I’d like to start this article by extending my congratulations to Daniel Hazen (NØBN) on his 10th anniversary of becoming a HAM. Those who were present for the March meeting enjoyed his pizza and soda in celebration. I’d also like to thank him along with Pete (NEØT) and Dutch (KØAWS) for the informative packet demonstration they provided prior to the meeting. I also extend my thanks to Steve (AIØW) for the use of his packet station which facilitated the demonstration.

As we enter the fire season, which unfortunately has already begun, I’d also like to remind everyone to take some time and evaluate their property to ensure adequate mitigation has been done to help protect in case of a wildland fire. If you are unsure as to the adequacy of your mitigation or want advice, I believe that all fire districts in the area will be willing to come out and offer an assessment for you.

Also, a gentle reminder that we enjoy this hobby due to the recognition that amateur radio is still the communication mechanism of last resort which can get through when other modes fail. It is incumbent on those of us who are licensed operators to provide public service when requested as this will ensure that we have access to the radio bands during non-emergency situations. Please consider this when deciding if you can volunteer for the various public service events that occur during the year. Public service events provide a service to other organizations and allow us to test our capabilities in a relatively organized manner and while not under stress.

Finally, let’s hope that this spring brings some much needed moisture to the area. The storm this past week was a good beginning but we could use several more events of rain or snow.

It’s February and we tend to have our heaviest snowfalls in February and March. I hope you are prepared for whatever the weather decides to send to us. Disturbingly, we’ve had a number of structure fires in our area lately. My heart goes out to the homeowners involved in these incidents. This brings to mind fire safety in general. Have you checked your house for potential hazards? We owe it to ourselves to make sure that our homes are as safe as possible.

At least one of the recent house fires spread to the surrounding vegetation for a bit. Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish both the structure and vegetation fires but it could have easily gone the other way. That particular fire happened on a Red Flag Warning day - in February no less! It’s shaping up to be a scary fire season.

That brings me to another subject. Is your house clearly marked with street numbers that are visible from the street especially at night? Emergency responders frequently lose precious time trying to find addresses here in our mountain community. First responders recommend large reflective numbers in a contrasting color from the background. I know that Elk Creek Fire Department used to sell such numbers and probably still does. It’s probably worthwhile checking with your local fire department to see if they either sell some or have recommended sources.

The holiday season is a time to celebrate and a time to reflect. I hope that you reflect on the many blessings in your life more often than once a year when we set aside a time for thanksgiving. Many of us have faced challenges over the past year but I also believe that all have many blessings as well.

Blessings can be large such as when someone recovers fully from a medical challenge or gets a new job or opportunity. They can also be small such as the smile on a child’s face or the beauty of a sunrise or sunset. Simply living where we do is a blessing despite its frequent challenges.

Last year I wished you PEACE. I do so again this year. I know that I especially feel the need for peace this year. My family continues to face its share of challenges, perhaps not as significant as that faced by some of you, but they are still challenges.

For me, while doing all that I can, I also place my faith in God. When things are too big for me to handle, I put them in his hands and he usually comes through for me. Whatever your belief system may be, find a way to handle life’s challenges.

During the hectic holiday season, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness and lose sight of what’s important in life. I ask that you set aside some time each day to reflect and take a breath. Yes, consider your challenges, but also take joy in your many blessings.

Reach out to others in need, their problems may just make yours seem small in comparison. A smile can go a long way so try to smile often. Smiles can be contagious.

Be sure to join us for the Christmas Luncheon Dec. 20. Gathering at 10 A.M.

I want to start by thanking everyone who assisted ARES District 6 with the Outward Bound race and the ‘Fairplay Blast”. I know that I thoroughly enjoyed my part of the race and it sounds like the “Blast” was a busy event and that District 6 was well-represented.

Our next opportunity to volunteer to assist the community is for the Conifer Christmas Parade which should be on December 6th. I will have more details which Jack will share at the October meeting. I am hoping to have at least two operators at each station which will help us to monitor each other for issues such as hypothermia as well as assisting with the parade itself.

This is usually another enjoyable event where we get to see and cheer on the various floats including our local scouts and community organizations. Please consider volunteering for this event.

It is now October so we should also be verifying that we are ready for winter. Has your vehicle been serviced recently? Are your tires adequate? Do you have warm clothes available in your vehicle or your go bag? Has your home heater been cleaned and checked for the new season?

Although we tend to think that we should also consider snow events, power outages, etc.

Finally, it’s not too early to start thinking about our Christmas celebration. We will be having a pot luck, as usual, so start thinking about what you would like to bring to that.

Also, we will be having a collection for the Mountain Peace Shelter. Remember that their biggest need is for items that, while necessary, are not funded by food stamps. Perennial favorites include toilet paper, paper towels, toiletries etc.

Was your summer as busy as mine? It’s already August and I don’t have a clue as to where the summer has gone.

Our support of the burro races in Fairplay and Leadville was once again a success. We had a couple of issues that were quickly addressed and the race coordinators at each event expressed their appreciation for the radio operators at the end of race banquets.

THANKS to all members who assist with these annual events. At the July meeting, members approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which essentially stated that PCRC will continue to provide amateur radio operator coordination and support for the races once Neal (K0UEM) and Dolores (KB0EKH) no longer wish to provide such coordination. The MOU was presented to the race coordinator for each race and was approved the same day.

Don’t forget the upcoming public service events: Colorado Relay on September 12th (see Dutch if you can assist), the multi-county disaster simulation on October 4th, and the free CERT training available October 18th and 25th.

We are currently looking for volunteers for two committee positions within the club.

First, we need someone to coordinate our Wednesday evening Net. This person will maintain the master copy of the script used on the net and monitor to ensure that the Net Control for each week is available to fulfill his/her duties and recruit new operators to serve as Net Control when vacancies arise.

Our second need is someone to arrange for snacks at the meetings. We have had members provide snacks on a fairly regular basis, however it would be nice to spread the responsibility around, perhaps by a sign-up list so that members can sign up in advance for which month they wish to bring snacks.

Stay safe! Let’s hope that no major fires impact our area but be prepared in case your neighborhood is the one that gets impacted or that ARES may be called to assist.

It’s June already, where has time gone? As we enter the summer season, there are lots of opportunities to participate in public service events, either as part of PCRC or of ARES. Check your calendars and see which events you can help with:

June 21 - There are two events on this day, the Race to the Rescue which supports the North Park County Ambulance (new name for the former Platte Canyon Rescue Service). This is an early morning race and ARES provides radio support to help keep racers safe. Please let Dutch know if you are available to assist.

The second, related, event on this date is Bailey Dayz. This year they have expanded from a one day event into a weekend-long event with booths and activities at the Farmers Union on both Saturday and Sunday while keeping the traditional booths and entertainment on Main Street on Saturday.

We have rented booth space on Main St for Saturday and will be showcasing PCRC, ARES District 6, and Disaster Support Volunteers. We’ll have a laptop playing the Walter Cronkite video promoting Amateur Radio and we’ll have a station set up along with various displays. If you can help staff the booth for part of the day, let me know.

June 28 - OK - this isn’t a ‘public service event’ but it IS our Annual meeting and we’ll have election of officers. Please come to this important meeting and make your voice heard. We have a known vacancy for Treasurer so please consider if you are able to take on this important function. The ARES D6 meeting will follow where I believe they will also be electing officers. D6 has been in need of a secretary and a treasurer for quite some time, surely someone is available to step in and fill one of these roles!

July 27th sees the annual burro races in Fairplay. As has become our tradition, PCRC will be assisting with radio communications once again. I love watching the races and providing support to the racers. Neal and Dolores are coordinating this event so please let them know if you can help out.

August 3rd we help the burro racers again, this time in Leadville. It’s a bit longer drive but still an enjoyable event. Again, Neal and Dolores are coordinating our volunteers.

Week of August 25th - The Democratic National Convention will be held in Denver and they have requested support of HAMS both for essential Convention communications and in the event of some sort of incident during the convention. Jack Frank attended a planning meeting on behalf of ARES D6 and has further information if you are available to assist.

September 12th (a Friday) ARES will be supporting the Colorado Relay Race (formerly Outward Bound). This is a 24 hour, 170 mile relay race on foot and we have been providing support for about 5 exchange points. Another great opportunity to support the community.

October 4th is a major 5 county emergency preparedness exercise. Dutch and Jack participated in the tabletop in preparation for this exercise but they will need many more volunteers for the actual event. This is an ARES event so see Dutch if you can help out.

I urge you to review the above list and volunteer to assist wherever you can, each event provides its own unique experience and an opportunity to show the community what amateur radio operators are all about.

Here we are in April already. Hopefully we’ve made it past the threat of a major blizzard and now it’s time to gear up for the wildfire season. There have already been reports of small brush fires across the state so we need to be prepared.

I attended the community preparedness meeting hosted by the Mountain Resource Center recently and there were a few things that are worth emphasizing. If you need help or ideas on how to make your property more resistant to wildland fire danger, I suggest you check out the FIREWISE site at http://www.firewise.org/

The fire departments agree that following firewise principles is beneficial even if your neighborhood doesn’t go to the level of documentation effort needed to be named a “firewise community”.

We’ve all heard the current push to assemble and have on hand a “72 hour kit” on the theory that if any major disaster strikes, it may be up to 3 days before relief efforts are sufficiently organized to provide assistance to individuals.

Following her experiences with the blizzards in South Park, Lori Hodges states that since we’ve chosen to live where we do, a 72 hour kit should be a no-brainer and that we need to be thinking much beyond this. In reality, we need to have a minimum of one week’s worth of food, fuel, medications, etc. at all times.

In planning ahead for major blizzards or a potential pandemic, we may be confined to our homes for up to a month. This is especially true if a pandemic strikes as we will want to limit exposure to others. Lori says that while it may seem overwhelming to assemble that much food and supplies, take it one step at a time – purchase one or two extra cans of food each time you go shopping, purchase new bags of pet food when you open one rather than waiting until the current bag is almost empty. Small steps add up and over the course of a year, you’ll find yourself much better prepared.

One additional message that Lori had was that when a reverse-911 goes out stating that you should stay home, they mean just that: STAY HOME. She says that a message went out stating that white-out conditions existed and in order to stay safe, residents should stay home. Two hours later, while assessing conditions, she found the grocery stores packed with people attempting to stock up. Unfortunately, all these people shopping added to the potential danger. With white-out conditions, their chances of returning safely to their homes decreased dramatically and they increased the likelihood of emergency responders having to go find them and assist them to safety.

Bottom line – plan ahead! We chose to live in a semi-rural area, it’s our responsibility to ensure that we have food and supplies on hand should we be unable to leave the house for an extended period. Don’t wait for the emergency to be on your doorstep. Also remember, when the emergency management system issues a warning, it’s to your benefit to follow all directions provided.