Paul Smith

KNW-150Water storage and purification Modified for Houston from originalMecklenburg County ARES© ArticleRevised 11/2016 In 2014, a chemical plant near Charleston, West Virginia spilled chemicals into the Elk River and contaminated the municipal water for 300,000 people. Citizens were advised not to drink, bathe with or use this water for anything except flushing toilets. The water … Read more

KNW-149Communicating Effectively Lesson 2 Modified from original Waller County ARES training articleWritten by Christine Smith, N5CAS (sk)Revised 11/2016 Types of CommunicationCommunication media range in complexity from handwritten notices to international satellite broadcasts. The communication tools most frequently used in emergencies and the advantages of each type will be presented. Emergency Alert System (EAS)The EAS is … Read more

KNW-148Communicating Effectively Lesson 1 From a Waller County ARES training article written by Christine Smith, N5CAS (sk)Revised 11/2016 During an emergency, it is especially challenging and important to communicate accurate information clearly to the target audience. Disaster victims generally look for someone who can communicate valuable guidance, provide leadership and lead them in problem solving. … Read more

KNW-146NVIS Antenna Test Written by Earl Pack AE5PA. Permission granted for use in ARES training. A Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) antenna test activity was conducted on November 10, 2013 by ten members from various units of the Harris County ARES organization. The group got together at the George Bush Park – Equestrian Area (Grid … Read more

KNW-145Basic Operating Principles Waller County ARES training articlewritten by Christine Smith, N5CAS (sk)Updated 1 Jan 2020Edited 09/2022 by Paul Smith, K5PRS General observations: Basic Disaster Communications: NTS and ARES leadership coordinationWithin the disaster area itself and even beyond, NTS certified, ARES communicators are primarily responsible for emergency communications support. The first priority of those NTS … Read more

KNW-144Prepare For Deployment Waller County ARES training article written by Christine Smith, N5CAS (sk)Edited 09/2022 by Paul Smith, K5PRS Being prepared for an emergency communications deployment involves a wide range of considerations including radio equipment, clothing and personal gear, food and water, medical kit, bedding, information, tools and specialized training documents. The Shuttle accident is … Read more

KNW-143OPERATIONAL STRESS –AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE By Pat Spencer, KD4PWLSource: Kentucky Amateur Radio Web SiteEdited 09/2022 by Paul Smith, K5PRSRevised 12/2020 In February of 2003, Lexington, KY faced a severe ice storm. For 8 days, amateur radio operators worked to help the local government with communications to the electric utility, shelters and other locations. Because of … Read more

KNW-142Working In An Incident Command Vehicle By Earl Pack, AE5PA in 2012 Working in an Incident Command Vehicle (ICV) is a challenging and fun experience. Since none of the vehicles are alike and one does not always find what they would expect, some training about an ICV is recommended in the event you have an … Read more

KNW-141Evacuation: Grab-And-Go Kitsand other Plans Compiled from various sources by Earl Pack, AE5PAModified 03 Aug 2025 by Paul Smith, K5PRS What If You Had To Evacuate Your Home In A Hurry? What would you take? Why your Evacuation Grab-and-Go Kits and your radio go-kit of course! But what else? How about your family? This is … Read more

DIS-104Why Do We Train? Maritime High Seas Emergency Story On a Thursday in April at about 10 AM Eastern time, the Intercontinental Traffic Net (INTERCON) with Ernie, K4ZQ in Lexington, NC, Net Manager serving as Net Control intercepted a call on the “Global Center of Activity” IARU designated 20 Meter emergency frequency of 14.300 MHz.More … Read more