Emergency Communications

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Emergency Communications

• Presented for
• Long Beach ARES/RACES
• by
• Dino Kitsios KF6ECO
• Dennis Kidder WA6NIA

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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

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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.

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Amateur Radios Role

• Support the emergency management community
• Amateur radio is NOT an emergency response team
• We dont provide first aid
• We dont transport victims
• We dont provide traffic control
• We dont 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?

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Why Amateur Radio Works

• Doesnt 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

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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

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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

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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

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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 keys

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 doesnt require EMO activation
• Any ARES member can activate the group

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RACES

• Requires amateur license
• Defined in FCC regs 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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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 dont 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!

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Communications Guidelines (continued)

• Its 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

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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

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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

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Communications is NOT

• A bunch of unstructured words
• Fill noise such as Aaaaaaahhhhhh
• Vindictive or argumentative

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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.

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Safety

• Personal safety considerations
• Your primary concern - dont 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!

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Safety (continued)

• Workmans Compensation Insurance
• DSW - Disaster Service Worker
• Similar to Workmans 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 Workmans Comp or DSW available?
• Do I proceed if none of the above?

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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 - dont 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. Dont forget the spare batteries!
• Use PTT rather than VOX
• For fixed ops, use a mobile radio and deep-cycle
  batteries with a good antenna

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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

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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