Emergency Communications

Presented for

Long Beach ARES/RACES

by

Dino Kitsios KF6ECO

Dennis Kidder WA6NIA

Emergency CommunicationsSession One

1-1 Introduction

1-2 Prerequisites

1-3 Communications Organizations

1-4 Primary Served Agency

1-5 Communications Guidelines

1-6 Safety and Security

1-7 Communications Nets

1-9 Basic Training Checklist

Introduction to Emergency Communications

• What Constitutes a Communications Emergency?– From the Incident Command System overview:

• “We will define an incident as any planned or unplanned occurrence or event, regardless of cause, which requires action by emergency service personnel to prevent or minimize loss of life or damage to property and/or natural resources.”

– Clearly, during large events, normal communications channels can become overloaded by the flow of information (traffic)

• So, what defines a communications emergency?– When normal communications processes are inadequate to

handle the information flow required to service the incident as defined in the ICS.

Amateur Radio’s Role

• Support the emergency management community

• Amateur radio is NOT an emergency response team– We don’t provide first aid– We don’t transport victims– We don’t provide traffic control– We don’t provide any other function normally provided by

public safety personnel

• Amateur radio DOES provide communications when the normal public service systems are overloaded

• Do you have the time and the drive to do it well?Do you have the time and the drive to do it well?

Why Amateur Radio Works

• Doesn’t rely on common carriers and phone companies

• Public Service Agencies can only communicate if they are on the same frequencies– We provide that common frequency through the use of

the many at our access

– Many frequencies allow us to overcome many communications obstacles

• We are distributed throughout the community– We can respond quickly to immediate areas of need

• Regardless of the make and model of our equipment, we can communicate

Why Amateur Radio Works (continued)

• He have greater capabilities than other licensed and unlicensed personal radio services (CB, FRS, GMRS)– Greater distances with greater diversity

• We are encouraged to use our equipment on a regular basis to ensure its proper functioning– We stay familiarized with our gear– We learn how to overcome obstacles

Why the Phone Company May Not Work

• Agencies generally use common carriers (The Phone Company) for communications– Phone Companies invest vast amounts of money in

infrastructure to provide reliable service under normal loads

• Sized for business reasons (not peaks in usage)

• usually rely on copper or fiber cables

• not portable or reliable enough to respond to the demands of an emergency

How Does Amateur Radio Communications Compare with Other Amateur Radio

Activities?

• Uses the same basic skills and activities– Each operator is Federally licensed in varying levels– Each operator routinely uses that privilege to practice the

ability to communicate via radio– One uses the same general operating practices to

communicate on repeaters or HF– NTS practice offers skill sets for passing formal traffic– Contesting emphasizes speed and listening skills and

endurance– Field Day offers the chance to practice setting up under

unusual conditions– Public Service Events let us practice flexible

communications

• Regular amateur radio activities begin to resemble the skills required during emergency communications

Uniqueness of Emergency Communications

• Activation with little or no prior warning• May handle several key organizations

simultaneously• May often deal with multiple nets and a limited time

frame• Portability and ability to be operational in a short

amount of time• Emergency communicators look for specific stations

to contact NOW to pass traffic• Operations could continue for days• Things happen in real time• Emergency communications involves amateurs and

non-amateurs• Ability to improvise

• Leadership, teamwork and initiative are the keysLeadership, teamwork and initiative are the keys

Quiz

True or false:

• Amateur radio emergency communicators have the same role as

emergency responders and search and rescue personnel.

• Our primary mission is to provide first aid to accident victims.

• Our role is just to communicate and not provide service to the served

agency.

• A communications emergency is when the police chief can't find his

secretary

• During a communications emergency all routine traffic flows normally

• You get into emergency communications so you can talk more

• Training is unimportant

• It's not important how fast you handle emergency communication

Quiz (Continued)

Identify which of the following reasons on why amateur radio succeeds during an emergency is false.

• Amateur radio operators should be trained and proficient in operating

other personal radio services such as citizen band and family radio

service.

• Amateur radio operators should be trained and proficient in operating

radio services such as the local government radio system, given

authorization and training provided by the local CD agency.

• All Amateur Radio communications for emergencies are handled on one

frequency

• All Amateur radio communication is limited to line of sight

Quiz (Continued)

Identify which of the following reasons on why amateur radio succeeds during an emergency is false.

• If the telephone service is out Amateur Radio will not function

• You should never test your equipment for functionality

• Cell phones will handle all necessary communication during an emergency

• You will always know, in advance, when an emergency is about to happen

(you will see it on TV).

• Teamwork is unimportant in emergency communication

• Emergencies only last ten or twenty minutes.

• Lack of teamwork, like a bad attitude, will hamper the Amateur Radio effort

during an emergency

• Cell phone systems overload quickly during an emergency

PrerequisiteA Commitment to Help Others

• Attitude– Defined

• Serving – You will impress more people by:– Being quiet– Doing your job the best you know how

• “An explicit mental commitment to help others”

Quiz(The only passing score on attitude is 100%.)

True or False:

• The most important "thing" you bring to Emergency Communication is

operating skill

• During an emergency, you are there to provide direction to the served agency(ies)

• You should be as loud as possible during an emergency

• You should try to impress everyone with your knowledge

• It will only take you five minutes to handle any emergency, everyone else will

have to stay and do the work

• You need to be a team player

• You will take direction

• It's OK to interfere with served agency people

Quiz (continued)

Select the most appropriate answer:

• 1) Your attitude– A) Doesn't matter– B) Shows how much you know– C) Determines the effectiveness of the Amateur Radio participation– D) Helps everyone laugh

• 2) With regard to a person or thing; your attitude– A) Is a manner– B) Is a disposition– C) Is a feeling– D) Is a position– E) All of the above

• 3) To serve is to:– A) Provide aid– B) Provide help– C) Provide direction– D) None of the above– E) All of the above– F) A & B only

Communications Organizations

• Radio clubs– Major point of contact with public

• ARES – Amateur Radio Emergency Service– Sponsored by ARRL– Membership in ARRL not a requirement

• RACES – Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service– In support of Civil Defense

• Followed WW II and onset of Cold War• Created by FCC regulations

– Administered by local, county and state emergency management agencies

– Supported by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• NTS - National Traffic System – Primary responsibility – handling traffic– Net operations

ARES

• Only requirements– Valid ham license– Sincere desire to help

• Volunteer organization– Local leader is the Emergency Coordinator – EC

• Typical activities are with HF, VHF and RTTY nets– Preparedness through practice

• Weekly nets• Drills

• Self activating – ARES doesn’t require EMO activation– Any ARES member can activate the group

RACES

• Requires amateur license

• Defined in FCC reg’s as a “communications service”– Originally envisioned to be used in wartime

• Civil defense evolved to “civil preparedness”

• Encompasses all types of emergencies

• RACES only activated by local, county or state during times of emergency– Limits on non-emergency activity

• Drills

• Nets

NTS

• Systematic methods for handling messaging– Two objectives

• Rapid and accurate movement of messages

• Training amateurs to handle written traffic through participation in nets

– Use of standardized forms• ARRL

• Red Cross

• Others

Quiz

True or False:

A.R.E.S.• Non-amateurs may be a member of ARES.• The primary form of information passed on nets is informal traffic.• Amateur radio emergency communicators should be skilled and trained.• Appropriate emergency communications procedures can be picked up and become

proficient solely by reading or studying.

R.A.C.E.S.• The RACES regulations are contained in FCC Part 97.• Amateur radio operators can authorize RACES operations.• In the event the president invokes the War Emergency Powers, amateurs may

communicate on any frequency in the amateur radio band.• ARES and RACES have redundant functions, therefore, only one of these two

organizations should serve a given geographic area.

N.T.S.• NTS is limited to the CW mode of transmission.• There is only one NTS.

The Primary Served Agency

• Primary responsibility for an event– Amateurs are there to help– Reason that ARES and RACES exist

• Incident Command System– Model for operations– Standardized structure

• Responsibility for Public Information– Never make a statement to the media or public about

an emergency– Rather – refer to Public Information Officer – PIO– If pressed, you can talk about amateur radio and its

role

Quiz

True or false:

• It is the amateur radio operator's role to take over the operations of an

emergency that is in progress and give direction to Public Service

officers.

• It is the amateur radio operator's role to talk with the news media.

• Amateur radio operators responding to an emergency should follow the

Incident Command System methods and integrate into the ICS system

that exists for the incident.

• You can become involved in Emergency Communication by volunteering

with your local ARES/RACES group.

• Training in Emergency Communication BEFORE the event is important.

Communications Guidelines

• Two levels of communications – Formal - Passing traffic on behalf of served agency– Informal - Passing traffic originated by YOU

• Rules for passing served agency traffic– Read it first. If you don’t understand it, ask for clarification– When you transcribe it, make no changes

• You may not understand the content, but others will• We reiterate MAKE NO CHANGES• Recognize that you CAN coach the originator and help them

to word the message, if you can

– If you are the originator, make corrections BEFORE you send the message!

Communications Guidelines (continued)

• It’s important to say as little as possible, but get the message across

• Some rules:– Brevity and Clarity - if you can leave out a word

without changing the meaning of the message, do it– Do not use contractions– Do not editorialize– Listen– Use standard ITU phonetics

Formal Written Traffic

• Questions to answer before sending that traffic– Who is requesting and from whom?

• Requestors full name, title, agency and location

• Recipients full name, title, agency and location

– What are they requesting?• How many do the want or need?

• If a list do all items come from the same place?

– If not - separate messages

• Where will it come from?

• Where will it go to?

• When is it needed?

– Replies

Communications Is:

• The two-way exchange of ideas and information

• Using fewest words to completely define the thought

• One complete task or thought at a time

• Sometimes eloquent but usually not– because it is precise

• Unemotional

Communications will be acknowledged

Communications is NOT:

• A bunch of unstructured words

• Fill noise such as “Aaaaaaahhhhhh”

• Vindictive or argumentative

Quiz

• What are the two types of emergency communications messages?

True or false

• Emergency Communicators should use contractions within messages.

• Emergency Communicators should editorialize and expand on messages sent/received at their stations.

• Emergency Communicators should listen before transmitting.

• Communication is the two way exchange of information or ideas.

Safety

• Personal safety considerations– Your primary concern - don’t become part of the problem

– “Watch out for number one, no one else will”

– You have the right to decline to do an assignment some has asked you to do.

• Team safety– Be mindful of others’ situations

• Mission– Only after you have addressed your safety and the safety

of your team

– If at any time safety becomes an issue - speak up!

Safety (continued)

• Workman’s Compensation Insurance – DSW - Disaster Service Worker

• Similar to Workman’s Comp

• Administered by a separate organization

– Should be mentioned. If not, ask!

• Not every agency provides it– It is a liability protection for the served agency

• Things to think about before you decide– Do I have personal insurance coverage?– If not, is Workman’s Comp or DSW available?– Do I proceed if none of the above?

Final Thoughts on Safety

• Incident scenes are not about radios or being a Ham

• They are about the incident

• You will either be part of the problem …

-or-

• You will be part of the solution

Quiz

True or False• Participating at an incident is all about being a ham • Teamwork is not important• Your personal safety should come before all else

Provide your answers to the following:• Name some items that you might take with you to an “incident” to avoid

becoming “part of the problem.”

Security Considerations

• Who is the message intended for– Message contents should remain private

• You should never reveal the contents of a message– Even after an incident is over

• Only the PIO may discuss

– Who is listening?• Lots of people monitor the ham bands

– General public– Media

• Might receive portions of a message… not the full context– Rumor and speculation

• Stick to passing messages – Make sure messages are approved prior to sending– Keep a log of all traffic

Security Considerations (continued)

• Respect privacy of others– Account numbers– Names– Personal Medical information– Even repeater access codes and frequencies

• Dealing with fatalities– Remember that others may be listening

• Be sensitive - you never know when a family member may be listening

• Consider using headphones

Quiz

True or False?

• You should not reveal the existence or contents of a message, even after the incident has been completed.

• You do not know who is listening to an amateur radio transmission.

• To the extent possible, you should not pass along private information, such as account information, unlisted phone numbers and repeater control codes on the air.

• You should be sensitive to your comments during times when fatalities or severe casualties may have occurred.

Introduction to Traffic Nets

• Different types of networks or “nets”– Informal– Directed

• Directed Nets– Net Control Station - NCS– Net “protocol”– Duties of participants in the net

• Three things to do while participating in a net:– Listen– Listen– Listen

Directed Nets

• Formal structure– NCS

• “Master of ceremonies”

• Listen to NCS instructions

• ALL contacts via NCS

• May have alternate NCS - be aware

– Even an NCS has to take a break now and then

– Directed nets manage the flow of information• Structure prevents chaos

• More in-depth study on net operations in next weeks’ session

Basic Training Checklist

• Education and training supplies the knowledge– Confidence to execute the required process in the minimum

amount of time– Learn BEFORE the skills are needed

• Acquire the basic skills needed to function as a team– Support one another– Operate as a cohesive unit

• ID Cards– FCC operators license– Drivers License or other photo ID– Civil Defense ID or other ID supplied by your organization -

ARES, RACES, FEMA or others

• Do not impede the work of professional responders

Basic Training Checklist (continued)

• “Hot Zones”– Typically refer to areas that may contain hazardous materials

or other unknown hazards– Stay out unless instructed otherwise (remember personal

safety issues)– Bottom line - don’t become part of the problem

• Test your techniques and equipment before an event• Equipment

– Handie-talkies with earphones, a hand mike and a gain antenna. Don’t forget the spare batteries!

– Use PTT rather than VOX– For fixed ops, use a mobile radio and deep-cycle batteries

with a good antenna

Basic Training Checklist (continued)

• Consider remote antennas

• Have copies of manuals and put them with your radios

• Other items that might be useful– Extra fuses– Headphones– Foots switch– Standardize on batteries as much as possible

Personal Equipment Checklist

• Some suggestions of items that you should carry– ARES/RACES/Served-

Agency ID card– Amateur Radio license– Hand-held radio (dual-

band preferred) – Spare Batteries– Headset / Speaker Mic– Mag-mount

groundplane– Coax jumpers and

connectors– Adapters

– Duct tape– Shorthand notebook

and pen– Watch– Maps– Compass / GPS– ARES / RACES Ops

plans– Message forms– Hat– Food and water