1991 RACES Bulletins
RACESBUL.151 - DATE: Jan. 7, 1991
SUBJECT: HIGH FREQUENCY ANTENNA SURVIVAL TIP
The following was submitted to us by Patricia Gibbons, WA6UBE, City of San Jose Communications:
"I made a trip to Berkeley to visit the shop manager for a facility run by Mackay Radio -- they maintain marine communications gear on the larger craft operated by American and foreign shipping lines. I wanted to get the correct part numbers to make up a wire antenna for our EOC just like those on board ship that go between the masts, complete with what are called 'safety links'. These are special sections of wire that are weaker then the antenna line itself and has a heavier, longer wire in parallel with the weaker wire. The purpose on a ship is to allow the weak link to break in a heavy storm. This allows additional slack in the antenna wire so that the entire antenna will survive instead of it all coming down. This concept is ideal for our communications center because we have two large monopoles to support the various microwave and various VHF/UHF antennas for our city government frequencies. So if this High Frequency wire antenna will go between the two poles, and if they sway a lot in en earthquake, the weak lines will break instead of the entire antenna system and thereby survive when it will be needed the most!!!"
RACESBUL.152 - DATE: Jan. 14, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 1/5
There has been what can be called more than somewhat mild excitement in Northern California emergency communications circles over a form of high frequency radio propagation. It's not new, but I venture to say that very few have used and understood it. "It" is called NVIS -- Near Vertical Incident Skywave. Patricia Gibbons, WA6UBE, presented a paper on NVIS at the 1990 Pacific Division ARRL convention in San Jose. It caused quite a stir. She quickly ran out of handouts and has since received dozens of requests for more. The handouts included reprints of articles from military communications magazines reporting the results of many tests. Near vertical incident skywave means forcing your radio signals to travel straight up (i.e., 80-90 degrees) and back down. This achieves radio coverage in circle having a radius of 300 miles and more. Stop and think about that for a moment. Complete coverage within such a circle on frequencies between 2 and 10 or 12 Megahertz. Some readers may wonder what's so good about this. So now is a good spot to say that if only DX (long distance) is your thing, skip on and read one of the other fine articles in this publication. We are talking about dependable local area high frequency communications -- the type we need for tactical public safety communications in the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, the Civil Air Patrol, SECURE, search and rescue, forestry, pipeline and similar services. In tactical communications we don't want DX.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.153 - DATE: JAN. 21, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 2/5
How frustrating it was in years gone by to drive away from, say, a 4585 KHz base station, only to lose a good 400 watt signal a mile from the transmitter! All the while receiving, loud and clear, a 50 watt transmitter some 200 miles away. Very frustrating. We really didn't know why. When VHF-FM radios and repeaters came along, most of us retired HF mobile radios for tactical communications. The reasons we haven't enjoyed good HF tactical communications, whether AM or SSB, have been the base and mobile antennas. The classic dipoles, a quarter to a half wave up in the air. The mobile antennas, designed for use by Amateur Radio operators, have the same general propagation characteristics -- low take off angle for DX. Virtually every Amateur Radio mobile HF antenna is unsuitable for day-to-day tactical communications. They are variously bulky, mechanically weak, won't survive continual whacks from limbs and low overheads, look like Neptune's trident or a misshapen coat rack. They may be fine for hobby communications but not for tactical public safety use. In that type of service we want one, simple antenna that is permanently installed and we don't have to think about or fuss with again. So how do we achieve NVIS? By getting those sky hooks down near the ground. Let's start with the base station antenna. Horizontal, of course. Dipole or long wire. Place the antenna as low as two feet above the ground but no higher than about thirty feet without a counterpoise. Use an appropriate and sturdy antenna tuner; you will use the one antenna for all frequencies between 2-12 MHz. A longwire antenna is suitable in field setups but not recommended on office buildings or other urban environments. The reason is that unbalanced antennas frequently create interference problems with telephones and other communications and electronic equipment. These problems are substantially reduced or eliminated with a balanced antenna system.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.154 - DATE: Jan. 28, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 3/5
The antenna tuner of preference is one that is automatic. Such tuners are available now hat do not require any control cables; they require only the coaxial transmission line from the transceiver and a 12 volt DC cable. The tuner is placed at the far end of the coaxial cable. There are then two basic options: a longwire or a balanced (dipole) antenna. The longwire can be any length -- the longer the better to approach the lowest operating frequency. A very good ground connection is necessary and often quite difficult to obtain on a rooftop. (When we are talking about running ground connections we mean the shortest possible runs of 2 to 3 inch copper strap -- never wire or braid.) For a balanced antenna, you can place a 4:1 balun on the output of the antenna tuner, thence to a 450 ohm feedline to the dipole antenna. Any NVIS antenna can be enhanced with a ground along the surface that is 5% longer than the antenna and separated by .15 wavelength at the lowest frequency to be used. For the HF-SSB mobile radio, a sixteen-foot whip is probably the best. Such a whip may be both costly and difficult to find. For NVIS, the antenna is used folded down, both in motion and at rest. That's right, it is not released to go vertical. Most us use the heavy duty ball joint mount, heavy duty spring, and readily available 106 inch whip. To further improve the NVIS propagation at rest, the mobile whip is adjusted to go parallel to the ground and away from the vehicle. A further enhancement is to remove the whip and run out a longwire 30, 50, 100 feet long. Patricia Gibbons carries orange traffic cones, about 18 inches tall, and notched at the top to lay the antenna wire away from the vehicle.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.155 - DATE: Feb. 4, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 4/5
The Russian military have been using NVIS antennas on their vehicles for quite some time. They appear to be about 4 meters long and about six inches above the top surface of the vehicle. At least one American manufacturer makes an NVIS antenna for both military and civilian vehicles. On a van it looks no more obtrusive than a luggage rack. The automatic antenna tuner is located in the rear of the vehicle and as close as possible to the mobile antenna feedpoint. An HF-SSB mobile radio was recently installed in one of our State Office of Emergency Services trucks. The installer and the vehicle were 80 airline miles away and the time was about 2 p.m. In the State SECURE (State Emergency Capability Using Radio Effectively) system this calls for using a 7 MHz channel. We established contact; the mobile signal was received here in Sacramento at about S5 to S6. I then asked him to loosen the ball mount, flop the antenna down horizontal and away from the truck. I could tell by the pause and tone of his voice that he thought I had lost it. When he returned to the air his signal jumped to S9. By the same token he thought I had cut in a linear amplifier because of the improvement to my signal. I assured him that the improvement was due solely to his flopping his antenna horizontal. You need not be concerned over the orientation of an NVIS antenna; it is omnidirectional.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.156 - DATE: Feb. 11, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 5/5
Every Monday night from 7-8 p.m. we conduct a State RACES net on 3545.5 kHz using AMTOR. One night the net was concluded and secured. While the hams were cleaning up one of them noticed that we were being called; there it was on the screen. But it belied the loudspeaker; there were no discernible AMTOR signals -- only a high noise level. Yet, there was that station, WA6UBE, calling us at W6HIR. Yes, it was Patricia Gibbons proving an NVIS point again! She was transmitting to us from 82 miles away with an antenna lying on the ground along her driveway and using 3 watts of power! On another statewide evening RACES net, our Monday night 8 p.m. 3952 kHz voice net, Bill Pennington (WA6SLA) compared two antennas. One was a vertical and the other was a horizontal quite close to the ground. His observations were interesting and typical of NVIS propagation. Almost all of the signals received on the vertical were higher in voltage than the NVIS antenna but, be that as it may, the signal to noise ratio is superior with the NVIS antenna. The noise floor is measurably lower on the lower antenna, thereby providing better overall communications. I heard more than one Amateur say, after listening to Gibbons' NVIS presentation and subsequent demonstrations, decide to jump back into HF-SSB mobile radio again. These people, like I, are interested primarily in the mobile tactical public safety communication applications.
There is an easy method to improve the NVIS radiation of your dipole antenna. Let the feedpoint sag five to ten feet below the horizontal. This will alter the radiation to improve the vertical angle to achieve an approximate 2 dB improvement at no cost. Many are excited about an old but little understood and practiced means of HF radiation. If you need it, try it. You'll like it.
RACESBUL.157 - DATE: Feb. 18, 1991
SUBJECT: RACES BULLETIN INDEX - PART 7
1 9 8 7
SUBJECT: HIGH FREQUENCY ANTENNA SURVIVAL TIP
The following was submitted to us by Patricia Gibbons, WA6UBE, City of San Jose Communications:
"I made a trip to Berkeley to visit the shop manager for a facility run by Mackay Radio -- they maintain marine communications gear on the larger craft operated by American and foreign shipping lines. I wanted to get the correct part numbers to make up a wire antenna for our EOC just like those on board ship that go between the masts, complete with what are called 'safety links'. These are special sections of wire that are weaker then the antenna line itself and has a heavier, longer wire in parallel with the weaker wire. The purpose on a ship is to allow the weak link to break in a heavy storm. This allows additional slack in the antenna wire so that the entire antenna will survive instead of it all coming down. This concept is ideal for our communications center because we have two large monopoles to support the various microwave and various VHF/UHF antennas for our city government frequencies. So if this High Frequency wire antenna will go between the two poles, and if they sway a lot in en earthquake, the weak lines will break instead of the entire antenna system and thereby survive when it will be needed the most!!!"
RACESBUL.152 - DATE: Jan. 14, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 1/5
There has been what can be called more than somewhat mild excitement in Northern California emergency communications circles over a form of high frequency radio propagation. It's not new, but I venture to say that very few have used and understood it. "It" is called NVIS -- Near Vertical Incident Skywave. Patricia Gibbons, WA6UBE, presented a paper on NVIS at the 1990 Pacific Division ARRL convention in San Jose. It caused quite a stir. She quickly ran out of handouts and has since received dozens of requests for more. The handouts included reprints of articles from military communications magazines reporting the results of many tests. Near vertical incident skywave means forcing your radio signals to travel straight up (i.e., 80-90 degrees) and back down. This achieves radio coverage in circle having a radius of 300 miles and more. Stop and think about that for a moment. Complete coverage within such a circle on frequencies between 2 and 10 or 12 Megahertz. Some readers may wonder what's so good about this. So now is a good spot to say that if only DX (long distance) is your thing, skip on and read one of the other fine articles in this publication. We are talking about dependable local area high frequency communications -- the type we need for tactical public safety communications in the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, the Civil Air Patrol, SECURE, search and rescue, forestry, pipeline and similar services. In tactical communications we don't want DX.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.153 - DATE: JAN. 21, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 2/5
How frustrating it was in years gone by to drive away from, say, a 4585 KHz base station, only to lose a good 400 watt signal a mile from the transmitter! All the while receiving, loud and clear, a 50 watt transmitter some 200 miles away. Very frustrating. We really didn't know why. When VHF-FM radios and repeaters came along, most of us retired HF mobile radios for tactical communications. The reasons we haven't enjoyed good HF tactical communications, whether AM or SSB, have been the base and mobile antennas. The classic dipoles, a quarter to a half wave up in the air. The mobile antennas, designed for use by Amateur Radio operators, have the same general propagation characteristics -- low take off angle for DX. Virtually every Amateur Radio mobile HF antenna is unsuitable for day-to-day tactical communications. They are variously bulky, mechanically weak, won't survive continual whacks from limbs and low overheads, look like Neptune's trident or a misshapen coat rack. They may be fine for hobby communications but not for tactical public safety use. In that type of service we want one, simple antenna that is permanently installed and we don't have to think about or fuss with again. So how do we achieve NVIS? By getting those sky hooks down near the ground. Let's start with the base station antenna. Horizontal, of course. Dipole or long wire. Place the antenna as low as two feet above the ground but no higher than about thirty feet without a counterpoise. Use an appropriate and sturdy antenna tuner; you will use the one antenna for all frequencies between 2-12 MHz. A longwire antenna is suitable in field setups but not recommended on office buildings or other urban environments. The reason is that unbalanced antennas frequently create interference problems with telephones and other communications and electronic equipment. These problems are substantially reduced or eliminated with a balanced antenna system.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.154 - DATE: Jan. 28, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 3/5
The antenna tuner of preference is one that is automatic. Such tuners are available now hat do not require any control cables; they require only the coaxial transmission line from the transceiver and a 12 volt DC cable. The tuner is placed at the far end of the coaxial cable. There are then two basic options: a longwire or a balanced (dipole) antenna. The longwire can be any length -- the longer the better to approach the lowest operating frequency. A very good ground connection is necessary and often quite difficult to obtain on a rooftop. (When we are talking about running ground connections we mean the shortest possible runs of 2 to 3 inch copper strap -- never wire or braid.) For a balanced antenna, you can place a 4:1 balun on the output of the antenna tuner, thence to a 450 ohm feedline to the dipole antenna. Any NVIS antenna can be enhanced with a ground along the surface that is 5% longer than the antenna and separated by .15 wavelength at the lowest frequency to be used. For the HF-SSB mobile radio, a sixteen-foot whip is probably the best. Such a whip may be both costly and difficult to find. For NVIS, the antenna is used folded down, both in motion and at rest. That's right, it is not released to go vertical. Most us use the heavy duty ball joint mount, heavy duty spring, and readily available 106 inch whip. To further improve the NVIS propagation at rest, the mobile whip is adjusted to go parallel to the ground and away from the vehicle. A further enhancement is to remove the whip and run out a longwire 30, 50, 100 feet long. Patricia Gibbons carries orange traffic cones, about 18 inches tall, and notched at the top to lay the antenna wire away from the vehicle.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.155 - DATE: Feb. 4, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 4/5
The Russian military have been using NVIS antennas on their vehicles for quite some time. They appear to be about 4 meters long and about six inches above the top surface of the vehicle. At least one American manufacturer makes an NVIS antenna for both military and civilian vehicles. On a van it looks no more obtrusive than a luggage rack. The automatic antenna tuner is located in the rear of the vehicle and as close as possible to the mobile antenna feedpoint. An HF-SSB mobile radio was recently installed in one of our State Office of Emergency Services trucks. The installer and the vehicle were 80 airline miles away and the time was about 2 p.m. In the State SECURE (State Emergency Capability Using Radio Effectively) system this calls for using a 7 MHz channel. We established contact; the mobile signal was received here in Sacramento at about S5 to S6. I then asked him to loosen the ball mount, flop the antenna down horizontal and away from the truck. I could tell by the pause and tone of his voice that he thought I had lost it. When he returned to the air his signal jumped to S9. By the same token he thought I had cut in a linear amplifier because of the improvement to my signal. I assured him that the improvement was due solely to his flopping his antenna horizontal. You need not be concerned over the orientation of an NVIS antenna; it is omnidirectional.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.156 - DATE: Feb. 11, 1991
SUBJECT: NVIS ANTENNAS - PART 5/5
Every Monday night from 7-8 p.m. we conduct a State RACES net on 3545.5 kHz using AMTOR. One night the net was concluded and secured. While the hams were cleaning up one of them noticed that we were being called; there it was on the screen. But it belied the loudspeaker; there were no discernible AMTOR signals -- only a high noise level. Yet, there was that station, WA6UBE, calling us at W6HIR. Yes, it was Patricia Gibbons proving an NVIS point again! She was transmitting to us from 82 miles away with an antenna lying on the ground along her driveway and using 3 watts of power! On another statewide evening RACES net, our Monday night 8 p.m. 3952 kHz voice net, Bill Pennington (WA6SLA) compared two antennas. One was a vertical and the other was a horizontal quite close to the ground. His observations were interesting and typical of NVIS propagation. Almost all of the signals received on the vertical were higher in voltage than the NVIS antenna but, be that as it may, the signal to noise ratio is superior with the NVIS antenna. The noise floor is measurably lower on the lower antenna, thereby providing better overall communications. I heard more than one Amateur say, after listening to Gibbons' NVIS presentation and subsequent demonstrations, decide to jump back into HF-SSB mobile radio again. These people, like I, are interested primarily in the mobile tactical public safety communication applications.
There is an easy method to improve the NVIS radiation of your dipole antenna. Let the feedpoint sag five to ten feet below the horizontal. This will alter the radiation to improve the vertical angle to achieve an approximate 2 dB improvement at no cost. Many are excited about an old but little understood and practiced means of HF radiation. If you need it, try it. You'll like it.
RACESBUL.157 - DATE: Feb. 18, 1991
SUBJECT: RACES BULLETIN INDEX - PART 7
1 9 8 7
Number | Title |
701 | Equipment Liability - Questions and Answers |
702 | Mono County Hams Wanted |
703 | County RACES Officers |
704 | RACES pamphlets |
705 | News from State OES HQ RACES |
706 | Mailed Bulletins to be reduced |
707 | New State OES Region Manager is a ham (N6ECP) |
708 | Kings County goes RACES |
709 | National Dispatcher's Week |
710 | California dams |
711 | Emergency Management agency via ham radio |
The following six messages are specifically intended for all State and local OES employees in California: | |
712 | RACES program management problems - Part 1 |
713 | RACES program management problems - Part 2 |
714 | RACES program management problems - Part 3 |
715 | RACES program management problems - Part 4 |
716 | RACES program management problems - Part 5 |
717 | RACES program management problems - Part 6 |
718 | State RACES Plan cover errata - misspelling! |
719 | Volunteers deportment and appearance - Part 1 |
720 | Volunteers deportment and appearance - Part 2 |
721 | Delivering the message to your OES agency |
721A | Hams help wanted in Southern California! |
722 | Packet radio demonstations, how to do - Part 1 |
723 | Packet radio demonstations, how to do - Part 2 |
724 | Packet radio demonstations, how to do - Part 3 |
725 | Packet radio demonstations, how to do - Part 4 |
(The above 4 messages describe how best to successfully demonstrate packet radio to government entities and eliminate embarrassments and Murphy's Law) |
RACESBUL.158 - DATE: Feb. 25, 1991
SUBJECT: RACES BULLETIN INDEX - PART 8
SUBJECT: RACES BULLETIN INDEX - PART 8
Number | Title |
726 | Hurricanes, names for all the 1987 season |
727 | (missing) |
728 | Identification cards wanted (samples from any jurisdiction) |
729 | 1987 earthquake exercise - Part 1 |
730 | SAR City USA (Nov. 1987 seminar in Barstow, CA) |
731 | 1987 earthquake exercise - Part 2 |
732 | 1987 earthquake exercise - Part 3 |
733 | 1987 earthquake exercise - Part 4 |
734 | 1987 earthquake exercise - Part 5 |
736 | Definition of the RACES |
737 | CCDN and RACES Bulletins - Part 1 of 2 |
738 | CCDN and RACES Bulletins - Part 2 of 2 |
739 | Use of ID cards policy |
740 | Volunteers responding policy |
741 | Flow of communications; city to county to State |
742 | Training writeups wanted to share statewide |
743 | Will you attend the Emergency Response Institute '88? |
744 | Tsunami; definition and training discussion |
745 | ICS videotape (available from State OES PAO) |
746 | Season's Greetings from the State OES Director |
747 | RACES Bulletin numbering system to change |
RACESBUL.159 - DATE: March 4, 1991
SUBJECT: "RF-1" MICROWAVE VAN TAKES RACES "ABOVE THE CROWD"
Imagine a RACES communications van that can deliver 24 simultaneous voice or data circuits plus full duplex Amateur Television ("ATV") videoconferencing. Now add High Frequency, VHF and UHF radios -- both Amateur and Public Safety, a thirty foot pneumatic mast, on-board power generator, and four wheel drive! "Wonderful," you say? California State Office of Emergency Services Region 2 RACES calls it "RF-1".
In service since September 1990, RF-1 is the product of nearly a year's development by Region Two's Special Communications Assistance Team (SCAT) and the RACES.
RF-1 Project Coordinator Steve Cembura (N6GVI) led the team of Amateurs who designed and built the mobile 5.8 gigaHertz microwave system. This full-duplex link operates in both analog (video) and digital (T-carrier) modes. The system includes T-1 channel banks which combine up to 24 separate voice or data circuits on a single microwave signal.
SCAT Public Safety Radio Officer Dick Epting located the vehicle, a surplus Electronic News Gathering unit from San Francisco's television station KGO, and installed two-way radios and emergency equipment. Another San Francisco broadcaster, KPIX-TV, donated a broadcast quality color TV camera and other necessary video and audio gear.
RF-1 got its first field trial providing video and two-way radio communications for a major earthquake preparedness exercise in Solano County. It was displayed at the last Emergency Response Institute in San Ramon and at the opening of the new State OES Media Center in Sacramento. RF-1 is now Region Two's "first in" mobile communications resource for earthquakes and other disasters.
"RF-1 is more than just a comm van," says Region 2 RACES Coordinator Art Botterell. "All the technology wouldn't mean a thing without skilled operators. The RF-1 team put themselves on- call day and night to offer this unique public service."
RACESBUL.160 - DATE: March 11, 1991
SUBJECT: COMM MISSION FOR VOLUNTEERS - Part 1/2
QUESTION: How do we identify an emergency communications mission for the volunteers?
ANSWER: There is a planning tool in disaster management planning called a matrix. On one axis are all the many emergency functions that should be addressed by the agency and the jurisdiction. On the other axis is a list of all of the agencies and organizations involved in emergency response. For every function one agency has the primary responsibility. A letter "P" is written in that square. Then any other organization that has a support role should have an "S" entered in the appropriate block along the function axis.
By doing this you may well find new participation and missions that did not exist heretofore. Here are a few examples:
RACESBUL.161 - DATE: March 18, 1991
SUBJECT: COMM MISSION FOR VOLUNTEERS - Part 2/2
RACESBUL.162 - DATE: March 25, 1991
SUBJECT: HOW DOES ONE JOIN THE RACES?
QUESTION: How do I join a RACES unit?
ANSWER: Contact your nearest civil defense or emergency management agency. The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service is a part of a municipal, county, or state government. This does not mean, however, that every such government has a RACES program. If your government does not have a RACES, we hope you refer any interested caller to the nearest jurisdiction that does have a RACES.
QUESTION: For "Level A" RACES persons, what kind of training should we, the local government, give them?
ANSWER: This varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. One thing the RACES is not is to train operators from scratch. We assume that person brings to the job one or more skills. The government should train and provide handouts on that which the volunteer would not normally get. For starters we recommend the following:
RACESBUL.163 - DATE: April 1, 1991
SUBJECT: WHAT ABOUT CITIZENS BAND?
QUESTION: You usually talk about Amateur Radio, the Civil Air Patrol, and public safety radio services in your Bulletins. Isn't Citizens Band radio viable anymore in emergency services agencies?
ANSWER: Yes, in some areas. Because it is short range and local in nature, CB radio is best suited to city and county communications. Like any other volunteer service this can vary from area to area. In many areas the REACT or Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team organization is a highly developed, dedicated and professional group that is a pleasure to work with and a credit to the community. CB radio now also includes the GMRS or General Mobile Radio Service. More and more REACT organizations are using GMRS. This enables a professional quality base, mobile and repeater operation in the UHF-FM band.
A CB radio should be part of any city and county Emergency Operations Center even if there is no organized or dependable CB radio organization. It can be an immediate source of information or reports in some instances. It is an inexpensive communications resource that should not be overlooked in any local area Emergency Operations Center.
RACESBUL.164 - DATE: April 8, 1991
SUBJECT: HOW COMM VOLUNTEERS CAN BE USED - Part 1/2
QUESTION: I am new at using volunteers in our government. How can I use volunteers in communications?
ANSWER: Some assignment skills for your unpaid professional communication specialists in government service are:
RACESBUL.165 - DATE: April 15, 1991
SUBJECT: HOW COMM VOLUNTEERS CAN BE USED - Part 2/2
This has unfortunately not been the case during the past five years of most of the major state and federal forest fire operations in California. This could be attributed to growing pains because the use of volunteer communications was virtually unknown by the federal government and for less than ten years among a few state units. We strongly recommend that the federal or state Comm Unit Leader assure in the future that there be a volunteer Comm Unit Leader who will work where he works throughout the incident. This can eliminate the confusion and problems that do and will arise, no matter how well the volunteers have served in the past. Volunteers must not be allowed to function without tight coordination, direction and control from those they are serving. State and federal wildfire suppression organizations are urged to amend their ICS checklist for their Comm Unit Leader to include establishing a volunteer Comm Unit Leader that works for and with the principal position. As we enter the fifth year of drought in the West, it behooves us all to preplan, organize, train and stand ready more than ever before. The threat grows as the budgets shrink. Our agency knows that there are volunteers and there are volunteers. We recruit, train and promote the use of those we call unpaid professional communications specialists. We recognize that there are volunteers who can be defined as self serving or loose canons; they are not of concern because they don't have to be recruited and they can be dismissed. No government agency should be the least bit reluctant to do the latter. A major portion of our volunteer management orientation is spent on this aspect of not being reluctant to select and reject.
This message has been prepared by several paid and unpaid professionals. Your comments and input are invited.
RACESBUL.166 - DATE: April 22, 1991
SUBJECT: How to help your Radio Officer
You emergency management agency managers frequently ask what your Radio Officer should know. Many of the subjects have been covered in past Bulletins. Several Radio Officers have recently suggested the importance of their knowing about, understanding, and cooperating with the other public safety communications managers in your government. This will help to enable your volunteer communications resources to fit it in better than if they are held aside as a last resort, when all else fails, or a doomsday resource. Such RACES units usually fade away not too long after being organized. If they are an outside group, they may not be equipped with adequate training and preconditioning from you and your jurisdiction. Any volunteer is only as good as the training he or she seeks and receives. We have heard from many Radio Officers who support the premise that they are of more value when they gain an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the public safety communications systems in their area. They are encouraged to become members of their local Associated Public- Safety Communications Officers chapter. Some jurisdictions pay the APCO dues for their RACES Radio Officer and broaden the scope of their duties to include all volunteer communications services. We know of several people who have entered the public safety career field in this manner.
RACESBUL.167 - SUBJECT: Equipment for emergency responders - 1/5
DATE: April 29, 1991
(About the author: Les Ballinger, WA6EQQ, is a veteran emergency services responder in planning, setting up, and operating temp- orary communications in the field for emergency services, forestry, the Red Cross and other agencies. He is a recognized expert in field response and all facets of Amateur Radio commun- ications. He is employed by the California Department of Trans- portation and is the State OES HQ Auxiliary Radio Services station manager. ---KH6GBX)
There are some items that should be carried in the field or out to a highway if an incident takes place and we are called out to provide communications. There are certain items that need to be carried at all times on one's person and other items that should be immediately available.
Our state safety orders require anyone working on or near a highway wear a safety vest, hard hat, safety glasses, and shoes or boots of sturdy design. The footwear should have traction type soles for solid footing on slick, uneven surfaces such as mud, snow, grass, and pine needles. One trade name, for example, is "Vibram", sometimes called "waffle stompers".
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.168 - SUBJECT: COMM RESOURCES ORDER FORM
DATE: May 6, 1991
Reference Bulletins 146 and 147 on this subject, the use of this form perhaps needs clarification after reading the following in an Amateur Radio club monthly publication: "Ye editor begs to differ in one respect. In the fire, my ARES jacket and hat and Sheriff's ID card passed me through all roadblocks. There wasn't time for the nicety of getting such a form nor handing it to a roadblock official to read! Bulletin 147 lists 25 items of The Form, most of which it seems would become outdated at the first shift of resources and far better covered by training, experience and Net Control! Oh well."
We agree with what that newsletter editor had to say because he is correct when viewed from a strictly local perspective. Note that he mentioned the use of a Sheriff's ID card and not a non- government ID card. Good! The purpose of the communications resources order form is when resources are brought in under the mutual aid system where fire suppression, law enforcement, comm- unications and other resources may be traveling hundreds of miles. It is not intended, of course, for local incidents. We regret any confusion that this form may have created.
RACESBUL.169 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 1/5
DATE: May 13, 1991
by: Lois Clark McCoy, WB6MME
My awareness of emergencies and disaster began at a very early age. I was born and brought up on an ocean-going 42 foot yawl and never lived ashore until I was eight years old. During those years my father taught my sister and me about emergencies and how to avoid disaster. Emergencies at sea were expected and prepared for. Disaster was to be avoided at all costs. As he said, "You only get to fall overboard once."
What's the difference between emergency and disaster? An emergency is when the resources available are inadequate to contain and recover from an event, but, in time of disaster, the American citizen volunteers to fill that shortfall in resources. The American tradition of volunteerism is one of a community's greatest strengths; the Amateur Radio family has a long history of disaster and emergency service.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.170 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 2/5
DATE: May 20, 1991
However, in the aftermath of a recent urban wildfire where the emergency response phase of the operation spanned only three hours, we found ourselves short of trained emergency responders. You notice that I said trained emergency responders. The wildfire was terrible, scary, and burned more people out of their homes than any other fire in the United States except the 1906 San Francisco fire. But it was only one canyon. It was only one day. Essentially, the emergency response was over in three hours. The mop-up took days and recovery is still going on. But as a disaster it was a short-lived event. Even so, we were running out of trained emergency communicators.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.171 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 3/5
DATE: May 27, 1991
As Amateur Radio operators who think yourselves capable communicators, many of you will volunteer when disaster strikes. I must tell you that in my experience you will be disappointed in your performance unless you train as an emergency radio operator. Without that needed disaster and team training you will not perform up to your expectations. The reason for your disappointment will be a physical one, one that training can minimize. It is that unexpected physical reaction to stress and sudden disaster that all experience -- astronauts as well as Amateur Radio operators. Astronauts train and train in order to make the time between the shock of the unexpected and the later recovery to trained action as short as possible. Firemen, policemen, and paramedics are so highly trained that after they've been years in their services they forget what their early days were like. They have shortened that gap between the unexpected incident and the trained reaction to become almost unnoticeable. One of the reasons for volunteers needing to shorten this momentary gap between shock and reasoned or trained reaction is that the body recovers ahead of the mind. Therefore, the body will react in senseless ways immediately after, unless the mind is trained to reason instantaneous control and to order the body to take trained action.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.172 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 4/5
DATE: June 3, 1991
I want a lot of you to sign up, to serve in a great or small capacity, and to get all the training you can. because, until you take this training, you won't understand how different the task is. It is much different, running a communications post, under stress, worried about your family, worried about your home or your neighbor's, worried about your own safety. Responding to emergencies is not what you normally do on a day-to-day routine. You do not normally put yourself in harm's way. This response will have a different feel, and until you can learn to focus, to concentrate all your energies on the emergency matter at hand, you will continue to be disappointed in your own performance under stress.
To successfully perform under stress takes training and spirit. I know you have spirit. You need training, and training is not something to be done once and forgotten. You need to train and keep training to concentrate and focus all your abilities on an emergency at hand.
(To be concluded)
RACESBUL.173 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 5/5
DATE: June 10, 1991
In the last analysis, coping with unexpected disaster does not so much test a community's advance state of preparedness as it does its reflexes -- those actions undertaken as a result of its training and readiness. This is the most persuasive argument for preplanning and training. So, rather than "falling overboard," let's dive in together, take the training, and be prepared for the unexpected. ---WB6MME
About the author: Lois Clark McCoy is a nationally recognized veteran emergency services/civil defense professional and search and rescue expert. She is in Santa Barbara, California.
---KH6GBX
RACESBUL.174 - SUBJECT: Equipment for Emergency Responders - 2/5
DATE: June 17, 1991
OTHER ITEMS TO CARRY OR WEAR:
Clothing to suit the weather or climate. If you wear eyeglasses be sure to carry an extra pair. Wear an accurate, rugged, and easy to read wrist watch.
If you have a handheld transceiver carry a battery pack that will hold double A alkaline batteries. Nicad battery packs need charging often and usually take hours and require 110 volts AC. Double A alkaline batteries are usually readily available and only take a few minutes to change. Keep your nicad pack with you for backup. Keep it in a container by itself or cover its terminals with tape; if they short out it can burn or explode.
Carry a speaker mike that can be clipped to your clothing where it can be easily heard and reached. Boom mikes work well if you like them but never, NEVER use VOX. If you are in a noisy environment they can key your transmitter and you may not know it. This could cripple communications and be potentially embarrassing.
Carry a police whistle. These are good attention getters and could be used in many ways. The handiest place for it is on a chain around your neck and placed under your shirt or blouse out of the way.
(By Les Ballinger, WA6EQQ. To be continued)
RACESBUL.175 - SUBJECT: Equipment for Emergency Responders - 3/5
DATE: June 24, 1991
SUBJECT: "RF-1" MICROWAVE VAN TAKES RACES "ABOVE THE CROWD"
Imagine a RACES communications van that can deliver 24 simultaneous voice or data circuits plus full duplex Amateur Television ("ATV") videoconferencing. Now add High Frequency, VHF and UHF radios -- both Amateur and Public Safety, a thirty foot pneumatic mast, on-board power generator, and four wheel drive! "Wonderful," you say? California State Office of Emergency Services Region 2 RACES calls it "RF-1".
In service since September 1990, RF-1 is the product of nearly a year's development by Region Two's Special Communications Assistance Team (SCAT) and the RACES.
RF-1 Project Coordinator Steve Cembura (N6GVI) led the team of Amateurs who designed and built the mobile 5.8 gigaHertz microwave system. This full-duplex link operates in both analog (video) and digital (T-carrier) modes. The system includes T-1 channel banks which combine up to 24 separate voice or data circuits on a single microwave signal.
SCAT Public Safety Radio Officer Dick Epting located the vehicle, a surplus Electronic News Gathering unit from San Francisco's television station KGO, and installed two-way radios and emergency equipment. Another San Francisco broadcaster, KPIX-TV, donated a broadcast quality color TV camera and other necessary video and audio gear.
RF-1 got its first field trial providing video and two-way radio communications for a major earthquake preparedness exercise in Solano County. It was displayed at the last Emergency Response Institute in San Ramon and at the opening of the new State OES Media Center in Sacramento. RF-1 is now Region Two's "first in" mobile communications resource for earthquakes and other disasters.
"RF-1 is more than just a comm van," says Region 2 RACES Coordinator Art Botterell. "All the technology wouldn't mean a thing without skilled operators. The RF-1 team put themselves on- call day and night to offer this unique public service."
RACESBUL.160 - DATE: March 11, 1991
SUBJECT: COMM MISSION FOR VOLUNTEERS - Part 1/2
QUESTION: How do we identify an emergency communications mission for the volunteers?
ANSWER: There is a planning tool in disaster management planning called a matrix. On one axis are all the many emergency functions that should be addressed by the agency and the jurisdiction. On the other axis is a list of all of the agencies and organizations involved in emergency response. For every function one agency has the primary responsibility. A letter "P" is written in that square. Then any other organization that has a support role should have an "S" entered in the appropriate block along the function axis.
By doing this you may well find new participation and missions that did not exist heretofore. Here are a few examples:
- Weather Warnings. The "P" or Primary is the National Weather Service. The "S" or Support services may be the emergency management agency, the fire department, the sheriff or police department, and the Emergency Broadcast System. Don't overlook the latter as one of your organizations unless, of course, it doesn't exist.
- Rescue. The Primary is usually the fire department. Support role agencies may include public works, Explorer Scouts, search and rescue units and others.
RACESBUL.161 - DATE: March 18, 1991
SUBJECT: COMM MISSION FOR VOLUNTEERS - Part 2/2
- Communications. Since this is an emergency communications planning matrix, the P for Primary is the local emergency management agency. Support roles may typically be provided by sheriff or police, fire, public works, the telephone company, cellular telephone utilities, the Civil Air Patrol and others with whom you interface in the emergency operations center. Note that I did not say RACES. That is because the RACES is not a separate or outside organization; it is a unit of the emergency management agency. The Civil Air Patrol, on the other hand, IS an outside agency. Do you have the RACES in your government? Have you looked into the CAP communications capabilities?
RACESBUL.162 - DATE: March 25, 1991
SUBJECT: HOW DOES ONE JOIN THE RACES?
QUESTION: How do I join a RACES unit?
ANSWER: Contact your nearest civil defense or emergency management agency. The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service is a part of a municipal, county, or state government. This does not mean, however, that every such government has a RACES program. If your government does not have a RACES, we hope you refer any interested caller to the nearest jurisdiction that does have a RACES.
QUESTION: For "Level A" RACES persons, what kind of training should we, the local government, give them?
ANSWER: This varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. One thing the RACES is not is to train operators from scratch. We assume that person brings to the job one or more skills. The government should train and provide handouts on that which the volunteer would not normally get. For starters we recommend the following:
- An agency organization chart.
- Position descriptions, starting with the Radio Officer.
- The mission of the emergency communications service, including the RACES.
- The Incident Command System. If the ICS is used, the volunteer communicators in government service must understand it.
- Concentrate of the use of tactical callsigns and plain English.
- Mission specific training. In other words, those people support a hazard materials incident in the field must have suitable hazmat training before hand. The same applies to wild fire communications, flood gauge reporting, and similar potentially hazardous operations.
- Housekeeping rules and standard operating procedures.
- Safety, personal and family preparedness.
RACESBUL.163 - DATE: April 1, 1991
SUBJECT: WHAT ABOUT CITIZENS BAND?
QUESTION: You usually talk about Amateur Radio, the Civil Air Patrol, and public safety radio services in your Bulletins. Isn't Citizens Band radio viable anymore in emergency services agencies?
ANSWER: Yes, in some areas. Because it is short range and local in nature, CB radio is best suited to city and county communications. Like any other volunteer service this can vary from area to area. In many areas the REACT or Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team organization is a highly developed, dedicated and professional group that is a pleasure to work with and a credit to the community. CB radio now also includes the GMRS or General Mobile Radio Service. More and more REACT organizations are using GMRS. This enables a professional quality base, mobile and repeater operation in the UHF-FM band.
A CB radio should be part of any city and county Emergency Operations Center even if there is no organized or dependable CB radio organization. It can be an immediate source of information or reports in some instances. It is an inexpensive communications resource that should not be overlooked in any local area Emergency Operations Center.
RACESBUL.164 - DATE: April 8, 1991
SUBJECT: HOW COMM VOLUNTEERS CAN BE USED - Part 1/2
QUESTION: I am new at using volunteers in our government. How can I use volunteers in communications?
ANSWER: Some assignment skills for your unpaid professional communication specialists in government service are:
- voice radio operators for tactical and formal traffic;
- digital operators for packet radio, AMTOR, and radioteletype. This can include unlicensed people skilled at typing messages into computers;
- Net Control voice operators. This takes a special and uncommon skill that you should identify and recruit in advance of their need;
- Shift supervisors. Trained volunteers to manage the other volunteers;
- Shadows. A shadow is a radio operator who brings his/her own two-way radio (usually Amateur Radio) communications and accompanies a key official around the clock as long as that official is on duty. The shadow is also capable of operating the official's own radio, cellular telephone, etc.; and
- Comm Unit Leaders on incidents. Where the Incident Command System is used for the public safety communications resources and Amateur Radio is also used, their should also be a ham Comm Unit Leader. The two should work side by side throughout the incident.
RACESBUL.165 - DATE: April 15, 1991
SUBJECT: HOW COMM VOLUNTEERS CAN BE USED - Part 2/2
This has unfortunately not been the case during the past five years of most of the major state and federal forest fire operations in California. This could be attributed to growing pains because the use of volunteer communications was virtually unknown by the federal government and for less than ten years among a few state units. We strongly recommend that the federal or state Comm Unit Leader assure in the future that there be a volunteer Comm Unit Leader who will work where he works throughout the incident. This can eliminate the confusion and problems that do and will arise, no matter how well the volunteers have served in the past. Volunteers must not be allowed to function without tight coordination, direction and control from those they are serving. State and federal wildfire suppression organizations are urged to amend their ICS checklist for their Comm Unit Leader to include establishing a volunteer Comm Unit Leader that works for and with the principal position. As we enter the fifth year of drought in the West, it behooves us all to preplan, organize, train and stand ready more than ever before. The threat grows as the budgets shrink. Our agency knows that there are volunteers and there are volunteers. We recruit, train and promote the use of those we call unpaid professional communications specialists. We recognize that there are volunteers who can be defined as self serving or loose canons; they are not of concern because they don't have to be recruited and they can be dismissed. No government agency should be the least bit reluctant to do the latter. A major portion of our volunteer management orientation is spent on this aspect of not being reluctant to select and reject.
This message has been prepared by several paid and unpaid professionals. Your comments and input are invited.
RACESBUL.166 - DATE: April 22, 1991
SUBJECT: How to help your Radio Officer
You emergency management agency managers frequently ask what your Radio Officer should know. Many of the subjects have been covered in past Bulletins. Several Radio Officers have recently suggested the importance of their knowing about, understanding, and cooperating with the other public safety communications managers in your government. This will help to enable your volunteer communications resources to fit it in better than if they are held aside as a last resort, when all else fails, or a doomsday resource. Such RACES units usually fade away not too long after being organized. If they are an outside group, they may not be equipped with adequate training and preconditioning from you and your jurisdiction. Any volunteer is only as good as the training he or she seeks and receives. We have heard from many Radio Officers who support the premise that they are of more value when they gain an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the public safety communications systems in their area. They are encouraged to become members of their local Associated Public- Safety Communications Officers chapter. Some jurisdictions pay the APCO dues for their RACES Radio Officer and broaden the scope of their duties to include all volunteer communications services. We know of several people who have entered the public safety career field in this manner.
RACESBUL.167 - SUBJECT: Equipment for emergency responders - 1/5
DATE: April 29, 1991
(About the author: Les Ballinger, WA6EQQ, is a veteran emergency services responder in planning, setting up, and operating temp- orary communications in the field for emergency services, forestry, the Red Cross and other agencies. He is a recognized expert in field response and all facets of Amateur Radio commun- ications. He is employed by the California Department of Trans- portation and is the State OES HQ Auxiliary Radio Services station manager. ---KH6GBX)
There are some items that should be carried in the field or out to a highway if an incident takes place and we are called out to provide communications. There are certain items that need to be carried at all times on one's person and other items that should be immediately available.
Our state safety orders require anyone working on or near a highway wear a safety vest, hard hat, safety glasses, and shoes or boots of sturdy design. The footwear should have traction type soles for solid footing on slick, uneven surfaces such as mud, snow, grass, and pine needles. One trade name, for example, is "Vibram", sometimes called "waffle stompers".
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.168 - SUBJECT: COMM RESOURCES ORDER FORM
DATE: May 6, 1991
Reference Bulletins 146 and 147 on this subject, the use of this form perhaps needs clarification after reading the following in an Amateur Radio club monthly publication: "Ye editor begs to differ in one respect. In the fire, my ARES jacket and hat and Sheriff's ID card passed me through all roadblocks. There wasn't time for the nicety of getting such a form nor handing it to a roadblock official to read! Bulletin 147 lists 25 items of The Form, most of which it seems would become outdated at the first shift of resources and far better covered by training, experience and Net Control! Oh well."
We agree with what that newsletter editor had to say because he is correct when viewed from a strictly local perspective. Note that he mentioned the use of a Sheriff's ID card and not a non- government ID card. Good! The purpose of the communications resources order form is when resources are brought in under the mutual aid system where fire suppression, law enforcement, comm- unications and other resources may be traveling hundreds of miles. It is not intended, of course, for local incidents. We regret any confusion that this form may have created.
RACESBUL.169 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 1/5
DATE: May 13, 1991
by: Lois Clark McCoy, WB6MME
My awareness of emergencies and disaster began at a very early age. I was born and brought up on an ocean-going 42 foot yawl and never lived ashore until I was eight years old. During those years my father taught my sister and me about emergencies and how to avoid disaster. Emergencies at sea were expected and prepared for. Disaster was to be avoided at all costs. As he said, "You only get to fall overboard once."
What's the difference between emergency and disaster? An emergency is when the resources available are inadequate to contain and recover from an event, but, in time of disaster, the American citizen volunteers to fill that shortfall in resources. The American tradition of volunteerism is one of a community's greatest strengths; the Amateur Radio family has a long history of disaster and emergency service.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.170 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 2/5
DATE: May 20, 1991
However, in the aftermath of a recent urban wildfire where the emergency response phase of the operation spanned only three hours, we found ourselves short of trained emergency responders. You notice that I said trained emergency responders. The wildfire was terrible, scary, and burned more people out of their homes than any other fire in the United States except the 1906 San Francisco fire. But it was only one canyon. It was only one day. Essentially, the emergency response was over in three hours. The mop-up took days and recovery is still going on. But as a disaster it was a short-lived event. Even so, we were running out of trained emergency communicators.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.171 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 3/5
DATE: May 27, 1991
As Amateur Radio operators who think yourselves capable communicators, many of you will volunteer when disaster strikes. I must tell you that in my experience you will be disappointed in your performance unless you train as an emergency radio operator. Without that needed disaster and team training you will not perform up to your expectations. The reason for your disappointment will be a physical one, one that training can minimize. It is that unexpected physical reaction to stress and sudden disaster that all experience -- astronauts as well as Amateur Radio operators. Astronauts train and train in order to make the time between the shock of the unexpected and the later recovery to trained action as short as possible. Firemen, policemen, and paramedics are so highly trained that after they've been years in their services they forget what their early days were like. They have shortened that gap between the unexpected incident and the trained reaction to become almost unnoticeable. One of the reasons for volunteers needing to shorten this momentary gap between shock and reasoned or trained reaction is that the body recovers ahead of the mind. Therefore, the body will react in senseless ways immediately after, unless the mind is trained to reason instantaneous control and to order the body to take trained action.
(To be continued)
RACESBUL.172 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 4/5
DATE: June 3, 1991
I want a lot of you to sign up, to serve in a great or small capacity, and to get all the training you can. because, until you take this training, you won't understand how different the task is. It is much different, running a communications post, under stress, worried about your family, worried about your home or your neighbor's, worried about your own safety. Responding to emergencies is not what you normally do on a day-to-day routine. You do not normally put yourself in harm's way. This response will have a different feel, and until you can learn to focus, to concentrate all your energies on the emergency matter at hand, you will continue to be disappointed in your own performance under stress.
To successfully perform under stress takes training and spirit. I know you have spirit. You need training, and training is not something to be done once and forgotten. You need to train and keep training to concentrate and focus all your abilities on an emergency at hand.
(To be concluded)
RACESBUL.173 - SUBJECT: "Falling Overboard" - 5/5
DATE: June 10, 1991
In the last analysis, coping with unexpected disaster does not so much test a community's advance state of preparedness as it does its reflexes -- those actions undertaken as a result of its training and readiness. This is the most persuasive argument for preplanning and training. So, rather than "falling overboard," let's dive in together, take the training, and be prepared for the unexpected. ---WB6MME
About the author: Lois Clark McCoy is a nationally recognized veteran emergency services/civil defense professional and search and rescue expert. She is in Santa Barbara, California.
---KH6GBX
RACESBUL.174 - SUBJECT: Equipment for Emergency Responders - 2/5
DATE: June 17, 1991
OTHER ITEMS TO CARRY OR WEAR:
Clothing to suit the weather or climate. If you wear eyeglasses be sure to carry an extra pair. Wear an accurate, rugged, and easy to read wrist watch.
If you have a handheld transceiver carry a battery pack that will hold double A alkaline batteries. Nicad battery packs need charging often and usually take hours and require 110 volts AC. Double A alkaline batteries are usually readily available and only take a few minutes to change. Keep your nicad pack with you for backup. Keep it in a container by itself or cover its terminals with tape; if they short out it can burn or explode.
Carry a speaker mike that can be clipped to your clothing where it can be easily heard and reached. Boom mikes work well if you like them but never, NEVER use VOX. If you are in a noisy environment they can key your transmitter and you may not know it. This could cripple communications and be potentially embarrassing.
Carry a police whistle. These are good attention getters and could be used in many ways. The handiest place for it is on a chain around your neck and placed under your shirt or blouse out of the way.
(By Les Ballinger, WA6EQQ. To be continued)
RACESBUL.175 - SUBJECT: Equipment for Emergency Responders - 3/5
DATE: June 24, 1991
- Carry a note book and pencil. Keeping a log or diary of events is very important. It makes interesting reading after an event and if you must write a report it is a great help to have the dates and times of important happenings. If the incident lasts for many days, as they have in the past, the days seem to run together and to recall from memory might prove difficult. If you must handle written messages, use a different notebook for this chore. I carry a small three inch by five inch personal notebook for the diary and a regular size note book for the written messages.
- Carry a small flashlight. I use the Mini-Maglite type that use double A alkaline batteries. These flashlights are very rugged and have a spare lamp in their base. If the spare lamp is needed make sure you replace it as soon as possible.
- If you are on medication be sure to have an ample supply. Carry more than you think you will need.
- Inform the person or persons in charge if you have a health problem and if you require special medication.
- You may want to carry a camera. I carry a small 35 mm camera. It has a sliding lens cover that locks the shutter, a built in electronic flash and another feature that should prove invaluable: a clock that will stamp the day, month and year or the time of day on the negative so that it will appear on the prints.
RACESBUL.176 - SUBJECT: Equipment for Emergency Responders - 4/5
DATE: July 1, 1991
You may wonder how big your pockets will have to be to carry these things. I use a fanny pack or, as some people call it, a belly pack. It is basically a belt with a pouch attached and made of nylon. Mine has three compartments -- a large central compartment that will hold my camera, speaker mike, boom mike, spare rubber duck antenna, and other miscellaneous items. It has outer compartment, which is smaller that the central compartment, I use for my spare batteries and battery pack. The inner compartment is next to the belt and is ideal for your diary or small note book. All compartments have zippers. They can be bought for less than ten dollars.
Always have drinking water available with a reserve supply in your vehicle or other storage area at your site.
THINGS TO HAVE AVAILABLE:
RACESBUL.177 - SUBJECT: Equipment for Emergency Responders - 5/5
DATE: July 8, 1991
(By Les Ballinger, WA6EQQ, and concluded with this part.)
RACESBUL.178 - SUBJECT: Why volunteers may be refused
DATE: July 15, 1991
In your briefings for potential volunteers, several local government officials have brought up the following points on why the services of volunteers may be refused. It is only fair that potential volunteers understand the following items, if applicable, in advance:
RACESBUL.179 - SUBJECT: WHAT IS A "SHADOW"? - 1/2
DATE: July 22, 1991
Question: What is a Shadow?
Answer: A shadow is an Amateur Radio operator who accompanies an official during an incident. The following is from the Nevada- Yuba-Placer Ranger Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, sometimes abbreviated simply as the CDF:
CONCEPT:
RACESBUL.180 - SUBJECT: WHAT IS A "SHADOW"? - 2/2
DATE: July 29,1991
EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:
The shadow shall furnish the following equipment when reporting for duty:
RACESBUL.181 - SUBJECT: A COMMUNICATIONS AUXILIARY
DATE: August 5, 1991
Staff personnel in charge of Amateur Radio Auxiliary support groups may have a more useful and flexible group of communicators than they realize. And there may be more "outside" resource groups available to augment your in-house communications during emergencies that strain your system capabilities.
In addition to RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) volunteers, you might find that such organizations as the Civil Air Patrol, the various military MARS organizations, and the ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) can supply experienced and well trained radio communicators. To search out such resources that may be available in your area is an obvious task for your Radio Officer.
All this may seem a difficult and even an unnecessary task for a busy professional to take on, in addition to all the others which make demands on both time and energy. However, it is a truism that no major disaster situation ever happens without overwhelming normally quite adequate communications systems.
Professionals in emergency communications organizations may not be aware of the quality people available to them in the Amateur Radio Community. Even though not all Amateurs are interested in being a part of an organized and trained "communications reserve", even a small percentage of the half million licensed Amateur Radio operators in the country can be a formidable group. Likewise, not all Amateurs are physically, psychologically, and technically qualified to fit into an organization that trains for and deals with major disasters. Reserve law enforcement officers and volunteer fire department personnel are usually screened for these roles. Similar selective routines are needed for your "communications reserve" people. Once properly selected and trained, however, your Amateur Radio auxiliary can be equally effective in the communications field as the other - and perhaps better known - police and fire support people.
One more thing to consider - a trained and competent Amateur may be just what you need to operate some of your own regular communications gear in an emergency. Given the needed training in advance, they can be as professional as your regular staff.
Bill Musladin, N6BTJ
Assistant State RACES Officer
RACESBUL.182 - SUBJECT: PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS - 1/5
DATE: August 12, 1991
PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR HAMS
An address by
PAUL W. GIRARD
Contra Costa County R.A.C.E.S.
Emergency Response Institute
October 27, 1990 - San Ramon, CAM The theme of the Fourth Emergency Response Institute has been centered around the "Changing Role of Amateur Radio in the 1990's." There have been changes, and there will be more. It isn't going to be over until the fat lady sings and she isn't nearly in top form ... yet!
Yesterday, when the role change was mentioned by one speaker, it brought a kind and gentle, but firm, rebuke from one of the "elder statesmen" of the Amateur Radio community. He reminded us that our task was to provide communications when no other way was feasible....and that when "ham" operators were no longer necessary, they should, in effect..."go home."
In the final analysis, when we are no longer necessary to an event maybe we ought to fade into the woodwork.
On the other hand, maybe the Ham operators ought to openly display a multifaceted talent pool.
We heard about the exploits of one Ham, a mechanic, who saved the bacon of a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection engine crew with fuel pump problems in the middle of a fire. We heard reports of another group of hams who fixed the antenna system of a city in trouble. They fixed the problem under adverse conditions, and got the city back on track.
Some newspaper editors used to have `hot flashes' when a local ham made contact with King Hussein of Jordan, who is a ham operator. Golly, there would be pictures and bylined stories, and all sort of stuff.
During hurricanes, and floods, in remote parts of the world in which local hams were active, we used to be able to pickup 5 to 20 inches of copy. No more!
(to be continued)
RACESBUL.183 - SUBJECT: PRESS-PUBLIC RELATIONS - 2/5
DATE: August 19, 199
The point is that the world is looking at ham radio from a new perspective. Hams have had their play.....and.....until new Mt. Everest's have been conquered.....and....we can tell our story in terms that are understood.
Hams in today's news environment need a "new peg" in order to make the news pages. We need to tell our story. The story of the good we do. The story of the public services we perform.... with new and enlightened vigor...and patience.
Remember a few minutes ago when I told you about my public utility feeding the press pablum? That's what we have to do. Only ours needs to be oats and honey and perhaps a pint of warm cream.
So how do we perform this miracle? "It ain't gonna be easy McGee," as Molly used to tell the Fibber. But it can be done!
What we are fooling with here is the basis for a textbook case in public relations. We don't need new twists in the PR aspects, it is just that we have to understand the need to tell a complicated electronics story in terms that a person with a seventh grade education can understand. Preferably with pictures.
Remember the old Chinese proverb...."A picture is worth one thousand words?" If we can successfully "sell" a picture before it is taken, then we have the basis for a "photo opportunity." All we need to do is get hold of the local newspaper, radio and television station and tell them in graphic terms what is about to come down...or what is happening.
I have gotten the horse before the cart...but I have not left the barn door open.
Good public relations for Amateur Radio begins by cultivating the press. That is accomplished by careful care and feeding. Very short telephone calls -- or personal -- conversations with the City Desk, or Assignment Desk of the local newspaper or TV, or radio station.
That conversation might go something like this:
Ham: "Hi. This is Joe Doakes. I am an amateur radio operator -- a ham -- and I thought you might like to know about X, Y or Z." Make it short. Be credible.
(to be continued)
RACESBUL.184 - SUBJECT: PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS - 3/5
DATE: August 26, 1991
Talk clearly. Answer any questions as concisely as you can.
From a practical standpoint for the purposes of getting the attention of the press for your club, a club event, or even an individual ham, don't be shy. Speak right up. Tell the story quickly and completely.
If you are writing a press release, follow these simple guide lines:
We've touched on some of the nuances of what I will refer to as publicity, or routine press.
Now, lets talk for a few minutes about Emergency PR. That is a little different.
Let's take an incident or two that we are all familiar with.
The Loma Prieta earthquake comes to mind. How do we handle that sort of a situation?
First of all, Loma Prieta came under the Incident Command System. And that puts an entirely different perspective on publicity and PR for our egos.
(to be continued)
RACESBUL.185 - SUBJECT: PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS - 4/5
DATE: September 2, 1991
In any ICS event there can be only ONE VOICE. Don't ever forget that I said....ONE VOICE. A one-voice story comes from the Public Information Officer ONLY. That's the one voice I am talking about.
If you are doing your job as a communication specialist, the chances are that at some point the press will poke its nose into your "bailiwick" and will want to know what is going on.
It is the absolute right of the press under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution to know and report what is going on in the public domain. That is Freedom of the Press.
In any situation in which we are working under the ICS system...and that will usually be the case in disasters or severe emergencies from here on out, what we say MUST be cleared with the Public Information Officer who speaks for the entire incident.
The reason.....simply....is consistency. We can't have, for instance, one fireman saying that the fire is "under control" and another fireman saying, "all hell is going to bust loose any minute." We can't have a cop saying "the situation is under control" when another cop says "the gunman is still armed, has five more rounds of ammo and two grenades." Or, one weatherman saying "the eye of the storm has passed" and another saying, "You have not seen the worst of it yet!"
The single voice system is the ICS way of controlling rumors. We don't want to be part of any rumor mill. What we must do with the press if they show up is to assign one member of the ham radio community to interface with the Incident Public Information Officer and the Press. It may sound cumbersome, and it can be, but it can also protect our credibility with the community, and with the press, and the Incident Commander. The IC will appreciate our attention to this matter.
How do we go about this delicate task of telling our side, and continuing to feed that oat and honey mixture to the press?
First of all, agree at your location how the press will be handled -- and by whom. Know who the public information officer is and how to get hold of him pronto.
(to be continued)
RACESBUL.186 - SUBJECT: PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS - 5/5
DATE: September 9, 1991
Tell the press officer you have a member of the press on site, and relay the press request. Usually you can get a quick "statement for use if asked" from the PIO on site.
Stay within the accepted and acknowledged guidelines for what can and can't be said.
Now, tell the press exactly what it is you are doing to aid the situation. Explain any interesting equipment or tactics. Remember, what may be routine to you, such as using ATV, or packet, or using a computer to send a Morse message, may peak the interest of the reporter.
TV is another facet of this wonderful game. A few tips:
What I have attempted to give you is a very quick glimpse into the care and feeding of press for our own public relations.
Every incident is unique, but the simple matter is that if we feed and care for the press with "good stuff" before an incident, then in an incident you can bet your bottom dollar that the press won't forget you.
Summing it all up: If we have a story to tell -- outside of an ICS incident -- tell it as best you know how. Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) when dealing with the press.
If you need PR or press during an ICS incident, be sure you go through proper channels. Let's not cross thread the brass screw.
RACESBUL.187 - SUBJECT: COPY RIGHT PERMISSION
DATE: September 16, 1991
We receive questions from time to time whether or not the bulletins, model communications plan, exhibits, or any of the other aids may be copied?
Of course they may be copied, used, or modified to suit your area, needs, or application. As one has observed, the only copyright is that you copy right. It is proper to give attribution to the source or author.
We invite comments and inputs. When communicating by packet, please include your name, address, and telephone number(s).
The model plan format, volunteer position descriptions, standards, policies, standard operating procedures, all of the weekly Bulletins since 1985, and other exhibits and aids are available to anyone on computer disc(s). They are in IBM PC ASCII format. Send us either ONE 3-1/2" disc or TWO 5-1/4" discs to State OES, ATTN: RACES, 2800 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, California 95832.
RACESBUL.188 - SUBJECT: DRILL OR EXERCISE REALITY, Part 1/3
DATE: September 23, 1991
The following was written by April Moell, WA6OPS, long experienced in medical and disaster emergencies. She gives you, both government and volunteers alike, advice from the perspective of the served agency. I have paraphrased her original memo to hospital disaster responders to apply to communications responders in virtually any incident.
--- S. E. Harter, KH6GBX
DRILL OR EXERCISE REALITY
RACESBUL.189 - SUBJECT: DRILL OR EXERCISE REALITY, PART 2/3
DATE: September 30, 1991
By April Moell, WA6OPS, Anaheim
(Continued)
RACESBUL.190 - SUBJECT: DRILL OR EXERCISE REALITY - 3/3
DATE: October 7, 1991
(By April Moell, WA6OPS. Conclusion)
### The preceding was prepared by April Moell for the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System in Southern California. Throughout you can see the importance of the necessity for reliability, dependability, performance, and knowledge of the served agency by its volunteers. There are some volunteer activities that require little or no prior knowledge of the served agency by a volunteer. This is NEVER the type of volunteer we address in the weekly State RACES Bulletins and other publications. Like the hams and other volunteers who serve the hospitals, they must be a part of the served agency system BEFORE the emergency strikes. Such a volunteer seeks out an agency or organization ahead of time. They then serve because they WANT TO as a part of an agency, an organization, or a system as a team player. There simply is no room for loners. The days of simply sitting down to any radio, anywhere, with no knowledge of the served agency are gone. New people learn the system and the procedures. So do the old timers or they lapse into retirement.
Probably one of the most frustrating statements from a soul who stands up at a recruiting session for emergency communications specialists is, "I've been a ham for over forty years. What in the world can YOU possibly teach ME?" Again, thanks to April and the other professionals who send us Bulletin material.
As retired Hawaii State RACES Radio Officer Henry Gamache, KH6AIN, once said, "Just because you're an Amateur doesn't mean you don't do a professional job."
RACESBUL.191 - SUBJECT: MACS - Multi-Agency Coordination System
DATE: Oct. 14, 1991
We share the following with you for evaluation for possible use in your jurisdiction. Submitted by Derald Smith, Assistant Director, City of Stockton, California, Office of Emergency Services.
The Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS), an extension of the Incident Command System, streamlines procedures for coordinating mutual aid and allocating resources during emergencies when more than one agency or jurisdiction is involved in the response. The system has been adopted by the San Joaquin County Fire Chiefs and is under review by other probable users.
RACES operators should note and remember the following new terminology already in use to denote response operating modes; in other words, the intensity of response. = W6HIR =
RACESBUL.192 - SUBJECT: Technical - ALE
DATE: Oct. 21, 1991
The following was submitted by Nathaniel McMillian, NTIA/ITS.
Federal Standard 1045 (FS 1045) defines Automatic Link Establishment or ALE as the capability of an HF radio to initiate a circuit between itself and another radio without operator assistance and usually under processor control. As the Federal community moves more toward ALE, not only will HF radio operations become more efficient, but the capability of shared HF radio resources (or SHARES) will be enhanced. A review of some of the basic features of ALE will demonstrate its potential.
An ALE radio is designed to continuously monitor an HF network or networks on up to 100 predesignated channels. Upon detecting an incoming call, ALE tunes the transmitter, sends a reply to the caller, and waits for an acknowledgement. Once the acknowledgement is received, the ALE sounds an alarm announcing the incoming call, activates the speaker, displays who is calling, on what frequency, in what mode, and waits for operator intervention. After the transmission is completed, the ALE units returns to monitoring the predesignated channels. If the incoming call is for data traffic, the controller automatically routes the call to a data terminal without operator intervention. For outgoing calls, the operator tells the controller the destination station or stations and the desired mode of operation. The controller picks the best available preprogrammed channel, completes all the tuning and handshake work and, when the link is established, waits for operator intervention. Besides simple network monitoring and linking, ALE also provides for linking all stations in a network with a single call; or automatically responds to a net, or multiple net, collective call.
With ALE, most of the work is efficiently done by the processor, leaving the operator free to do other things. As impressive as ALE is today, additional features are under development. These features include automatic networking, automatic message store and forward, anti-interference, privacy, automatic relaying, and automatic networking with other media.
RACESBUL.193 - SUBJECT: Operations Techniques - 1/7
DATE: Oct. 28, 1991
EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RADIO OPERATING PROCEDURES by Bill Ozment, WA6LSW, CA State Auxiliary Radio Service. CALLING AND COMMUNICATING TECHNIQUES:
The secret to working quickly and efficiently in an emergency net is to use standard procedures. The techniques presented herein are the most common. It doesn't take much analysis to see that standards and guidelines must e established and then utilized.
Before you key your mike, gather your thoughts about what you are going to say. Many hams have a tendency to talk and/or repeat too much. Say what you need to say without unnecessary repeats. Keep in mind that you must strive to get your message through the first time.
In general, there are five parts to Calling/Communications. The more serious or complex the situation, the more important these procedures become. The information printed herein MUST be practiced until it is second nature.
RACESBUL.194 - SUBJECT: Operations Techniques - 2/7
DATE: Nov. 4, 1991
EXCEPTIONS OR VARIATIONS
RACESBUL.195 - SUBJECT: Operations Techniques - 3/7
DATE: Nov. 11, 1991
RADIO PROCEDURES DURING EMERGENCIES
RACESBUL.196 - SUBJECT: Operations Techniques - 4/7
DATE: Nov. 18, 1991
(Radio Procedures During Emergencies - continued)
RACESBUL.197 - SUBJECT: OPERATIONS TECHNIQUES - 5/7
DATE: Nov. 25, 1991
(Radio Procedures During Emergencies - continued)
RACESBUL.198 - SUBJECT: OPERATIONS TECHNIQUES - 6/7
DATE: Dec. 2, 1991
(Radio Procedures During Emergencies - continued)
RACESBUL.199 - SUBJECT: OPERATIONS TECHNIQUES - 7/7
DATE: Dec. 9, 1991
(Radio Procedures During Emergencies - concluded)
The source of this information is on file and is available upon request. It had been edited slightly for this application.
WILLIAM L. OZMENT, W6LSW @ WA6NWE.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA
RACESBUL.200 - SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT-OWNED HAM EQUIPMENT
DATE: Dec. 16, 1991
Question: Can a state or local government own and provide a repeater for hams? If so, how is it licensed?
Answer: Countless state, county, and city governments provide voice repeaters, packet nodes, base stations, portables and other Amateur Radio equipment for their Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service people. Nothing says a ham has to own the equipment he or she operates. Thank goodness! Those governments have liter- ally put their money where their mouth is. They value the high level of professional communications services provided by their hams and prove it by providing quality equipment. It is fully operational alongside their police, fire, local government, and other radios. Governments are often willing to pay more for commercial grade public safety type radios so that they may be maintained by their own technicians in their government radio vaults and elsewhere. It does not require a ham to maintain a ham radio. A government-owned radio is licensed to any agreeable ham. At one time local governments could license their RACES radios under a block of special callsigns reserved for RACES stations. They are no longer available but several callsigns are still active by virtue of timely license renewal actions.
-- KH6GBX
RACESBUL.201 - SUBJECT: Mutual Aid
DATE: Dec. 23, 1991
Question: You talk about mutual aid. We don't have that here. What does it mean?
Answer: Mutual aid comes from planning between municipalities, counties or parishes, and states to provide emergency resources from other governments if and when required. Mutual aid in this context goes beyond automatic response by one fire department to support another department near their mutual borders. In California, mutual aid is provided for by law and is one of the responsibilities of local government emergency management/civil defense, law enforcement, and fire fighting agencies to plan for and implement mutual aid. Communications, too, is a resource necessary to any incident command system. Volunteers are -- or can be -- a part of this mutual aid resource. The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), or by whatever name your government calls their Amateur Radio section, is a part of a government's communications resource. The mutual aid system, properly planned, can be an excellent and cost effective system. The absence of mutual aid can contribute to the needless loss of life and property. The volunteers, of course, should be covered by the same benefits and protection provided paid employees.
--- Stan Harter, KH6GBX
RACESBUL.202 - SUBJECT: 1991 in review
DATE: Dec. 30, 1991
This year continued to see a growth in the planning for and use of Amateur Radio operators and other communications volun- teers in government service. This interest and growth has been not only in California but throughout the United States and Canada.
The role of the Amateur Radio operator in emergency communications has changed drastically from what it was twenty years ago. Back then, the ham basically planned for long term operations that might last for days at a time. The RACES person, that is any ham attached to a local government civil defense agency, was preoccupied with a worst-case wartime scenario.
Today's RACES unit, on the other hand, is geared for quick re- sponse, short term, emergency public safety communications sup- port. Gone, thank goodness, is the image of the tin hat, armband, flashlight and bucket of sand. Gone are the legions of home radio stations. In their place are more and more government locations fully equipped with RACES, CAP, and other radio sta- tions so that the volunteers don't have to lug their own to serve their government.
I say thanks to all those unpaid professionals in our organization and those of you throughout the country with whom I have communicated with this year. Such good volunteers not only look good, they make you and your organization look good.
We salute the dedicated and growing number of packet bulletin board sysops who make these Bulletins available to a host of emergency communications volunteers. We thank all of you who have contributed material for these Bulletins. In 1992 we plan to encourage the broader use of the RACES people in many other radio and communications services. We hope to see a return to the emergency communications performance role of the Civil Air Patrol.
This year we changed the name of the forty year old State RACES section to the Auxiliary Radio Service to better reflect the broad diversity of services required of today's volunteers.
Together we look forward to 1992, and may it ever bigger and better for us all.
Stan Harter, KH6GBX
State RACES Coordinator
Cary Mangum, W6WWW
Chief State Radio Officer
DATE: July 1, 1991
You may wonder how big your pockets will have to be to carry these things. I use a fanny pack or, as some people call it, a belly pack. It is basically a belt with a pouch attached and made of nylon. Mine has three compartments -- a large central compartment that will hold my camera, speaker mike, boom mike, spare rubber duck antenna, and other miscellaneous items. It has outer compartment, which is smaller that the central compartment, I use for my spare batteries and battery pack. The inner compartment is next to the belt and is ideal for your diary or small note book. All compartments have zippers. They can be bought for less than ten dollars.
Always have drinking water available with a reserve supply in your vehicle or other storage area at your site.
THINGS TO HAVE AVAILABLE:
- Always carry a warm jacket in your vehicle. Even in the summertime it can get quite cool at higher elevations.
- Carry plenty of clothing. A good rule is to carry twice as many changes of clothing as you think you will need.
- Carry a blanket or, better yet, a sleeping bag.
- Carry food that does not need refrigeration. I carry granola bars and canned pork and beans. Be sure to have a can opener.
RACESBUL.177 - SUBJECT: Equipment for Emergency Responders - 5/5
DATE: July 8, 1991
- Carry matches. I don't smoke and have been caught out needing a campfire, only to find I didn't have any matches. A muzzle loading pistol was used to start a fire to dry my wet clothes and cold body on one of my outings.
- I carry a tool kit with a supply of connectors and terminals. If you use cables to connect any of your gear you should have spare cabling or the parts and equipment to make field repairs. I carry some solder and a propane powered soldering iron. This has saved the day on several disasters.
- I am sure that you can add to my list. The intention of this article is to give you suggestions and make you think of things you will need when you respond to an incident. You can be called on to supply mutual aid communications for other agencies.
(By Les Ballinger, WA6EQQ, and concluded with this part.)
RACESBUL.178 - SUBJECT: Why volunteers may be refused
DATE: July 15, 1991
In your briefings for potential volunteers, several local government officials have brought up the following points on why the services of volunteers may be refused. It is only fair that potential volunteers understand the following items, if applicable, in advance:
- A designated government department, agency, or organization is usually the primary response and responsible agency. Volunteers, therefore, must be either members of that government organization or have an agreement with that agency.
- Volunteers offering to help during or after the incident are usually too late. Governments who use volunteers prefer to orient and train them in advance. The volunteers then know in advance where to go and what to do.
RACESBUL.179 - SUBJECT: WHAT IS A "SHADOW"? - 1/2
DATE: July 22, 1991
Question: What is a Shadow?
Answer: A shadow is an Amateur Radio operator who accompanies an official during an incident. The following is from the Nevada- Yuba-Placer Ranger Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, sometimes abbreviated simply as the CDF:
CONCEPT:
- The purpose of the shadow is to allow constant contact with some person who is important to the fire operation. Thus the ham operator MUST remain in the immediate vicinity of the person shadowed AT ALL TIMES.
- Because the person being shadowed will usually be involved in some important activity, the shadow should be unobtrusive in the vicinity of the person, interjecting only communications is needed.
- Communications
- The shadow operator must remain with the person being shadowed at all times. In addition, the ham must monitor the radio AT ALL TIMES.
- Operator is expected to take direction from the site supervisor during his shift.
- The shadow may operate other radios as well, such as the departmental radio and cellular telephone.
- Shift Durations. Most CDF operations have shift durations of 12 hours at a time. This time may vary depending on the actual needs of the operation.
- The operator shall be in good physical condition. The ham operator must be able to walk and sometimes run long distances with the official.
RACESBUL.180 - SUBJECT: WHAT IS A "SHADOW"? - 2/2
DATE: July 29,1991
EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:
The shadow shall furnish the following equipment when reporting for duty:
- Hand-held, 2 meter, 5 watt output, synthesized transceiver with programmable CTSS encoder. (Note Cross band, dual band, 2 meter-440 radio recommended and will be required in the future.)
- Mobile 2 meter radio for easy installation in a vehicle, including mag-mount antenna. Alternative: mobile booster amplifier. An external with a long cord is also required. (See 2 meter-440 note above also applies).
- Earpiece or headphones for HT, or speaker-mike.
- Spare batteries for 24 hours operation.
- Power adapter connectors -- both cigarette lighter and clip-lead for direct battery connection with cables at least 10 feet long. Recommended: Anderson Power-Pole connectors.
- 5/8-wave,mag-mount antenna with 15 feet coaxial cable AND extendible pull-up antenna for the HT, as well as the regular HT rubber duck antenna.
RACESBUL.181 - SUBJECT: A COMMUNICATIONS AUXILIARY
DATE: August 5, 1991
Staff personnel in charge of Amateur Radio Auxiliary support groups may have a more useful and flexible group of communicators than they realize. And there may be more "outside" resource groups available to augment your in-house communications during emergencies that strain your system capabilities.
In addition to RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) volunteers, you might find that such organizations as the Civil Air Patrol, the various military MARS organizations, and the ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) can supply experienced and well trained radio communicators. To search out such resources that may be available in your area is an obvious task for your Radio Officer.
All this may seem a difficult and even an unnecessary task for a busy professional to take on, in addition to all the others which make demands on both time and energy. However, it is a truism that no major disaster situation ever happens without overwhelming normally quite adequate communications systems.
Professionals in emergency communications organizations may not be aware of the quality people available to them in the Amateur Radio Community. Even though not all Amateurs are interested in being a part of an organized and trained "communications reserve", even a small percentage of the half million licensed Amateur Radio operators in the country can be a formidable group. Likewise, not all Amateurs are physically, psychologically, and technically qualified to fit into an organization that trains for and deals with major disasters. Reserve law enforcement officers and volunteer fire department personnel are usually screened for these roles. Similar selective routines are needed for your "communications reserve" people. Once properly selected and trained, however, your Amateur Radio auxiliary can be equally effective in the communications field as the other - and perhaps better known - police and fire support people.
One more thing to consider - a trained and competent Amateur may be just what you need to operate some of your own regular communications gear in an emergency. Given the needed training in advance, they can be as professional as your regular staff.
Bill Musladin, N6BTJ
Assistant State RACES Officer
RACESBUL.182 - SUBJECT: PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS - 1/5
DATE: August 12, 1991
PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR HAMS
An address by
PAUL W. GIRARD
Contra Costa County R.A.C.E.S.
Emergency Response Institute
October 27, 1990 - San Ramon, CAM The theme of the Fourth Emergency Response Institute has been centered around the "Changing Role of Amateur Radio in the 1990's." There have been changes, and there will be more. It isn't going to be over until the fat lady sings and she isn't nearly in top form ... yet!
Yesterday, when the role change was mentioned by one speaker, it brought a kind and gentle, but firm, rebuke from one of the "elder statesmen" of the Amateur Radio community. He reminded us that our task was to provide communications when no other way was feasible....and that when "ham" operators were no longer necessary, they should, in effect..."go home."
In the final analysis, when we are no longer necessary to an event maybe we ought to fade into the woodwork.
On the other hand, maybe the Ham operators ought to openly display a multifaceted talent pool.
We heard about the exploits of one Ham, a mechanic, who saved the bacon of a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection engine crew with fuel pump problems in the middle of a fire. We heard reports of another group of hams who fixed the antenna system of a city in trouble. They fixed the problem under adverse conditions, and got the city back on track.
Some newspaper editors used to have `hot flashes' when a local ham made contact with King Hussein of Jordan, who is a ham operator. Golly, there would be pictures and bylined stories, and all sort of stuff.
During hurricanes, and floods, in remote parts of the world in which local hams were active, we used to be able to pickup 5 to 20 inches of copy. No more!
(to be continued)
RACESBUL.183 - SUBJECT: PRESS-PUBLIC RELATIONS - 2/5
DATE: August 19, 199
The point is that the world is looking at ham radio from a new perspective. Hams have had their play.....and.....until new Mt. Everest's have been conquered.....and....we can tell our story in terms that are understood.
Hams in today's news environment need a "new peg" in order to make the news pages. We need to tell our story. The story of the good we do. The story of the public services we perform.... with new and enlightened vigor...and patience.
Remember a few minutes ago when I told you about my public utility feeding the press pablum? That's what we have to do. Only ours needs to be oats and honey and perhaps a pint of warm cream.
So how do we perform this miracle? "It ain't gonna be easy McGee," as Molly used to tell the Fibber. But it can be done!
What we are fooling with here is the basis for a textbook case in public relations. We don't need new twists in the PR aspects, it is just that we have to understand the need to tell a complicated electronics story in terms that a person with a seventh grade education can understand. Preferably with pictures.
Remember the old Chinese proverb...."A picture is worth one thousand words?" If we can successfully "sell" a picture before it is taken, then we have the basis for a "photo opportunity." All we need to do is get hold of the local newspaper, radio and television station and tell them in graphic terms what is about to come down...or what is happening.
I have gotten the horse before the cart...but I have not left the barn door open.
Good public relations for Amateur Radio begins by cultivating the press. That is accomplished by careful care and feeding. Very short telephone calls -- or personal -- conversations with the City Desk, or Assignment Desk of the local newspaper or TV, or radio station.
That conversation might go something like this:
Ham: "Hi. This is Joe Doakes. I am an amateur radio operator -- a ham -- and I thought you might like to know about X, Y or Z." Make it short. Be credible.
(to be continued)
RACESBUL.184 - SUBJECT: PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS - 3/5
DATE: August 26, 1991
Talk clearly. Answer any questions as concisely as you can.
From a practical standpoint for the purposes of getting the attention of the press for your club, a club event, or even an individual ham, don't be shy. Speak right up. Tell the story quickly and completely.
If you are writing a press release, follow these simple guide lines:
- Be sure it is typed.
- Be sure your spelling and grammar are clean.
- Be sure you have all the names spelled correctly.
- Be sure to put your name, address and phone number at the top of the page.
- Try not to make the release more than one page...double spaced.
- The first paragraph should answer the who, what, when, where and why (or how). If you are sending photo, be sure it is in focus.
- Be sure that you have identified exactly what is going on in the picture.
- Be sure to identify everyone in the photo from left to right.
- Be sure to include call signs, if appropriate.
We've touched on some of the nuances of what I will refer to as publicity, or routine press.
Now, lets talk for a few minutes about Emergency PR. That is a little different.
Let's take an incident or two that we are all familiar with.
The Loma Prieta earthquake comes to mind. How do we handle that sort of a situation?
First of all, Loma Prieta came under the Incident Command System. And that puts an entirely different perspective on publicity and PR for our egos.
(to be continued)
RACESBUL.185 - SUBJECT: PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS - 4/5
DATE: September 2, 1991
In any ICS event there can be only ONE VOICE. Don't ever forget that I said....ONE VOICE. A one-voice story comes from the Public Information Officer ONLY. That's the one voice I am talking about.
If you are doing your job as a communication specialist, the chances are that at some point the press will poke its nose into your "bailiwick" and will want to know what is going on.
It is the absolute right of the press under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution to know and report what is going on in the public domain. That is Freedom of the Press.
In any situation in which we are working under the ICS system...and that will usually be the case in disasters or severe emergencies from here on out, what we say MUST be cleared with the Public Information Officer who speaks for the entire incident.
The reason.....simply....is consistency. We can't have, for instance, one fireman saying that the fire is "under control" and another fireman saying, "all hell is going to bust loose any minute." We can't have a cop saying "the situation is under control" when another cop says "the gunman is still armed, has five more rounds of ammo and two grenades." Or, one weatherman saying "the eye of the storm has passed" and another saying, "You have not seen the worst of it yet!"
The single voice system is the ICS way of controlling rumors. We don't want to be part of any rumor mill. What we must do with the press if they show up is to assign one member of the ham radio community to interface with the Incident Public Information Officer and the Press. It may sound cumbersome, and it can be, but it can also protect our credibility with the community, and with the press, and the Incident Commander. The IC will appreciate our attention to this matter.
How do we go about this delicate task of telling our side, and continuing to feed that oat and honey mixture to the press?
First of all, agree at your location how the press will be handled -- and by whom. Know who the public information officer is and how to get hold of him pronto.
(to be continued)
RACESBUL.186 - SUBJECT: PRESS - PUBLIC RELATIONS - 5/5
DATE: September 9, 1991
Tell the press officer you have a member of the press on site, and relay the press request. Usually you can get a quick "statement for use if asked" from the PIO on site.
Stay within the accepted and acknowledged guidelines for what can and can't be said.
Now, tell the press exactly what it is you are doing to aid the situation. Explain any interesting equipment or tactics. Remember, what may be routine to you, such as using ATV, or packet, or using a computer to send a Morse message, may peak the interest of the reporter.
TV is another facet of this wonderful game. A few tips:
- Look directly at the reporter, not the lens of the camera.
- Be absolutely relaxed.
- Keep your answers very very short and to the point.
What I have attempted to give you is a very quick glimpse into the care and feeding of press for our own public relations.
Every incident is unique, but the simple matter is that if we feed and care for the press with "good stuff" before an incident, then in an incident you can bet your bottom dollar that the press won't forget you.
Summing it all up: If we have a story to tell -- outside of an ICS incident -- tell it as best you know how. Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) when dealing with the press.
If you need PR or press during an ICS incident, be sure you go through proper channels. Let's not cross thread the brass screw.
RACESBUL.187 - SUBJECT: COPY RIGHT PERMISSION
DATE: September 16, 1991
We receive questions from time to time whether or not the bulletins, model communications plan, exhibits, or any of the other aids may be copied?
Of course they may be copied, used, or modified to suit your area, needs, or application. As one has observed, the only copyright is that you copy right. It is proper to give attribution to the source or author.
We invite comments and inputs. When communicating by packet, please include your name, address, and telephone number(s).
The model plan format, volunteer position descriptions, standards, policies, standard operating procedures, all of the weekly Bulletins since 1985, and other exhibits and aids are available to anyone on computer disc(s). They are in IBM PC ASCII format. Send us either ONE 3-1/2" disc or TWO 5-1/4" discs to State OES, ATTN: RACES, 2800 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, California 95832.
RACESBUL.188 - SUBJECT: DRILL OR EXERCISE REALITY, Part 1/3
DATE: September 23, 1991
The following was written by April Moell, WA6OPS, long experienced in medical and disaster emergencies. She gives you, both government and volunteers alike, advice from the perspective of the served agency. I have paraphrased her original memo to hospital disaster responders to apply to communications responders in virtually any incident.
--- S. E. Harter, KH6GBX
DRILL OR EXERCISE REALITY
- It will never be what you expect.
- Go prepared for anything. You never know where you might be operating, or for how long, or under what circumstances. You could be at the command post in a basement or in the field. Your fellow ham may drop his or her handie-talkie coming into the building.
- Introduce yourself to the person in charge of your area. Don't be afraid to ask who is in charge if you aren't sure. You need to quickly brief that person as to your capabilities. Let them know to where you can provide them radio links. Do not assume that they know what you can do.
- Just like we have many hams each year that are new to the drills or are in a different hospital (or EOC) than before, the hospital (or EOC) are usually in the same situation. They may have brought in staff from other shifts or locations to learn about the disaster plan. New administration staff may be getting their feet wet for the first time as the person in charge of the command post. In many cases it may be the first time they have seen a ham in their incident command post -- at best, in some exercise a year or so ago. In other words, DON'T ASSUME THEY WILL THINK YOU ARE WONDERFUL AND IMMEDIATELY KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOU.
RACESBUL.189 - SUBJECT: DRILL OR EXERCISE REALITY, PART 2/3
DATE: September 30, 1991
By April Moell, WA6OPS, Anaheim
(Continued)
- We may have no control over the starting or ending time of the drills. We will give you our best approximations. Sometimes there are problems setting up the disaster scene and the drill starts late. That means the hams will get called late.If you've been pre-staged we will try to keep you advised over the air. Sometimes there are difficulties retrieving all the victims or resources after the drill. You may be asked to stay at your post past the end of the drill. If this causes you a problem, let your supervisor know ahead of time. If there are staggered callouts or activations of radio volunteers, please DON'T GET ON THE AIR AND ASK when you are going to be called. Be patient.
- If you said you can be available for a drill date, WE ARE PLANNING ON USING YOU. PLEASE TAKE THE COMMITMENT SERIOUSLY. It takes a lot of time and phone bills to contact people, assign them, and contact them again with their assignments. Thinking we won't miss just one volunteer is erroneous. If several people think that we will be in trouble, and it isn't just a matter of plugging someone in. One dropout can create a domino effect, causing shuffling of operators to provide the proper coverage and support new ones in the drill. That means more phone calls and chaos.
- Hospital (and government) people aren't fond of drills. They disrupt their normal routine. They are required to do them. They don't want to be embarrassed by doing something wrong. When the drill is over, you will likely see a very rapid disappearance of personnel. If victims are yet to be picked up for transport back to the site and you are a possible communications link for that, don't let the command post close up without knowing who your contact is going to be. The hospital is supposed to have someone in charge of the victims. Don't let them abandon you. It is not your job to keep track of the victims.
RACESBUL.190 - SUBJECT: DRILL OR EXERCISE REALITY - 3/3
DATE: October 7, 1991
(By April Moell, WA6OPS. Conclusion)
- You are not likely to handle much traffic. In a drill most people rarely simulate the kind of phone stress they would have in a real incident. Whether you are in a drill or the real thing, you are a support communications system. YOU ARE THERE JUST IN CASE. QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY, IS WHAT MATTERS. If you are on duty for three hours and handle only one message -- it was still important and worthwhile for you to be there. If you can get the one message through that they need -- YOU ARE VALUABLE.
- The more exposure volunteers have to the agency they serve, the easier it is for all concerned when we are activated.
### The preceding was prepared by April Moell for the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System in Southern California. Throughout you can see the importance of the necessity for reliability, dependability, performance, and knowledge of the served agency by its volunteers. There are some volunteer activities that require little or no prior knowledge of the served agency by a volunteer. This is NEVER the type of volunteer we address in the weekly State RACES Bulletins and other publications. Like the hams and other volunteers who serve the hospitals, they must be a part of the served agency system BEFORE the emergency strikes. Such a volunteer seeks out an agency or organization ahead of time. They then serve because they WANT TO as a part of an agency, an organization, or a system as a team player. There simply is no room for loners. The days of simply sitting down to any radio, anywhere, with no knowledge of the served agency are gone. New people learn the system and the procedures. So do the old timers or they lapse into retirement.
Probably one of the most frustrating statements from a soul who stands up at a recruiting session for emergency communications specialists is, "I've been a ham for over forty years. What in the world can YOU possibly teach ME?" Again, thanks to April and the other professionals who send us Bulletin material.
As retired Hawaii State RACES Radio Officer Henry Gamache, KH6AIN, once said, "Just because you're an Amateur doesn't mean you don't do a professional job."
RACESBUL.191 - SUBJECT: MACS - Multi-Agency Coordination System
DATE: Oct. 14, 1991
We share the following with you for evaluation for possible use in your jurisdiction. Submitted by Derald Smith, Assistant Director, City of Stockton, California, Office of Emergency Services.
The Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS), an extension of the Incident Command System, streamlines procedures for coordinating mutual aid and allocating resources during emergencies when more than one agency or jurisdiction is involved in the response. The system has been adopted by the San Joaquin County Fire Chiefs and is under review by other probable users.
RACES operators should note and remember the following new terminology already in use to denote response operating modes; in other words, the intensity of response. = W6HIR =
- MODE 1: A non-critical county-wide situation not requiring extended use of multi-agency resources. Emergency Operating Centers not on 24-hour operations. Normal communications sufficient.
- MODE 2: A period of heightened preparation, such as seasonal anticipation of fog, fires, peak high tides. In this mode, OES and its RACES will review procedures and equipment status. The RACES possibly on standby.
- MODE 3: Alert to an emergency or more serious potential requiring multi-agency response. EOC's partially activated and staffed; RACES alerted and selectively employed. = W6HIR =
- MODE 4: Signifies the existence of an all-out county effort requiring concerted multi-agency coordination. EOC's and the RACES fully activated.
RACESBUL.192 - SUBJECT: Technical - ALE
DATE: Oct. 21, 1991
The following was submitted by Nathaniel McMillian, NTIA/ITS.
Federal Standard 1045 (FS 1045) defines Automatic Link Establishment or ALE as the capability of an HF radio to initiate a circuit between itself and another radio without operator assistance and usually under processor control. As the Federal community moves more toward ALE, not only will HF radio operations become more efficient, but the capability of shared HF radio resources (or SHARES) will be enhanced. A review of some of the basic features of ALE will demonstrate its potential.
An ALE radio is designed to continuously monitor an HF network or networks on up to 100 predesignated channels. Upon detecting an incoming call, ALE tunes the transmitter, sends a reply to the caller, and waits for an acknowledgement. Once the acknowledgement is received, the ALE sounds an alarm announcing the incoming call, activates the speaker, displays who is calling, on what frequency, in what mode, and waits for operator intervention. After the transmission is completed, the ALE units returns to monitoring the predesignated channels. If the incoming call is for data traffic, the controller automatically routes the call to a data terminal without operator intervention. For outgoing calls, the operator tells the controller the destination station or stations and the desired mode of operation. The controller picks the best available preprogrammed channel, completes all the tuning and handshake work and, when the link is established, waits for operator intervention. Besides simple network monitoring and linking, ALE also provides for linking all stations in a network with a single call; or automatically responds to a net, or multiple net, collective call.
With ALE, most of the work is efficiently done by the processor, leaving the operator free to do other things. As impressive as ALE is today, additional features are under development. These features include automatic networking, automatic message store and forward, anti-interference, privacy, automatic relaying, and automatic networking with other media.
RACESBUL.193 - SUBJECT: Operations Techniques - 1/7
DATE: Oct. 28, 1991
EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RADIO OPERATING PROCEDURES by Bill Ozment, WA6LSW, CA State Auxiliary Radio Service. CALLING AND COMMUNICATING TECHNIQUES:
The secret to working quickly and efficiently in an emergency net is to use standard procedures. The techniques presented herein are the most common. It doesn't take much analysis to see that standards and guidelines must e established and then utilized.
Before you key your mike, gather your thoughts about what you are going to say. Many hams have a tendency to talk and/or repeat too much. Say what you need to say without unnecessary repeats. Keep in mind that you must strive to get your message through the first time.
In general, there are five parts to Calling/Communications. The more serious or complex the situation, the more important these procedures become. The information printed herein MUST be practiced until it is second nature.
- FIRST, you MUST give the tactical call of the station you are calling. This alerts that station that they are being called and that they should listen to determine who is calling.
- SECOND, say "THIS IS". The called station knows your tactical call follows. This is extremely important in cases where there is a lot of confusion or poor signal conditions.
- THIRD, give your tactical callsign. Noalls and not ham radio calls. Tactical callsigns are important and ham calls are not, egos notwithstanding.
- FOURTH, give your message. Speak clearly. Don't speak too fast especially if the message needs to be written down. Pause after logical phrases. Do not use the word "break" when you pause. It is confusing, wastes time and has another connotation in formal message handling. Merely unkey and pause. If the other station has questions, they should key up and make their request known. This also permits other stations to break in if they have emergency traffic.
- FIFTH, end your message with OVER or OUT.
RACESBUL.194 - SUBJECT: Operations Techniques - 2/7
DATE: Nov. 4, 1991
EXCEPTIONS OR VARIATIONS
- It is sometimes permissible to omit the call designator of the station you are calling BUT only after communications have been established and no confusion will occur. Don't waste time, by using superfluous callsigns.
- The term "THIS IS" is used to separate the FROM and TO callsigns. If, and only if, confusion will not result, omitting the "THIS IS" phrase is permissible.
- If you are the calling station and you omit your own tactical callsign, you can create confusion. In certain situation, such as quick replies between operators, it can be accomplished without confusion. You must NOT use this simplification where messages can be interpreted incorrectly.
- Elimination of the words "OVER" and "OUT" is possible where it doesn't introduce problems. Unkeying after your message implies "OVER". To comply with FCC regulations, you must give your FCC assigned call every ten minutes OR at the end of a series of exchange communications, whichever comes first. Giving your callsign can imply an "OUT" ending. Should giving your call cause any confusion, do not hesitate to add the word "OUT". In HF single-sideband radio, it IS necessary to say the word "OVER".
RACESBUL.195 - SUBJECT: Operations Techniques - 3/7
DATE: Nov. 11, 1991
RADIO PROCEDURES DURING EMERGENCIES
- Identify yourself at the beginning of each transmission especially where confusion may result if omitted.
- Identification is a requirement of the FCC. Stations must Give a complete station identification at least once in a 10-minute operating period, particularly when tactical calls are being used.
- Listen before transmitting. Be sure you are not on the air with someone else.
- Know what you are going to say before you push the mike button; in other words, engage your brain before you put your mouth in gear.
- Hold the transmit button down for at least a second before beginning your message to insure that the first part of your message is not cut off.
- TALK ACROSS THE FACE OF YOUR MICROPHONE. This technique makes the communications more understandable. In other words, hold the face of the microphone almost at a right angle to your face.
- Speak slowly, distinctly, clearly, and do not let your voice trail off at the end of words or sentences. Give each and every word equal force. For some this takes a lot of practice and conscious effort but do it.
- Never acknowledge calls or instructions unless you understand the call or instructions perfectly. If you do not understand, ask for a repeat.
- When you have understood the message, acknowledge the receipt with the words "copy", "received" or "acknowledged." The word "copy" is preferred and NEVER the word "QSL."
- The word "break" is never used UNLESS there is an emergency. Give you call letters to gain access to a net.
RACESBUL.196 - SUBJECT: Operations Techniques - 4/7
DATE: Nov. 18, 1991
(Radio Procedures During Emergencies - continued)
- Always acknowledge calls and instructions. Nothing is more disruptive to the smooth flow of communications than dead silence in response to a message. If you cannot copy or respond to the call immediately, then tell the caller to say again or stand by. Otherwise, acknowledge each call immediately.
- Under stress, many operators have a tendency to talk too fast. ACCURACY FIRST, SPEED SECOND.
- At times, radio conditions are poor and words must be overly exaggerated to be understandable. In general, speak very slowly and distinctly to carry through static and weak signals.
- If your are relaying a message for another person, be sure you repeat the message exactly, word for word as it is given to you. If it makes no sense to you, get an explanation before you put it on the air. If necessary, refer the message back to the originator for clarifications.
- There is no place for "Q" signals during official and emergency communications. They are too easily misunderstood, rarely save time, and often result in errors.
- Do not act as a relay station unless Net Control, or another radio station, asks for a relay -- and you can fulfill the requirement with your station.
- When transmitting numbers (house numbers, street & telephone numbers, etc.), always transmit number sequences as a series of individual numbers. Never say numbers in combinations.
- If a proper name needs to be transmitted, always spell it out using the ICAO phonetic alphabet. Do not use cute or self- invented phonetics. There is no place for them in official and emergency communications. Avoid using the phrase "common spelling" to reduce confusion.
RACESBUL.197 - SUBJECT: OPERATIONS TECHNIQUES - 5/7
DATE: Nov. 25, 1991
(Radio Procedures During Emergencies - continued)
- ONLY TRANSMIT FACTS. If your message is a question, deduction, educated guess, or hearsay, identify it as such. Do not clutter up the air with non-essential information. Be careful what you say on the air. There are many ears listening. Many facts will be taken out of context even when carefully identified.
- If you do not understand the whole message given to you or if you missed a word out of the transmission, reply with "Say again." Do not say "please repeat" because it sounds too much like the word "received" when conditions are poor.
- Chewing gum, eating, and other activities with items in the mouth tend to clutter up the clarity of your speech. Don't.
- Avoid angry comments on the air at all costs. Obscene statements are not necessary and are out of place in all communi- cations.
- Sound alert. Nothing destroys confidence as much as a bored or weary sounding radio operator. If you are tired, get a relief operator.
- During an incident, communications suffers enough confusion without wisecracks and jokes. Amateur Radio may be a hobby to enjoy, but when providing emergency communications you must remember that it is serious business and should be treated as such at all times.
- Stay off the air unless you are sure you can be of assistance. It does no good to offer advice, assistance, comments or other input to a net unless you can truly provide clarification. It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!
RACESBUL.198 - SUBJECT: OPERATIONS TECHNIQUES - 6/7
DATE: Dec. 2, 1991
(Radio Procedures During Emergencies - continued)
- Always know your location. If you are mobile or port- able and moving around, always keep a sharp lookout for land- marks. You must be able, if called upon, the accurately describe your location at any time. This is particularly important if you with a search team or other mobile units.
- On VHF and UHF frequencies, particularly when on the fringes of communications, look for a receiving "hot spot" site and use it. Don't walk around talking while in a communications fringe area. Repeaters have much more power than your handheld. Even if you have a good signal from a repeater, it does not mean you are good going into the repeater.
- If you check into an emergency net, you must monitor on the net frequency. If you must leave the frequency, ask permission from the NCS. Report to the NCS when you return to the net. It is vital that the NCS know the availability of each station on the net and it is up to YOU to keep the NCS advised. However, if the NCS is very busy and you must leave the net, do so without interrupting the net.
- Net Control Stations frequently are very busy with work that is not on the air. If you call the NCS or dispatcher and do not get a reply, be patient and call again in a minute or two. If you have an emergency, say you have "Emergency traffic" after you identify yourself when you call the NCS. Be patient with the NCS and other stations.
RACESBUL.199 - SUBJECT: OPERATIONS TECHNIQUES - 7/7
DATE: Dec. 9, 1991
(Radio Procedures During Emergencies - concluded)
- A mobile radio (that is one that is mobile, portable, or airborne) has priority over any other type of radio station AND other forms of telecommunications. This is true in all radio services. Fixed station operators must recognize that a call from a mobile station takes precedence over telephone calls, personal conversations, and other activities. Respond promptly to any call from a mobile station -- even if it is to advise the caller to standby.
The source of this information is on file and is available upon request. It had been edited slightly for this application.
WILLIAM L. OZMENT, W6LSW @ WA6NWE.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA
RACESBUL.200 - SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT-OWNED HAM EQUIPMENT
DATE: Dec. 16, 1991
Question: Can a state or local government own and provide a repeater for hams? If so, how is it licensed?
Answer: Countless state, county, and city governments provide voice repeaters, packet nodes, base stations, portables and other Amateur Radio equipment for their Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service people. Nothing says a ham has to own the equipment he or she operates. Thank goodness! Those governments have liter- ally put their money where their mouth is. They value the high level of professional communications services provided by their hams and prove it by providing quality equipment. It is fully operational alongside their police, fire, local government, and other radios. Governments are often willing to pay more for commercial grade public safety type radios so that they may be maintained by their own technicians in their government radio vaults and elsewhere. It does not require a ham to maintain a ham radio. A government-owned radio is licensed to any agreeable ham. At one time local governments could license their RACES radios under a block of special callsigns reserved for RACES stations. They are no longer available but several callsigns are still active by virtue of timely license renewal actions.
-- KH6GBX
RACESBUL.201 - SUBJECT: Mutual Aid
DATE: Dec. 23, 1991
Question: You talk about mutual aid. We don't have that here. What does it mean?
Answer: Mutual aid comes from planning between municipalities, counties or parishes, and states to provide emergency resources from other governments if and when required. Mutual aid in this context goes beyond automatic response by one fire department to support another department near their mutual borders. In California, mutual aid is provided for by law and is one of the responsibilities of local government emergency management/civil defense, law enforcement, and fire fighting agencies to plan for and implement mutual aid. Communications, too, is a resource necessary to any incident command system. Volunteers are -- or can be -- a part of this mutual aid resource. The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), or by whatever name your government calls their Amateur Radio section, is a part of a government's communications resource. The mutual aid system, properly planned, can be an excellent and cost effective system. The absence of mutual aid can contribute to the needless loss of life and property. The volunteers, of course, should be covered by the same benefits and protection provided paid employees.
--- Stan Harter, KH6GBX
RACESBUL.202 - SUBJECT: 1991 in review
DATE: Dec. 30, 1991
This year continued to see a growth in the planning for and use of Amateur Radio operators and other communications volun- teers in government service. This interest and growth has been not only in California but throughout the United States and Canada.
The role of the Amateur Radio operator in emergency communications has changed drastically from what it was twenty years ago. Back then, the ham basically planned for long term operations that might last for days at a time. The RACES person, that is any ham attached to a local government civil defense agency, was preoccupied with a worst-case wartime scenario.
Today's RACES unit, on the other hand, is geared for quick re- sponse, short term, emergency public safety communications sup- port. Gone, thank goodness, is the image of the tin hat, armband, flashlight and bucket of sand. Gone are the legions of home radio stations. In their place are more and more government locations fully equipped with RACES, CAP, and other radio sta- tions so that the volunteers don't have to lug their own to serve their government.
I say thanks to all those unpaid professionals in our organization and those of you throughout the country with whom I have communicated with this year. Such good volunteers not only look good, they make you and your organization look good.
We salute the dedicated and growing number of packet bulletin board sysops who make these Bulletins available to a host of emergency communications volunteers. We thank all of you who have contributed material for these Bulletins. In 1992 we plan to encourage the broader use of the RACES people in many other radio and communications services. We hope to see a return to the emergency communications performance role of the Civil Air Patrol.
This year we changed the name of the forty year old State RACES section to the Auxiliary Radio Service to better reflect the broad diversity of services required of today's volunteers.
Together we look forward to 1992, and may it ever bigger and better for us all.
Stan Harter, KH6GBX
State RACES Coordinator
Cary Mangum, W6WWW
Chief State Radio Officer