Radio Operators Certificate

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Radio Operators Certificate
Supporting Surfers Paradise SLSC 2004/2005 Surf
Lifesaving Club Help Program
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Agenda

• Why Radios?
• Whats in our network, where are they, who are
  they and what do they do?
• How do radios work?
• How to use a radio
• What to do when things go wrong
• Radio lingo
• Advising SurfCom what do we need to tell them
  and when?
• Emergencies the 3 Rs
• Missing People
• Ambulance Callout
• Shark Alarm
• Questions
• Practical
• Scenarios

3
Why Radios?

• Quick effective method of communication
• All informed network
• Free calls
• Easy to handle
• Easy to use

4
Whats in our Network?

• SurfCom
• Provide a quick and effective means of obtaining
  the necessary resources. They are the tasking
  authority and information source
• Lifesaver 5 Westpac Rescue Helicopter
• Beach fly overs and status reporting
• Difficult rescues and searches
• Jet Rescue Boats (1 and 2)
• Long haul patrolling outside normal patrolled
  areas
• Patient transport (mass rescues, etc)
• Vessel towing
• Rescue Water Craft (Waverunner 1, 3, 4, 5, 6)
• Short haul patrolling outside normal patrolled
  areas
• Close inshore operations
• Clubs
• Have control of their area of beach (Patrol
  Agreements)
• Duty Officer
• On site incident coordinator

5
Whats in our Network?

• Repeaters
• Channel 4 Primary Working channel
• Burleigh Water Tower
• Channel 5 Tweed region
• Razorback
• Channel 6 Emergency and Stand by channel
• Burleigh Water Tower
• Channel 7 Northern link
• Springbrook
• Channels 4, 5, 7 are Patched at SurfCom to join
  them together. All channels hear everything on
  every patched channel. They can be unpatched if
  required

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Whats in our Network

• Clubs
• Rainbow Bay in the South
• Point Lookout (North Stradbroke Island) in the
  North
• Branches
• Point Danger Branch
• South Coast Branch
• Multiple Stations
• At any 1 time, there can be up to 100 or more
  radios on the network
• Reduce unnecessary transmissions (use Simplex or
  phone) e.g. general communications, local events,
  etc
• Reduce unnecessary words (be to the point!)

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Where are they?

• SurfCom
• Miami Headland (next to North Burleigh)
• Lifesaver 5
• Carrara hanger
• Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Northern New South
  Wales
• Jet Boats
• Currumbin Boat shed
• Split the northern and southern regions
• Waverunners
• Waverunner 1 Kirra
• Waverunner 3 Tally
• Waverunner 4 Burleigh
• Waverunner 5 Broadbeach (early morning patrols)
• Waverunner 6 Southport

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Types of Radios within SLSQ

• UHF Ultra High Frequency
• What we use on the beach
• Line of sight and repeaters
• VHF Very High Frequency
• Used most commonly in marine operations
• SurfCom, Jet Boats and Lifesaver 5 use VHF
• Line of sight and repeaters

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How do radios work?

• Line of sight
• In a line projected as far as you can see
• Large obstacles stop the signal getting through
  (buildings, headlands, etc).
• Repeaters
• Normally high places with good line of sight to
  all areas of operation or coverage
• Allows transmission around obstacles
• Can be linked to extend the coverage area of the
  network

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How do radios work?

• Simplex
• 1 frequency for transmit and receive
• 2 tin cans and a piece of string! You pull it
  tight and move the can from your mouth to your
  ear.
• Duplex
• A separate frequency for transmit and a separate
  frequency for receive
• Needed when repeaters are used
• 4 tin cans and 2 pieces of string! The more
  advanced model!

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How to use a radio

• Think of what you want to say first!
• Use the 4Ps to describe a situation
• Position
• Problem
• People
• Progress
• Always use your flags as a bearing point
• E.g. 200m south of our southern flag
• Use the name of the station you are calling
  first, followed by your call sign
• E.g. SurfCom, Surfers Paradise

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How to use a radio

• Turn all the way on and back slightly
• Hold the radio in one hand do not let the
  antenna touch you
• If right handed, use 3 fingers
• If left handed, use thumb!
• Hold the radio around 10 cm from your face, just
  to the side
• Talk across the radio, not directly into it
• Think of what you want to say first
• Listen to hear if the channel is free before
  transmitting
• Press the PTT (Press to Talk/Transmit button) and
  hold in firmly
• Wait a second or so before talking
• Speak clearly, at normal volume, speed and pitch
• Release the PTT

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How to use a radio

• Never carry by the antenna
• Do not touch the antenna while transmitting
• Do not leave unattended, in the sun, sand or
  water. Moisture in a waterproof bag can cause the
  temperature to rise as high as 80oC.
• Do not put on charge if wet, dry first!
• Treat a radio the same as you would your mobile
  phone! They are very similar! Most radios cost
  between 500 and 1000!

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How to use a radio

• Charging
• Depends on age and type of radio battery
• Refer to manufacturers specifications
• Older Ni-Cad batteries need to be regularly
  discharged, then a trickle charge.
• Regular rapid charging causes a memory effect
  in older batteries
• Batteries should be replaced every 12 months

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When things go wrong

• If dropped in the water or suspected water damage
• Refer to Radio Procedures sheet
• You can receive but cannot transmit
• A radio requires more battery power to transmit
  than it does to receive. It may have just enough
  battery power for receiving only (like a mobile
  phone)
• Turn off and put on charge or swap batteries
• Check the radio once charged to make sure the
  radio is OK

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When things go wrong

• You havent heard anything for a long time
• Check if the radio is switched on
• Check if the battery is charged
• Use the radio and ask for a radio check
• Put on charge and replace if flat

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When things go wrong

• You can hear people talking like they are
  chatting in the background or background noise
• Check all radios to make sure no one is holding
  down a PTT
• Check all radios to see if you have a jammer

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When things go wrong

• Jammers
• Occurs when a radio is stuck on transmit
• All stations will hear what the microphone is
  hearing
• Try talking into each radio in turn without using
  the PTT and see if you can hear yourself
• Bring 2 radios together. If one is jamming you
  will hear a screeching sound (feedback)

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Jammers

• Turn off the offending radio
• Turn back on and perform a radio check
• If radio jams again
• Turn off
• Remove from service
• Advise SurfCom
• Report to Radio Officer
• Have radio serviced by a technician

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Radio Lingo

• ANI
• Automatic Number Identification
• Each radio has a unique identifying number
• SurfCom (and enabled Services and Clubs) can tell
  who is transmitting
• Its the funny noise at the end of the
  transmission when the PTT is released

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Radio Lingo

• GPS
• Global Positioning System
• Gives accurate position of the craft and
  displayed on a map at SurfCom after each
  transmission
• The crackly noise at the end of a Jet Boat
  transmission

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Radio Lingo

• General Operations
• Never use the words, requesting, please, thank
  you, can I have, copy, receiving, etc.
• They are extra words that take time and arent
  necessary
• Follow the standard vocabulary so everyone is
  talking the same language!
• Requesting
• Do not use
• When you ask for something, it is implied that
  you are requesting it. Unnecessary words and air
  time!

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Radio Lingo

• Say again
• Used when you did not understand or hear the last
  transmission
• Dont use Repeat ask them to Say again
• I say again
• Repeating your last transmission
• Used when a station asks you to Say again
• Correction
• I made an error in my transmission, the correct
  details are

24
Radio Lingo

• Roger
• I received and understood the details of your
  last transmission
• Affirmative
• Yes
• Permission granted
• Negative
• I dont understand
• No

25
Radio Lingo

• Go Ahead
• I know who you are, proceed with your
  transmission
• Standby
• In the process of getting ready, collecting more
  information or busy.
• Wait until asked to proceed
• Acknowledge
• Let me know my last transmission was understood

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Radio Lingo

• Wilco
• I understand and WILl COmply
• Over
• I have finished what I was saying, waiting for a
  reply
• Not normally necessary as you can tell by what
  they say and how they say it
• Out
• I have finished what I saying and do not expect a
  reply

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Radio Lingo

• Readability Scale
• 5 - perfect, loud and clear
• 4 - good, distortion or noise, low audio, etc
• 3 - average, difficulty understanding
• 2 - very poor, unreadable at times
• 1 - unreadable
• or
• Nothing heard - as it implies!

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Radio Lingo

• Radio Check How do you read?
• SurfCom, Surfers Paradise IRB, Radio check
• Surfers Paradise IRB, SurfCom, reading you 5 how
  do you read?
• SurfCom, reading you 5, out

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Advising SurfCom

• All incidents that are outside normal operations
• shark, beach status or change, equipment status
  or change, dolphins, whales, turtles, stingers
  all incidents outside of normal operations. They
  may or may not require assistance
• Rescues (in progress, complete and not requiring
  any assistance)
• Report as unfolding
• Allows Patrol Captain to continue with the
  situation while SurfCom arranges assistance

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Advising SurfCom

• All transmissions are automatically voice logged
• Information collected and updated is used to help
  move resources to required areas, not spy or
  catch anyone out
• Having accurate status, information, position,
  etc helps keep our members safe!
• The Patrol Captain is always responsible for
  their beach
• SurfCom will arrange the necessary resources and
  information and interact with other services on
  the beachs behalf
• The Duty Officer will assist the Patrol where
  required (a friendly helping hand)
• The Duty Officer will take over co-ordination
  only in multiple incident events

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Rescues

• Use the 4Ps
• What equipment was used in the rescue
• Gender, Age and nationality of patient(s)
• Any visible or suspected injuries
• Further assistance required (oxy, first aid,
  ambulance, etc)

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Emergencies 3 Rs

• Rescue, Rescue, Rescue
• Used when there is an immanent risk for loss of
  life, medical emergency, rescue requiring urgent
  and immediate assistance
• Need to clear the network
• Make sure there is no one transmitting
• Press and hold the PTT, wait a second
• SurfCom, Surfers Paradise, Rescue, Rescue, Rescue
• Wait for acknowledgment
• Detail situation (4Ps), task required resources
• All stations must remain silent unless they have
  another Rescue, Rescue, Rescue.

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Missing People

• Have one person gather all the information. Do
  not have multiple people asking questions
• Pass this on to SurfCom and patrol members in one
  go
• Keep the person reporting with the patrol. If
  they insist on helping, send a patrol member with
  them with a radio!
• Get the most accurate description you can
• Name (not full name), age, description, medial
  conditions, can they swim, are they here with
  anyone else, where were they last seen, how long
  ago, etc
• When found, advise all searching parties and
  ensure missing person is reunited with the
  reporter

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Ambulance Callout

• Type of injury
• Are they conscious
• Are they breathing
• Progress (what you are doing or have done)
• If you have beach access (required beach or road
  ambulance)
• Always have a member in full uniform waiting at
  the First Aid room to direct the ambulance

35
Shark Alarm

• If a member of the public rings up and reports a
  shark (or any incident) get as much information
  as possible about them and the incident. Ask
  them to stay on the line as they can help direct
  craft to the location, with you relaying the
  information. This also reduces the chance of
  hoaxes
• Give as much detail as possible when reporting to
  SurfCom
• Location, distance from shore, direction heading,
  etc
• Closing the beach
• In the process of clearing all people from the
  water
• Shark alarm sounding
• Shark flag flying in tower
• Beach Closed
• All people are clear from the water
• Flags are dropped

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Questions?
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Practical Radio Use

• Turn a radio on
• Adjust volume
• Select a different channel
• Identify PTT
• Transmit
• Select primary operating channel
• User programmable buttons
• Remove battery

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Practical Waterproofing

• Load and unload a radio into a waterproof bag
• Check bag for leaks or holes
• Simulate water penetration procedure
• Return equipment to radio room and store correctly

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Practical IRB Harness

• Load a waterproofed radio into an IRB harness
• Check radio is secured correctly
• Adjust harness to suit correct size and position
• Transmit and receive with harness in place

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Practical - Charging

• Prepare radios for charging depending on the type
  of battery and charger e.g.
• Leave off charger, radio switched on, flatten
  battery
• Turn off and place on charge
• Turn chargers on/off
• Troubleshoot a radio that is not charging
  correctly based on the charger status

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Scenarios - Rescue

• Tower sees 3 swimmers 200 metres south of
  southern flag caught in a rip
• Tower needs to advise patrol captain
• Patrol captain advises IRB and SurfCom
•  
• SurfCom acknowledges rescue in progress and
  stands by for more details
•  
• When returned to shore, 1 patient required oxygen
  therapy. No further assistance required

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Scenarios Patrol Status

• 30 in the water, 500 on the beach
• IRB and 3 drivers
• 5 members
• 4WD and ATV
• 5 radios

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Scenarios Rescue Completed

• No further assistance required
• Rescued by tube
• 50 metres out, 20 metres south
• Male
• 42 years old