This weekend on Sunday, March 10, at 2am clocks spring forward.  Don’t forget to the change the clocks  AND the battery in the various smoke and CO monitors.

The annual communications academy will be held at  South Seattle Community College on April 13/14 2013, This is a training workshop for Volunteers in Emergency Communications.   To get all the details go to http://www.CommAcademy.org

Whenever there is an event the media is there with their reporters standing out in the weather relating the “story.” ARES is there too providing communication and other assistance. This is the response phase. After the event is over the media moves on to the next crisis, but those involved in the event may have much left to clean up. This is the recovery. For a short three minute video on the Sandy Recovery in NJ go to the website below. We must always remember that the recovery can be just as important as the response.

http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/11277

The article below brings up several good points in emergency planning. We all know that what actually happens during an event does not always exactly follow the plan. The plan often provides a guideline..  Planning is  important and this article provides some insight into the planning process.

http://www.emergencymgmt.com/emergency-blogs/managing-crisis/How-realistic-is-your-020613.html

313 Year Anniversary of Cascadia Fault Earthquake and Tsunami Observed
SEATTLE — January 26, 1700 is when an estimated magnitude 9.0 megathrust earthquake and tsunami occurred on the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the coastline of Washington, Oregon, Northern California, and British Columbia Continue reading WHY WE NEED TO PREPARE – A LITTLE HISTORY →

The BC Distracted Diver Legislation was very kind to amateur radio operators in that we were given a permanent exemption from this legislation. HOWEVER  to be exempt you must have a fixed mobile unit in your vehicle.  Hand held radios even if connected to an external antenna  ARE NOT EXEMPT. In other words you can get a ticket if you are found to be using your handheld while driving.

The Society for the Preservation of Amateur Radio will hold their annual Winter Field Day Contest on January 26/27 2013. The purpose of this event is to encourage Emergency Preparedness in the Winter.

For contest details go to    http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=11942

For the SPAR home page go to http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=11942

Do you need help putting a grab and go kit together? Emergency Management British Columbia has some information that will help.  Keep in mind to be effective your kit needs to contain personal information so you will need to protect it.  For suggestions go to

embc.gov.bc.ca/em/hazard_preparedness/grab&go.pdf

The website below lists the National HF Emergency Frequencies

https://www.rac.ca/en/rac/public-service/ares/frequencies/