Transcript Emergency Communications

Emergency Communications
Presented for
Long Beach ARES/RACES
by
Dino Kitsios KF6ECO
Dennis Kidder WA6NIA
Emergency Communications
Session Three
• Message Handling
• Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)
• Net Participants Guide
• Traffic Handling Clinic
Message Handling
• Components of a Radiogram
– Preamble (or header)
• Administrative data: message number, originating
station, precedence, handling instructions, time and date
– Address
• The “TO” of the message -- name address, phone, etc.
– Text of the message
• Brief and to the point, limit (if possible) to 25 words or
less. Avoid contractions. Groups of five words to ease
word counting.
– Signature
• Whatever it takes for the recipient to identify the sender
Standardized Format
• Why?
– Send and receive formal messages easily, quickly with
minimum explanation.
• I like this example:
“Hey, Bud. I have a message here from a local ham in
Colorado Springs; he took it from a lady who isn’t a
ham. I took the message yesterday evening and I’d like
to see if there’s a way we can get it passed to Tulsa,
Oklahoma. There’s no real urgency, the lady just wants
to let her brother know that she received his letter and
will be sending one back in a couple of days …”
– 76 words later and we still don’t know where it’s going!
Standardized Format
• NTS Format might look like this:
Routine, N0XXO, 11, Colorado Springs, Co, 19:07Z November 18
Mark Smith
573 Glenside Lane
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74131
918 635 0227
BT (break)
RECEIVED YOUR
LETTER XRAY
WE
WILL
WRITE BACK
SOON
LOVE
BT (break)
MARY
• Even with preamble and breaks - 33 words!
Guard Against Superfluous Data
• Don’t use the following for the previous example:
Number 56, Routine, station of origin N0XXO, check 11
Going to: Mark Smith
Address: etc
– These extra words slow down the process and are
unnecessary
Prowords
• Use prowords to speed things up
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BREAK
CORRECTION
END
MORE
NO MORE
FIGURES
INITIAL
I SAY AGAIN
I SPELL
LETTER GROUP
MIXED GROUP
Separator for address, etc
I’m going to correct an error
End of message
additional messages follow
no additional messages
word group of all numerals
Used for single letter
Indicates repeat of word
Spell a word phonetically
Several letters grouped: ARES
Letters and numbers in a group
More on Prowords
• When receiving formal traffic, the following prowords
-- preceded by “Say again” -- are used to ask for
clarificiation or repeats of missing words
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WORD AFTER
WORD BEFORE
BETWEEN
ALL AFTER
ALL BEFORE
Net Participants Guide
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Net Protocols
Tactical Callsigns
Initiating a Call
Completing a Call
Participating in a Net
Roles in a Net
Net Protocols
• Legal
– Legal requirements refer to:
• Identification
• Operation on frequencies within Amateur Service
– Also includes license priveleges
– FCC rules:
• Every ten minutes during a conversation and
• Last transmission
• Easy to forget this in the heat of handling traffic on a busy
net
– Easy way to deal with this:
• Identify as you complete an exchange
– Indicates to NCS that you consider the exchange complete
– Fulfills FCC requirements
Net Protocols
• Customary
– Normally used in long-standing non-emergency nets
• May include ID of both stations on each transmission
• Call of next station to talk
• Many others
– Best to just listen
• Protocol will be soon evident
– Remember the three rules:
• Listen
• Listen
• Listen
Tactical Callsigns
• Used to identify a location
– Independent of who is operating
• You can call a location without knowing the
operator’s callsign
• Some benefits:
– Accommodates shift changes easily
– When operators take breaks
– Breaks association of location and individual
• Do you answer a call from the sound of a person’s
voice, or by their identified location?
Tactical Callsigns
• When to use?
– Always use on emergency nets if there are more than
three participants
– Public service events when there is more than minimal
traffic
• How to use?
– Net control station can assign as locations check in
Tactical Callsigns
• Example
Aid station number one:
Net control :
Aid station number one:
Net control:
Aid station number one:
Medical station:
Aid station number one:
Medical station:
Aid station number one:
Net control:
“NET, AID ONE.” AID ONE is initiating a call on the net.
“AID ONE, go ahead.”
“This is AID ONE with traffic for MEDICAL.”
“AID ONE, acknowledged. Please call MEDICAL and pass
your traffic. NET, W5XB.”
“Thank you NET. MEDICAL, MEDICAL this is AID ONE.
Copy?”
“MEDICAL copies, please proceed.”
“MEDICAL, we have a victim ….” AID ONE proceeds to pass
his traffic.
“MEDICAL copies, we will …. This is MEDICAL, KF6XYZ,
clear.” MEDICAL has acknowledged the traffic and
responds. He is done and signs his call.
“Thanks MEDICAL. This is AID ONE, WA6XAA, clear.” AID
ONE is also finished and signs his call, returning control of
the frequency back to the NCS.
“Is there any other traffic for the net? This is NET, W5XB.”
NCS has taken control of the frequency and the net, once
again. He has added his call as required by Part 97.
Tactical Callsigns
• Variations
Aid station number one:
“NET, AID ONE.” In an emergency on a busy net, this could be
stated more simply:
“AID ONE, emergency traffic.” Or:
“AID ONE, priority traffic.”
Aid station number one:
On a very busy net, AID ONE may take a little initiative to
speed up the process:
“AID ONE, traffic for MEDICAL.” Notice how this has reduced
the volume of data being exchanged. Less bandwidth is
used.
Initiating a Call
• Use tactical calls where applicable and practical
– Keep the call short and concise as in the examples
– Depending on the nature of the traffic (emergency or
priority), notify the net control station precedence
– Use FCC callsigns where and when required
Completing a Call
• Fulfill the FCC identification rules by using your
callsign at the end of the exchange as in the
examples
• “AID ONE, WA6XAA, clear.”
– Fulfills the ID obligation
– Indicates to NCS that you are done
Participating in a Net
• Enjoy yourself - Amateur Radio public service is fun!
• Prepare your self. Are your batteries charged? Are
you on your best antenna for the frequency/repeater
you will be on? Do you have pencil paper and other
items you think you will need?
• Listen. If you are there at the start of a net or join one
in progress, LISTEN for several minutes before you
check in. NCS will announce/ask-for what they want.
Participating in a Net
• Follow NCS Instructions. NCS will ask for specific
people/categories-of-people as they are needed.
Follow instructions.
• Do not editorialize.
– "This is Phred in the North East portion of the county at
9300 feet where it is snowing, but it was sunny five
minutes ago when I came in from feeding the birds,
geese and hamsters, but its cold right now and it looks
like it could rain in the next day or so - just checking in"
– It is unnecessary AND unwanted. This ties up the net
and does nothing to add usable information. Check in
with your CALL. Add name and other information as
requested by NCS.
Participating in a Net
• Plan your transmission. If you have more information
than just your Name/Call then jot it down. You can, if
necessary, just read your note.
**** This promotes clear concise communication.
• Check in ONLY if you are going to be part of the net.
Do NOT check in as "in & out" or "for the count". You
are joining the net or you should only listen.
Participating in a Net
• Checking in with "This is" then a pause or unkey
followed by the call may work on a few nets, but
causes delays and potential problems on most. (Local
net option)
• Unless your transmission is longer than ten minutes,
you need only identify at the end of the
transmission/exchange of information.
• Let NCS know when you leave or if you need to leave
early. Do not go into details of why you need to leave.
• During an event, if the authorities ask you to move; do
so immediately and without comment, then notify the
NCS of your change in status as soon as you can.
Participating in a Net
• If an on-scene authority requests that you shut your
radio off, or that you not transmit, do what they ask
immediately and without question.
– This is one circumstance where you do not notify the
NCS of a change in your status. This deserves a little
explanation. This would normally occur only if there is
a presence of explosives or explosive chemicals or
vapors, and there is the possibility that a spark
producing electronic device is present which might be
triggered by an RF Signal.
Participating in a Net
• Be patient with the NCS. An NCS operator is under
high stress. His questions and requests should be
clear and crisp; but as he/she begins to tire, there
may be a tendency to become rather terse. Typically,
there is a whole lot going on at an NCS that the field
operators never know about.
Participating in a Net
• Hams are patriotic, independent people and they are
volunteers. The attitude among a few hams is that
'Volunteers don't have to take orders.'
• That's absolutely correct. We don't have to take
orders. But if you are not ready to follow
instructions, you may want to do something outside
of
• A.R.E.S./R.A.C.E.S.
Leaving a Net
• You will leave a net for one of three reasons:
– The location is closing
• If NCS has given you directions to close the location,
simply identify with your FCC issued call, the location
tactical call and the word "CLOSED". The NCS will tell you
if anything else is needed.
• If you are closing the location on orders of the served
agency, you will identify with your FCC issued call,
location tactical call and the phrase "location CLOSED per
(name of person - served agency identification)".
Leaving a Net
• You will leave a net for one of three reasons (cont’d):
– You need a break and there is no relief operator
• Tell NCS that "I will be away from the radio for (number of
minutes)” and end with "Tactical id, (your call)".
– You have turned the location over to another operator
• You will normally not need to tell NCS that you are
leaving. However if there are specific instructions from
NCS then follow those instructions.
Other “Tidbits”
• Don't over identify
– There is normally nothing that will expend more time,
needlessly, than over identification. Someone that uses
their FCC issued call in every transmission is usually a
person that is unsure of themselves or, worse yet,
someone that is more interested in having their call
known to everyone at the event. In the latter situation,
help them find work elsewhere.
– The FCC tells us that you need only identify at ten
minute intervals during a conversation (NOT during a
net unless you talk for more than ten minutes) and
during your last transmission.
– If you end each exchange with your call, that tells
everyone that you are of the opinion the exchange is
complete and you fulfill all FCC requirements.
Other “Tidbits”
• Write it down
– The easiest way to minimize what you say during a net
is to write down everything before you key the
microphone. Since very few of us like to write lengthy
notes, this will promote brevity.
• An excellent place to keep this information is in your
location log. This serves two purposes:
– You have a complete log of everything that came from
your location
– It will become very brief.
Roles in a net
• Net Control Station
– Station in charge of the net
– Responsibilities include:
• Control of who uses the frequency
• When stations may pass traffic
– Requirements:
• Commanding signal - clear and crisp with good audio
• NCS must keep track of resources on the net
– Who is located where
– Who has cleared the channel
• NCS must know each stations capabilities
– Can’t send HF traffic to a non-HF station
• Written log of ops
Net Control Station
• Backup resources
– Medium to large operations may warrant backup NCS
– May utilize a second “op” to maintain log
• Logging
– NCS should maintain a log of operations
• Log to, from and overview of message
• Some other ideas
– Instructions should be clear and concise, using as few
words as possible.
– Use tactical calls
• If others don’t follow your lead, recognize only those
stations that do (unless they have emergency traffic)
– Awareness of other nets and referrals
Roles in a Net
• Two types of NCS backup
– Local relief operator
– Offsite backup maintaining a duplicate log
• Used in the event of a Primary NCS failure
• Known to the net
• Operates with knowledge and consent of Primary NCS
• Bulletin Stations
– NCS moderates the use of the radio frequency
• NCS does not necessarily send out bulletins and other
incident information
– Bulletin stations obtain information authorized by the
served agency and relays it to the net frequency
• May be passed of-net to minimize disruption
• May be passed on a preset schedule, e.g., top of the hour
Roles in a Net
• Loggers
– Help keep NCS ops running smoothly by offloading
logging task
• Site Communicators
– Responsible to listen on the net
– Maintain contact with served agency people at the site
– Requirements:
• May produce “formal” traffic
• Should keep a log of activity
• Be responsive to the needs of the served agency people
– Use of two communicators at a site improves
productivity
Roles in a Net
• General Communicators
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Report to NCS when they are available
Ask clearance from NCS before using the frequency
Answer promptly when called by NCS
Use tactical call signs
Follow established net protocol
• Listeners
– During an emergency, the most helpful is one that
listens and stays quiet
– NCS doesn’t care that there are listeners, unless he
asks for additional assistance from listeners
Roles in a Net
• Liaison Stations
– Provide communications between two nets
• Generally limited to two nets to maintain good
communications
– Need two radios, with separate antennas
• Minimize interference
– Appointed by NCS or staffing officer
• Usually a trained operator
Quiz: Net Participation
• True or False:
– It’s OK to move off a net frequency without letting the
NCS know.
– The NCS can also function as the Bulletin Station
– NCS is best conducted with a handheld radio so as to
be more flexible.
– You should ID with your FCC callsign as often as
possible.
– NCS knows that you are available because you always
check into the weekly nets.
– “Second Ops” really slow down the process because
you always have to explain everything over to them.
Exercise:
Sending and Receiving Traffic
• Each of you SHOULD have created a practice
RADIOGRAM
• At this time, some of you will be appointed to “send”
your message.
– You will use the protocols established here
• The rest will copy the message.
– You may ask for fills or repeats if you have questions
– Request a fill using the techniques that have been
described
• Senders: Remember to pace your speech