County of Orange RACES

County of Orange RACES activated on Saturday, November 15, 2008, in response to the Freeway Complex Fire, and provided EOC communicators and assistance to the Orange County Fire Authority at the Incident Command Post or with Red Flag patrols. City RACES units activated in support of their own communities or responded to mutual-aid requests from OCRACES and nearby cities. OCRACES was deactivated at 12 noon on Monday, November 17th..

OCRACES Holiday Dinner: December 1st

The annual OCRACES holiday dinner is on Monday, December 1, 2008, at 6:30 PM, at Marie Callender's, 307 E. Katella Avenue, Orange.

OCRACES Participates in Field Day

Sgt. Ernest Fierheller, KG6LXT, operates 40 meters in the OCRACES emergency communications response vehicle at the Field Day site at Craig Regional Park

OCRACES members participated in the annual Field Day exercise on June 28-29, 2008, at Craig Regional Park in Fullerton. Participating in the exercise were Lt. Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP (OCRACES Field Day Chairman), Capt. Ken Bourne, W6HK, Lt. Harvey Packard, KM6BV, Lt. Joe Selikov, KB6EID, Sgt. Jack Barth, AB6VC, Sgt. Ernest Fierheller, KG6LXT, Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC, Martin La Rocque, N6NTH, John Roberts, W6JOR, Applicants Don Cooke, AF6CV, and LeRoy Lundberg, KI6PFN, OCSD Emergency Communications Manager Martin Miller, KF6ZLQ, and OCSD/Communications Assistant Director - Engineering Section Ray Grimes, N8RG.

OCRACES Exhibits at Red Cross Boot Camp

Radio Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF (gray shirt) describes capabilities of OCRACES emergency communications response vehicle and the configuration of his Winlink demonstration at the Red Cross Communications Boot Camp

County of Orange RACES exhibited its emergency communications response vehicle at the American Red Cross/Orange County Chapter Communications Boot Camp in Santa Ana on Saturday, May 31, 2008. Tours were given of our van, and a Winlink demonstration was set up outside the van by Radio Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF. Also attending from OCRACES were Chief Radio Officer Ken Bourne, W6HK, Randy Benicky, N6PRL, Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC (who drove the van from OCSD/Eckhoff to Red Cross/Santa Ana), Harvey Packard, KM6BV, and John Roberts, W6JOR.

OCRACES Supports Baker to Vegas 2008

OCRACES Radio Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF, checks follow-vehicle positions via APRS at Pahrump Command Post

OCRACES supported seven teams with APRS during the Baker to Las Vegas Challenge Cup Relay on April 19-20, 2008, including the three Orange County Sheriff's teams, two Orange County DA teams, the California Department of Insurance Fraud Investigation Unit, and the Arizona AG team. Radio Officer Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP, led our participation. Assisting Ralph with pre-race installations were Steve Sobodos, KN6UX, Randy Benicky, N6PRL, and Radio Officer Scott Byington, KC6MMF. Lt. Byington was the Pahrump Command Post captain, and was assisted by Jack Barth, AB6VC. San Bernardino County ECS provided access to two repeaters for covering the route.

OCRACES/Tri-Cities RACES Assist Vision Quest

OCRACES participated in an ACS activation with Tri-Cities RACES and SOARA (South Orange Amateur Radio) members in the Vision Quest Mountain Bike Pow Wow 2008 on March 1, 2008, which began at the Black Star Canyon gate at 0530. The OCRACES emergency communications response vehicle served as a command post at O'Neill Park.

OCRACES Radio Officers Scott Byington, KC6MMF (left), and Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP (left photo) check programming of APRS tracking boxes for Vision Quest, while San Juan Capistrano RACES Radio Officer Joe Lopez, W6BGR (who was also the race communications director), operates net control from the OCRACES van (right photo)

RACES and HDSCS Help in Primary Election

Members of OCRACES, various city RACES units, and Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS) provided communications from Collection Centers to the Vote Tally Center for secure ballot transportation after the Presidential Primary Election polls closed on Tuesday, February 5, 2008. OCRACES members working at the Vote Tally Center in Santa Ana included Lt. Harvey Packard, KM6BV, and Tom Tracey, KC6FIC, at net control, as well as Lt. Scott Byington, KC6MMF, Lt. Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP, Lt. Joe Selikov, KB6EID, Sgt. Jack Barth, AB6VC, Bill Borg, KG6PEX, and Chuck Dolan, KG6UJC. OCRACES members at Collection Centers included Capt. Ken Bourne, W6HK, Nancee Graff, N6ZRB, and Walter Kroy, KC6HAM. Also at Collection Centers were Anaheim RACES members Tom Baldwin, KA6ZPY, Debbie Heilman, K8CZB, Austin Miller, KF6RVK, Ken Pruzinsky, K8CZB, and Bob Templeton, KI6CWA; Buena Park Radio Officer Jim Reynolds, N6MIP; Costa Mesa RACES (MESAC) member Mike Oviatt, KE6IWM; Placentia RACES member Gary Hendrix, KG6CBC; Fountain Valley RACES; Fullerton RACES Radio Officer Gene Thorpe, KB6CMO; Huntington Beach RACES Events Officer Steve Albert, KE6OCE, Irvine RACES (IDEC); Laguna Beach Emergency Communications Team (LBECT) Radio Officer John Kountz, KE6GFF, Assistant Radio Officer Lynn Taylor, WB6UUT, and Mike Donoff, KG6GRC; Laguna Niguel ACS member Frank Columbus, WA2KWR; Los Alamitos RACES Assistant Radio Officer Tom Rothwell, K6ZT; Orange RACES (COAR) members Leon Boone, KK6AB, Steve Carmichael, KI6DDE, Mike Friese, KF6WRM, and Chief Radio Officer Rich Helmick, KE6WWK; Placentia RACES President John McCauley, KD6PGC; San Juan Capistrano RACES Radio Officer Joe Lopez, W6BGR; and Westminster RACES member Dick Ingwerson, N6PFY; and HDSCS members Paul Broden, K6MHD, Al Way, KC6LNP, and Larry Zysman, N6BNM.

RACES Wants You!

Experience the most exciting and rewarding part of amateur radio. Being a RACES member gives you the opportunity to sharpen your operating skills and technical knowledge while volunteering your services in public-safety communications. Get involved in emergency communications now. Click the Contact OCRACES link for more information.

Events Calendar

Nov. 22: 9:00 AM
Southwest ACS Meeting
Coco's Restaurant, 7311 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach

Nov. 24: 7:00 PM
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Ralph Sbragia, W6CSP
Pager: Joe Selikov, KB6EID

Nov. 24: 8:00 PM
Southwest ACS Frequency Test

Dec. 1: 6:30 PM
OCRACES Holiday Dinner

Dec. 1: 7:00 PM
OCRACES ACS Net
2 m: Steve Sobodos, KN6UX
Pager: Jack Barth, AB6VC

Dec. 8: 7:00 PM
2 m: Tom Stroud, N6FDZ
Pager: Ken Bourne, W6HK

Dec. 15: 7:00 PM
2 m: Tom Tracey, KC6FIC
Pager: Scott Byington, KC6MMF

Dec. 22: 7:00 PM
2 m: Jack Barth, AB6VC
Pager: Jim Carter, WB6HAG

Dec. 29: 7:00 PM
2 m: Randy Benicky, N6PRL
Pager: Ernest Fierheller, KG6LXT

Mar. 14-15
Baker to Las Vegas Challenge Cup Relay

Jun. 27-28
Field Day

© Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. No HTML nor original artwork may be reproduced or used without written express permission .
Webmaster: Ken Bourne, W6HK, Chief Radio Officer, County of Orange (California) RACES
Last Update: November 17, 2008