-- > Former Army MARS member and PA State Director, Training Officer and Emergency Operations Officer.
-- > ARRL EPA Section Emergency Coordinator and EPA District 4 DEC.
-- > HF Shares member, Dept. of Homeland Security
-- > Member Berwick, PA town Council and planning commission.
PROFILE
Extra class ham radio license, N3OMA. Member ARRL since first licensing.
35 years of experience in emergency services and emergency management and over 10 years in amateur radio and Army MARS with current First Aid and CPR and numerous FEMA certifications, as well as police department, fire police and fire/rescue city, county and state certifications. Experienced in traffic control, crowd control, fire suppression and emergency communications. Management and senior operations experience in emergency services and civilian employment. Assisted with emergency planning for Hatfield Borough and for emergency response for the Excelon Limerick nuclear facility in Montgomery County. Currently serving with the Berwick Chapter of the American Red Cross, and assisted with shelter management during the recent flooding.
ACHIEVEMENTS
In my varied positions with the fire service I was instrumental in setting up and maintaining operational readiness, training, planning. As President and Trustee of the Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company I brought the then floundering organization from the brink of extinction to being one of the best funded and largest fire departments in the region. I took over as President after the entire elected staff quit in the middle of a meeting due to dissension and financial issues.
I assisted with emergency operations plan for Hatfield Borough and worked with borough officials and township management to develop a communications interoperability plan.
Planned and executed numerous interoperability exercises, including a county wide operation in Montgomery County involving EMA, fire service and volunteer organizations. Support for this exercise included the National Guard, FEMA and PEMA as well as the Red Cross and communications volunteers.
Assisted National Guard and Army Reserve troop training in radio operations and communications in preparation for overseas deployment.
Education
1974 graduate Plymouth Whitemarsh Sr. High School, Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA
BSEE Drexel University. Attended Spring Garden College and Temple University
Technical training in electronic servicing, computer systems, web design
Numerous PEMA/FEMA certifications, including ICS/NIMS as well as local certifications and training.
County and state fire, rescue and fire police certifications
Berwick Auxiliary Police training
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Infragard member. Past member Lansdale Jaycees. Former member of the 13th Congressional District Computer Advisory Committee. Significant involvement in community outreach including tax preparation for the Berwick United Way. Participate in many civic organizations in and around my community.
ACTIVITIES/INTERESTS/COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Published non-fiction author and former assistant creative writing instructor. Member HTML Writers Association. Computers, arts, crafts, gardening, amateur photography, amateur radio operator, collecting (coins, stamps, baseball, historical). Life member and contributor, Handyman Club of America. March of Dimes and American Heart Association walk communications volunteer. Volunteer in many community activities including “Run for the Diamonds” in November.
EMERGENCY SERVICE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Past officer of the former Berwick Auxiliary Police. Past State Director, Emergency Operations Officer, Interoperability officer and Training Officer PA Army MARS. Former Vice President, First Lieutenant and Corporal Colmar Fire Company. Former member Hatfield Volunteer Fire Company (fire police officer.) Former President, vice President, Trustee, Secretary of Barren Hill Volunteer Fire Company (and current life member). Former Director of Communications and Battalion Chief of Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue (current member.) Current Assistant Chaplain and Parliamentarian and former Second Assistant Commissioner, Public Relations Officer and Secretary of the Montgomery County Fire Police Association. Former Secretary Colonial Fire Police Task Force. Member National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR). Active member Columbia and Montgomery County RACES/ARES. District 4 Emergency Coordinator ARES. N.O.A.A. Skywarn member State College, PA and Mont Holly, NJ (former Skywarn coordinator Montgomery County). Former EMT.
MARS History - A Service to the Nation
In November, 1925, the Army Amateur Radio System (AARS) was initiated by a few dedicated pioneers in the United States Army Signal Corps led by Capt. Thomas C. Rives. His original intention was to enlist the talents of volunteer Amateur Radio operators as a source to train soldiers in the then new technology of radio as well as pursuing radio research and development to improve radio equipment within the Army. His efforts were very successful.
This organization continued until the United States entry into World War II, at which time radio Amateurs were denied the use of the air. Therefore, the activities of AARS, as it was known, were suspended until 1946 when, once again, AARS was allowed to go back on the air. During the years 1925 through 1942, the AARS functioned more or less as an extra curricular activity of the U. S. Army Signal Corps, its scope being necessarily limited by the meager budget of the pre-World War II depression years. The best available figures indicate that as of the 7th of December, 1941, there were approximately 60,000 FCC licensed Amateurs within the United States and its possessions.
Some 5600 of those Amateurs were members of the AARS. About 20% of the pre-World War II AARS members eventually entered the service of their country either in the Army or in a civilian capacity. The U. S. Army recognized the great importance of reactivating the AARS to train vitally needed communications personnel at a relatively inexpensive direct cost to the U. S. government. Therefore, in 1946, the AARS was reactivated and functioned as such until the creation of the Military Amateur Radio System in 1948, later renamed the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) with Army MARS and the newly formed Air Force MARS reflecting the creation of the Air Force as a separate service. In early 1963, the Navy-Marine Corps MARS was established.
MARS has grown in all of the services throughout the world. They rely on our civilian and military MARS members to be available in case of emergency or disaster to provide communications support. At such times, they need all of the support MARS can provide. Amateur Radio collectively with MARS has made its mark in American history. Each year provides new evidence of the important role Amateur Radio with MARS plays in the service of the nation.
