“I Am Safe” messaging – Training and Testing Clinic

American Red Cross, 1900 25th Ave S., Seattle, WA  98144

The Seattle Neighborhood Emergency Communication Hubs will hold a clinic to train Hub volunteers and Ham Radio operators in collecting and sending personal messages in the event of a disaster affecting commercial communications services. Personal welfare messages can be passed by radio while not interfering with higher-priority response and recovery traffic.

In the clinic Hub volunteers will learn and practice collecting and reviewing personal messages. Amateur Radio operators will learn and practice how to format and send messages to email addresses, cell phones, landline telephones, and snail mail addresses via Winlink radio email. Hams will practice sending messages collected by the Hub volunteers.

All Hams interested in supporting their neighbors in an emergency are invited to attend, learn, practice, and even just shadow.

1 – 3 pm – Hub Captain training starts at 1, message composition follows.

• Hub Captains: Bring the phone numbers or email addresses you want test messages sent to (your own email or pre-notified “loved ones”)

1 – 4 pm – Winlink radio practice, set up and process testing at 1, message passing follows until 4 pm or until all messages sent.

• Radio participants should bring :
   
  — portable VHF/UHF gear, batteries, and antennas, if they have them;
  — working portable Winlink stations, if they have them, i.e. Mobile Radio, Power Source, Sound Card Device, Windows Laptop, Antenna;
  –Those with only a Windows laptop, we will “plug them in” to one of our working stations, and help them get Winlink Express and VARA set up on their computer, with their callsign, so they’re ready to equip their own station later.