Halbrook Associates.com

Land Navigation training

5/30/09 Using Lasagna for search training

our serch and rescue team has struggeled with ways to train search skills. A significant part of our training program includes route and area searches as well as detailed land navigation programs.

in theepast we have used flagging tape, poker chips, and playing cards to mark clues and way points. Unfortunaitly unles your trainees have a 100 percent POD you end up leaving trash in the field.

Inorder to keep our training areas beautifull and clean we have decided to use dry posta. The posta can be left in the field if not found.

New Ambulance Drivers Training

The new ambulance is in town.  Everyone is excited, the design committee has been through things, and all of the equipment has been moved over from the old unit.  The rig is ready for its first call…..  or is it?

The ambulance committee spent the past several months designing a rig that would fit the needs of this department for years to come.  The committee had to consider a lot, and incorporated a lot into this new design.  The committee looked at staffing.  Both full time EMT’s, and the expansion of ALS providers on the service.  They also provided gear for the fact that our crews run both fire, and EMS response.  The ambulance incorporated new safety, and technology aspects into the design.  When you park the old and new ambulances next to each other they are in two completely different classes.  The new one is longer, taller, and on a very different chasse from its predecessor. 

We all joke about the idea that someone will eventually damage this beautiful new ambulance.  As time goes by there is no doubt that the rig will get its fair share of scratches, and it will probably back into a pole or two, but god willing no serious damage will be done to it, or its crew during its operational life. 

This raises the concern of keeping this new ambulance in good shape for as long as possible.  The temptation to simply put the new “squad” in service is strong, but just like when your drivers are new to the job they need to learn the unique characteristics of this ambulance.  It turns differently, it handles differently, and you may not be able to get it under the drive through at the McDonalds.  With all of this in mind you should probably get out the old set of traffic cones that have been collecting dust in the corner, set up the driver’s course, and get everyone checked out.  It doesn’t take all that long, and it will help you ensure that this nice new ambulance will have a long service life with your service. 

An April Day on the water

Spring is upon us, and more boaters are hitting the water.  This weekend a group of waterborne good samaritans hit the waves to train for emergencies.  The Lady Grace was prepared for upcoming water safety patrols.  Here are a few pictures of me playing the victim for their training.

Day one of the STAR1 Team "Boot Camp"

I spent the day training with the volunteers, and professionals associated with the STAR1 Search and rescue team.  This "Boot Camp" trains people who are interested in Search and Rescue techniques.  After several sessions, and over 40 contact hours of class room and hands on training the students test for the NASAR SAR Tech II certification.  

Today students were taught the following

1. An introduction to SAR, and the STAR 1 team
2. Gear and equipment associated with ground team SAR
3. An introduction to the compass 
4. Introduction to Knots 
5. Field practical 

Homework assignment   

Our next class will be April 25th 

Jim Peters reviews pace counts with students

 Student were given an introduction to compasses work.  With several models for students to work with the class received  a good understanding of the features and options associated with this tool.

3/28/09 MLPI (the second half)

This weekend is the second half of the MLPI class. Last night we discuessed new technology in SAR, and mathmatical SAR theory. Today we had a few more lectures, and a large functional exercise. Maps plans, assignments, and paperwork get processed in this learning exercise.

Fortunately I scored well on the final exam, and I passed the course.  THis was an excellent program, and I encourage anyone who may be placed in a position to manage a missing person incident to take this class

Radio Communications Exercise

Time after time After Action Reports (AAR) capture the fact that interoperable communications are a problem.  When ever different agencies get together we struggle to determine who needs to talk with each other, and how this will happen.  As a result we buy interoperable devices to link radios, and systems together.  

The questions are... 

Have these systems been exercised?  

Does the hardware work?

Do the operators know how to set these systems up?

The next time you go out to conduct a large exercise consider having communications as the focus rather than a supporting component.  This will help you build the foundations for a stronger and more functional response.

Search and Rescue Management, Training, and Tactics

As a program dedicated to Search and Rescue we have been discussing the concept of Podcasting some of our academic SAR programs. Pod casts certainly do not replace formal SAR education, but if all goes well we will be adding more programs in the future. This power point presentation is a program that is intended to be provided to emergency managers, and aspiring Search and rescue teams.  This program outlays the realities of SAR, and its management here in Iowa.   

Download SAR management, training, and tactics 

Fire Department based Search and Rescue teams

Tonight I am pulling a shift at the Johnston Fire department. This has turned into that magical day that happens every fall where rain unexpectedly turns the highways to ice, and motorists traveling at 70+ miles per hour find them selves hurtling side ways, back wards, and upside down across multiple lanes of traffic.

Now that things have settled down my company officer tossed me the latest copy of Fire Engineering magazine. He told me that there was an article I needed to read. Turning to the Volunteer corner I found the following title. "Forming a Ground Search and Rescue Team". The article features the Blue Lake Township Fire Department (MI) BLTFD has taken it upon themselves to train and respond to Search and Rescue requests. They have used NFPA 1670 as their standard, and they have built a box card style response structure including searchers, search managers, CERT team members, and K-9 resources. It appears to be a very well thought out and executed team.

All things considered it is a great article. I would love to see a few FD's in my area get together to establish a ground based SAR team. Very cool guys.

Coast Guard Auxiliary Amateur radio Special event day K0G

In disaster after disaster communications becomes incredibly important.  Part of planning for these emergencies involves establishing a reliable flexible communication system that is not infrastructure dependent.  In this day of voip, RF, and microwave linked digital radios the best way to get a message from point A to point B over long distances continues to be High Frequency (HF) radio. 

The Coast Guard Auxiliary recognizes the importance of HF communications, and created an event to utilize the airwaves.  During this special event, over 60 Auxiliary units from across the country partnered up with Amateur radio operators to get on the air.  Here at Flotilla 4 we are lucky enough to have a few experienced radio operators in house, but only two of them had any experience with this type of event. 

To have the most fun, and the best chance of communicating flotilla 4 partnered up with Tony who owns the N0NI station.  This contest site has five workstations capable of being set up to work different bands.  Tony was nice enough to configure each of these radios to work the different frequencies that were assigned to our group. 

The event began at or about 0900 local, and was to continue until 1700 that night.  Our group met for breakfast at a local diner, and headed to the station we were on the air shortly before 0915, and in the next 8 hours we had more fun that I had ever experienced on the radio. 

A few of our operators were reluctant to get involved in the event.  These Auxiliarists showed up in the morning expecting to work for a few hours, and then head home.  Brandon Butters, and Jeff Towle are two Flotilla members who had very little Ham radio experience.  These two individuals got so involved in the event that they spent nearly 3 hours engrossed in the radio. They also set the record for the most contacts for the flotilla that day. 

During our day of communications the team communicated with over 537 stations.  We talked about what the Aux is, and what it does.  Our station fielded a lot of questions about the Coast guard, and its presence in Iowa.  Believe it or not most people don’t realize that the coast guard is active in the Midwest. 

The greatest Joy came when civilians, active duty Coast Guard, and veterans  all expressed their appreciation for the Auxiliary.  They truly understand the contribution made by volunteers in uniform. 

Some quick stats:
  Unique call signs 530
     We worked several station more than once on the same band.
  15 Meter Phone 5
  20 Meter Phone 265
  20 Meter CW 5 (Morse Code)
  40 Meter Phone 255

  5 Countries (Algeria, Belgium, Hungary, Korea, Venezuela)
  40 States
  2 Canadian Provinces

We look forward to doing this again next year

So far we have received requests for QSL cards.  Please use the KC0RAM call sign for those, and include a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope. 

We just received our QSL cards from the coast guard.  We should start sending out cards next week