1996 RACES Bulletins
RB411 - Relay Stations - 2/2 (Release 01/01/96)
Query: What factors do you look for in a relay station?
Answer: a mix of operational, technical and managerial abilities, much as one would look for in a net control station operator for high frequency operations.
Has the operator demonstrated good practices, such as these: Shown an ability to handle multiple simultaneous calls without confusion? Use staccato traffic, i.e., rapid fire cryptic words that cut through noise and interference? Or is the person 'long winded'? Have tone hearing ability; i.e., to recognize voices? Is there a 'command voice'; and can it be used without being heavy handed? What kind of 'presence' does the operator have?
Is there experience in emergency response? Is there dedication to the level of service required for a relay station? Can the operator develop assistants to provide relief and backup help at his/her location? Are there physical or mental restraints that can affect the operator? (consideration is required as operation hours can be unexpected and extensive).
A relay station must be capable of a quick frequency change when conditions warrant that action at the request of the NCS. This may be to a different frequency on the same band or a change to another band, such as to 160 meters from 80, or to 80 from 40, etc.
A relay station may need multiple antennas, emergency power source and several radios, as well as fax, packet, and other systems, as well as a pager.
Of course, one could say that in an emergency any station could be a relay station. However, the above aspects are worth considering when selecting a relay station. Not all of the factors will be found in one operator, but at least have them in mind when you make a selection.
[This two-part series was edited from an article originated by Howard Shepherd, W6US, Manager McArthur Relay, Alternate NCS, California Emergency Services Net, State of California Auxiliary Communications Service.]
RB412 - Proper Net ID (Release 01/08/96)
Query: Give examples of proper emergency net identification.
Reply: FCC Part 97.119(a) requires amateurs to ID with their amateur callsign every ten minutes and at the end of a contact. Although this is very clear, sometimes there is confusion over what is required in a net operation.
A NET does not require every station checked-in to ID every ten minutes for the duration of the event. Think of a net as a SERIES of individual contacts, coordinated by a net control station.
Only those in active contact must ID. The ID rule applies to each individual contact. Stations need ID only as a result of their own actual transmission -- at the end of each contact, or each ten minutes of CONTINUOUS contact.
Example: at the end of a contact using tactical calls with the Amateur call: "Base Camp, this is Fire Watch Three, W1AAA, out"; "Base Camp, W5JJJ, out".
For short contacts, some organizations tighten the procedure even further, using the amateur call as they would the word "out".
Now, a longer example: A station has many formal messages for an EOC,to be passed on a disaster traffic net. Contact with the EOC is made at 2003 hours, and the traffic is all handled by 2026 hours. How many times will the originator of the traffic ID?
Three times. At 2013 and 2023, under the ten minute rule. 2026, under the end-of-contact rule. Remember, those listening on the sidelines need not ID at all, nor is there any provision for a net control to ID on their behalf.
We hope this clarifies the requirements for use of the amateur callsign. A discussion of the proper way to use tactical callsigns is available in the file TACCALLS.ASC at many amateur radio related FTP sites and packet BBS's.
Written by Bob Calkins, WA7NUU, Communications Officer, Emergency Coordination Agency, Edmonds, Wa.
RB413 - What is an "Operational Area"? (Release 01/15/96)
Query: What is an "Operational Area"?
Response: An Operational Area (OA) is an organization for emergency management. It is more or less synonymous with a county, yet different. The OA is a functional organization, and NOT a jurisdiction. Its boundaries are normally those of a county (Sec 8559 CA Gov. Code). An OA is not necessarily a county government; it could be several cities, or a city and a county, a county government; or several county governments that undertake to coordinate the flow of mutual aid and information within the defined area. The OA is the backbone of a statewide emergency management system. Operational Areas in California serve 58 counties and geographical sub-units such as the Tahoe Basin.
The Operational Area (OA) serves as an integral aspect of a STATEWIDE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT system. Although code defined in California, it can apply to other jurisdictions in function as well as conceptual form.
A STATEWIDE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT system is the means of adjusting flow of resources (both human and material) and information BETWEEN JURISDICTIONS of all levels of government in a state. It speaks to what resources and information are needed, how these resources and information are requested; from whom, by whom, using what forms, what terms. This is called a Mutual Aid system in some states and in California. More about that system in part two of this series, next week.
Continues Next Week
RB414 - Mutual Aid Defined (Release 01/22/96)
Query: In the context of the OA, define Mutual Aid.
Response: Mutual Aid is a statewide system to ensure that adequate resources are provided to jurisdictions whenever their own resources prove to be inadequate to cope with a disaster. In most states, as in California, the local jurisdiction is the one that is responsible for the emergency response. In the mode of neighbor helping neighbor, cities and counties, and then the state and federal governments, assist one another through an incremental and progressive system of resource mobilization. Mutual Aid is activated in an ascending order: local, county (operational area), region, ending with state and federal governments.
In recent years the mutual aid system has developed beyond the traditional law and fire functional areas. This extension of mutual aid beyond its discipline-specific (traditional) areas is an outgrowth of experience in a variety of disasters. Cities and counties may activate Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in response to disasters. Depending on the nature and magnitude of the event, a countywide response may be needed to mobilize assets from the county and its component cities. In some states, in addition to cities and counties, special districts are a form of local government that provides specific services, such as water, regional transportation, waste disposal, etc. In an emergency several such districts may support other similar districts adversely affected by an event. On the county-wide level the OA facilitates this coordination - as a single point of contact - for the special districts which may be represented in the city and/or county EOCs.
Next week: More on Mutual Aid.
Are the new EMCOMM Bulletins being filed on your BBS?? If not, Please ask your Sysop to create an EMCOMM file section for them so we can change the "RACES" Bulletins to EMCOMM. Thanks!! Cary.
RB415 - Combining the OA and Mutual Aid (Release 01/29/96)
Query: Illustrate how the OA and Mutual Aid work together.
Response: The Mutual Aid system developed from hundreds of experiences over many years with a wide range of disasters. Here's how an OA situation invokes the Mutual Aid system.
During a conflagration the OA receives a request from City A. The OA calls its jurisdictions (cities and special districts). City B and the county report they have resources but the county has used most of its available stocks and wishes to keep the rest in reserve (a reasonable request for its own needs). The OA then requests resources from City B, which makes five (5) of Resource I and five (5) of Resource II available to City A through the OA. However, City A needs additional units, so the OA - as the central point of contact - requests additional units from the State Office of Emergency Services (OES) or, as in California, one of its six OES Mutual Aid Regions. In this instance it would be to its Fire Mutual Aid Coordinator. That coordinator then procures four (4) of Resource I and six (6) of Resource II from OTHER jurisdictions OUTSIDE of the impacted OA. These resources, which may be from adjacent counties, cities in other counties, or from some distance away, respond to City A through the OA. This is Mutual Aid in action based on a statewide emergency Mutual Aid plan. At the incident site the responders will operate under the Incident Command System, which is reviewed next week.
(Continues next week)
RB416 - Incident Command System (Release 02/05/96)
Question: Give a brief explanation of ICS.
Response: The ICS (Incident Command System) is a system of coordinated management at the INCIDENT that evolved out of real on-the-scene experience. It has been used for years in many states by law agencies and fire departments. It is, however, new to many communications responders.
With ICS, responders at the scene of the incident coordinate their efforts with a highly effective standardized form of management, a common organization and common terminology.
The basic ICS organization exists for the specific INCIDENT and consists of five functions: Incident Command, tactical or field Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance. The interesting part of the system is its flexibility. One person can handle all five of these components in a small incident, yet as the event increases in complexity, the ICS provides the means of expansion for the organization needed to handle the worsening situation. When the situation reaches that of a disaster it may consist of one or more incidents, each of which may require a particular ICS for that incident.
In most states, local jurisdictions are in charge of and respond to most disasters. Thus the local fire chief is in charge of response in that jurisdiction. But what happens when resources from outside of the area are required, via mutual aid. What if fire crews from 26 different jurisdictions respond? How can they coordinate their activities? What if it is worse? In a single incident in CA resources from 105 jurisdictions with over 500 engines and related equipment were needed. Imagine the chaos without an INCIDENT management system. Well, that is the purpose of the ICS.
For those familiar with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), a CAP mission is the same as an Incident in the above explanation.
(Continues next week, part 5, which covers the OASIS system.)
RB417 - OASIS (Release 02/12/96)
Query: What is OASIS and where does it fit into the system?
Response: The OASIS project, or Operational Area Satellite Information System, evolved out of lessons learned from the Loma Prieta earthquake and various exercises.
Those events underscored the need for STREAMLINED, STANDARDIZED DISASTER INFORMATION and RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS throughout the state at all levels; along with the need for reliable and efficient communications systems to support data transmission.
Additionally, those events highlighted the need to develop the Operational Area concept at the local level as the responsible point of local effort and focus. State OES then provided state funding to purchase communications hardware, including HIGH HIGH FREQUENCY (HF) Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) radios, and a SATELLITE SYSTEM. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provided funding to aid in development of a statewide emergency information management system.
Interim guidelines were published in l993 and the component parts of the system began to be put in place that same year. First came the master Satellite terminals at Sacramento and Los Alamitos and remote terminals at county (OA) EOC's, along with portable units. These components were used in the Northridge earthquake and in the recent floods.
The HF ALE radio network that resulted is the largest known one of its kind in the world, requiring modification of the capability of the radios to handle the number of "addressable" locations. When the system is complete it will link a network of one-hundred and twelve radio addresses linked over a ten channel, multiple net system that automatically seeks the best radio link and maintains that data in the radio.
Continues next week.
RB418 - SEMS & Emergency Mgmt. (Release 02/19/96)
Query: Where does SEMS fit in with the OA, OASIS and Mutual Aid?
Under OASIS (and later SEMS) each "function" (of management in and of an emergency) operates within and out of an OA. A "function" could be communications, coroners, sheriff, etc.
Representatives from all functions meet first as planning teams, and/or exercises. Then, during emergencies or disasters, they become the emergency organization of the area (OA) - one might say this their horizontal function. In addition, when it comes to the use of mutual aid, they share a vertical function; that is, from the OA to other support structures, such as the State.
This might be thought of as similar to elements of the ICS, for it includes common terminology to identify resources and provides guidelines for transmitting information from one level to another, who reports to whom and when. It also results in common forms for disaster intelligence and resource requests to embody minimum essential information.
SEMS - an acronym for the Standardized Emergency Management System - combines the best of what has been described in the preceding bulletins, on ICS, Mutual Aid, Operational Areas, and OASIS; with the addition of a component we've not covered.
SEMS integrates into one framework these five major elements:
Continues next week. (Originally 6 parts; modified to 7)
RB419 - Emergency Mgmt - Recap (Release 02/26/96)
While the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) may currently apply to only one state, the management concepts in it seem to offer tools to consider for other areas.
In review, SEMS has five levels of application:
A draft copy of the SEMS plan is on the ACS BBS, see below. The final plan will be posted on the WEB page as available. Training in SEMS is now being done with materials provided by CSTI (California Specialized Training Institute.)
Recap: the Operational Area (OA) is a response management organization based on county lines. It, along with OASIS and SEMS, is an integral aspect of the Mutual Aid response system - a statewide system ensuring adequate resources are provided to jurisdictions whenever their own resources are inadequate to cope with a disaster. Cities and counties, then state and federal government, assist one another through an incremental and progressive system of resource mobilization. This occurs in an ascending order: local, county (OA), region, state, federal. SEMS legislation put all of the components into one overall system.
End of Series
RB420 - Why we do what we do! (Release 03/04/96)
In our efforts to provide information to those who are involved with emergency communications, sometimes we lose sight of the fundamental 'push' that causes us to do this work. Here is a perspective we can all use beneficially.
"After 28 years of working as a Public Defender, and four years of being trained as a backup Emergency Services PIO, I got called out on my first bonafide disaster: the Mt. Vision fire in Marin County. What I saw there was a beautiful extension of the reason why I became a (often maligned, sometimes hated) Public Defender - people immediately being trusting, focused on a common good, and sharing an instant good will in the midst of a common disaster. I have seen that the softest things in life are the most enduring:
That's what makes life worth living."
Frank Cox /[email protected], backup PIO, Marin Office Emergency Services.
(It was on [email protected], Oct 30 1995.) When asked for permission to quote, Frank's reply included this: "When I first began PIO training I was told 'when things really get crazy get a "shadow"' (RACES Volunteer). They are the only ones who can find out what is going on."
RB421 - Why Amateurs? (Release 03/11/96)
Why are Amateur Radio licensees prevalent in ACS/RACES units?
Response: Due to areas of focus, traits and interest:
That diversity is true across the entire spectrum of Amateur licensees. Some are only interested in passing 'traffic messages' (as for the Red Cross and National Traffic System, for example.) Others focus on 'talking over the radio' to their buddies a few miles across town or in another state or a country. Some mainly enjoy morse code; some, digital high-speed networks. Others spend their energies on television, others on satellites. Sometimes their interest changes and they focus on a different aspect of the many that are permitted by their license.
The RACES BULLETINS DESIGNATOR CHANGES TO EMCOMM AS OF 4/1/96 with the designator of EMCOMM@ALLUS $EMCOMBUL.###, with EMC021. Please verify that your local BBS is setup for the change!!
RB422 - VEHICLE DISASTER SAFETY (Release 03/18/96)
Stay IN your car or get OUT? During a natural disaster, making the wrong decision can be dangerous. Here are some survival tips for the general public and disaster workers alike from GEICO.
RACES BULLETIN DESIGNATOR CHANGES 4/1/96 TO EMCOMM $EMC.### Numbering following Bulletin 423 will begin w/EMCOM.021 (EMC021)
RB423 - Questions, Questions (Release 03/25/96)
This and other bulletins are in response to the many queries seeking help. Often the best answer is to ask questions which helps the caller find the answers within their own knowledge. Examples:
Is the "RACES" or "ARES" function supplied by a local club? If so, to what extent is the club involved in the selection and appointment of the person who works with the local government agency?
Did the government or other agency coordinator have a say in who was appointed to that position or was that dictated by the local structure or club?
Has the local structure ever terminated an appointee for any reason? What and why? If not, why not?
Does the local structure select (or assist in the selection of) the unit RACES radio officer or ARES EC based on competency in management or ability to work closely with paid government or agency staff?
Is the local structure essentially "political" in that who knows whom is the criteria for appointments, rather than management, coordination and interpersonal skills?
What other titles does the RACES Radio Officer have? Whoever that person is, how much time each week is spent IN (repeat, IN) the local jurisdictions emergency management agency?
Questions like these help get the caller to think about what is taking place in their unit. Questions that probe the situation help determine a direction, a focus, an attitude, alternatives, or just a different perspective. There are no absolutes, no guaranteed solutions in questions, but they serve as a good stimulator.
This is the LAST sequential bulletin in the 400 series. The next sequential bulletin is EMCOMM Bulletin #EMC021 for 4/1/96. Packet stations watch for EMCOMM@ALLUS $EMCOMBUL.021 with the caption EMC021 WHY SOME UNITS FAIL! 1/6
RB424 - INFORMATION (Release 04/01/96)
RB423 was the LAST sequential bulletin in the 400 series. The next sequential bulletin was EMCOMM Bulletin #EMC021 on 4/1/96
Bulletins after 423 were expanded to a broader usage and are addressed as EMCOMM.
EMCOMM bulletins 001-020 were sent parallel to the RACES Bulletins in 11996 and EMCOMM bulletin 021 was the first on 4/1/96 with the cessation of the RACES bulletins as such.
Reason: over time it became apparent that the term "RACES" does not fully communicate as to the nature of the Emergency Communications units in the 1990's. While RACES is still an important element of Amateur Radio, there are expanded uses of Amateur Radio that transcend some of the 40 to 50 year old concepts of what "RACES" is or was.
It was discovered that using the term "Emergency Communications Unit" or EMCOMM was generic and better understood. California decided to name it's state OES EMCOMM unit as the Auxiliary Communications Service.
Packet stations find the on-going bulletins addressed as EMCOMM@ALLUS $EMCOMBUL.###
Query: What factors do you look for in a relay station?
Answer: a mix of operational, technical and managerial abilities, much as one would look for in a net control station operator for high frequency operations.
Has the operator demonstrated good practices, such as these: Shown an ability to handle multiple simultaneous calls without confusion? Use staccato traffic, i.e., rapid fire cryptic words that cut through noise and interference? Or is the person 'long winded'? Have tone hearing ability; i.e., to recognize voices? Is there a 'command voice'; and can it be used without being heavy handed? What kind of 'presence' does the operator have?
Is there experience in emergency response? Is there dedication to the level of service required for a relay station? Can the operator develop assistants to provide relief and backup help at his/her location? Are there physical or mental restraints that can affect the operator? (consideration is required as operation hours can be unexpected and extensive).
A relay station must be capable of a quick frequency change when conditions warrant that action at the request of the NCS. This may be to a different frequency on the same band or a change to another band, such as to 160 meters from 80, or to 80 from 40, etc.
A relay station may need multiple antennas, emergency power source and several radios, as well as fax, packet, and other systems, as well as a pager.
Of course, one could say that in an emergency any station could be a relay station. However, the above aspects are worth considering when selecting a relay station. Not all of the factors will be found in one operator, but at least have them in mind when you make a selection.
[This two-part series was edited from an article originated by Howard Shepherd, W6US, Manager McArthur Relay, Alternate NCS, California Emergency Services Net, State of California Auxiliary Communications Service.]
RB412 - Proper Net ID (Release 01/08/96)
Query: Give examples of proper emergency net identification.
Reply: FCC Part 97.119(a) requires amateurs to ID with their amateur callsign every ten minutes and at the end of a contact. Although this is very clear, sometimes there is confusion over what is required in a net operation.
A NET does not require every station checked-in to ID every ten minutes for the duration of the event. Think of a net as a SERIES of individual contacts, coordinated by a net control station.
Only those in active contact must ID. The ID rule applies to each individual contact. Stations need ID only as a result of their own actual transmission -- at the end of each contact, or each ten minutes of CONTINUOUS contact.
Example: at the end of a contact using tactical calls with the Amateur call: "Base Camp, this is Fire Watch Three, W1AAA, out"; "Base Camp, W5JJJ, out".
For short contacts, some organizations tighten the procedure even further, using the amateur call as they would the word "out".
Now, a longer example: A station has many formal messages for an EOC,to be passed on a disaster traffic net. Contact with the EOC is made at 2003 hours, and the traffic is all handled by 2026 hours. How many times will the originator of the traffic ID?
Three times. At 2013 and 2023, under the ten minute rule. 2026, under the end-of-contact rule. Remember, those listening on the sidelines need not ID at all, nor is there any provision for a net control to ID on their behalf.
We hope this clarifies the requirements for use of the amateur callsign. A discussion of the proper way to use tactical callsigns is available in the file TACCALLS.ASC at many amateur radio related FTP sites and packet BBS's.
Written by Bob Calkins, WA7NUU, Communications Officer, Emergency Coordination Agency, Edmonds, Wa.
RB413 - What is an "Operational Area"? (Release 01/15/96)
Query: What is an "Operational Area"?
Response: An Operational Area (OA) is an organization for emergency management. It is more or less synonymous with a county, yet different. The OA is a functional organization, and NOT a jurisdiction. Its boundaries are normally those of a county (Sec 8559 CA Gov. Code). An OA is not necessarily a county government; it could be several cities, or a city and a county, a county government; or several county governments that undertake to coordinate the flow of mutual aid and information within the defined area. The OA is the backbone of a statewide emergency management system. Operational Areas in California serve 58 counties and geographical sub-units such as the Tahoe Basin.
The Operational Area (OA) serves as an integral aspect of a STATEWIDE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT system. Although code defined in California, it can apply to other jurisdictions in function as well as conceptual form.
A STATEWIDE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT system is the means of adjusting flow of resources (both human and material) and information BETWEEN JURISDICTIONS of all levels of government in a state. It speaks to what resources and information are needed, how these resources and information are requested; from whom, by whom, using what forms, what terms. This is called a Mutual Aid system in some states and in California. More about that system in part two of this series, next week.
Continues Next Week
RB414 - Mutual Aid Defined (Release 01/22/96)
Query: In the context of the OA, define Mutual Aid.
Response: Mutual Aid is a statewide system to ensure that adequate resources are provided to jurisdictions whenever their own resources prove to be inadequate to cope with a disaster. In most states, as in California, the local jurisdiction is the one that is responsible for the emergency response. In the mode of neighbor helping neighbor, cities and counties, and then the state and federal governments, assist one another through an incremental and progressive system of resource mobilization. Mutual Aid is activated in an ascending order: local, county (operational area), region, ending with state and federal governments.
In recent years the mutual aid system has developed beyond the traditional law and fire functional areas. This extension of mutual aid beyond its discipline-specific (traditional) areas is an outgrowth of experience in a variety of disasters. Cities and counties may activate Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in response to disasters. Depending on the nature and magnitude of the event, a countywide response may be needed to mobilize assets from the county and its component cities. In some states, in addition to cities and counties, special districts are a form of local government that provides specific services, such as water, regional transportation, waste disposal, etc. In an emergency several such districts may support other similar districts adversely affected by an event. On the county-wide level the OA facilitates this coordination - as a single point of contact - for the special districts which may be represented in the city and/or county EOCs.
Next week: More on Mutual Aid.
Are the new EMCOMM Bulletins being filed on your BBS?? If not, Please ask your Sysop to create an EMCOMM file section for them so we can change the "RACES" Bulletins to EMCOMM. Thanks!! Cary.
RB415 - Combining the OA and Mutual Aid (Release 01/29/96)
Query: Illustrate how the OA and Mutual Aid work together.
Response: The Mutual Aid system developed from hundreds of experiences over many years with a wide range of disasters. Here's how an OA situation invokes the Mutual Aid system.
During a conflagration the OA receives a request from City A. The OA calls its jurisdictions (cities and special districts). City B and the county report they have resources but the county has used most of its available stocks and wishes to keep the rest in reserve (a reasonable request for its own needs). The OA then requests resources from City B, which makes five (5) of Resource I and five (5) of Resource II available to City A through the OA. However, City A needs additional units, so the OA - as the central point of contact - requests additional units from the State Office of Emergency Services (OES) or, as in California, one of its six OES Mutual Aid Regions. In this instance it would be to its Fire Mutual Aid Coordinator. That coordinator then procures four (4) of Resource I and six (6) of Resource II from OTHER jurisdictions OUTSIDE of the impacted OA. These resources, which may be from adjacent counties, cities in other counties, or from some distance away, respond to City A through the OA. This is Mutual Aid in action based on a statewide emergency Mutual Aid plan. At the incident site the responders will operate under the Incident Command System, which is reviewed next week.
(Continues next week)
RB416 - Incident Command System (Release 02/05/96)
Question: Give a brief explanation of ICS.
Response: The ICS (Incident Command System) is a system of coordinated management at the INCIDENT that evolved out of real on-the-scene experience. It has been used for years in many states by law agencies and fire departments. It is, however, new to many communications responders.
With ICS, responders at the scene of the incident coordinate their efforts with a highly effective standardized form of management, a common organization and common terminology.
The basic ICS organization exists for the specific INCIDENT and consists of five functions: Incident Command, tactical or field Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance. The interesting part of the system is its flexibility. One person can handle all five of these components in a small incident, yet as the event increases in complexity, the ICS provides the means of expansion for the organization needed to handle the worsening situation. When the situation reaches that of a disaster it may consist of one or more incidents, each of which may require a particular ICS for that incident.
In most states, local jurisdictions are in charge of and respond to most disasters. Thus the local fire chief is in charge of response in that jurisdiction. But what happens when resources from outside of the area are required, via mutual aid. What if fire crews from 26 different jurisdictions respond? How can they coordinate their activities? What if it is worse? In a single incident in CA resources from 105 jurisdictions with over 500 engines and related equipment were needed. Imagine the chaos without an INCIDENT management system. Well, that is the purpose of the ICS.
For those familiar with the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), a CAP mission is the same as an Incident in the above explanation.
(Continues next week, part 5, which covers the OASIS system.)
RB417 - OASIS (Release 02/12/96)
Query: What is OASIS and where does it fit into the system?
Response: The OASIS project, or Operational Area Satellite Information System, evolved out of lessons learned from the Loma Prieta earthquake and various exercises.
Those events underscored the need for STREAMLINED, STANDARDIZED DISASTER INFORMATION and RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS throughout the state at all levels; along with the need for reliable and efficient communications systems to support data transmission.
Additionally, those events highlighted the need to develop the Operational Area concept at the local level as the responsible point of local effort and focus. State OES then provided state funding to purchase communications hardware, including HIGH HIGH FREQUENCY (HF) Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) radios, and a SATELLITE SYSTEM. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provided funding to aid in development of a statewide emergency information management system.
Interim guidelines were published in l993 and the component parts of the system began to be put in place that same year. First came the master Satellite terminals at Sacramento and Los Alamitos and remote terminals at county (OA) EOC's, along with portable units. These components were used in the Northridge earthquake and in the recent floods.
The HF ALE radio network that resulted is the largest known one of its kind in the world, requiring modification of the capability of the radios to handle the number of "addressable" locations. When the system is complete it will link a network of one-hundred and twelve radio addresses linked over a ten channel, multiple net system that automatically seeks the best radio link and maintains that data in the radio.
Continues next week.
RB418 - SEMS & Emergency Mgmt. (Release 02/19/96)
Query: Where does SEMS fit in with the OA, OASIS and Mutual Aid?
Under OASIS (and later SEMS) each "function" (of management in and of an emergency) operates within and out of an OA. A "function" could be communications, coroners, sheriff, etc.
Representatives from all functions meet first as planning teams, and/or exercises. Then, during emergencies or disasters, they become the emergency organization of the area (OA) - one might say this their horizontal function. In addition, when it comes to the use of mutual aid, they share a vertical function; that is, from the OA to other support structures, such as the State.
This might be thought of as similar to elements of the ICS, for it includes common terminology to identify resources and provides guidelines for transmitting information from one level to another, who reports to whom and when. It also results in common forms for disaster intelligence and resource requests to embody minimum essential information.
SEMS - an acronym for the Standardized Emergency Management System - combines the best of what has been described in the preceding bulletins, on ICS, Mutual Aid, Operational Areas, and OASIS; with the addition of a component we've not covered.
SEMS integrates into one framework these five major elements:
- The Incident Command System (ICS)
- The State's Mutual Aid Program
- Operational Areas
- OASIS
- Multi-agency or inter-agency coordination (Agencies and disciplines working together in a coordinated effort to facilitate decisions. Required in all EOCs.)
Continues next week. (Originally 6 parts; modified to 7)
RB419 - Emergency Mgmt - Recap (Release 02/26/96)
While the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) may currently apply to only one state, the management concepts in it seem to offer tools to consider for other areas.
In review, SEMS has five levels of application:
- Field (on scene at incidents)
- Local Government (includes Special Districts, such as water, levee, which may be impacted by an emergency)
- Operational Area (a 'county' boundaries generally)
- Region (an area defined level of state OES)
- State
A draft copy of the SEMS plan is on the ACS BBS, see below. The final plan will be posted on the WEB page as available. Training in SEMS is now being done with materials provided by CSTI (California Specialized Training Institute.)
Recap: the Operational Area (OA) is a response management organization based on county lines. It, along with OASIS and SEMS, is an integral aspect of the Mutual Aid response system - a statewide system ensuring adequate resources are provided to jurisdictions whenever their own resources are inadequate to cope with a disaster. Cities and counties, then state and federal government, assist one another through an incremental and progressive system of resource mobilization. This occurs in an ascending order: local, county (OA), region, state, federal. SEMS legislation put all of the components into one overall system.
End of Series
RB420 - Why we do what we do! (Release 03/04/96)
In our efforts to provide information to those who are involved with emergency communications, sometimes we lose sight of the fundamental 'push' that causes us to do this work. Here is a perspective we can all use beneficially.
"After 28 years of working as a Public Defender, and four years of being trained as a backup Emergency Services PIO, I got called out on my first bonafide disaster: the Mt. Vision fire in Marin County. What I saw there was a beautiful extension of the reason why I became a (often maligned, sometimes hated) Public Defender - people immediately being trusting, focused on a common good, and sharing an instant good will in the midst of a common disaster. I have seen that the softest things in life are the most enduring:
- honesty
- compassion
- caring
- forgiveness
- the will to help
- a hesitancy to harm
That's what makes life worth living."
Frank Cox /[email protected], backup PIO, Marin Office Emergency Services.
(It was on [email protected], Oct 30 1995.) When asked for permission to quote, Frank's reply included this: "When I first began PIO training I was told 'when things really get crazy get a "shadow"' (RACES Volunteer). They are the only ones who can find out what is going on."
RB421 - Why Amateurs? (Release 03/11/96)
Why are Amateur Radio licensees prevalent in ACS/RACES units?
Response: Due to areas of focus, traits and interest:
- Because they often have portable, mobile and/or handheld radios and other communications devices that are constantly in use all around their communities. They have been doing that for decades before the cellular phone offered a portion of that capability to non-Amateurs. In effect, many of them are walking communications points-of-light.
- Because they possess traits valuable to their communities:
- innovative and highly resourceful
- often make mind-connective associations that others miss (which can be especially critical in emergencies)
- proven problem solvers
- provide solutions to situations that seem impossible
- dedicate long selfless hours in pursuit of excellence
That diversity is true across the entire spectrum of Amateur licensees. Some are only interested in passing 'traffic messages' (as for the Red Cross and National Traffic System, for example.) Others focus on 'talking over the radio' to their buddies a few miles across town or in another state or a country. Some mainly enjoy morse code; some, digital high-speed networks. Others spend their energies on television, others on satellites. Sometimes their interest changes and they focus on a different aspect of the many that are permitted by their license.
The RACES BULLETINS DESIGNATOR CHANGES TO EMCOMM AS OF 4/1/96 with the designator of EMCOMM@ALLUS $EMCOMBUL.###, with EMC021. Please verify that your local BBS is setup for the change!!
RB422 - VEHICLE DISASTER SAFETY (Release 03/18/96)
Stay IN your car or get OUT? During a natural disaster, making the wrong decision can be dangerous. Here are some survival tips for the general public and disaster workers alike from GEICO.
- EARTHQUAKE stay IN the car. Stop driving as soon as possible, but not under buildings, overpasses and utility wires. The car will shake vigorously, but you're safest inside. Proceed cautiously when the quaking stops, avoiding bridges and other elevated structures that could be damaged.
- TORNADO get OUT of the car! It can be overturned by strong winds. Find shelter in a building or lie flat in a ditch or depression with your arms over your head. Never try to outrun a tornado.
- BLIZZARD stay IN the car. If stranded, use the engine for brief periods of heat. To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, leave a window open slightly and keep the exhaust pipe clear of packer snow. Use simple movements to keep the blood flowing to your extremities, but don't overexert. Leave the dome light on at night to help rescuers find you, and sleep in shifts if there are others with you.
- FLOOD/HURRICANE get OUT of the car. Most deaths in flash floods (one of the biggest dangers in a hurricane) happen in cars. Water can be deeper than it appears and strong currents can sweep your car away. Deep puddles can conceal missing sections of a road or bridge.
RACES BULLETIN DESIGNATOR CHANGES 4/1/96 TO EMCOMM $EMC.### Numbering following Bulletin 423 will begin w/EMCOM.021 (EMC021)
RB423 - Questions, Questions (Release 03/25/96)
This and other bulletins are in response to the many queries seeking help. Often the best answer is to ask questions which helps the caller find the answers within their own knowledge. Examples:
Is the "RACES" or "ARES" function supplied by a local club? If so, to what extent is the club involved in the selection and appointment of the person who works with the local government agency?
Did the government or other agency coordinator have a say in who was appointed to that position or was that dictated by the local structure or club?
Has the local structure ever terminated an appointee for any reason? What and why? If not, why not?
Does the local structure select (or assist in the selection of) the unit RACES radio officer or ARES EC based on competency in management or ability to work closely with paid government or agency staff?
Is the local structure essentially "political" in that who knows whom is the criteria for appointments, rather than management, coordination and interpersonal skills?
What other titles does the RACES Radio Officer have? Whoever that person is, how much time each week is spent IN (repeat, IN) the local jurisdictions emergency management agency?
Questions like these help get the caller to think about what is taking place in their unit. Questions that probe the situation help determine a direction, a focus, an attitude, alternatives, or just a different perspective. There are no absolutes, no guaranteed solutions in questions, but they serve as a good stimulator.
This is the LAST sequential bulletin in the 400 series. The next sequential bulletin is EMCOMM Bulletin #EMC021 for 4/1/96. Packet stations watch for EMCOMM@ALLUS $EMCOMBUL.021 with the caption EMC021 WHY SOME UNITS FAIL! 1/6
RB424 - INFORMATION (Release 04/01/96)
RB423 was the LAST sequential bulletin in the 400 series. The next sequential bulletin was EMCOMM Bulletin #EMC021 on 4/1/96
Bulletins after 423 were expanded to a broader usage and are addressed as EMCOMM.
EMCOMM bulletins 001-020 were sent parallel to the RACES Bulletins in 11996 and EMCOMM bulletin 021 was the first on 4/1/96 with the cessation of the RACES bulletins as such.
Reason: over time it became apparent that the term "RACES" does not fully communicate as to the nature of the Emergency Communications units in the 1990's. While RACES is still an important element of Amateur Radio, there are expanded uses of Amateur Radio that transcend some of the 40 to 50 year old concepts of what "RACES" is or was.
It was discovered that using the term "Emergency Communications Unit" or EMCOMM was generic and better understood. California decided to name it's state OES EMCOMM unit as the Auxiliary Communications Service.
Packet stations find the on-going bulletins addressed as EMCOMM@ALLUS $EMCOMBUL.###
