Update: Due to space limitations and the large amount of people that have elected to come to this meeting, the location has been changed. Instead of the State EOC, the meeting will be at Atlas Box and Crating Company, Inc., 223 Worcester Providence Turnpike, Sutton, MA 01590. This is still a private, secure facility, so Mike asks that all those that wish to come please email him to register.

Hello all stations:

I last spoke to all of you concerning the status of the RACES program just before Christmas. In this message, I would like to update you on the progress made and to announce the 2/25/12 meeting where the new program will be formally unveiled.

About two weeks ago, the senior leadership of RACES. ARES, and SKYWARN met with MEMA to set the new direction for Amateur Radio (AR) Emergency Communications (EMCOMM) activities. It was our charter to change what services are really needed by our clientele during response and recovery phases of an emergency, and how this will be implemented. I assure you that problems facing state and local RACES programs were explored, while assessing what is best for our AR volunteers.

We will all have new EMCOMM job responsibilities to meet a primary response mission of disaster reporting, while maintaining our usual support of recovery operations with non-governmental organizations. There are many details (and your questions) that are best held for the meeting.

Please accept my invitation to attend a detailed briefing and Q and A session at the MEMA Headquarters Building (SEOC), 400 Worcester Road, Framingham, MA, at 1000 on Saturday February 25th, 2012. MEMA staff and leadership will also be in attendance. I will try to get you out by 1200.

I sincerely hope you will join us, but due to the secure status of the building you must pre-register by simply sending me an RSVP to this message when you can commit to attending. To reduce Yahoo! Mail load to our members, please use this address to respond to me directly.

I desire the widest possible dissemination of this message on announce and club lists, since not all interested parties subscribe to the Yahoo! Groups.
Thank you and I look forward to seeing you there!
NEW: Follow me on Twitter @WC1MA, and Facebook handle WC1MA

Regards and 73,
Michael P. Neilsen, W1MPN
State RACES Officer (Acting);
Member of the MEMT;
Member of the MA State Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC), and Policies and Programs subcommittee;
Chairperson, Amateur Radio Working Group
New Office Answering Service: 978.293.7858