[arrl-odv:31226] Fwd: FW: [EXTERNAL] RE: HAM Radio Strategy
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this? Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email. Mark, HDX ------------------------------ *From:* Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> *Sent:* Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM *To:* *Subject:* HAM Radio Strategy Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators, Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork. I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward. As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction: - For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. - Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. - In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. - It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. - The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program. There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need. *I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.* Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region. *Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO* *American Red Cross Northwest Region* 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) *alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>* CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
This is no surprise Mark. The communications systems available to Red Cross makes their own employees Emcomm capable operators for most disasters. Every Public Safety APCO show and others I attend demonstrates this more and more each year. The lack of operator capabilities we have as radio amateurs made this inevitable in my view. The “one to many” satellite PTT systems Icom and others now sells at HTs with very reliable radios leaves hams behind as we transition from radio “skill-centric” hams to a “I just want to talk on the radio” as social media hams without tech skills applicable to EmComm, mostly. I always hope I am wrong, but I also know there will be room and demand for real, skilled radio op volunteers. It just might be incidental to having a ham license. On the bright side, now hams need not decide between serving the Red Cross or serving ARES. It has caused conflict in serving two masters for many. I would love to listen in to Town Hall if possible. Bob Famiglio, K3RF Vice Director - ARRL Atlantic Division 610-359-7300 www.QRZ.com/db/K3RF From: arrl-odv On Behalf Of Mark J Tharp Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020 4:34 PM To: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@arrl.org> Subject: [arrl-odv:31226] Fwd: FW: [EXTERNAL] RE: HAM Radio Strategy This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this? Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email. Mark, HDX _____ From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> > Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM To: Subject: HAM Radio Strategy Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators, Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork. I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward. As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction: * For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. * Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. * In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. * It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. * The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program. There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need. I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon. Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) <mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> alexdieffenbach@redcross.org CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where. They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play. 73; Mike W7VO
On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this?
Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email.
Mark, HDX
---------------------------------------------
From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org > Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM To:
Subject: HAM Radio Strategy
Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators,
Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork.
I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward.
As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction:
* For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. * Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. * In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. * It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. * The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need.
I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.
Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region.
Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO
American Red Cross Northwest Region
1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144
(206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C)
alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC. The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC. The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response: ------- _*FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest.*_ There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion. The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX. --------- We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue. _______________________________________ John Robert Stratton N5AUS Director West Gulf Division Office:512-445-6262 Cell:512-426-2028 P.O. Box 2232 Austin, Texas 78768-2232 *_______________________________________*** ** On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where.
They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play.
73; Mike W7VO
On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this?
Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email.
Mark, HDX
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:*Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>> *Sent:* Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM *To:*
**
*Subject:*HAM Radio Strategy
Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators,
Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork.
I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward.
As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction:
* For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. * Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. * In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. * It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. * The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need.
*I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5^th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.*
Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region.
*Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO*
/American Red Cross Northwest Region/
1900 25^th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144
(206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C)
*alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>*
**
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
Coincidentally, I had just suggested to President Roderick, CEO Minster, and EMD Gilbert: 1. A high-level call from ARRL to ARC National HQ to hear it from “the horse’s mouth”; 2. Follow that with an EMDSC meeting to discuss whether the Board needs to adjust any ARRL policies. 3. Our 2016 MOU with ARC at the national level is up for major review in 2021, following missed reviews in 2018 and 2020. 4. Sometimes local chapters prefer to march to the beat of their own local “drummer” rather than pronouncements from National HQ, so we should be extremely careful that we do or say nothing that would jeopardize existing or potential collaborations with local or regional ARC chapters now or in the future. Bud, W2RU From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM To: arrl-odv <arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> Subject: [arrl-odv:31230] Re: American Red Cross? After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC. The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC. The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response: ------- FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest. There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion. The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX. --------- We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue. _______________________________________ John Robert Stratton N5AUS Director West Gulf Division Office: 512-445-6262 Cell: 512-426-2028 P.O. Box 2232 Austin, Texas 78768-2232 _______________________________________ On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote: One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where. They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play. 73; Mike W7VO On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com><mailto:kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote: This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this? Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email. Mark, HDX ________________________________ From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM To: Subject: HAM Radio Strategy Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators, Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork. I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward. As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction: * For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. * Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. * In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. * It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. * The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program. There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need. I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon. Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region. Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> [cid:image001.png@01D6AC56.9B79BD20] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
I would have to agree with this. This appears to be local. In some chapters here Red Cross welcomes ham radio. But in a few they have kicked us out. One example is the chapter in Tinton Falls NJ where they had a working ham station and the local leadership decided that they would use that space as a warehouse instead. But in Fairfield NJ and Long Island they have healthy relationships with the Red Cross. Something is afoot and I have a feeling that there is isolated anti ham sentiment in some of the chapters. I’ve seen this with other agencies where they don’t want hams on their turf so they convince some higher ups to push us out. Tl;dr - there may be a nugget of truth so proceed with caution. 73 Ria N2RJ On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com> wrote:
After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC.
The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC.
The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response:
-------
*FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest.*
There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion.
The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX.
---------
We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue.
_______________________________________
John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Director
West Gulf Division
Office: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
P.O. Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
*_______________________________________* On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where.
They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play.
73; Mike W7VO
On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> <kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this?
Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email.
Mark, HDX
------------------------------
*From:* Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> *Sent:* Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM *To:*
*Subject:* HAM Radio Strategy
Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators,
Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork.
I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward.
As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction:
- For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. - Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. - In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. - It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. - The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need.
*I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.*
Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region.
*Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO*
*American Red Cross Northwest Region*
1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144
(206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C)
*alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>*
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing listarrl-odv@reflector.arrl.orghttps://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
I, too, floated this message to a few key ARES people in my division. One prominent member in an ARES leadership role is heavily involved with the Red Cross. He replied: "I've been in contact with a Red Cross DST (Disaster Services Technology) Chief who has contacted the ARC DST at HQ. They are not aware of any such policy change and will address the concerns soon. I found it odd that an ARC Regional (state or group of states) CEO would put this out before the DST leadership would be told. I suspect that there is much more to this and maybe be a more localized issue in the Pacific NW or something along those lines. I will brief you when I know more." Incidentally, this same ham told me that he had been approached by a writer at CQ Magazine wanting to interview him on the subject. My friend declined to be interviewed. Phil -- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:45 AM rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com> wrote:
I would have to agree with this. This appears to be local. In some chapters here Red Cross welcomes ham radio. But in a few they have kicked us out. One example is the chapter in Tinton Falls NJ where they had a working ham station and the local leadership decided that they would use that space as a warehouse instead. But in Fairfield NJ and Long Island they have healthy relationships with the Red Cross.
Something is afoot and I have a feeling that there is isolated anti ham sentiment in some of the chapters. I’ve seen this with other agencies where they don’t want hams on their turf so they convince some higher ups to push us out.
Tl;dr - there may be a nugget of truth so proceed with caution.
73 Ria N2RJ
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com> wrote:
After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC.
The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC.
The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response:
-------
*FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest.*
There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion.
The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX.
---------
We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue.
_______________________________________
John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Director
West Gulf Division
Office: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
P.O. Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
*_______________________________________* On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where.
They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play.
73; Mike W7VO
On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> <kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this?
Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email.
Mark, HDX
------------------------------
*From:* Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> *Sent:* Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM *To:*
*Subject:* HAM Radio Strategy
Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators,
Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork.
I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward.
As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction:
- For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. - Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. - In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. - It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. - The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need.
*I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.*
Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region.
*Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO*
*American Red Cross Northwest Region*
1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144
(206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C)
*alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>*
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing listarrl-odv@reflector.arrl.orghttps://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
-- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>
Here's an clarification on the Red Cross Northwest Region posting: -- From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:55 AMuSubject: HAM Update To: sharoninspokane@comcast.net <sharoninspokane@comcast.net>, tony@annese.org < Dear HAM Radio Team, I want to apologize for any unintended confusion in my email to you regarding HAM Radio Strategy may have caused. After hearing from some of you, it is clear that my wording on strategy did not properly convey my thoughts. To be clear, there is no National Strategy on sunsetting HAM Radio moving forward. Rather, it was my intent, to inform you of a possible Northwest Regional Strategy. I also want to thank those of you who reached out to me with insights and ideas. I truly appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me and your understanding of the situation. After listening to you, I am hopeful that we can, in some instances, continue with a Regional HAM strategy that focuses on strengthening our community partnerships (such as with ARES/ARRL) and is in line with our Real Estate plans as well. It is my hope that we can use the upcoming Town Hall scheduled for November 5th at 4 PM to explore some of these ideas. Please attend ready to share your thoughts on how we might best be able to move forward. Thank you for your continued support of the American Red Cross… Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org -- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 2:57 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com> wrote:
I, too, floated this message to a few key ARES people in my division. One prominent member in an ARES leadership role is heavily involved with the Red Cross. He replied:
"I've been in contact with a Red Cross DST (Disaster Services Technology) Chief who has contacted the ARC DST at HQ. They are not aware of any such policy change and will address the concerns soon. I found it odd that an ARC Regional (state or group of states) CEO would put this out before the DST leadership would be told. I suspect that there is much more to this and maybe be a more localized issue in the Pacific NW or something along those lines. I will brief you when I know more."
Incidentally, this same ham told me that he had been approached by a writer at CQ Magazine wanting to interview him on the subject. My friend declined to be interviewed.
Phil
-- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:45 AM rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com> wrote:
I would have to agree with this. This appears to be local. In some chapters here Red Cross welcomes ham radio. But in a few they have kicked us out. One example is the chapter in Tinton Falls NJ where they had a working ham station and the local leadership decided that they would use that space as a warehouse instead. But in Fairfield NJ and Long Island they have healthy relationships with the Red Cross.
Something is afoot and I have a feeling that there is isolated anti ham sentiment in some of the chapters. I’ve seen this with other agencies where they don’t want hams on their turf so they convince some higher ups to push us out.
Tl;dr - there may be a nugget of truth so proceed with caution.
73 Ria N2RJ
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com> wrote:
After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC.
The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC.
The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response:
-------
*FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest.*
There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion.
The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX.
---------
We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue.
_______________________________________
John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Director
West Gulf Division
Office: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
P.O. Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
*_______________________________________* On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where.
They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play.
73; Mike W7VO
On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> <kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this?
Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email.
Mark, HDX
------------------------------
*From:* Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> *Sent:* Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM *To:*
*Subject:* HAM Radio Strategy
Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators,
Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork.
I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward.
As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction:
- For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. - Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. - In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. - It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. - The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need.
*I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.*
Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region.
*Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO*
*American Red Cross Northwest Region*
1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144
(206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C)
*alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>*
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing listarrl-odv@reflector.arrl.orghttps://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
-- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>
-- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>
I’m still concerned about this though. Mark and Mike should have been made aware of this well in advance. Personally I think the northwestern strategy sunsetting ham radio is also fake news. The truth is so hard to find these days. 73 Ria N2RJ On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 6:10 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com> wrote:
Here's an clarification on the Red Cross Northwest Region posting:
-- From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:55 AMuSubject: HAM Update To: sharoninspokane@comcast.net <sharoninspokane@comcast.net>, tony@annese.org <
Dear HAM Radio Team,
I want to apologize for any unintended confusion in my email to you regarding HAM Radio Strategy may have caused. After hearing from some of you, it is clear that my wording on strategy did not properly convey my thoughts. To be clear, there is no National Strategy on sunsetting HAM Radio moving forward. Rather, it was my intent, to inform you of a possible Northwest Regional Strategy.
I also want to thank those of you who reached out to me with insights and ideas. I truly appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me and your understanding of the situation. After listening to you, I am hopeful that we can, in some instances, continue with a Regional HAM strategy that focuses on strengthening our community partnerships (such as with ARES/ARRL) and is in line with our Real Estate plans as well.
It is my hope that we can use the upcoming Town Hall scheduled for November 5th at 4 PM to explore some of these ideas. Please attend ready to share your thoughts on how we might best be able to move forward.
Thank you for your continued support of the American Red Cross…
Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1900+25th%C2%A0Avenue+South,+Seattle,+WA+98144?entry=gmail&source=g> (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org
--
Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 2:57 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com> wrote:
I, too, floated this message to a few key ARES people in my division. One prominent member in an ARES leadership role is heavily involved with the Red Cross. He replied:
"I've been in contact with a Red Cross DST (Disaster Services Technology) Chief who has contacted the ARC DST at HQ. They are not aware of any such policy change and will address the concerns soon. I found it odd that an ARC Regional (state or group of states) CEO would put this out before the DST leadership would be told. I suspect that there is much more to this and maybe be a more localized issue in the Pacific NW or something along those lines. I will brief you when I know more."
Incidentally, this same ham told me that he had been approached by a writer at CQ Magazine wanting to interview him on the subject. My friend declined to be interviewed.
Phil
-- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:45 AM rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com> wrote:
I would have to agree with this. This appears to be local. In some chapters here Red Cross welcomes ham radio. But in a few they have kicked us out. One example is the chapter in Tinton Falls NJ where they had a working ham station and the local leadership decided that they would use that space as a warehouse instead. But in Fairfield NJ and Long Island they have healthy relationships with the Red Cross.
Something is afoot and I have a feeling that there is isolated anti ham sentiment in some of the chapters. I’ve seen this with other agencies where they don’t want hams on their turf so they convince some higher ups to push us out.
Tl;dr - there may be a nugget of truth so proceed with caution.
73 Ria N2RJ
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com> wrote:
After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC.
The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC.
The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response:
-------
*FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest.*
There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion.
The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX.
---------
We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue.
_______________________________________
John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Director
West Gulf Division
Office: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
P.O. Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
*_______________________________________* On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where.
They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play.
73; Mike W7VO
On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> <kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this?
Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email.
Mark, HDX
------------------------------
*From:* Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> *Sent:* Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM *To:*
*Subject:* HAM Radio Strategy
Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators,
Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork.
I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward.
As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction:
- For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. - Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. - In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. - It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. - The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need.
*I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.*
Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region.
*Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO*
*American Red Cross Northwest Region*
1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144
(206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C)
*alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>*
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing listarrl-odv@reflector.arrl.orghttps://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
-- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>
-- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>
Ria The truth is so hard to find these days? Not really. Don't you recall that the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls? ______________________________________ John Robert Stratton N5AUS Director West Gulf Division Office:512-445-6262 Cell:512-426-2028 P.O. Box 2232 Austin, Texas 78768-2232 *______________________________________* On 10/27/20 5:30 PM, rjairam@gmail.com wrote:
I’m still concerned about this though. Mark and Mike should have been made aware of this well in advance. Personally I think the northwestern strategy sunsetting ham radio is also fake news.
The truth is so hard to find these days.
73 Ria N2RJ
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 6:10 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com <mailto:phil@temples.com>> wrote:
Here's an clarification on the Red Cross Northwest Region posting:
-- From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>> Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:55 AMuSubject: HAM Update To: sharoninspokane@comcast.net <mailto:sharoninspokane@comcast.net> <sharoninspokane@comcast.net <mailto:sharoninspokane@comcast.net>>, tony@annese.org <mailto:tony@annese.org> <
Dear HAM Radio Team,
I want to apologize for any unintended confusion in my email to you regarding HAM Radio Strategy may have caused. After hearing from some of you, it is clear that my wording on strategy did not properly convey my thoughts. To be clear, there is no National Strategy on sunsetting HAM Radio moving forward. Rather, it was my intent, to inform you of a possible Northwest Regional Strategy.
I also want to thank those of you who reached out to me with insights and ideas. I truly appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me and your understanding of the situation. After listening to you, I am hopeful that we can, in some instances, continue with a Regional HAM strategy that focuses on strengthening our community partnerships (such as with ARES/ARRL) and is in line with our Real Estate plans as well.
It is my hope that we can use the upcoming Town Hall scheduled for November 5th at 4 PM to explore some of these ideas. Please attend ready to share your thoughts on how we might best be able to move forward.
Thank you for your continued support of the American Red Cross…
Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1900+25th%C2%A0Avenue+South,+Seattle,+WA+98144?entry=gmail&source=g> (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>
--
Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org <mailto:k9hi@arrl.org>
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 2:57 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com <mailto:phil@temples.com>> wrote:
I, too, floated this message to a few key ARES people in my division. One prominent member in an ARES leadership role is heavily involved with the Red Cross. He replied:
"I've been in contact with a Red Cross DST (Disaster Services Technology) Chief who has contacted the ARC DST at HQ. They are not aware of any such policy change and will address the concerns soon. I found it odd that an ARC Regional (state or group of states) CEO would put this out before the DST leadership would be told. I suspect that there is much more to this and maybe be a more localized issue in the Pacific NW or something along those lines. I will brief you when I know more."
Incidentally, this same ham told me that he had been approached by a writer at CQ Magazine wanting to interview him on the subject. My friend declined to be interviewed.
Phil
-- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org <mailto:k9hi@arrl.org>
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:45 AM rjairam@gmail.com <mailto:rjairam@gmail.com> <rjairam@gmail.com <mailto:rjairam@gmail.com>> wrote:
I would have to agree with this. This appears to be local. In some chapters here Red Cross welcomes ham radio. But in a few they have kicked us out. One example is the chapter in Tinton Falls NJ where they had a working ham station and the local leadership decided that they would use that space as a warehouse instead. But in Fairfield NJ and Long Island they have healthy relationships with the Red Cross.
Something is afoot and I have a feeling that there is isolated anti ham sentiment in some of the chapters. I’ve seen this with other agencies where they don’t want hams on their turf so they convince some higher ups to push us out.
Tl;dr - there may be a nugget of truth so proceed with caution.
73 Ria N2RJ
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com <mailto:N5AUS@n5aus.com>> wrote:
After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC.
The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC.
The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response:
-------
_*FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest.*_
There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion.
The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX.
---------
We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue.
_______________________________________
John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Director
West Gulf Division
Office:512-445-6262
Cell:512-426-2028
P.O. Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
*_______________________________________***
** On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where.
They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play.
73; Mike W7VO
On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> <mailto:kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this?
Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email.
Mark, HDX
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:*Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>> *Sent:* Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM *To:*
**
*Subject:*HAM Radio Strategy
Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators,
Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork.
I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward.
As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction:
* For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. * Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. * In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. * It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. * The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need.
*I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5^th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.*
Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region.
*Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO*
/American Red Cross Northwest Region/
1900 25^th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144
(206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C)
*alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>*
**
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org <mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
-- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com <mailto:phil@temples.com>>
-- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com <mailto:phil@temples.com>>
And tenement halls. Frederick (Rick) Niswander, PhD, CPA, CGMA Professor of Accounting East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858 From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> On Behalf Of John Robert Stratton Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 6:47 PM To: rjairam@gmail.com; Phil Temples <phil@temples.com> Cc: arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org Subject: [arrl-odv:31236] Re: American Red Cross? This email originated from outside ECU. Ria The truth is so hard to find these days? Not really. Don't you recall that the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls? ______________________________________ John Robert Stratton N5AUS Director West Gulf Division Office: 512-445-6262 Cell: 512-426-2028 P.O. Box 2232 Austin, Texas 78768-2232 ______________________________________ On 10/27/20 5:30 PM, rjairam@gmail.com<mailto:rjairam@gmail.com> wrote: I’m still concerned about this though. Mark and Mike should have been made aware of this well in advance. Personally I think the northwestern strategy sunsetting ham radio is also fake news. The truth is so hard to find these days. 73 Ria N2RJ On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 6:10 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com<mailto:phil@temples.com>> wrote: Here's an clarification on the Red Cross Northwest Region posting: -- From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>> Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:55 AMuSubject: HAM Update To: sharoninspokane@comcast.net<mailto:sharoninspokane@comcast.net> <sharoninspokane@comcast.net<mailto:sharoninspokane@comcast.net>>, tony@annese.org<mailto:tony@annese.org> < Dear HAM Radio Team, I want to apologize for any unintended confusion in my email to you regarding HAM Radio Strategy may have caused. After hearing from some of you, it is clear that my wording on strategy did not properly convey my thoughts. To be clear, there is no National Strategy on sunsetting HAM Radio moving forward. Rather, it was my intent, to inform you of a possible Northwest Regional Strategy. I also want to thank those of you who reached out to me with insights and ideas. I truly appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me and your understanding of the situation. After listening to you, I am hopeful that we can, in some instances, continue with a Regional HAM strategy that focuses on strengthening our community partnerships (such as with ARES/ARRL) and is in line with our Real Estate plans as well. It is my hope that we can use the upcoming Town Hall scheduled for November 5th at 4 PM to explore some of these ideas. Please attend ready to share your thoughts on how we might best be able to move forward. Thank you for your continued support of the American Red Cross… Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fsearch%2F1900%2B25th%25C2%25A0Avenue%2BSouth%2C%2BSeattle%2C%2BWA%2B98144%3Fentry%3Dgmail%26source%3Dg&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427020632%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=rINIySo5a7BUc2J5KQ0H9x3%2FK7%2F8TJukzhqmKS3oAJU%3D&reserved=0> (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> -- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org<mailto:k9hi@arrl.org> On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 2:57 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com<mailto:phil@temples.com>> wrote: I, too, floated this message to a few key ARES people in my division. One prominent member in an ARES leadership role is heavily involved with the Red Cross. He replied: "I've been in contact with a Red Cross DST (Disaster Services Technology) Chief who has contacted the ARC DST at HQ. They are not aware of any such policy change and will address the concerns soon. I found it odd that an ARC Regional (state or group of states) CEO would put this out before the DST leadership would be told. I suspect that there is much more to this and maybe be a more localized issue in the Pacific NW or something along those lines. I will brief you when I know more." Incidentally, this same ham told me that he had been approached by a writer at CQ Magazine wanting to interview him on the subject. My friend declined to be interviewed. Phil -- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org<mailto:k9hi@arrl.org> On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:45 AM rjairam@gmail.com<mailto:rjairam@gmail.com> <rjairam@gmail.com<mailto:rjairam@gmail.com>> wrote: I would have to agree with this. This appears to be local. In some chapters here Red Cross welcomes ham radio. But in a few they have kicked us out. One example is the chapter in Tinton Falls NJ where they had a working ham station and the local leadership decided that they would use that space as a warehouse instead. But in Fairfield NJ and Long Island they have healthy relationships with the Red Cross. Something is afoot and I have a feeling that there is isolated anti ham sentiment in some of the chapters. I’ve seen this with other agencies where they don’t want hams on their turf so they convince some higher ups to push us out. Tl;dr - there may be a nugget of truth so proceed with caution. 73 Ria N2RJ On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com<mailto:N5AUS@n5aus.com>> wrote: After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC. The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC. The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response: ------- FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest. There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion. The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX. --------- We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue. _______________________________________ John Robert Stratton N5AUS Director West Gulf Division Office: 512-445-6262 Cell: 512-426-2028 P.O. Box 2232 Austin, Texas 78768-2232 _______________________________________ On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote: One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where. They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play. 73; Mike W7VO On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com><mailto:kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote: This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this? Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email. Mark, HDX ________________________________ From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM To: Subject: HAM Radio Strategy Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators, Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork. I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward. As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction: * For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. * Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. * In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. * It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. * The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program. There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need. I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon. Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region. Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> [cid:image001.png@01D6AC91.EB7CD330] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427020632%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=eNxjQqpooyELHollsA0j4SKki5cfZeKvxLh1y2G7bdw%3D&reserved=0> _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427030628%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=irJpzcM%2F02O3Rs6WT4pvVqaRsVUQwjgTNIRAb0KXfo8%3D&reserved=0> _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427030628%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=irJpzcM%2F02O3Rs6WT4pvVqaRsVUQwjgTNIRAb0KXfo8%3D&reserved=0> _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427040614%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=wkKJpb5y4rPXnk%2Fxmw8CWAAtgbNKxtdEJa%2Fxj6xXUsI%3D&reserved=0> -- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com<mailto:phil@temples.com>> -- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com<mailto:phil@temples.com>>
I thought it was "Studio walls"..... Oh wait, that's a Rush tune. my bad.. On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 3:49 PM Niswander, Rick <NISWANDERF@ecu.edu> wrote:
And tenement halls.
Frederick (Rick) Niswander, PhD, CPA, CGMA
Professor of Accounting
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858
*From:* arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org> *On Behalf Of *John Robert Stratton *Sent:* Tuesday, October 27, 2020 6:47 PM *To:* rjairam@gmail.com; Phil Temples <phil@temples.com> *Cc:* arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org *Subject:* [arrl-odv:31236] Re: American Red Cross?
This email originated from outside ECU.
Ria
The truth is so hard to find these days? Not really.
Don't you recall that the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls?
______________________________________
John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Director
West Gulf Division
Office: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
P.O. Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
*______________________________________*
On 10/27/20 5:30 PM, rjairam@gmail.com wrote:
I’m still concerned about this though. Mark and Mike should have been made aware of this well in advance. Personally I think the northwestern strategy sunsetting ham radio is also fake news.
The truth is so hard to find these days.
73
Ria
N2RJ
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 6:10 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com> wrote:
Here's an clarification on the Red Cross Northwest Region posting:
--
From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:55 AMuSubject: HAM Update To: sharoninspokane@comcast.net <sharoninspokane@comcast.net>, tony@annese.org <
Dear HAM Radio Team,
I want to apologize for any unintended confusion in my email to you regarding HAM Radio Strategy may have caused. After hearing from some of you, it is clear that my wording on strategy did not properly convey my thoughts. To be clear, there is no National Strategy on sunsetting HAM Radio moving forward. Rather, it was my intent, to inform you of a possible Northwest Regional Strategy.
I also want to thank those of you who reached out to me with insights and ideas. I truly appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me and your understanding of the situation. After listening to you, I am hopeful that we can, in some instances, continue with a Regional HAM strategy that focuses on strengthening our community partnerships (such as with ARES/ARRL) and is in line with our Real Estate plans as well.
It is my hope that we can use the upcoming Town Hall scheduled for November 5th at 4 PM to explore some of these ideas. Please attend ready to share your thoughts on how we might best be able to move forward.
Thank you for your continued support of the American Red Cross…
Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fsearch%2F1900%2B25th%25C2%25A0Avenue%2BSouth%2C%2BSeattle%2C%2BWA%2B98144%3Fentry%3Dgmail%26source%3Dg&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427020632%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=rINIySo5a7BUc2J5KQ0H9x3%2FK7%2F8TJukzhqmKS3oAJU%3D&reserved=0> (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org
--
Phil Temples, K9HI
Vice Director
New England Division
k9hi@arrl.org
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 2:57 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com> wrote:
I, too, floated this message to a few key ARES people in my division. One prominent member in an ARES leadership role is heavily involved with the Red Cross. He replied:
"I've been in contact with a Red Cross DST (Disaster Services Technology) Chief who has contacted the ARC DST at HQ. They are not aware of any such policy change and will address the concerns soon. I found it odd that an ARC Regional (state or group of states) CEO would put this out before the DST leadership would be told. I suspect that there is much more to this and maybe be a more localized issue in the Pacific NW or something along those lines. I will brief you when I know more."
Incidentally, this same ham told me that he had been approached by a writer at CQ Magazine wanting to interview him on the subject. My friend declined to be interviewed.
Phil
--
Phil Temples, K9HI
Vice Director
New England Division
k9hi@arrl.org
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:45 AM rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com> wrote:
I would have to agree with this. This appears to be local. In some chapters here Red Cross welcomes ham radio. But in a few they have kicked us out. One example is the chapter in Tinton Falls NJ where they had a working ham station and the local leadership decided that they would use that space as a warehouse instead. But in Fairfield NJ and Long Island they have healthy relationships with the Red Cross.
Something is afoot and I have a feeling that there is isolated anti ham sentiment in some of the chapters. I’ve seen this with other agencies where they don’t want hams on their turf so they convince some higher ups to push us out.
Tl;dr - there may be a nugget of truth so proceed with caution.
73
Ria
N2RJ
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com> wrote:
After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC.
The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC.
The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response:
-------
*FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest.*
There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion.
The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX.
---------
We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue.
_______________________________________
John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Director
West Gulf Division
Office: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
P.O. Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
*_______________________________________*
On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where.
They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play.
73;
Mike
W7VO
On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> <kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers.
Anyone else run into this?
Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email.
Mark, HDX
------------------------------
*From:* Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> *Sent:* Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM *To:*
*Subject:* HAM Radio Strategy
Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators,
Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork.
I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward.
As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction:
- For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. - Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. - In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. - It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. - The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need.
*I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.*
Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region.
*Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO*
*American Red Cross Northwest Region*
1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144
(206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C)
*alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>*
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427020632%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=eNxjQqpooyELHollsA0j4SKki5cfZeKvxLh1y2G7bdw%3D&reserved=0>
_______________________________________________
arrl-odv mailing list
arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org
https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427030628%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=irJpzcM%2F02O3Rs6WT4pvVqaRsVUQwjgTNIRAb0KXfo8%3D&reserved=0>
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427030628%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=irJpzcM%2F02O3Rs6WT4pvVqaRsVUQwjgTNIRAb0KXfo8%3D&reserved=0>
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv <https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7Cniswanderf%40ecu.edu%7Cd9720410a680474ca0e608d87aca43b2%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394356427040614%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=wkKJpb5y4rPXnk%2Fxmw8CWAAtgbNKxtdEJa%2Fxj6xXUsI%3D&reserved=0>
--
Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>
--
Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
Yea, I also often confuse Rush with Simon and Garfukel. Frederick (Rick) Niswander, PhD, CPA, CGMA Professor of Accounting East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858 From: Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 6:55 PM To: Niswander, Rick <NISWANDERF@ecu.edu> Cc: John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com>; rjairam@gmail.com; Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>; arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org Subject: Re: [arrl-odv:31238] Re: American Red Cross? This email originated from outside ECU. I thought it was "Studio walls"..... Oh wait, that's a Rush tune. my bad.. On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 3:49 PM Niswander, Rick <NISWANDERF@ecu.edu<mailto:NISWANDERF@ecu.edu>> wrote: And tenement halls. Frederick (Rick) Niswander, PhD, CPA, CGMA Professor of Accounting East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858 From: arrl-odv <arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org>> On Behalf Of John Robert Stratton Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 6:47 PM To: rjairam@gmail.com<mailto:rjairam@gmail.com>; Phil Temples <phil@temples.com<mailto:phil@temples.com>> Cc: arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> Subject: [arrl-odv:31236] Re: American Red Cross? This email originated from outside ECU. Ria The truth is so hard to find these days? Not really. Don't you recall that the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls? ______________________________________ John Robert Stratton N5AUS Director West Gulf Division Office: 512-445-6262 Cell: 512-426-2028 P.O. Box 2232 Austin, Texas 78768-2232 ______________________________________ On 10/27/20 5:30 PM, rjairam@gmail.com<mailto:rjairam@gmail.com> wrote: I’m still concerned about this though. Mark and Mike should have been made aware of this well in advance. Personally I think the northwestern strategy sunsetting ham radio is also fake news. The truth is so hard to find these days. 73 Ria N2RJ On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 6:10 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com<mailto:phil@temples.com>> wrote: Here's an clarification on the Red Cross Northwest Region posting: -- From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>> Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:55 AMuSubject: HAM Update To: sharoninspokane@comcast.net<mailto:sharoninspokane@comcast.net> <sharoninspokane@comcast.net<mailto:sharoninspokane@comcast.net>>, tony@annese.org<mailto:tony@annese.org> < Dear HAM Radio Team, I want to apologize for any unintended confusion in my email to you regarding HAM Radio Strategy may have caused. After hearing from some of you, it is clear that my wording on strategy did not properly convey my thoughts. To be clear, there is no National Strategy on sunsetting HAM Radio moving forward. Rather, it was my intent, to inform you of a possible Northwest Regional Strategy. I also want to thank those of you who reached out to me with insights and ideas. I truly appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me and your understanding of the situation. After listening to you, I am hopeful that we can, in some instances, continue with a Regional HAM strategy that focuses on strengthening our community partnerships (such as with ARES/ARRL) and is in line with our Real Estate plans as well. It is my hope that we can use the upcoming Town Hall scheduled for November 5th at 4 PM to explore some of these ideas. Please attend ready to share your thoughts on how we might best be able to move forward. Thank you for your continued support of the American Red Cross… Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fsearch%2F1900%2B25th%25C2%25A0Avenue%2BSouth%2C%2BSeattle%2C%2BWA%2B98144%3Fentry%3Dgmail%26source%3Dg&data=04%7C01%7CNISWANDERF%40ecu.edu%7C2e5d7778bdfa4425643308d87acb521c%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394360980228516%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=p2oW7VSJB9c%2BudD22%2BvTeqVrRtUMPU%2Bs8KQDaU3tW5I%3D&reserved=0> (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> -- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org<mailto:k9hi@arrl.org> On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 2:57 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com<mailto:phil@temples.com>> wrote: I, too, floated this message to a few key ARES people in my division. One prominent member in an ARES leadership role is heavily involved with the Red Cross. He replied: "I've been in contact with a Red Cross DST (Disaster Services Technology) Chief who has contacted the ARC DST at HQ. They are not aware of any such policy change and will address the concerns soon. I found it odd that an ARC Regional (state or group of states) CEO would put this out before the DST leadership would be told. I suspect that there is much more to this and maybe be a more localized issue in the Pacific NW or something along those lines. I will brief you when I know more." Incidentally, this same ham told me that he had been approached by a writer at CQ Magazine wanting to interview him on the subject. My friend declined to be interviewed. Phil -- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org<mailto:k9hi@arrl.org> On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:45 AM rjairam@gmail.com<mailto:rjairam@gmail.com> <rjairam@gmail.com<mailto:rjairam@gmail.com>> wrote: I would have to agree with this. This appears to be local. In some chapters here Red Cross welcomes ham radio. But in a few they have kicked us out. One example is the chapter in Tinton Falls NJ where they had a working ham station and the local leadership decided that they would use that space as a warehouse instead. But in Fairfield NJ and Long Island they have healthy relationships with the Red Cross. Something is afoot and I have a feeling that there is isolated anti ham sentiment in some of the chapters. I’ve seen this with other agencies where they don’t want hams on their turf so they convince some higher ups to push us out. Tl;dr - there may be a nugget of truth so proceed with caution. 73 Ria N2RJ On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com<mailto:N5AUS@n5aus.com>> wrote: After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC. The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC. The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response: ------- FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest. There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion. The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX. --------- We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue. _______________________________________ John Robert Stratton N5AUS Director West Gulf Division Office: 512-445-6262 Cell: 512-426-2028 P.O. Box 2232 Austin, Texas 78768-2232 _______________________________________ On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote: One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where. They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play. 73; Mike W7VO On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com><mailto:kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote: This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this? Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email. Mark, HDX ________________________________ From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM To: Subject: HAM Radio Strategy Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators, Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork. I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward. As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction: * For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. * Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. * In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. * It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. * The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program. There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need. I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon. Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region. Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org<mailto:alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> [cid:image001.png@01D6AC93.3AF1E670] CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7CNISWANDERF%40ecu.edu%7C2e5d7778bdfa4425643308d87acb521c%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394360980228516%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Oi%2FmUsj3w%2FoBXcMEuwgSWm896AXJ6K6IukYFpcrC508%3D&reserved=0> _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7CNISWANDERF%40ecu.edu%7C2e5d7778bdfa4425643308d87acb521c%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394360980238510%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=a3jm8I8oKPiJbIZvCqden9kCSZEbgEAAFM5ymMWtt9M%3D&reserved=0> _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7CNISWANDERF%40ecu.edu%7C2e5d7778bdfa4425643308d87acb521c%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394360980248508%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=5VStDNpuvkYcVirUpwdPwRgeipwubTHbOU7eD3AfLq8%3D&reserved=0> _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7CNISWANDERF%40ecu.edu%7C2e5d7778bdfa4425643308d87acb521c%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394360980248508%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=5VStDNpuvkYcVirUpwdPwRgeipwubTHbOU7eD3AfLq8%3D&reserved=0> -- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com<mailto:phil@temples.com>> -- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com<mailto:phil@temples.com>> _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org<mailto:arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org> https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.arrl.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Farrl-odv&data=04%7C01%7CNISWANDERF%40ecu.edu%7C2e5d7778bdfa4425643308d87acb521c%7C17143cbb385c4c45a36ac65b72e3eae8%7C1%7C0%7C637394360980258503%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=fo9jwweLcQ6%2FrKMS76VZ1X75PYuDaS%2FJZr85r8vl%2FPA%3D&reserved=0>
We found out about 12 minutes prior to my posting to ODV. Still trying to get a solid answer from the club here in town as to when they found out. Mark, HDX On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 3:30 PM rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com> wrote:
I’m still concerned about this though. Mark and Mike should have been made aware of this well in advance. Personally I think the northwestern strategy sunsetting ham radio is also fake news.
The truth is so hard to find these days.
73 Ria N2RJ
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 6:10 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com> wrote:
Here's an clarification on the Red Cross Northwest Region posting:
-- From: Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:55 AMuSubject: HAM Update To: sharoninspokane@comcast.net <sharoninspokane@comcast.net>, tony@annese.org <
Dear HAM Radio Team,
I want to apologize for any unintended confusion in my email to you regarding HAM Radio Strategy may have caused. After hearing from some of you, it is clear that my wording on strategy did not properly convey my thoughts. To be clear, there is no National Strategy on sunsetting HAM Radio moving forward. Rather, it was my intent, to inform you of a possible Northwest Regional Strategy.
I also want to thank those of you who reached out to me with insights and ideas. I truly appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me and your understanding of the situation. After listening to you, I am hopeful that we can, in some instances, continue with a Regional HAM strategy that focuses on strengthening our community partnerships (such as with ARES/ARRL) and is in line with our Real Estate plans as well.
It is my hope that we can use the upcoming Town Hall scheduled for November 5th at 4 PM to explore some of these ideas. Please attend ready to share your thoughts on how we might best be able to move forward.
Thank you for your continued support of the American Red Cross…
Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO American Red Cross Northwest Region 1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144 <https://www.google.com/maps/search/1900+25th%C2%A0Avenue+South,+Seattle,+WA+98144?entry=gmail&source=g> (206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C) alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org
--
Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 2:57 PM Phil Temples <phil@temples.com> wrote:
I, too, floated this message to a few key ARES people in my division. One prominent member in an ARES leadership role is heavily involved with the Red Cross. He replied:
"I've been in contact with a Red Cross DST (Disaster Services Technology) Chief who has contacted the ARC DST at HQ. They are not aware of any such policy change and will address the concerns soon. I found it odd that an ARC Regional (state or group of states) CEO would put this out before the DST leadership would be told. I suspect that there is much more to this and maybe be a more localized issue in the Pacific NW or something along those lines. I will brief you when I know more."
Incidentally, this same ham told me that he had been approached by a writer at CQ Magazine wanting to interview him on the subject. My friend declined to be interviewed.
Phil
-- Phil Temples, K9HI Vice Director New England Division k9hi@arrl.org
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:45 AM rjairam@gmail.com <rjairam@gmail.com> wrote:
I would have to agree with this. This appears to be local. In some chapters here Red Cross welcomes ham radio. But in a few they have kicked us out. One example is the chapter in Tinton Falls NJ where they had a working ham station and the local leadership decided that they would use that space as a warehouse instead. But in Fairfield NJ and Long Island they have healthy relationships with the Red Cross.
Something is afoot and I have a feeling that there is isolated anti ham sentiment in some of the chapters. I’ve seen this with other agencies where they don’t want hams on their turf so they convince some higher ups to push us out.
Tl;dr - there may be a nugget of truth so proceed with caution.
73 Ria N2RJ
On Tue, Oct 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM John Robert Stratton <N5AUS@n5aus.com> wrote:
After reading the Dieffenbach email, I forwarded it to my SMs, SECs, copying Lee and Director Gilbert and asked the SMs and SECs whether the message in the email had been communicated to any of them by the RC.
The response was uniform — no one had received a similar message from the RC.
The local RC was contacted by the STX SEC and the NTX SEC. Below is part of the the response:
-------
*FYI - Circulating letter from the pacific northwest.*
There is an email regarding a local decision in Washington State area that is circulating widely in the amateur community. It states that there is a "National change in Strategy" wrt Ham operations in Red Cross. I have already heard from my CEO and from the coordinator of the Upcoming National Exercise that they are not aware of any such change in strategy, or even a discussion.
The MOU is in place and we value our ARES partnership highly, and have no intention of changing our internal or external connection with the ARRL, Affiliated Clubs, or ARES in TX. As covered in the MOU we encourage joint membership, and our ARES / Red Cross volunteers are some of the best and most frequently deployed that we have. Also the May - pre hurricane season - exercise was one of the most successful that we have ever had, and built my confidence that if we had a communications outage or overload, you guys would be there for us and the people of TX.
---------
We might want to follow up with national ARC, before we commit ourselves to a position change or to public/member comments on the Dieffenbach email. Dieffenbach may be rogue.
_______________________________________
John Robert Stratton
N5AUS
Director
West Gulf Division
Office: 512-445-6262
Cell: 512-426-2028
P.O. Box 2232
Austin, Texas 78768-2232
*_______________________________________* On 10/26/20 4:23 PM, Michael Ritz wrote:
One could almost see the writing on the wall here, as I was very surprised that I didn't hear of one single ARES activation that occurred in Oregon as a result of the extensive wildfires recently. My question was answered when a news article I saw one evening on television highlighted the brand new state owned high-tech emergency comms van in use, complete with portable commercial repeaters they deployed to fill in communications holes where their normal repeaters and cell towers/IT infrastructure failed. I also heard that both Verizon and ATT ("First Net") emergency communication systems were deployed, but I don't know by whom, or where.
They simply didn't need any ARES help with communications. I'll be interested to see how Mr. Gilbert responds to this, the ARES paradigm is shifting. Hams use Katrina as an example of why we are needed, but don't realize that governmental communications infrastructure has certainly been beefed up as a result of that one event, and commercial interests in EmComm, such as AT&T's FirstNet have now come into play.
73; Mike W7VO
On 10/26/2020 1:33 PM Mark J Tharp <kb7hdx@gmail.com> <kb7hdx@gmail.com> wrote:
This was sent to the area Red Cross volunteers that may or may not also be ARES volunteers. Anyone else run into this?
Mr. Gilbert was also included in the original email.
Mark, HDX
------------------------------
*From:* Dieffenbach, Alex <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org> *Sent:* Monday, October 26, 2020 10:49 AM *To:*
*Subject:* HAM Radio Strategy
Dear Northwest Region HAM Radio Operators,
Thank you for the time and talent you have dedicated to our Northwest Region HAM Radio program. Over the years, you have diligently performed weekly checks, welcomed new members into the fold and made available critical communications support. We are profoundly grateful for your efforts and teamwork.
I am writing to you today to share some news regarding strategic direction that impacts our HAM radio program. National has determined that HAM radio will no longer be part of our communication strategy. This decision was not made lightly and came on the heels of numerous discussions, research and debate. I am very proud and thankful for all of the hard work, energy and passion that the Northwest Region HAM Team has contributed to our mission over the years. Our HAM volunteers are amongst the best and most passionate volunteers serving in our Region. It is my sincere hope that all of you will continue to volunteer for the Red Cross in different areas moving forward.
As I mentioned, this decision was not made lightly and I would like to share some reasons why we are moving in this new direction:
- For the vast majority of our responses, we have not had to rely on amateur radio to supplement our communications strategy. - Innovations in technology have made it much more likely that alternative forms of communication will be available, and have been available, during disaster responses. - In case emergency HAM resources are necessary, the Red Cross has MOU’s in place with ARES and would request radio operators to support Red Cross activities. - It became clear that maintaining our HAM Teams and equipment was cost prohibitive in terms of likeliness of engaging these resources. - The new Real Estate Strategy has greatly reduced the availability of space and key electronics necessary to continue the program.
There is no doubt, that we are a stronger Region because of our HAM volunteers and, as mentioned above, it is my sincere hope that we can find a place for you to continue to serve our mission. If you are unable to continue to volunteer with us and share your talent and passion in another Red Cross endeavor, please accept my deepest appreciation for the work you have done on behalf of communities in need.
*I would also like to announce that anyone interested in attending a virtual “Town hall” on this topic is invited to join us on November 5th at 4 PM. At this meeting, we plan to share the timeline, discuss the equipment plan and answer any questions you may have. Please be on the lookout for a meeting invitation coming soon.*
Thank you, again, to all of you, our HAM Team Members across the Region.
*Alex R. Dieffenbach | CEO*
*American Red Cross Northwest Region*
1900 25th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144
(206)726.3570 (O) (206)245.8554 (C)
*alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org <alex.dieffenbach@redcross.org>*
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. _______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing listarrl-odv@reflector.arrl.orghttps://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
-- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>
-- Phil Temples <phil@temples.com>
_______________________________________________ arrl-odv mailing list arrl-odv@reflector.arrl.org https://reflector.arrl.org/mailman/listinfo/arrl-odv
participants (8)
-
Bob Famiglio, K3RF -
Hippisley, George (Bud), W2RU, (Dir, RK) -
John Robert Stratton -
Mark J Tharp -
Michael Ritz -
Niswander, Rick -
Phil Temples -
rjairam＠gmail.com