<o>Audubon NJ – The Tri-State Maritime Safety Association (TMSA) added Amateur Radio capabilities to its Maritime Incident Response Team in early May. TMSA is teaming up with the Audubon-Barrington OEM Alliance-Radio Club, for Amateur Radio support. Amateur Radio Operators have the communications knowledge, skills and abilities to assist the team in its communications needs thus freeing up team leadership who can focus their efforts on Incident Management knowing that skilled radio operators will be ready to handle communications. Amateur Radio Operators are not paid for their services, but volunteer their time to assist during emergencies. They will be utilizing the TMSA “MIRT” communications vehicle that features five dispatch consoles, an incident command meeting area, and a support station. The MIRT Bus is a 1970 GMC “Fishbowl” previously serving as a Red Arrow transit bus, which was converted by the USN Seas Bees to a mobile communications center over two decades ago. The vehicle is equipped with a Detroit Diesel engine, automatic transmission and has two onboard Honda generators, two rooftop AC/Heating RV style units, UHF and VHF Radio’s for Marine and First Responder use as well as Amateur Radio Stations. Amateur Radio Operators will not only operate and maintain the vehicle for the MIRT Team but will have the opportunity to utilize the vehicle at Field Days, Public Affairs, Festivals, and Bike Races or anywhere Amateur Radio is being utilized to support public events and public safety in general. The MIRT Bus was the main highlight at this year’s 2015 ARRL Field Day site at the Woodland School in Barrington NJ. The event was well attended by the public as well as the Audubon and Barrington Police and Fire Departments. The Boroughs’ of Audubon and Barrington recently started the process to enter into an agreement to create an Emergency Management Alliance for its Amateur Radio Emergency Services and Community Emergency Response Teams. The newly formed alliance teamed up with the non-profit TMSA-MIRT group and agreed to provide communications support. The Tri-state Maritime Safety Association (TMSA), which includes the Delaware River and Bay Marine Fire Fighting Task Force (MFFTF) and the Tri-state Search and Rescue Team (TriSAR), promotes partnerships between local responders and the maritime community for regional maritime emergency preparedness and education within Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. For further information about TMSA please see; http://www.marinefirefighting.org/ Look for the Audubon Amateur Radio Club, Station K2AUD, on July 4th as they operate a special event station in Audubon NJ at the fire station on Merchant Street during the Fourth of July festivities. Audubon NJ, listed as America’s Most Patriotic Small Town, is home to three Congressional Medal of Honor winners, the most per capita for a municipality of its size in the United States. Anyone interested in joining the Audubon-Barrington OEM Radio Club may contact Jim Tieman WA2WUN at wa2wun@aol.com . For further information please contact: Rick Tighe N2PHI, n2phi@comcast.net PIO Camden County NJ ARES </o
Very cool! That bus looks super-sturdy, and the inside pictures posted before show a very comfortable working environment for the crew.
It was really nice operating from it field day. It poured here for a good 12 hours or so. It worked out really well. Looking forward to many more opportunities seeing it in action and operating from it.
