Marathon Monitoring

[JFR2]

FYI- I received an online survey to take yesterday. Please add notes about things mentioned above so we can make improvements for next year. Contact your segment coordinator if you haven't receive the survey yet.

-JR
W1JFR
BAA Communications TIS Committee

 

[cockpitbob]

I just did the online survey. I was professional and polite, but they had better use an asbestos monitor when they read what I had to say about transportation and how we never got feedback on expected arrival times of medical sweep busses.

 

[JFR2]

I just did the online survey. I was professional and polite, but they had better use an asbestos monitor when they read what I had to say about transportation and how we never got feedback on expected arrival times of medical sweep busses.

In a separate email to the Segment Coordinator, I mentioned lack of feedback/status updates to field operators. I feel we should own the issue until resolution. However, in often cases with transportation, we are simply intermediaries to the BAA controlled buses and can only effect so much change or improved efficiencies.

Thank you for providing feedback!

-JR

 

[ghettomedic]

Did my survey. I also included a request to relay to med tent that we were about to arrive. Best would be an approach report on another channel such as simplex but that would require med tent to have dual watch capability.

 

[cockpitbob]

Would be really cool if the hams on busses all had APRS. Of the 300ish hams working the event, I bet there were enough that own APRS capable rigs to put one on almost every bus. More logistics to deal with but the location information would be valuable.

I would have loved to have been able to see the busses on my phone and know none were headed our way.

 

[JFR2]

Would be really cool if the hams on busses all had APRS. Of the 300ish hams working the event, I bet there were enough that own APRS capable rigs to put one on almost every bus. More logistics to deal with but the location information would be valuable.

This has been extensively discuss and may be implemented next year. However, instead we deferred to the buses own GPS. We could see every bus and where it was up on a 42" display. I wish I had a picture to show you. Pretty slick.

-JR

 

[cockpitbob]

JFR2, it's great hearing from someone with an insider's view into what's going on!

 

[ghettomedic]

Next year I want to stop by the NCOC during setup to check it out. I have been to the location and it is cool but would love to see it set up.

 

[JFR2]

JFR2, it's great hearing from someone with an insider's view into what's going on!

I promise to take more pics next year!!

This was my position monitoring (not NCO) the amateur DMR channel, which was used for the 1st time this year as K1. It worked fantastic.

-JR

 

[springer]

PLease make sure you detail what was said here in the surveys. Gettomedic is right.... Transport net just passes info up (or down) if it's comes back. The requests are indeed handled by the amatuer net and then passed to the BAA, who coordinates the busses. And yes, there were mechanical issues with the busses. I've also written down some notes from comments above.

FYI- after the bombing, the State wanted to do away with all amatuer radio operators for this event. The BAA stood firm and said, "No way! This is OUR race, and the volunteers stay!" So, please support the BAA by being a volunteer!

-JR

Boston Marathon Communications Committee
Technical Infrastructure Subcommittee

- - - Updated - - -



We were trying to figure that out at COURSE NCOC as well!!! Haha!!

-JR

Out of curiosity, what system did the state want to replace the hams with?

That's awesome. I'd love to do this next year, but since I can't drive, I'd be limited in where I could work. I'd have to find another ham who lives up near me and bum a ride. Even then, I'd have really no way to get where I needed to on the course unless I was at the start or finish.

Yeah, I heard the issues with the repeaters too. I've seen issues with the MMRA boxes a lot recently. Not sure if Mendon and Brookline are the healthiest of boxes. Waltham was solid though for the transit net. Since I wasn't watching the radio, were you on Framiningham or one of the other boxes?

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

 

[JFR2]

Out of curiosity, what system did the state want to replace the hams with?

I'm not totally sure because that was before I was involved with the Marathon. I suspect it would be BAA volunteers on a commercial trunking or DMR system, similar to what the BAA uses on a small scale today.

-JR

 

[ghettomedic]

I'm not totally sure because that was before I was involved with the Marathon. I suspect it would be BAA volunteers on a commercial trunking or DMR system, similar to what the BAA uses on a small scale today.

-JR

I also don't know all the details but I have heard that they wanted all transmissions to use a digital encrypted type which is one of the reasons the ambulance requests are now using the commercial radios and amateur radio is used mostly for logistics only.

 

[JFR2]

I also don't know all the details but I have heard that they wanted all transmissions to use a digital encrypted type which is one of the reasons the ambulance requests are now using the commercial radios and amateur radio is used mostly for logistics only.

Yes, there are HIPAA regulations at play here.

-JR

 

[cockpitbob]

Yes, there are HIPAA regulations at play here.

-JR

More well intended .gov regulations having ramifications and costs reaching far beyond what was ever imagined {as usual}.

 

[JFR2]

More well intended .gov regulations having ramifications and costs reaching far beyond what was ever imagined {as usual}.

Yup. :-(

-JR

 

[Garys]

HIPAA does not apply to emergency medical communications. There is a specific exemption in the regulations about that.

Yes, there are HIPAA regulations at play here.

-JR

 

[ghettomedic]

HIPAA does not apply to emergency medical communications. There is a specific exemption in the regulations about that.

While this is correct, it is staggering how many agencies / people misinterpret HIPAA rules and go overboard.

 

[Garys]

That's because they listen to "risk managers" and lawyers who don't understand the law and regulations.

I'm in Louisville for the NRA show and Louisville EMS encrypts all of their channels. The police have a couple of sensitive channels that are encrypted, and so does the FD. Most of the traffic is P25, but not encrypted.

Philadelphia FD encrypts almost all of the channels, but the Philadephia PD has only a couple the last time I checked.

It's really silly since any sensitive can be sent over the MDT or via text or cell phone.

While this is correct, it is staggering how many agencies / people misinterpret HIPAA rules and go overboard.

 

[peterthefish]

That's because they listen to "risk managers" and lawyers who understand that even full compliance with the law and regulations is no shield from litigation or liability, and no one wants to explain to a treasurer or CFO why they have a sudden and unanticipated need for half a million dollars.

FIFY

 

[Garys]

Just proving that you don't know what you're talking about.

No one has ever been sued under HIPAA, because there is no provision in the law for that. HIPAA fines are civil, and imposed by the government. Which happens very rarely.

If it were an issue, then everyone would encrypt their radio communications. But it isn't because of 45 C.F.R. § 164.501. If that didn't apply, you wouldn't be able to tune your scanner to any number of private ambulance frequencies and her them dispatch an ambulance to pick up Mrs. McGillicuddy at Golden Age Living Center and bring her to dialysis.

Of course, I'm handicapped by being in the industry my entire adult life and understanding the law.

FIFY

 

[peterthefish]

Just proving that you don't know what you're talking about.

No one has ever been sued under HIPAA, because there is no provision in the law for that. HIPAA fines are civil, and imposed by the government. Which happens very rarely.

Of course, I'm handicapped by being in the industry my entire adult life and understanding the law.

HIPAA is not the only avenue for liability or reputational risk. Not sure what industry you're in - I work with risk managers and corporate legal departments all over the US. Most of the risk managers I work with don't put time and effort into managing imaginary risks.

 

[Garys]

My industry was EMS, so I know the rules pretty well. Contrary to your statement, I and most people I know in medicine, believe the exact opposite about risk managers. That includes a friend who was a paramedic and an attorney for over 40 years. He laughs at most risk managers.

Again, the proof is that no one has ever been sued for emergency communications via radio.

HIPAA is not the only avenue for liability or reputational risk. Not sure what industry you're in - I work with risk managers and corporate legal departments all over the US. Most of the risk managers I work with don't put time and effort into managing imaginary risks.

 

[peterthefish]

My industry was EMS, so I know the rules pretty well. Contrary to your statement, I and most people I know in medicine, believe the exact opposite about risk managers. That includes a friend who was a paramedic and an attorney for over 40 years. He laughs at most risk managers.

Again, the proof is that no one has ever been sued for emergency communications via radio.

Just goes to prove that most folks have a hard time understanding just what's involved in roles outside their sphere of expertise.

A doctor may be involved in a handful of malpractice claims over their career and think that concerns are overblown. A risk manager in the health care industry will probably have had a stake in hundreds of malpractice claims, and understands that bad outcomes don't necessarily equal bad medicine, but not all juries understand the difference.