The French Creek Iron Tour will actually be happening this year on June 13th, with a reduced number of riders, but they still would like support from CCAR to provide communications and SAG vehicle tracking.
This is a fun event that allows us to practice some of the techniques we would be using for real emergencies.
To fully staff the event, we need the following:
A. 5 portable operators at the 5 rest stops along the course, from when those rest stops first open for service until each rest stop is closed when the last rider passes there.
B. At least 6 (preferably 8) mobile operators to provide communications and tracker operations in the support vehicles provided by the event; you would be passengers, not drivers. So you would need a 70cm mobile rig and a mag-mount antenna; CCAR would provide the APRS tracker. We also recommend a battery, as some of the vehicles they have used in the past shut off their cigarette lighter power outlets when the ignition gets shut off (slightly awkward when you need to communicate when the vehicle is stopped). The SAG vehicles operate in overlapping shifts, so you don’t have to be the first one out in the morning, although we would need people for the first 3 SAGs that leave the starting line at 6am.
C. 2 to 3 Net Control operators at the starting/finishing line at the Kimberton Fire Department Fairgrounds to collectively cover the full duration of the event (from pre-start until the last rider crosses the finish line around 4pm). There is AC power available there.
If you are interested in assisting with this charitable event, please contact me, and let me know if you has a preference for your operating position. Please include your T-shirt size, so you can get your collector’s-edition 2021 Iron Tour T-shirt.
Andrew Pavlin, KA2DDO
CCAR tracker lead