About Live Oak Trail Ops Center

Live Oak Trail Ops Center (LOTOC) is an independent amateur radio operations station founded and operated by Deanna Seemann, N5TDS, a licensed ham radio operator with backgrounds in information technology and emergency management.

As an active member of Williamson County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (WC‑ARES), Deanna established LOTOC to serve as a local hub for signal monitoring, weather intelligence, and emergency communications across northwest Williamson County, the greater county area, and surrounding counties.

LOTOC’s mission is to:

• Monitor environmental, infrastructure, and hazard indicators for potential incidents

• Proactively respond to emerging threats to prevent loss of property and life

• Provide emergency communications when traditional systems are disrupted or unavailable

LOTOC integrates amateur radio, situational awareness dashboards, and digital mapping tools to support community resilience and regional coordination.

Live Oak Trail Ops Center as a Resource Net

LOTOC functions as a Resource Net during activations. While tactical nets handle on‑scene operations, the Resource Net provides support by:

Sourcing Resources

Identifying and coordinating needed equipment, supplies, and personnel.

Relaying Messages

Bridging traffic between tactical nets, front‑line volunteers, and served agencies.

Handling Welfare Traffic

Passing messages from disaster victims to contacts outside the affected area.

Maintaining Situational Awareness

Monitoring repeaters, simplex, and digital channels to support continuity.

As part of its Resource Net role, LOTOC continuously monitors and logs conditions that affect community safety and response. This includes:

• Weather updates — severe storm activity, flood watches, and warnings.

• Utility status — power outages, communications disruptions, and other service interruptions.

• Hazard reports — downed power lines, flooded roadways, and other storm‑related impacts.