{"id":27,"date":"2008-08-18T02:48:14","date_gmt":"2008-08-18T07:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sanantoniohams.org\/blog\/?p=27"},"modified":"2016-04-10T06:46:14","modified_gmt":"2016-04-10T11:46:14","slug":"27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanantoniohams.org\/blog\/?p=27","title":{"rendered":"MOU Signed between Texas MARS and Texas REACT"},"content":{"rendered":"

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August 18 , 2008 – MOU Signed between Texas MARS and Texas\u00a0REACT<\/em><\/h2>\n

\"Operator\"<\/p>\n

August is hurricane season but apparently it is also the season for cooperation between various radio communications agencies as well.\u00a0\u00a0On August 18, 2008, Charles Land, president of the local San Antonio based Hill Country\u00a0REACT\u00a0<\/em>Team, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the\u00a0South Texas Navy \u2013 Marine Corps MARS (Military Affiliated Radio System).\u00a0 Minutes later,\u00a0Texas State\u00a0REACT<\/em>Council\u00a0Secretary, Lee Besing, signed a similar agreement with the Texas Navy \u2013 Marine Corps MARS. The MARS signature was NOT that of Bob Hejl, W2IK, but rather that of a MARS officer higher up in the chain of command for Texas. See links at bottom of this article for PDF copies scanned with signatures of both agreements.<\/p>\n

{Photo Left \u2013 Right; Charles Land (KC5NKK) signing as president of Hill Country REACT, Bob Hejl, (W2IK, NNN0GBY2) representing MARS, and Lee Besing (N5NTG) signing as the secretary for the Texas State REACT Council.}<\/em>\u00a0This agreement was initiated by local MARS operator Bob Hejl, and supported by the MARS officers above him in their chain of command.\u00a0 Bob contacted\u00a0REACT\u00a0<\/em>to ask if they would be willing to sign such an agreement, and the rest is history.\u00a0Ironically, the signing took place during\u00a0REACT\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0monthly meeting at the Bulverde Volunteer Fire Department, where the sign on the wall behind them said \u201cDon\u2019t train till you get it right, train until you don\u2019t get it wrong.\u201dBy signing this agreement, it opens the doors to joint operations<\/strong>, and sharing of equipment such as the radio equipped communications trailer operated by the\u00a0REACT<\/em>\u00a0Team, or the many other resources provided by MARS.\u00a0 The wording of both agreements were similar, and basically provide a mechanism by which the two emergency radio organizations will utilize so that they can better communicate with each other prior, during, and after, emergency operations.\u00a0\u00a0To characterize one member\u2019s summary, he said \u201cwe\u2019ve agreed to play nice with each other and talk to each other.\u201d\u00a0The agreement does not commit either organization to specific actions, but does create a framework to encourage communications between the local\u00a0REACT\u00a0<\/em>Teams and local MARS units.\u00a0Texas State\u00a0REACT\u00a0<\/em>Council secretary Lee Besing was quoted as saying \u201cWe plan to use this MOU as a basis for approaching other Ham Radio emergency agencies in Texas to establish similar agreements with them and will be asking REACT International\u2019s board of directors to open similar talks with MARS as well on a national basis.\u201dBoth groups are comprised of volunteer radio operators<\/strong>, normally licensed Amateur Radio operators (also referred to Ham Radio operators or Hams), who have agreed to use their two-way radio skills to help their communities in time of need, or in the case of\u00a0REACT<\/em>; also for public service events. \u00a0There are nearly two dozen organizations in the San Antonio and Central Texas area who utilize Ham Radio in their missions.The\u00a0Military Affiliate Radio System\u00a0(MARS) is a Department of Defense sponsored program,<\/strong>\u00a0established as separately managed and operated programs by the Army, Navy-Marine Corps and Air Force. MARS members are volunteer licensed amateur radio operators who are interested in providing auxiliary or emergency communications to local, national and international emergency and safety organizations, as an adjunct to normal communications.\u00a0Last month in late July, a Navy \u2013 Marine Corps MARS unit in the south Texas Rio Grande Valley was very instrumental during Hurricane Dolly when 6 out of 10 key Ham Radio voice type repeater towers in that area were knocked off the air by the storm and loss of power.\u00a0 The MARS unit (Ray – NNN0VHO) stationed down at Harlingen was able to maintain radio communications through out Hurricane Dolly and send messages via HF digital modes on Ham Radio up Bob Hejl\u2019s station, and then Bob relayed them to Amateur Radio Operators located in the San Antonio Emergency Operation Center (manned by another ham organization called\u00a0ARES) and to the Texas State EOC up in Austin, Texas.\u00a0 Information in the reports included such facts as updated info about local area flooding of major streets and highways, damage to structures and infrastructures, availability of emergency vehicles to respond to calls during the storm, and weather reports as the hurricane passed through his area.REACT\u00a0<\/em>Teams are independently organized groups of radio operators<\/strong>\u00a0using multiple modes of communications, including Amateur Radio, FRS & GMRS radio, and in some areas of the country, CB radio.\u00a0REACT\u00a0<\/em>Teams are known for working public service events and playing a supporting role to other agencies and organizations, such as the\u00a0Bexar County ARES\u00a0who provides the primary manpower for the local American Red Cross and the San Antonio EOC.\u00a0\u00a0REACT\u00a0<\/em>Teams are only chartered thru\u00a0REACT\u00a0<\/a><\/em>International, Inc.<\/a>, which provides for their 501(c)3 non-profit status and liability insurance coverage.\u00a0REACT\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0stated mission as listed on their website is as follows:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWe will provide public service communications to individuals, organizations, and government agencies to save lives, prevent injuries, and give assistance wherever and whenever needed.\u00a0\u00a0 We will strive to establish a monitoring network of trained volunteer citizen-based communicators using any and all available means to deliver the message.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n