Category Archives: Public Service

Dark Skies Severe Weather Seminar – 2025

The Dark Skies Severe Weather Seminar sponsored by the Midwest Severe Storm Tracking/Response Center will be held this year on March 8, 2025 from 0900 CST to 1530 CST at Madison College, 1701 Wright Street, Madison, WI, Room D1630. It looks to be an interesting program including Alex Harington – Chief Meteorologist, WISC Channel3000, some presentations from Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences; Director, Space Science & Engineering Center UW Madison just to name a few. You will also be able to satisfy the SKYWARN Spotter training on your ARES Standardized Training Plan Task Book. For more information please refer to the Seminar website at: https://sites.google.com/view/midwestsstrc-darkskies/home

Cross-Band Repeating

At our March in person meeting on the 27th Luke, KC9IFF shared a presentation on cross-band repeating and how it is used for Events and Emergencies using Ham Radio. Thanks so much Luke!

Below you will find a recording of Luke’s presentation as well as a link to his slide deck.

Dane/Iowa County ARES/RACES March In Person Meeting – Cross Banding

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Storm Spotter Classes Scheduled for Spring 2024

The ARES Standardized Training Plan AKA The ARES Task Book, suggests that all ARES operators should have Storm Spotter Training at least every other year. To support the National Weather Service has scheduled 4 Storm Spotter training in our area (Dane and Iowa Counties) this spring.

The classes are scheduled as follows:

  • March 21, 1:30PM, Iowa County Sheriff’s Department Conference Room
  • March 21, 6:30PM, Iowa County Sheriff’s Department Conference Room
  • April 2, 1:00PM, Mount Horeb Public Library
  • April 2, 6:30PM, FItchburg, Dane County EOC

For more information on attending and on how to register for virtual attendance if needed please go to the NWS web site here: https://www.weather.gov/mkx/spotter-schedule . Please note you may have to register, click on the event in the calendar on the page for any additional information.

2024 Dark Skies Severe Weather Seminar

Please add February 24 from 9am-3pm to your calendars for the 2024 Dark Skies Severe Weather Seminar held at Madison College at 1701 Wright St and put on by the The MidWest Severe Storm Tracking Response Center (MidWest SSTRC, Inc.). Each year they host a number of presentations on Storm Spotting in our area and the Dane/Iowa County ARES/RACES has an information table at the event. This is also a good reminder that as ARES operators we are expected to attend Storm Spotter Training at least every other year. As soon as classes for 2024 have been published we’ll add them to this site.

Our EC, Jeff, KC9UNZ will be staffing a table with ARES information and answers (hopefully) for any questions people have. He will be bringing stuff to look at. If you’d like to have links to the materials he will have available you can download the Resource List here.

Our latest tri-fold brochure is available as well.

AuxFOG, NIFOG, WIFOG

What?

Nearly every level of Public Service at which we could be deployed has a FOG or Field Operations Guide. Even if you are not in the middle of an incident they have a wealth of information on operating and equipment and procedures. It is Free so its worth every penny.

On Android or IPhone go to your app store and search for “Public Safety Library” (at least that is what it is called on my Android).

Once it is installed the three FOGs you will want to install first will be

  • Wisconsin Interoperable Communications Field Operations Guide (WIFOG)
  • National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG)
  • Auxiliary Communications Field Operations Guide (AuxFOG)

Once you have them installed go ahead and browse. You’ll find some interesting stuff in there. And let us know what you think.