David Kleber (Amateur Radio Call Sign, KB3FXI) is the owner and founder of PA-SitRep and resides in Pittsburgh, PA.
-What was the motive for creating PA-SitRep?
PA-SitRep is 100% non-commercial and we currently do not allow any commercial advertising on the website or e-mail lists.
-How many people are involved?
-How does Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) relate to PA-SitRep?
In the event of a major emergency situation that disrupts telecommunications in an affected area, PA-SitRep Administrators and many of our PA-SitRep Contacts have the ability to communicate, VIA HF (medium to long range High Frequency radio communications) and VIA Echolink (Internet linked Amateur Radio VHF/UHF Radio Repeaters) to other Amateur Radio operators to obtain emergency situation reports from their affected area.
-How does the Scanning Hobby (public saftey frequency monitoring) relate to PA-SitRep?
Scanner enthusiasts are capable of monitoring many different frequencies involved in Emergency Management and are one of our greatest sources of Situation Reports for PA-SitRep.
If you are a scanner enthusiast, please consider pitching in as a PA-SitRep Alert list poster or a PA-SitRep Contact. Submit your request to:
-What modes of emergency communications are supported and or encouraged by PA-SitRep?
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The PA-SitRep message delivery system enables all users of digital cell phones and other wireless devices to receive critical emergency alerts even when they are away from major media broadcasting such as TV and Radio.
Text messages from our Alert Lists are delivered to the subscribers cell phones, usually within a few minutes of an alert being issued.
-Who may participate?
-What kind of emergency alerts would I expect to receive?
-How many messages would I expect to receive from the Main Alert list?
-What kind of equipment do I need to participate?
List subscribers, other than those who receive the alerts to their computer e-mail, may receive the text message alerts to any wireless device capable of receiving SMS messages (Short Message Service - text messaging). All digital cell phones currently have the capability of receiving the PA-SitRep emergency alerts.
For more information on SMS text messaging, please visit the following PA-SitRep web page: http://www.pa-sitrep.com/cell.htm
PA-SitRep will be glad to help you get up and running with SMS which is a relatively reliable, affordable and efficient means of emergency communications.
-From where do the PA-SitRep Emergency Alerts originate?
All alerts sent to the list are verified and confirmed to the best of the ability of the PA-SitRep Administrators. Unconfirmed emergency situation reports are strictly forbidden on the Main Emergency Alert PA-SitRep system.
-How are the PA-SitRep Emergency Alert messages delivered?
-Are messages to the list subscribers moderated?
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-What types of alerts are to be posted to the Alert Posting list?
-Who can post to this list?
Messages posted to the Alert Posting list from non-subscriber e-mail addresses are automatically rejected.
-What if I want to volunteer as a Poster to this list but I submit a situation report from a device or different e-mail address from the one I subscribe to the list with?
-How many messages would I expect to receive from the Alert Posting list?
You should expect to receive no more than one or two messages per month on the Alert Posting list unless MAJOR emergency situations arise.
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-What types of messages are permitted on the Discussion list?
-Who may post to the PA-SitRep Discussion list?
-How many messages would I expect to receive from the Discussion list?
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Most of our PA-SitRep Administrators are Federally Licensed Amatuer Radio (Ham Radio) Operators capable of statewide radio communications independent of our telecommunications utilities.
-How are the PA-SitRep Administrators selected?
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-How are the PA-SitRep Moderators selected?
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-Who are elligable to become a PA-SitRep Contacts?
-Are there any requirements for becoming a PA-SitRep Contact?
PA-SitRep Contacts are encouraged to:
-Who has access to the PA-SitRep Contact information?
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The motivation for creating PA-SitRep was to provide a comprehensive Emergency Communication website for Pennsylvanians; to encourage people to become prepared with regards to emergency communications; to provide an emergency alert system for rapid notification (primarily via e-mail and SMS) of major emergency situations that would be of concern to Pennsylvanians; and to try to bring as many people as possible into the world of Amateur Radio.
There are currently over 700 PA-SitRep Emergency Alert e-mail list subscribers and many other people who volunteer as PA-SitRep Administrators and Contacts.
Amateur Radio plays a key role in emergency communications for our nation and in the state of Pennsylvania. Many Amateur Radio operators participate as volunteers with PA-SitRep.
Just as Amateur Radio Operators play a key role in PA-SitRep, so do those involved in the hobby of Scanning.
PA-SitRep promotes ALL modes of communcations that can be used to reliably communicate critical Emergency Communications. Amateur Radio, SMS (cell phone and pager text messaging) and Internet Instant messaging are the most utilized modes of communications by PA-SitRep.PA-SitRep Main Emergency Alert E-Mail List:
-What is the purpose of the PA-SitRep Emergency Alert e-mail list?
The PA-SitRep Main Emergency Alert list is devoted to keeping all list members informed on MAJOR Emergency Situations throughout the State of Pennsylvania and caters to the users of SMS (text message) capable cell phones, alphanumeric pagers and PDA's which comprise about 20% of the over 700 list subscribers.
Although there are many subscribers who are involved in emergency management, anyone is welcome to subscribe to the PA-SitRep Main Emergency Alert list.
Only MAJOR emergency alerts are permitted on the PA-SitRep Main Emergency Alert List. The PA-SitRep Main Emergency Alert list is NOT a high volume minor incident reporting list.
List volume is extremely low and aside from a monthly test message, there are very few posts.
All you need is a working e-mail address.
All the emergency alerts posted to the list are sent by PA-SitRep Administrators and originate from the Administrators and PA-SitRep Contacts.
All PA-SitRep Main Emergency Alert list messages are delivered in plain text format to the e-mail list by our PA-SitRep Administrators. Many list subscribers receive the messages from the e-mail list in the form of a short text message to their cell phones, alphanumeric pagers or PDA's.
Yes. Only PA-SitRep Administrators have the ability to send messages out over the PA-SitRep Main Emergency Alert list.
PA-SitRep Alert Posting E-Mail List:
-What is the purpose of having a second Alert List?
The PA-SitRep Alert Posting E-Mail list is the gathering point for emergency situation reports for the main PA-SitRep Emergency Alert list. This second list is subscribed to by the individuals who volunteer to submit major emergency situation reports from their areas.
Only Major Emergency Situation Reports are posted to the Alert Posting list. We also accept Situation Report Confirmation requests. If an Alert Posting list volunteer has an unconfirmed report, they may post the report to the list (with the strict requirement that they properly identify the report as unconfirmed at the beginning of the message text) so that other Alert Posting subscribers, administrators and list moderators may attempt to confirm the information.
This is a highly moderated list but all list subscribers may post to the PA-SitRep Alert Posting list. All posts are held for moderator approval with the exception of PA-SitRep approved Contacts, list Moderators and PA-SitRep Administrators who have unrestricted posting privileges.
When you volunteer as an Alert list poster, PA-SitRep will ask that you provide a list of alternative e-mail addresses from which you may find yourself posting. These addresses are added to a list filter that will allow the messages to pass to the list without those address having to be subscribed to the list.
Message volume may be slightly higher than the Main PA-SitRep Emergency Alert list but the PA-SitRep Alert Posting list is still considered to be an extremely low volume e-mail list as posts are strictly limited to MAJOR emergency situation reports or MAJOR emergency situation confirmation requests.PA-SitRep Discussion E-Mail List:
-What is the purpose of the PA-SitRep Disucssion List?
The PA-SitRep Discussion list was created as a place where we can post messages and engage in discussion relating to Emergency Communications and the operation of PA-SitRep.
Only messages relating to Emergency Communications are permitted on the PA-SitRep Discussion list. We especially appreciate those posts that directly relate to emergency communications in Pennsylvania.
The PA-SitRep Discussion list is unmoderated but the posting guideline are strictly enforced. Subscribers posting inflammatory remarks or unrelated subject matter are dealt with accordingly.
Message volume on the PA-SitRep Discussion list is low to moderate. Subscribers may generally expect to receive anywhere from 5 to 15 messages per week.PA-SitRep Administrators:
-What is a PA-SitRep Administrator?
PA-SitRep Administrators have full access to the PA-SitRep systems. Administrators have the ability to moderate the PA-SitRep e-mail lists, make changes to the list configurations and in the event of a security failure they may suspend the operations of the PA-SitRep mail lists.
PA-SitRep Administrators are individuals chosen by the PA-SitRep Owner.
PA-SitRep List Moderators:
-What is a PA-SitRep List Moderator?
PA-SitRep List Moderators have the ability to approve or reject subscription requests and posts held for approval. They also have the ablity to remove subscribers who don't comply with the PA-SitRep posting guidelines.
PA-SitRep List Moderators either volunteer or have agreed to help moderate the lists at the request of the PA-SitRep owner/founder.
PA-SitRep Contacts:
-What is a PA-SitRep Contact?
PA-SitRep Contacts are individuals who have volunteered to submit MAJOR Emergency Situation Reports and who have also made their Contact information available to PA-SitRep so that they may be contacted in the event that a major situation should occur in their area.
Anyone willing to follow the basic PA-SitRep Contact guidelines and make their Contact Info available to PA-SitRep may volunteer as a PA-SitRep Contact.
PA-SitRep Contacts must submit their real name, e-mail address and home phone number and be available for Contact in the event that PA-SitRep needs a situation report from their area.
Due to internet spamming, the PA-SitRep Contact list has been taken off the website. PA-SitRep Contact information is now only provided to PA-SitRep Contacts, Moderators and Administrators.
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