County of Orange RACES

County of Orange RACES, an auxiliary communications unit of the Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD), is administered by OCSD's Communications & Technology Division. Members are registered as Disaster Service Workers with OCSD's Emergency Management Bureau. They are trained to provide voice, video, and data communications during emergencies, using their own equipment on County VHF and UHF repeaters and simplex frequencies. When activated, OCRACES provides emergency communications support, handles messages between incidents and the EOC, or between public-safety agencies and critical locations, and reports conditions from the field to the EOC or Command Post.

Next OCRACES Meeting: September 13th

The next OCRACES meeting is on Monday, September 13, 2010, at 7:30 PM, at 840 N. Eckhoff Street, Suite 104, in Orange. At this meeting, OCFA Battalion Chief Pat Antrim will provide annual Severe Fire Weather Patrol training to all OCRACES members. City RACES and MOU members who wish to participate on OCRACES patrols, and are authorized by their agencies to participate, are invited to attend this training.

OCRACES to Operate at CPRA Anniversary Event

OCRACES will bring its emergency communications response vehicle to the 75th Anniversary celebration of the California Public-Safety Radio Association (CPRA) on Thursday, September 16, 2010, in Irvine Regional Park east of Orange. Members will operate a Special Event Station from the van and also on a table outside the van, using CPRA's call sign of W6ID. The operation will occur from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM. CPRA is the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials - International (APCO).

OCRACES Activates for AMBER Alert

At 12:25 PM on July 12, 2010, a statewide child abduction alert was issued by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for a 13-year-old girl who was abducted five days earlier from Rancho Santa Margarita. Circumstances involved using My Space/Facebook with sexually explicit content. OCSD requested RACES activation for transmitting the information (including victim, suspect, and vehicle descriptions) on our 2-meter repeater. Emergency Communications Manager Marten Miller paged OCRACES members to call Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK, on the repeater for information and instructions. Ken made the first AMBER Alert announcements, and then e-mailed information to all members. He was then relieved by Radio Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF. Other members reporting to Ken on the repeater and offering to take a shift later were Radio Officer Harvey Packard, KM6BV, Radio Officer Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP, Walter Kroy, KC6HAM, Kenan Reilly, KR6J, Tom Tracey, KC6FIC, and Brian Turner, KI6WZS. The suspect and vehicle were located and the alert was canceled at 2:04 PM. The victim was located shortly thereafter.

OCRACES Participates in Field Day at Craig Park

RACES Lt. Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP, at Field Day GOTA station

On June 26 and 27, 2010, OCRACES participated in the ARRL’s annual Field Day exercise at Craig Regional Park in Fullerton. Fourteen OCRACES members worked to keep two transmitters on the air, test the use of “Ham Stick” HF dipoles as well as other antenna systems, introduce the public to amateur radio, and enjoy a festive afternoon barbecue. Participants included Ken Bourne, W6HK, Scott Byington, KC6MMF, Ernest Fierheller, KG6LXT, Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, Tom Tracey, KC6FIC, Walter Kroy, KC6HAM, Brian Turner, KI6WZS, Harvey Packard, KM6BV, Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, Randy Benicky, N6PRL, John Roberts, W6JOR, Kenan Reilly, KR6J, Don Cooke, AF6CV, and Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP. Equipment deployed included the OCRACES van and W6CSP’s Radio Trailer. Setup began as scheduled at 0800 Saturday morning and breakdown was completed about 1300 Sunday.

RACES Provides Election Communications

Members of County of Orange RACES, HDSCS, and Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Tri-Cities, and Westminster RACES units provided communications from Collection Centers to the Vote Tally Center during the evening of the Primary Election on June 8, 2010, advising Net Control of the precinct numbers of the JBC boxes loaded into the vans. Net Control recorded the Collection Center name, the time, and the precinct numbers. The communicators also informed Control 2 of ballot box arrivals, ballot transportation vehicle arrival, departures, and any activity around the Collection Center that could cause delay of the movement of ballot boxes.

County, Cities, and MOUs Hold May 19th Drill

RACES Sgt. Jim Carter, WB6HAG, observes ATV transmissions being sent from the County EOC parking lot and from the City RACES units

Most Orange County cities with a RACES program, along with all MOUs, participated with OCRACES in the City/County RACES & MOU Drill on Wednesday, May 19, 2010, from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM, in conjunction with the Golden Guardian 2010 exercise held earlier in the day. OCRACES members participated from the Orange County EOC. With the help of OCRACES Applicant Don Cooke, AF6CV, prompted over the telephone by Radio Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF, a portion of our Winlink system was launched. Assistant Radio Officer Jim Carter, WB6HAG, set up ATV/SSTV operations at the EOC. He operated from the RACES Room while Assistant Radio Officer Jack Barth, AB6VC, and Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, were in the parking lot, using bright lights to demonstrate how ATV can be used at night. Excellent signals were sent to and from participating city RACES units.

The drill plan was developed by OCSD Emergency Communications Manager Marten Miller, KF6ZLQ, with a scenario of a week of unrelenting rain culminating in two large storms that combine off the coast of Southern California and bring more heavy rain, wind, and storm surges for three more days. Rainfall amounts of 2-3 inches per hour were recorded in Orange County along with 60 mph wind gusts and 15-foot storm surges along the coast, resulting in flooding in coastal and low-lying areas, and mud and debris flows in hillside communities. Prior to the drill, Marten and Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK, composed messages to be sent from the EOC to the cities and MOUs.

Two new OCRACES members, Brian Lettieri, KI6VPF, and Kenan Reilly, KR6J, participated in the drill, and were coached by Assistant Radio Officer Ernest Fierheller, KG6LXT. Also participating at the EOC were Radio Officer Harvey Packard, KM6BV, Assistant Radio Officer Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, and Applicant John Bedford, KF6PRN. OCSD/Communications Director Robert Stoffel, KD6DAQ viewed the exercise and gave support. Participating city RACES units included Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress (observing Anaheim), Dana Point, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Seal Beach, and Westminster. MOUs included HDSCS, Red Cross, and SKYWARN.

OCRACES Supports Baker to Vegas 2010

In left photo, Randy Benicky, N6PRL, John Roberts, W6JOR, and RACES Lt. Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP (left to right), route 12-volt cables for follow-vehicle radio and APRS equipment. In right photo are RACES Sergeants Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC (left), and Jack Barth, AB6VC, at Pahrump

Radio Officer Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP, with assistance from Randy Benicky, N6PRL, organized our activities for the Baker to Las Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, which was held on April 17-18, 2010. Radio installations in follow vehicles at OCSD/Communications in Orange took place on Thursday, April 15th. Besides Ralph and Randy, other “installers” included Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK, Assistant Radio Officer Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, and John Roberts, W6JOR. On Friday, April 16th, Ralph, Randy, and Chuck left for Baker, Pahrump, and Las Vegas. Walt Wilson, K7WWW, came down from Oregon to assist with installations in Baker. Joining Chuck in Pahrump were Assistant Radio Officer Jack Barth, Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, and Brian Lettieri, KI6VPF.

OCRACES Activates for Storm Situation

OCRACES Member John Roberts, W6JOR (left), and Anaheim RACES Member Bill Stermer, KI6WZW, in OC EOC RACES Room during storm activation

On Tuesday, January 19, 2010, as storm activity was increasing in Southern California and OCRACES members were being surveyed for their availability in case of activation, Randy Benicky, N6PRL, was one of several members watching weather radar on the Internet. He was monitoring radar on Weather Underground and spotted a "triangle," which indicated a tornado (actually a water spout) was approaching the coast, headed toward Huntington Beach or Seal Beach. It actually came ashore at Seal Beach and flipped a vehicle, tore off a roof, and caused other damage. Meanwhile, we were exchanging reports with Gary Lesho, KG6RXQ, of Orange County SKYWARN. We were also in communications with Brea RACES Radio Officer Dick Bremer, WB6DNX, Fullerton RACES Radio Officer Gene Thorpe, KB6CMO, Tom Woodard, KI6GOA, of the American Red Cross, Orange County Chapter, and April Moell, WA6OPS, of the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System. OCRACES Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK, requested South Squad Radio Officer Harvey Packard, KM6BV, and North Squad Radio Officer Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP, to determine the availability of their members for pending activation. Radio Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF, indicated he was available at any time. Steve Sobodos, KN6UX, Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, John Roberts, W6JOR, Joe Selikov, KB6EID, as well as Harvey and other members, indicated they were available that evening. No OCRACES activation was required on Tuesday, as the EOC had not been activated.

Late Tuesday, OCSD/Communications Director Robert Stoffel, KD6DAQ, advised RACES Capt. Bourne that the EOC was activating Wednesday morning, and that an OCRACES member needed to be in the EOC RACES Room at 10:00 AM, to begin “24/7” staffing through Friday midnight. Ken sent an e-mail to all OCRACES members asking for volunteers for shifts, plus to City RACES officers and coordinators advising that mutual aid might be needed. He also requested the squad Radio Officers to ask for shift volunteers. Ken assigned himself the first shift, a six-hour shift from 1000 until 1600 (actually staying past 1700), and configured four-hour shifts from 1600 Wednesday through 2400 Friday. John Roberts, W6JOR, took the 1600-2000 shift for Wednesday through Friday. Santa Ana ACS Coordinator/Chief Radio Officer Steve Snyder, KI6EYQ, and Buena Park RACES Assistant Chief Radio Officer James Payne, KB6WUM, offered mutual-aid assistance, if needed. City of Orange RACES Coordinator Debbie Klein, Huntington Beach RACES Chief Radio Officer Dr. Steve Graboff, W6GOS, Seal Beach RACES Radio Officer Mike Maronta, KC6YNQ, and Laguna Woods RACES Radio Officer Art Welch, K7TX, advised of the status of their RACES units. Ken Bourne, W6HK, took the 0000-0400 shift on Thursday, and Scott Byington, KC6MMF, took the 1200 1600 shift. John Roberts had the 1600-1700 shift.

Thanks also to Mission Viejo Chief Radio Officer Charley Speelman, WA6RUZ, who volunteered himself and other members of his RACES unit for duty, as well as to Anaheim Disaster Preparedness Assistant Manager Mary Jo Flynn, KI6OIY, for volunteering members of her RACES unit for mutual-aid duty. Even though mutual aid was not required, Anaheim RACES member Bill Stermer, KI6WZW, reported to the OC EOC RACES Room on Wednesday, and Jim Wainwright, KJ6DKQ, on Thursday, for training and to assist. Each stayed several hours, and were very helpful.

Duties at the EOC RACES Room consisted primarily of transmitting situation updates on the OA-1, OA-2, and WEROC VHF low-band frequencies and on the County-Admin VHF high-band frequency, which were configured for simultaneous transmission. The situation updates were also transmitted on the OCRACES 2-meter RACES repeater. OCRACES members and City RACES members who had volunteered for mutual aid were also prepared for deployment to the field, in case communications (such as ATV) were required from incidents to the EOC. Such deployment was not required during this activation. Storm reports received from OCRACES and City RACES members and Orange County SKYWARN were brought to the EOC Command Center.

RACES Wants You!

Experience the most exciting and rewarding part of amateur radio. Being a RACES member gives you the opportunity to sharpen your operating skills and technical knowledge while volunteering your services in public-safety communications. Get involved in emergency communications now. Click the Contact OCRACES link for more information.

Events Calendar

August 23: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Brian Lettieri, KI6VPF
Pager: Ernest Fierheller, KG6LXT

August 30: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Harvey Packard, KM6BV
Pager: Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP

September 6: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Kenan Reilly, KR6J
Pager: Jack Barth, AB6VC

September 13: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: John Roberts, W6JOR
Pager: Ken Bourne, W6HK

September 13: 1930
OCRACES Meeting
840 N. Eckhoff Street, Suite 104, Orange

Sept. 16: 1000-1300
CPRA 75th Anniversary, Special Events Station, Irvine Regional Park

September 17-19
ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, Four Points Hotel Sheraton, 8110 Aero Drive, San Diego

Sept. 19: 1330-1500
QuakeNet 2010

September 20: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP
Pager: Scott Byington, KC6MMF

September 27: 1900
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Joe Selikov, KB6EID
Pager: Jim Carter, WB6HAG

September 27: 2015
Southwest ACS Frequency/Radio Test

October 2
City/County RACES & MOU Drill

Oct. 17: 1330-1500
QuakeNet 2010

Nov. 21: 1330-1500
QuakeNet 2010

Dec. 19: 1330-1500
QuakeNet 2010

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Webmaster: Ken Bourne, W6HK, Chief Radio Officer, County of Orange (California) RACES
Last Update: August 21, 2010