MDARC's
Disaster Recovery Program
for the
2018 Carr and Camp Fires



The Article II of the Articles of Incorporation for the Mt. Diablo Amateur Radio Club (MDARC) provides several Purposes for the Club as a nonprofit public benefit corporation. Among them are the following:

“Public Welfare
•    To install, maintain and improve radio repeater systems and installations with open public access for all licensed Amateur Radio operators.
•    To organize and facilitate Amateur Radio networks to provide electronic and radio communications in furtherance of public service communications, to supplement and support police, fire and other public safety and governmental services for disaster, recovery, emergency response and public events.”

For most of the Club’s existence, we’ve worked toward these purposes from within the Club only. At this time, we have an opportunity to offer some assistance to others. Last year’s Carr and Camp Fires brought devastation to thousands of people, including many hams. In addition to homes and other property, some hams lost their communications systems. The Club cannot help with the recovery of homes, vehicles and similar property. But, thanks to our current financial stability and the success of Pacificon, we can offer help with the recovery of ham systems and to return ham radio coverage to the affected area.

The MDARC Board of Directors has established a fund to assist those that have suffered ham system loses as a result of the Carr and Camp Fires. All the following conditions apply:
  • The fund has a maximum expense of $15,000.00.
  • It is to assist in the repair or replacement of repeaters and associated equipment only. Base stations, mobiles and portables are excluded.
  • It is to be used to assist those who were impacted by the recent Camp and Carr fires in Northern California; not other losses.
  • The disabled repeater(s) must have been currently coordinated with NARCC, NCDCC or another appropriate northern California coordinating organization prior to the loss.
  • Since one purpose of this effort is to assist in returning ham radio coverage to the impacted area, repaired or new equipment must be located such that it provides coverage into the fire-affected area.
  • The maximum amount to be given to any one repeater owner is $1,000.
  • The repeater owner must match whatever we give from other sources (insurance, out of pocket, other gifts, etc.)
Those that would like our assistance in this recovery should send the following information to info@mdarc.org:
  • The system owner’s name, call sign and contact information (at least the email and postal mail addresses; a phone number may also be helpful).
  • The call sign; organization number issued by NARCC or NCDCC; location information (including site name & latitude/longitude); frequency and repeater type (analog, D-Star, DMR, etc.).
  • The same information as above for the proposed recovered system, if different.
  • A description of the proposed recovery plan. This should include a brief description of what equipment will be replaced and/or repaired, an estimated time frame and an estimated cost.
Please be assured that all information provided will be kept in confidence. It will be used only by MDARC’s Board and the ad hoc committee it created for this purpose.

We may need to request additional information if your initial request is incomplete. Once your request is approved, we will contact you by email or postal mail with a written commitment to reimburse up to half of your estimated cost upon receipt of copies of receipts for your expenditure. The maximum reimbursement is $1,000 per owner. Our check will be postal mailed to you as soon as possible after we receive the receipts confirming your purchase of the necessary equipment. Please note that to meet our annual budget schedule, initial requests must be received by October 1, 2019; and copies of the purchase receipts received by December 1, 2019.

If you have any questions, please contact MDARC at info@mdarc.org or 925-288-1730.

Larry Bradley, KK6QPE
President
Mt. Diablo Amateur Radio Club

Mike Patterson, N6JGA
Chair
MDARC Repeater Disaster Recovery Committee