
CTCSS |
Frequency |
|
01 |
67.0 |
20 |
131.8 |
|
02 |
71.9 |
21 |
136.5 |
|
03 |
74.4 |
22 |
141.3 |
|
04 |
77.0 |
23 |
146.2 |
|
05 |
79.7 |
24 |
151.4 |
|
06 |
82.5 |
25 |
156.7 |
|
07 |
85.4 |
26 |
162.2 |
|
08 |
88.5 |
27 |
167.9 |
|
09 |
91.5 |
28 |
173.8 |
|
10 |
94.8 |
29 |
179.9 |
|
11 |
97.4 |
30 |
186.2 |
|
12 |
100.0 |
31 |
192.8 |
|
13 |
103.5 |
32 |
203.5 |
|
14 |
107.2 |
33 |
210.7 |
|
15 |
110.9 |
34 |
218.1 |
|
16 |
114.8 |
35 |
225.7 |
|
|