Wellington VHF Group, Inc: Online.

The AREC Management Team arrived on site at the Branch 46 Clubrooms shared with SAR in sunny Masterton this morning to find a real SAR operation underway! National Director Jeff Sayer ZL4JS welcomed visitors while managing search comms on a VHF handheld.

John ZL4JY Area Manager Central was on hand to represent our interests with area managers from Northern, Southern, and Midlands (ZK1, ZK8, ZK9, and ZK4 call areas).

Wellington Wander Search is a group that is being set up to support Police searching for people living with Alzheimers. The group is similar to others operating around NZ and will use the WandaTrak system that has been adopted by organisations such as LandSAR.

Members of the VHF Group have initiated this in Wellington, based on our interest in the technology, Radio Direction Finding (RDF or "fox hunting") and our association through AREC with search and rescue organisations. One area we are keen to explore is improvements to the system or effective alternatives.

Bike the Trail, a popular recreational event, provides either a 25km cycle ride from Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt, or a 12km ride from Stokes Valley, down the Hutt River Trail to Hikoikoi Reserve in Petone. The ride is held annually and is designed as a non-competitive family cycling event promoting cycling as a fun, healthy, safe means of transport and recreation. Wellington VHF Group were contracted to ensure public safety during this event.

Members of Wellington VHF Group participated in a major Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX), 21-22 April 2012, held at Belmont Regional Park.
Members of our AREC section are actively involved in the Wellington Land Search and Rescue organisation - the first call group of volunteers who assist Police with SAR duties in the greater Wellington area.

Below are some photos, courtesy of Brian M Harmer of Wellington Land SAR, used with permission.

Great to see our southern brethren in the press - an excellent example of how Amateur Radio can contribute in a useful way, and be fun too.

http://www.itwire.com/it-policy-news/regulation/51390-senate-enquiry-calls-for-dedicated-emergency-comms-spectrum

The mobile telephony industry has failed to convince a parliamentary enquiry into the communications needs of emergency service organisations that these needs are best met through services provided by the mobile communications industry rather than by dedicating spectrum for emergency communications services.

Click above for more.

A Land SAR operation was successful on Sunday 17th April, with a search of the Wainuiomata Water Treatment Plant area finding the missing person within minutes of departure from the base.

LandSAR was called out to meet at the treatment plant at 11am. AREC responded with a preliminary communications plan based on portable SAR repeaters, HF and backup from DoC repeaters and AREC/LandSAR Incident Management Team (IMT) team members.

A SAROP for a missing gentleman is happening in the Waikanae area, manned by volunteers from Wellington Land SAR and assisted by Levin teams.

The operation is being run from Wellington and using the DoC and CD repeaters in the Kapiti area, as well as HF.

Involved are John ZL2HD Andrew ZL2ADR Rick ZL2TVY with remote assistance from John ZL4JY.

The search has been a mix of tracks, bush and urban searching. The Police are leading the search although many Police are going south to the emergency there.

Wellington VHF Group AREC was called in for Land SAR Operation Coffey in the Akatarawa Forest Park on Monday.

A number of AREC members from the region assisted and the search had a successful outcome at 5:30 pm on Monday evening, with the missing party being found found by a SAR team on foot.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3886708/Lost-biker-used-ferns-for-warmth

An article about a Search and Rescue caught my eye in todays Dominion Post. Of note the direct mention of 'Amateur Radio Emergency Corps' - the former name of the Amateur Radio Emergency Communications organisation, better known as AREC.

Looks like our compatriots in the Central North Island have been busy assisting Police and Land Search and Rescue folks achieve another successful result.