Amateur Radio Emergency Service Emergency Communications Plan for Nueces County

South Texas Section

1. INTRODUCTION

1. The Nueces County Amateur Radio Emergency Service is a field organization of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). It is composed of FCC licensed amateur radio operators who are trained emergency communicators, volunteering their personal time, skill and equipment, to serve in the public interest. The Nueces County ARES group is focused on providing service to Nueces County, Texas and the surrounding area. Amateur Radio operators living within or near Nueces County are eligible for participation in Nueces County ARES.

2. Under Federal regulations, Amateur Radio public service communications are furnished without compensation of any kind.

3. The Nueces County ARES functions under this Emergency Plan under the direction of the Nueces County ARES Emergency Coordinator (EC) who is appointed by the ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator in consultation with the District Emergency Coordinator.

4. The EC may appoint assistant ECs as needed for the ARES to function efficiently.

2. PURPOSE

1. The purpose of this plan is to provide a written guide containing the minimum information that would be needed in an emergency. Each emergency is different and flexibility to provide an adequate response to each is a necessity.

2. The primary responsibility of the Nueces County ARES is to furnish communications in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, when regular communications fail or are inadequate.

3. All drills, training and instruction shall be carried out to ensure an ability to respond quickly to provide effective amateur emergency communications whenever an occasion may arise.

4. The following agencies could be served during a communications emergency: Corpus Christi Emergency Operations Center, American Red Cross; Nueces County Hospital District; Fire Departments; Police Department; Sheriff's Departments; Salvation Army; and any other agencies requesting assistance from the ARES.

5. Nueces County ARES may also be requested to serve the Texas State Division of Emergency Management, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

6. Nueces County ARES will provide support for other counties or ARES districts at the request of South Texas Section DECs or our Section Emergency Coordinator.

7. Nueces County ARES may provide communications support at public events conducted by non-profit organizations in non-emergency situations.

8. The Nueces County ARES group will support the Skywarn program of the National Weather Service (NWS). A request from a served agency is not required for Skywarn support.

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3.ACTIVATING THE PLAN

1. Any member of the Nueces County ARES who for any reason suspects a communications emergency exists should monitor local repeaters for activity. Local repeaters that should be monitored include: primary repeater 147.060 (107.2 tone, + offset), secondary repeater 147.080 (no tone, + offset), 146.82 (107.2 tone, - offset)

2. If local telephone service is available, the EC and/or Assistant ECs should be notified by telephone.

3. In an emergency in which Amateur Radio might serve the community, ECs and AECs may be alerted by any City, Red Cross, or similar served agency official.

4. The EC, AEC, or designated ARES member upon evaluation of the situation will activate the mobilization plan.

4.ARES MOBILIZATION PROCEDURE

1. Local radio broadcast stations and cable channels will be contacted by the EC or his representative, as possible, for spot announcements alerting ARES members.

2. If telephone service is available, the telephone tree is activated. 3. Upon the awareness or notification that a communications emergency exists, members of

the Nueces County ARES will call into the Nueces County ARES Emergency Net on the 147.060 repeater (107.2 tone, + offset) with 146.52 FM simplex as an alternate frequency.

4. Mobile units are activated and dispatched. 5. The EC/AEC will assume net control or delegate another station as net control station

(NCS). Control will be from the Corpus Christi Emergency Operations Center or other station as designated by the EC. This station is designated as a "Key Station" and will be extensively utilized during a communication emergency. Key stations have full emergency power capability with relief operators assigned to ensure continuous operation.

5.DUTIES OF NCS

1. The Nueces County ARES Emergency Net will be called to order by the NCS. 2. Members of the Nueces County ARES are checked into the net from their mobiles and

home stations to wait for further instructions. 3. Liaison stations to the following National Traffic System nets will be assigned: STX

section Texas Traffic Net/ ARES Net: 7285 mhz (day), 3873 mhz (night) 4. Mobiles will be dispatched to the Nueces County Chapter of the American Red Cross,

local hospitals, and other agencies as needed. 5. Operators of home stations not on emergency power are coordinated to effectively

operate the "Key Stations" as required.

6. OPERATIONS

1. All written messages must be in standard ARRL form. 2. All messages must be signed by the originating official, along with his title, verifying

responsibility for their contents. 3. Message precedence of EMERGENCY. Priority, Routine, and Health and Welfare, as

defined on ARRL Form FSD-3, shall be used on all messages. 4. Stations do not transmit unless invited to do so by net control.

The only exception to this is for a station having EMERGENCY traffic.

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7. DRILLS, TESTS AND ALERTS

1. An annual test will be conducted in conjunction with the nationwide ARRL Simulated Emergency Test.

2. The Nueces County ARES will regularly supply public safety communications in conjunction with local events.

3. The District 4 ARES Emergency Net meets every Thursday of the month at 8:00 P.M. local time on the 147.08 repeater (no tone, + offset). The net is not held on the fourth Thursday of the month.

4. At the discretion of the EC, ARES will be activated unannounced via the telephone tree at least once per year.

More info can be found on the local ARES website:

http://www.starc-corpuschristi.org/CB_ARES/coastal_bend_ares.htm

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LOCAL AND STATEWIDE FREQUENCIES: VHF: Primary 147.060+ (107.2 tone) Secondary 147.080+ (no tone) 146.820- (107.2 tone) 146.880- (107.2 tone) local phone patch 146.780- (107.2 tone) ARLP

146.52 (simplex) 146.46 (simplex)

UHF: Intertie 443.95+ (156.7 tone) 443.50+ (156.7 tone) SW Lynx 442.60+ (162.2 tone) HF: Daytime 7.285 (ARES emergency traffic only) 7.290 (Health and Welfare traffic)

Night 3.873 (ARES emergency traffic only) 3.922 (Health and Welfare traffic)

Packet Tel-Pac Node: AD5CA-3 145.050 (el17hq) ARES Pactor PMBOs: N5TW 7063.9 mhz (center frequencies) W0MAC 7066.9 mhz

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8. POINTS OF CONTACT Nueces County EC: James Murray 6709 Pharaoh Drive Corpus Christi, TX 78412 hm# (361) 991-9292 cell (361) 946-2340 e-mail jabmurray (at) grandecom.net Nueces County AEC Steve Hampton N0WZH 4245 Nolford Place Corpus Christi, TX 78410 hm# (361) 242-3282 cell (361) 815-7461 e-mail Steve.Hampton (at) fhr.com Nueces County AEC Mike Stringer KD5WZV 6817 Leopard St. Corpus Christi, TX 78409 hm# (361) 241-2578 Cell (361) 533-7101 e-mail mikestringer (at) southernecology.net Nueces County AEC Rob Whiteley W3ROB 4901 Saratoga Blvd. #738 Corpus Christi, TX 78413 hm# (361) 986-0781 cell (361) 244-0211 e-mail w3rob2004 (at) yahoo.com District 4 DEC Mark Mireles 4713 Gayle Drive Corpus Christi, TX 78413 hm# (361) 855-9634 cell# (361) 946-2340 e-mail ad5ca (at) grandecom.net South Texas SEC Mike Schwartz KG5TL 8425 North Old Smithville Rd. Muldoon, TX 78949 day# (512) 303-3443 night# (830) 839-4777 ARRL STX Ray Taylor N5NAV

688 S. Comal Avenue New Braunfels, TX 78130 hm# (830) 625-1683 e-mail n5nav (at) texas.net

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