Vigo County ARES Receives award for there work at National Night Out
March 30, 2011
Local ‘Night Out’ 6th-best in its classLisa TriggThe Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE — On a very hot evening in August 2010, Terre Haute Police and others in the emergency and community services fields made valuable friendship-building connections with people in the Wabash Valley through National Night Out.
On Tuesday, THPD Sgt. Jason Brentlinger announced that the local National Night Out event has been ranked sixth best in the nation for communities with populations from 50,000 to 100,000.
“That is our best ranking yet,” Brentlinger said during a meeting to thank some of the 96 sponsors who donated time, supplies and cash to the annual event in Fairbanks Park.
Receiving plaques of appreciation for their efforts were First Financial Bank, Clabber Girl, Vigo County Local Coordinating Council, Indiana-American Water, Vectren, Sam’s Club, Duke Energy, Catholic Charities, Pepsi, Rally’s, Vigo County Amateur Radio Emergency Services, Time-Warner Cable and indiana National Guard.
“Our goal this year is to get to number one,” Brentlinger said of the 2011 National Night Out, which is set for Aug. 2 in Fairbanks Park.
A planning meeting for organizations and vendors wanting to participate this year is set for 10 a.m. April 20 at Torner Center in Deming Park.
“New ideas are welcome,” Brentlinger said. “We don’t want to be complacent. We want help to make it grow.”
THPD Police Chief John Plasse agreed that community involvement is what makes the annual event so successful.
“Without your support, we would not be as successful as we are,” Plasse told sponsors.
Among those receiving a plaque was Bernie Burns of the Local Coordinating Council.
That organization was set up about 20 years ago through the state’s Drug Free Community Fund, and it offers prevention, education and intervention for substance abuse awareness in the community.
The funding for its programs comes from fees ordered by the county court system.
Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or [email protected].
Vigo County ARES called uppon to help with levee sandbagging
With water rising and a possible breach of the levee EMA called on Vigo County ARES to help with sandbagging operations. We got the call for about 15 people to help with sandbagging and we responded to the call.
Our Pager system was activated by EC N9JLR and the call for help went out.
Members of the ham community responded to the call and we had about 8 people on the way in short order with more coming out later.
We arrived at the Prairieton Fire Department and met with EMA director Dorene "Doc" Hojnicki for a briefing.
We had to use four wheel drive's to get to the location where the sandbagging operation was, as it was in the middle of a field. The sandbags had to be hauled down the levee on 4-wheelers about 1/2 mile to the leak.
The weather was not going to be helping as it started to rain about 1/2 hour after we arrived and this could be a real problem for the volunteers.
Working with EMA, EC Doug Mullens N9JLR quickly set up a a formal net to help with coordination of food and supplies that were needed.
We asked our local Skywarn coordinator Keith Reedy KA9DRO to handle the net from home and to be our link for getting information to the work site. Keith set up a person to monitor radar and make sure lighting was not in the area. He also worked on the phone with Red Cross helping get food delivered.
On the food side of things we had Ryves Hall youth Center making meals for the Red Cross and director Jim Edwards KA9DIF was in radio contact with net control and the work site.
In the end what started out to be just helping with sandbags turned into a communication/ logistics operation with EMA hading off some of there needs to ARES to get taken care of.
Not only did we get the job done we brought to the table things that were needed and we found the resources to get them there. It truly is great to work with an agency that knows the value of ham radio and understands that working as partners we can get most anything done that is put before us.
I'm proud of the fact that ARES, Skywarn and hams worked together showing that we are capable of taking a challenge and getting the job done..
PRAIRIETON, Ind. (WTHI) - Flooding problems continue in Prairieton.
The Prairieton levee is experiencing some problems.
Officials say they've already placed 2,000 sandbags along the levee.
They're asking for volunteers to help with making and placing sandbags.
If you'd like to help, you can meet at the Prairieton Fire house.
They'll be working there until dark.
Officials say the problem is controlled and they're working on helping reinforce it.