S.A.R.A. Minutes of Meeting of
November 1, 2006
Location: Saratoga Fire Department
The minutes were respectfully submitted by Christina Sand, Secretary.

 
In attendance were:
  • Greg Reynolds, KG6HDI
  • Christina Sand, KG6ORH
  • Rob Vance, N6ROB
  • Joe Talaich, N6IWJ
  • Jim Yoke, Emergency Services Coordinator, Santa Clara County Fire Department

The meeting having been duly noticed, it began at approximately 7:40 pm and was called to order by Rob Vance. There were introductions around the table, those present introduced themselves.

Old Business:

 EOC Net. Don Steinbach and Don Anastasia attended the EOC Net this morning.
  Radio Station. Rob gave a presentation on the design of the new radio station and took comments from the attendees.
  Halloween Caper. The Halloween Caper was discussed. The event went very well and there was more participation this year than last.

 

  

New Business:

 Treasurer's Report. The Treasurer gave his report on the bank account balance.
  Minutes. The October minutes have been posted on the web site.
  Web Site/Yahoo! Group. The web site has been updated to include a Yahoo! Groups component, allowing members to join the email distribution list via the web site. The Yahoo! Group has been ressurrected with all current members being added, as well as posting of Bylaws and other ham radio documents.
  CERT Meeting. Jim Yoke spoke about the Saratoga Community Emergency Response Team training, which will be occuring beginning in January. It will be offered through the Recreation Department catalog. There will be a planning committee meeting on November 7, 2006 at 6:00 p.m in the City Manager's Conference Room at City Hall.
  Emergency Communications Committee Report.
  • There will be a statewide disaster drill, the 2006 Golden Guardian Exercise on November 15, 2006.
  • Jim Yoke informed the members that the City is working on a mass prophylaxis program, which would potentially involve ham radio.
  • Anyone still needing DSW badges should contact Rob Vance.
  • Don Steinbach and Rob Vance attended an Emergency Committee meeting with Tom Campbell of Los Gatos, and Jim Yoke, Emergency Services Coordinator.
  • The American Red Cross' background check policy was discussed. The ARRL has commented on privacy concerns and the safety of information gathered during the background check. The American Red Cross has since clarified it's policy, and the ARRL has responded.
  • NOAA is giving away 80,000 radios to schools.
  • A RACES trailer was discussed.
  • There was a Mutual Aid Coordinator training on October 21. This was organized by Larry Carr, and included topics such as what to include in your go kit, how to communicate on a net, basic safety equipment, basic radio equipment, how to use your radio, and working with served agencies. Information can be found at the Santa Clara County ARES RACES website.
  • ICS 100 Training occurred on October 28th. You can attend online ICS training.
   
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00 pm.