EMC379 EMCOMM Officers Handbook 13

AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICES AND H&W TRAFFIC 

Generally ACS and RACES organizations will not handle H&W traffic. This is best left up to Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) who are the H&W experts. There will be times when an ACS or RACES organization will be approached and asked to handle H&W traffic.

Its recommended that the EMCOMM Officer provide information to the requesting agency (Red Cross etc...) so that they may make the initial contact with ARES. However, if the EMCOMM Officer is authorized by the sponsoring agency, or the situation (limited or no telephone service etc...) requires them to make the initial contact with ARES, then insure the following steps are followed:

1. After contacting the ARES Section Manager (SM), Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC), District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) or Emergency Coordinator (EC), first inform them that you are just passing third party traffic for the requesting agency and that you are not authorized to request activation of their organization.
   
2. Pass along the "third party traffic" containing all of the necessary information possible so that the requesting agency and ARES can get together and take care of the H&W traffic.
   

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DEMOBILIZATION 

As an incident (or exercise) winds down, so will the current operational responsibilities. This transition must be as smooth as possible as to not interrupt or interfere with the operations.

Begin at least one but not more than two shifts before you are to be released. Set up the last and possibly an "emergency back- up" shift (things can go down hill again) to be available on a stand-by basis. Get this information disseminated as far and as fast as possible. Use the telephone first, then radio voice or packet to accomplish this. Try and use our own personnel for the last "mop-up" shifts so that you can release assisting or mutual aid personnel first.

1. Contact standby resources and let them stand down.
   
2. Consolidate nets (if required) as the traffic load diminishes and return repeaters and nodes back to normal operation.
   
3. Don't forget to thank everyone connected to the operation and insure that all personnel get a chance to provide a critique. Use the Personnel Demobilization Critique Sheet from the index.
   
4. Shortly after the incident a debriefing for all personnel will be held. All personnel participating in the incident will critique the whole operation. Include inputs from the Demob Critique Sheets and assisted organizations.
   

Note: Any findings should be published for other organizations to use for training purposes.

Continues next week

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EOM