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Emcomm Radio 100

http://www.WA7DEM.org

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Objectives

You should be able to define

What are ARES, RACES and ACS?
What is the ACS mission?
Snohomish ACS
Why registration is important
Requirements for working with served agencies
Amateur role in “ESFs”

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What is ARES?

ARES

Amateur Radio Emergency Service
Field organization of ARRL

Emergency Coordinator (EC) reports to �District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) reports to Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) who reports to Section Manager (SM)

Can support Non-Government Organizations (NGO)

Hospitals and Red Cross
Local public service events

Can self-activate
Possibly insured by served agency on ARES missions

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ARRL and ARES Organization

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ARRL HQ

NW Division Director

WWA Section Manager (SM)

Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC)

District Emergency Coordinator (DEC)

Emergency Coordinator (EC)

Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC)

There are three levels of ARES organization—section, district and local. At the section level, the Section

Emergency Coordinator (SEC) is appointed by the Section Manager (SM) and works under his supervision.

(The SM is elected by the ARRL members in the section.) In most sections, the SM delegates to the SEC the

administration of the section emergency plan and the authority to appoint District Emergency Coordinators

(DECs) and local Emergency Coordinators (ECs) to help him run the ARES program in the section.

Most of the ARES organization and operation gets accomplished at the local level. The local level is where

most emergencies occur and where ARES leaders make direct contact with the ARES member-volunteers and

with officials of the agencies to be served. The local EC is therefore the key contact in the ARES. The EC is

appointed by the SEC, usually on the recommendation of the DEC (if there is one). Depending on how the SEC

has set up the section for administrative purposes, the EC may have jurisdiction over a small community or a

large city, an entire county or even a group of counties. Whatever jurisdiction is assigned, the EC is in charge of

all ARES activities in his area, not just one interest group, one agency, one club or one band.

In large sections, the SEC has the option of grouping EC jurisdictions into “districts” and appointing

a District EC to coordinate the activities of the local ECs. In some cases, the districts may conform to the

boundaries of governmental planning or emergency operations districts, while in others they are simply based

on repeater coverage or geographical boundaries.

Special-interest groups are headed up by assistant emergency coordinators (AECs). Assistant ECs are

designated by the EC to supervise activities of groups operating in certain bands, especially those groups that

play an important role at the local level, but they may be designated in any manner the EC deems appropriate.

These assistants, with the EC as chairman, constitute the local ARES “planning committee” and they meet

together to discuss problems and plan projects to keep the ARES group active and well trained.

From ARRL ARES Manual

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Washington Emergency Regions

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What is RACES?

RACES

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
Authority from 47 CFR Part 97 subpart E

There are restrictions imposed

Reports directly to served agency

Communications reports to Logistics Chief in ICS

Can only directly support government agency

Snohomish DEM is our served agency
DEM can ask that we support anyone

Cannot self-activate

Must have state mission number

Covered by State of Washington insurance as registered volunteer when activated

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RACES Restrictions

In the event of an emergency which necessitates invoking the President's War Emergency Powers…
A RACES station may only communicate with:

Another RACES station;
An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization;
A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency to communicate with RACES stations;
A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is authorized by the FCC.

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(b) The frequency bands and segments and emissions authorized to the control operator are available to stations transmitting communications in RACES on a shared basis with the amateur service. In the event of an emergency which necessitates invoking the President's War Emergency Powers under the provisions of section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 606, RACES stations and amateur stations participating in RACES may only transmit on the frequency segments authorized pursuant to part 214 of this chapter.

(c) A RACES station may only communicate with:

(1) Another RACES station; (2) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization;

(3) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency to communicate with RACES stations;

(4) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is authorized by the FCC.

(d) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization may only communicate with:

(1) A RACES station licensed to the civil defense organization with which the amateur station is registered; (2) The following stations upon authorization of the responsible civil defense official for the organization with which the amateur station is registered:

(i) A RACES station licensed to another civil defense organization; (ii) An amateur station registered with the same or another civil defense organization;

(iii) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency to communicate with RACES stations; and

(iv) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is authorized by the FCC.

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RACES Restrictions Continued

Only civil defense communications of the following types may be transmitted:

Messages concerning impending or actual conditions jeopardizing the public safety, or affecting the national defense or security during periods of local, regional, or national civil emergencies;
Messages directly concerning the immediate safety of life of individuals, the immediate protection of property, maintenance of law and order, alleviation of human suffering and need, and the combating of armed attack or sabotage;
Messages directly concerning the accumulation and dissemination of public information or instructions to the civilian population essential to the activities of the civil defense organization or other authorized governmental or relief agencies; and
Communications for RACES training drills and tests necessary to ensure the establishment and maintenance of orderly and efficient operation of the RACES as ordered by the responsible civil defense organizations served. Such drills and tests may not exceed a total time of 1 hour per week. With the approval of the chief officer for emergency planning the applicable State, Commonwealth, District or territory, however, such tests and drills may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours no more than twice in any calendar year.

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(e) All communications transmitted in RACES must be specifically authorized by the civil defense organization for the area served. Only civil defense communications of the following types may be transmitted:

(1) Messages concerning impending or actual conditions jeopardizing the public safety, or affecting the national defense or security during periods of local, regional, or national civil emergencies; (2) Messages directly concerning the immediate safety of life of individuals, the immediate protection of property, maintenance of law and order, alleviation of human suffering and need, and the combating of armed attack or sabotage;

(3) Messages directly concerning the accumulation and dissemination of public information or instructions to the civilian population essential to the activities of the civil defense organization or other authorized governmental or relief agencies; and

(4) Communications for RACES training drills and tests necessary to ensure the establishment and maintenance of orderly and efficient operation of the RACES as ordered by the responsible civil defense organizations served. Such drills and tests may not exceed a total time of 1 hour per week. With the approval of the chief officer for emergency planning the applicable State, Commonwealth, District or territory, however, such tests and drills may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours no more than twice in any calendar year.

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What about ACS?

ACS

Auxiliary Communications Service
Chartered by served agency

Any rules/restrictions are imposed by served agency

Reports directly to served agency
Still meets part 97 criteria as RACES organization

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Snohomish ACS/ARES

Snohomish ACS is chartered by and provides communications support for Snohomish DEM. Snohomish ACS can only activate as part of an official activation with a mission number and as a result members are covered under Washington State insurance when on duty.

The Snohomish ACS team meets the criteria for a RACES team as defined in §97.407 and if the need for a RACES team arises, there should be no ambiguity that this team “is certified by a civil defense organization as registered with that organization”.

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Snohomish ACS/ARES cont.

Snohomish ACS adopted the ARES mission when combining teams and now also provides support for Red Cross and county hospitals in addition to DEM member cities.

As an ARES team there is the possibility of supporting events that do not have a mission number but this leaves participants uninsured and will be used rarely. Ask for the mission number if you are unsure.

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Other Snohomish County Teams

Everett ACS
Marysville ACS
Tulalip RACES

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Snohomish ACS Values

Snohomish RACES Members reflect the following qualities and personal values

We strive to provide competent, professional communications services
We strive to be well-integrated members of an action team
We strive to maintain personal growth throughout all activities, and
We are focused on performing our assigned duties and responsibilities

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Why you MUST register

Registration is required for RACES participation

47 CFR 97.407a

State code and Federal law provide benefits and protection against civil liability

Federal Volunteer Protection Act of 1997

42 USC 139

Washington State Volunteer Worker

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Why this is important

Actions conducted in accordance with established plans, policies, procedures and directions of Snohomish ACS/DEM leadership will usually be considered “reasonable.”
ACS members must follow established policies, plans, procedures and instructions

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Served Agencies

Agencies we serve want operators who are –

Well-trained, knowledgeable, active
Disciplined and well prepared
Who function as an organized team
Who follow policies and instructions
And are good at what they do!

The served agency is always in charge
Our only job is to communicate

Use good radio technique
Leave incident management to the professionals
Offer assistance but don’t take unilateral action

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Emergency Support Functions (ESF)

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ESF 1	Transportation	Public Works	800
ESF 1	Transportation	Community Transit	CT System
ESF 2	Communications	County DIS, ACS	800
ESF 3	Public Works	Public Works	800
ESF 4	Firefighting	Fire Marshall	800
ESF 6	Mass Care and Housing	Red Cross	Low VHF
ESF 7	Logistics Management	County Facilities	DEM VHF
ESF 8	Public Health	Snohomish Health Dist.	800
ESF 9	Search and Rescue	SCSO	800/VHF
ESF 10	Hazmat	County Hazmat	800
ESF 11	Natural Resources	Parks Dept	DEM VHF
ESF 12	Energy	Snohomish PUD	PUD 900
ESF 13	Public Safety	SCSO	800
ESF 15	External Affairs	Executive/PIO	800

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ACS Skills

Proficient in personal radio operation
Familiar with government radios
Proficient in directed net procedures
Knowledge of Incident Command System
Interpersonal / Management Skills

Working cooperatively with others

Willingness to learn
Ability/desire to participate

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Communication is Job #1

ACS job is to pass traffic

Use the most efficient means available
Not limited to amateur or any kind of radio
Use the phone, fax email or bicycle

This requires planning and preparation

We need to train ourselves and others
We need to prepare ourselves, our homes and our families for extended deployments
We need to prepare our facilities and assets
We need to develop comm and staffing plans

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NIMS Organizational Chart

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Chain of Command

Know the chain of command
Observe the chain of command

This promotes efficient communication

Everyone takes their role seriously

Work with people, not around them
There are egos involved

Look professional, be professional and you’ll be treated like one
Offer suggestions to minimize chaos, don’t add to it
Staff will be exhausted, be polite, friendly and smile
Tackle any extra task that needs doing

Even the Assistant Director will take out the trash, make coffee and clean the kitchen

Don’t forget Job #1

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Why use amateur radio?

Independent of normal systems
Equipment used every day
Flexibility to solve problems
Technically trained operators
Operators can use ANY radio
Amateurs bring more resources than most localities can afford to keep in reserve for emergencies on their own

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Preparation and Training

An inactive, unprepared ham is a liability!

A disaster is not the time to start training
Not following procedures and protocols can cost lives and livelyhoods

“Spontaneous volunteers” are often a huge distraction from relief/response efforts
“Wannabes”, “freelancers” = big headaches
Even though you are a valued volunteer, you remain an ordinary citizen with no special privileges or authority
Doing it “right” protects us all

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The role of Snohomish ACS

To identify, recruit, train, and supervise FCC licensed amateur radio operators, who...

Are competent in providing auxiliary emergency communications,
Maintain proficiency through continuing education, drills and exercises,
Serve in their community and throughout the County during emergencies and disasters

What do you need to do this job?

Let us know!

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Operations “Best Practices”

http://www.WA7DEM.org

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On Air Operations

Listen to traffic
Only critical information goes over the air

Others are listening

Do not editorialize

Stick to facts and exact message text

Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification

Some explanations may not be given on air

Keep chatter off any nets

Know what to say BEFORE pressing PTT (Plan To Talk)

Mind background noise in DEM10 and EOC

There are headphones but operators are working

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What to Say

Use plain English

Never use jargon (no 10-codes, Q-codes)
“Condition Codes” are an exception
Speak Clearly – Don’t rush, slur or mumble

Avoid contractions
Use ITU phonetics when spelling

Police/Sheriff/SAR use different alphabet

Pronounce numbers individually
Minimize extra words

Clear, Monitoring, Standing by, etc. are unnecessary

Acknowledge all instructions
Nothing goes over the air unless cleared by PIO

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ITU Phonetic �Alphabet

Agreed upon words to represent the letters of the “roman alphabet”.

The boldfaced syllables are emphasized. The pronunciations shown in this table were designed for those who speak any of the international languages.

The pronunciations given for “Oscar”, “Papa” and “Victor” may seem awkward to English-speaking people in the US.

A Alfa AL FAH

B Bravo BRAH VOH

C Charlie CHAR LEE

D Delta DELL TAH

E Echo ECK OH

F Foxtrot FOKS TROT

G Golf GOLF

H Hotel HOH TELL

I India IN DEE AH

J Juliet JEW LEE ETT

K Kilo KEY LOH

L Lima LEE MAH

M Mike MIKE

N November NO VEM BER

O Oscar OSS CAH

P Papa PAH PAH

Q Quebec KEH BECK

R Romeo ROW ME OH

S Sierra SEE AIR RAH

T Tango TANG GO

U Uniform YOU NEE FORM

V Victor VIK TAH

W Whiskey WISS KEY

X X-Ray ECKS RAY

Y Yankee YANG KEY

Z Zulu ZOO LOO

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What not to Say

No names

Use titles when referring to officials
Full names are generally not good

Never refer to subject as “victim”
No subject condition

Unless necessary for treatment purposes

No business/commercial communications
Be the guardian of personal information

Phone numbers, Email addresses, etc.

We don’t know who is listening

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Tactical Callsigns

Use Tactical Callsigns on all radios
Amateur Radios also require personal callsign at END and every 10 minutes of transmission

Hold ID until end of exchange
Rarely would a conversation exceed 10 minutes
Net Control IDs every 10 minutes, not after every exchange

No amateur callsigns on commercial radios

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Snohomish ACS DEM VHF-UHF Frequencies

Repeater Frequencies

146.920- 123.0Hz Granite Falls Resource Net
224.380- 103.5Hz Marysville (FT) Command Net
442.975+ D 172 Clearview Tactical Net
444.200+ D 172 Marysville (FT) Alternate 70cm
146.780- D 172 Lynnwood Alternate 2m
443.725+ 103.5Hz Mountlake Terrace Alternate 2m

Simplex Frequencies and Tones

52.450 100.0Hz
144.46 123.0Hz
446.500 103.5Hz
224.640 156.7Hz

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Snohomish ARC/Hospital VHF-UHF Frequencies

Repeater Frequencies

145.390- 123.0Hz Everett Resource Net
146.800- 136.5Hz Lynnwood OPS-1 Wide Area
223.940+ 110.9Hz Haystack Command Net
223.860+ 103.5Hz Lyman Region 1 Hospitals
443.875- 127.3Hz Haystack OPS-1 linked
444.975+ 114.8Hz Haystack Command Net

Simplex Frequencies and Tones

147.420 156.7Hz
223.520 156.7Hz
445.850 156.7Hz

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Snohomish DEM Code of Conduct

Follow all safety policies and procedures.
Report safety hazards, accidents and injuries to the Volunteer Coordinator or to another DEM employee.
Always represent DEM with professionalism, dignity, honesty and pride.
Follow through and complete to the best of my ability every assignment I accept.
Be a positive role model to other volunteers.
Seek training for my volunteer assignment(s) by participating in meetings, self study and other training opportunities.
Display respect and courtesy for DEM employees, other volunteers, program participants, visitors, officials, clients and property.
Maintain the confidentiality of all proprietary, privileged and/or personal information to which I am exposed while on assignment or in training.
Work cooperatively as a team member with DEM employees and volunteers.
Respect and follow all applicable laws and statutes, as well as DEM policies and procedures.
Use DEM property only for DEM business.
Keep my personal opinions and actions separate form those I make as a representative of DEM.
Avoid conduct, both on and off duty that might reflect badly on DEM.

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Code of Conduct (cont)

Discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, marital status, national origin, age or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability.
Participate in or tolerate sexual harassment. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other unwelcome verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment can also take the form of verbal or written comments, slurs, innuendoes, pranks and and/or physical actions.
Manufacture, cultivate, distribute, dispense, possess or use any controlled substance or intoxicant in the workplace (this does not apply to taking prescription drugs as directed by a medical care provider, provided such use does not endanger others).
Use vulgar or inappropriate language.
Solicit gratuities, gifts or bequests for person or professional benefit.
Engage in political activity while on duty.
Solicit or conduct personal business while on duty.
Possess or use unauthorized firearms or weapons while on duty.
Intentionally misuse, damage or remove DEM equipment, records or other DEM property.

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Minimum Expectations

Practice these skills on the air

Take some turns as net control

Program all the ACS/ARES frequencies into your radio
Know how to program any frequency into your radio

Be able to program frequency/shift, set and enable tone

Be familiar with County equipment
Keep your contact info current in MyStateUSA
Participate during activations

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http://www.WA7DEM.org

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