Heritage Harbour's detailed plans impress county officials

By ERIN COX, Staff Writer

Published 03/02/08

If disaster strikes, you'll want to be among the retirees at Heritage Harbour.

Colleen Dugan - The Capital As part of the intricate plans of the Heritage Harbour Emergency Preparedness Committee, Walter Van Gleson will use his ham radio as the emergency communications system if disaster strikes.

"Block captains" will have identified the weak, the sick, and planned the rescue. The amateur radio team will use experience gained in weekly practice sessions to fire up the emergency communication system.

And the community's Emergency Preparedness Committee has residents stocking up on sleeping bags, hand-crank radios and flashlights, canned food and medical supplies.

Some retirees in this Annapolis community of 2,500 take up bingo, bocce or water aerobics.

About a half-dozen have taken up World War II-style disaster...

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Heritage Harbour's detail - March 7, 2008

This sort of thing is a primary service from Ham Radio operators and groups thoughout the country and the world. Ham operators are trained, practiced and ready to help out in all kinds of situations. We step up to the plate to provide community services in good times and in disaster situations when normal communications just doesn't work. Carl Young, K5HK Reno, NV

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Carl Young - Reno, NV - Karma: Bad

Community Emergency Teams - March 4, 2008

Well done to the folks at Heritage Harbor. Other communities and neighborhoods would do well to follow their example. These links take you to training we use with our neighborhood volunteer groups in Northern Virginia. Materials are copyrighted, but available without charge for non-commercial, educational and public safety use, subject to conditions in the copyright statement on our web site. Radio Operator Basic Course - http://www.w4ava.org/training.htm Two-Way Radio Fundamentals Course -http://www.w4ava.org/races/CCauxcomm03.htm ACS and RACES Manual - http://www.w4ava.org/races/auxcomm01.htm Disaster Survival Skills for the Urban Environment - http://www.w4ava.org/races/KKauxcomm33.htm VA RACES Training - http://www.varaces.org/adv-training.htm RACES Rescource Library - http://www.w4ava.org/races/AAauxcomm.htm

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Charles Harris - Annandale, VA - Karma: Bad