Page 61 January February 2018 TCA

ONTARIO NORTH: learned more about the Incident ARES Sault Ste Marie Supports
SM: Allan (Al) Boyd, VE3AJB Command System (ICS) which
ve3ajb@vianet.ca Michigan ARES uses extensively Mackinac Bridge Walk Event
STM: Patrick (Pat) Dopson, VE3HZQ and was briefly introduced to me
dopsonp@vianet.ca during preparations for the Brent MacMillan, VE3OTL – EC for Sault Ste Marie ARES
SEC: Stiig Larsen VE3LBX Mackinac Bridge Walk (see the
slarsen@vianet.ca article on the right) event on Brent, VE3OTL, the Emergency Coordinator for Sault Ste Marie
OBM: Paul Caccamo, VA3PC Labour Day. I was in contact on ARES in Ontario, participated with Michigan ARES in providing
va3pc@ciinet.org VHF with my adjacent Michigan
Web: http://ontario.racares.ca EOC (Chippewa County W8ARS), communication and observation during the Mackinac Bridge Walk
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER and on HF (3.932 MHz) with Jeff, on Labour Day, Monday, September 4. This is an annual event with
SM REPORT: WB8WKQ, who was net control over 40,000 people walking the five mile span that separates the
station for the SET. My reception Upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. In previous years the
It has been a busy few months for for WS8EOC at the Michigan State
ARES in the north. For those who EOC was very light although walkers were on the two southbound lanes of the bridge and traffic
did the annual SET thank you for W8ARS at Chippewa EOC had no was limited to one lane in each direction on the northbound lanes,
your participation. I especially want problem copying them so I used however due to recent worldwide terrorist attacks on large crowds
to thank and congratulate Brent relay between NCS WB8WKQ. with vehicles, the US Department of Homeland Security
MacMillan, VE3OTL, EC for Sault recommended the bridge be closed to vehicular traffic for the event.
Ste Marie. Brent assisted the The theme for the disaster was “a This would be the first time in the history of the Bridge Walk that US
Michigan ARES group for the walk tongue in cheek” invasion from
across the Mackinaw Bridge on Mars. Three pieces of traffic came Interstate 75 (I‑75) and US Route 2 (US‑2) would be closed for six
Labour Day. It is an excellent from WS8EOC and the message hours on Labour Day at the bridge. Past bridge traffic records
example of how Ontario ARES was formatted that you would take showed approximately 9,500 cars used the bridge on Labour Day,
works with other ARES groups the body of the message and so it is a very busy day for people returning from the long weekend
across the border. Please check insert it into the ICS form that was holiday.
out the article on the right for more identified at the beginning of the
information. message. The traffic called upon a The State of Michigan ramped up security for the event with a
resource request report from each
Another year is ending, and I want County, which was passed to the massive security presence, including a marine safety zone being
to take this opportunity to thank all State EOC on an alternate HF set up by the US Coast Guard around the bridge restricting
the ARES members not only in frequency. personal and commercial boat traffic during the event. The State
Ontario North but elsewhere also conducted an extensive advertising campaign starting in May
Across the province that do an The SET was also being held on a
amazing job. ARES programs and D‑STAR conference which I didn’t to advise the travelling public to plan for a later start in their travels
groups play a vital role in Amateur have the capability to participate. home. The concern was there would be a huge traffic tie‑up on the
Radio and this is a facet of the Some initial feedback from the two major highways for hours on end.
hobby that gets the word out. We organizer of the SET was they
are lucky in Ontario as we get very need to have more than one NCS The role of ARES was for us to monitor and report traffic delays
few calls for service unlike our station during the event so they along the affected highways and any unusual activity. They were
counterparts in western Canada can do the position in shifts and prepared for a worst case scenario, including protesters about a
and our neighbours to the south also have additional HF stations at submerged gas pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. We were only
with the horrible weather that they the State EOC to handle traffic on
had to deal with this past summer. the alternate frequency(s). The observers, but we were the eyes and ears for law enforcement,
SET was very educational and who could not be everywhere. I was teamed up with Brian Lavey,
Again, on behalf of RAC to all informative for me, giving me more KC8LXS, who is the ARES EC for Chippewa County and we were
ARES members thank you for your of an understanding of ICS.
time and service to the program stationed 22 miles west of St. Ignace on US‑2 in the Brevoort Lake
you are very much appreciated. The Ontario SET was held on area in Michigan. The Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) were
October 14 and Brent, VE3OTL activated at each end of the bridge – St. Ignace being the prime
Elliot Lake and Jerry, VE3JTB, attended at the and Mackinac City being the alternate – and Chippewa County
The second Elliot Lake ARES Sault Ste Marie EOC and operated EOC was activated as a standby.
meeting of 2017 took place on the VHF and HF Station. On VHF
October 17 at the Elliot Lake Civic we contacted the Elliot Lake EOC Along our patrol route of US‑2, the State had set up port‑a‑potties
Centre. Elliot Lake Mayor Dan via the Eliot Lake repeater every few hundred yards in anticipation of the travelling public
Marchisella and a guest speaker speaking with Rod, VE3RP, and
attended the event along with local later in the morning Gene, being snarled in traffic for hours on end. The Michigan Bridge
Amateurs. The group discussed VA3EMG. Contact was made Authority also had two of their automotive mechanics available for
Emergency procedures and locally on a simplex frequency with any vehicle breakdowns. We were two of about 30 ARES Radio
formulated a plan to patrol the City Mark, VE3FOG, who was available Amateurs from four local radio clubs that participated. We patrolled
on Halloween evening. ARES throughout the morning while we west on US‑2 for about five miles and also north checking on
members Earl, VE3AB, Rod, went to the three other fire halls to underground pipeline stations in the area.
VA3RP, Eugene, VA3EMG and check the VHF antenna located at
Wilf, VA3WFO, checked all the each hall. After sweeping the It was a non‑event thanks to the massive amount of advertising the
areas in the city and all was quiet. antennas with an antenna state of Michigan did in advance concerning the shutdown of the
analyzer, we contacted Mark,
Sault Ste Marie VE3FOG, on simplex for a signal bridge for six hours. The pipeline demonstration occurred two days
Brent, VE3OTL, activated the Sault report. We also checked into the before the walk and there were no issues with protesters. The
Ste. Marie EOC to particpate in the COMMSONT net on 7.153 MHz public listened about the Bridge Walk traffic shutdown so there
annual State of Michigan SET. and although we could not hear the were no traffic backups on north I‑75 or west US‑2 and when they
This was our second year in being Net Control Station VE3NYD, we opened the bridge again there was more traffic heading from the
involved in the Michigan SET and were able to contact the relay
the theme of their SET was traffic station of Paul, WD0Q, who is bridge than heading to it.
handling. The emphasis was on located west of Omaha, Nebraska.
the traditional way of traffic We also received signal reports It was a good event, the planning was very extensive and I was
handling with paper and pen and from Bob, K8LJ, in Columbus, impressed with the close relationship ARES enjoys with County
less emphasis on digital transfer, Ohio and Joe, WB8TTC, in Emergency Management. Thanks to Mackinac County
the thought being that the Colliers, West Virginia who were Emergency Manager Mike Kasper, Section 8 DEC Peter Costa
Internet would be limited use or listening on the COMMSONT net. K8PDC, Chippewa County EC Brian Lavey, KC8LXS, Mackinac
non‑existent in an emergency We also attended at the Alternate County EC Ron Peterka, W8DR and Charlevoix Cheboygan
situation. EOC located at the City Police Emmet County EC Chuck Brew, N8NXP, for inviting me to
Our role at the Sault EOC was Services building and were able to participate. I sure learned a lot.
limited to checking into the HF net check the HF and VHF antennas
and copying traffic, however I with the antenna analyzer.
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