2012 Pubic Service Events
April 29 – March of Dimes Walk- Presque Isle
*6.2 mile walk that helps the March of Dimes.
*Estimated amount of walkers: 2,000-3,000
*Starts at Rainbow Gardens and continues down to Presque Isle State Park and loops back.
*3 Rest Stops are located on the course.
*6 School Buses loop the course to assist tired walkers. 1 Ham Radio Operator is assigned to the school buses.
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June 2 – Edinboro Triathlon
Race Course Description
The triathlon course takes participants throughout a scenic, country-side tour of Edinboro, PA. All segments of the race will start / finish and transition at the same location – Crawford Beach on the west side of Edinboro Lake.
The Swim: OLYMPIC DISTANCE – 0.75 Mile. SPRINT DISTANCE – 0.30 Mile
Both swim courses (Sprint and Olympic) will start and finish at Pat Crawford Beach located on the west side of Edinboro Lake, on Lakeside Drive.
The Bike: OLYMPIC DISTANCE – 23.6 Miles. SPRINT DISTANCE – 10.0 Miles
Both bike courses (Sprint and Olympic) will start / finish at the Transition area on Lakeside Drive and follow gently rolling, mainly country roads. No major hills.
The Run: OLYMPIC DISTANCE – 6.2 Miles. SPRINT DISTANCE – 3.0 Miles
Both run courses (Sprint and Olympic), out and back with no major hills, are challenging, scenic and fun, providing for a great finish to a great event.
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June 9 & 10 – MS Society Bike Ride
This is a two-day event. The event stretches through multiple counties throughout Western PA. The Radio Association of Erie assists with providing communications for the Erie County section of the ride and also assists the Crawford County, PA and Conneaut, Ohio clubs with the event.
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June 30 – Bay Swim
This event is one of our smaller events. This event takes place in Presque Isle Bay.
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August 25 – Presque Isle Triathlon
*This fundraiser for the Presque Isle Partnership takes place at Presque Isle State Park.
*The event consists of an estimated 450 entrants.
*The Triathlon consists of a 0.35 mile swim, 13.0 mile bike, and a 3.5 mile run.
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Possible Events:
Run Around Erie – No Date Available
Walk to Cure Diabetes – October 7th, 2012
**Please check back for updates!**
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Many non-hams ask why is amateur radio is used at these events?
Amateur Radio has been used because:
*Ability to reach remote locations where cell phone and landline service is non-existant
*Cell phone coverage issues
*Reliable
*Volunteer operators
*Operators provide all equipment
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Getting Involved
If you want to help out with any of the events for 2012, please contact Doug Sweet, AD4UL via e-mail at dsweet.ad4ul@gmail.com
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Emergency Communications
There are Amateur Radio Organizations such as ARES and Skywarn which provide Emergency Communications Services to Public Safety officials and Government Agencies. Emergency communications comes under the banner of ARES, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Here we provide backup communications to the Erie County and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and the Emergency Operating Centers (EOCs) in Erie and surrounding communities. Hams operate from the EOCs, staging areas, shelters, hospitals… anywhere communications are needed when normal phone or radio channels may fail. To be ready, we participate in regular training, nets and drills that let us practice the skills we’ll need in actual emergency situations.
ARES/RACES is organized by County, and by ARRL Section (Western Pennsylvania is one Section). Each county has an EC (Emergency Coordinator) responsible for recruiting, training and supervising hams for emergency communications.
SKYWARN is also under the ARES banner. Hams trained in storm spotting report severe weather sightings to the National Weather Service via SKYWARN nets. SKYWARN covers a broad area, with several operations in Pennsylvania. All Skywarn information for Erie County is relayed back to National Weather Service office in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Parts of this web Page are courtesy of arpse.org)
