EmComm Overview – Introduction to Emergency Communications Compiled by Steve Hilberg, N9XDC EC, ARES ® of Champaign County, IL January 2006

EmComm Overview – Introduction to Emergency Communications

Compiled by Steve Hilberg, N9XDC

EC, ARES® of Champaign County, IL

January 2006

Emergency Emergency CommunicationsCommunications

FoundationFoundation

AttitudeAttitude

TrainingTraining

PreparednessPreparedness

AttitudeAttitude

During emergencies, your knowledge in emergency communications is not actually as important as your

attitude!

AttitudeAttitude

Commitment to help othersCommitment to help others• We are providing a We are providing a serviceservice

Commitment to the training that will Commitment to the training that will enable you to do the jobenable you to do the job

Willingness to spend the time Willingness to spend the time necessary to train and respondnecessary to train and respond

AttitudeAttitude

Our purpose is NOT to showcase the Our purpose is NOT to showcase the wonders of amateur radiowonders of amateur radio

Let your attitude and your actions Let your attitude and your actions speak for themselvesspeak for themselves

ARES/RACESARES/RACES

RACESRACES

Specially designated FCC-licensed Specially designated FCC-licensed RACES stations RACES stations

Amateur Radio operators registered Amateur Radio operators registered with civil defense/emergency with civil defense/emergency management organizations as a pool management organizations as a pool of community volunteers authorized of community volunteers authorized to operate in the RACES service upon to operate in the RACES service upon a declaration of an emergency by a declaration of an emergency by civil defense authorities. civil defense authorities.

RACESRACES Operate under FCC Part 97.407 in the Operate under FCC Part 97.407 in the

event the President invoked an emergency event the President invoked an emergency under the War Emergency Powers of 1934under the War Emergency Powers of 1934• Only RACES stations may communicate with Only RACES stations may communicate with

other RACES stations other RACES stations • Cannot begin RACES operations until Cannot begin RACES operations until

specifically authorized by the civil defense specifically authorized by the civil defense organization for the area servedorganization for the area served

• Cannot begin conducting advisory and Cannot begin conducting advisory and preparatory nets before an activation preparatory nets before an activation

• Cannot continue relief operations after official Cannot continue relief operations after official civil defense authorization/operations has civil defense authorization/operations has concluded concluded

RACESRACES

Limited to specific frequenciesLimited to specific frequencies Drills and tests cannot exceed one Drills and tests cannot exceed one

hour per weekhour per week Tests and drills may be conducted for Tests and drills may be conducted for

a period not to exceed 72 hours no a period not to exceed 72 hours no more than twice in any calendar year more than twice in any calendar year

ARESARES®®

ARES operators can initiate nets and ARES operators can initiate nets and operations ahead of formal RACES operations ahead of formal RACES activations activations

Can continue to operate providing Can continue to operate providing relief, health and welfare relief, health and welfare communications after the formal communications after the formal RACES operations conclude RACES operations conclude

ARESARES®®

ARES may activate for emergencies ARES may activate for emergencies that do not require civil defense/EMA that do not require civil defense/EMA responseresponse

ARES can provide public service (i.e. ARES can provide public service (i.e. non-emergency) communicationsnon-emergency) communications

ARES operations and structure ARES operations and structure provide training opportunities that provide training opportunities that are not available to RACESare not available to RACES

ARESARES®®

Pubic service events provide Pubic service events provide opportunities to practice teamwork, opportunities to practice teamwork, build confidence, and improve ability build confidence, and improve ability to provide emergency to provide emergency communicationscommunications

What We Need to Do To Become What We Need to Do To Become Better Emergency CommunicatorsBetter Emergency Communicators

Education and trainingEducation and training• Needs to be a continuous processNeeds to be a continuous process

Become familiar with emergency Become familiar with emergency management conceptsmanagement concepts• Incident Command System (ICS)Incident Command System (ICS)• National Incident Management System National Incident Management System

(NIMS)(NIMS) Have adequate communications and Have adequate communications and

support equipment (“GO” kit)support equipment (“GO” kit)

What We Need to Do What We Need to Do

Learn about emergency communications Learn about emergency communications proceduresprocedures• ARRL Emcomm coursesARRL Emcomm courses• Pat Lambert’s (W0IPL) emcomm materialPat Lambert’s (W0IPL) emcomm material• Local trainingLocal training

Learn about emergency communications Learn about emergency communications equipment and modesequipment and modes

Know and follow guidelinesKnow and follow guidelines

Emcomm GuidelinesEmcomm Guidelines

Formal trafficFormal traffic• Traffic on behalf of a served agencyTraffic on behalf of a served agency• Pass exactly as writtenPass exactly as written

Informal (tactical) trafficInformal (tactical) traffic• Originated by operatorOriginated by operator• Think about what you are going to say Think about what you are going to say

before you key up the micbefore you key up the mic

Emcomm GuidelinesEmcomm Guidelines Be brief and conciseBe brief and concise

• Use only information needed to convey Use only information needed to convey meaning clearly and accuratelymeaning clearly and accurately

• Leave out unnecessary words if it will not Leave out unnecessary words if it will not change the meaningchange the meaning

• Do not use contractionsDo not use contractions Slow down!Slow down!

• Maintain a slow measured paceMaintain a slow measured pace If you feel you are talking too slowly, then you are If you feel you are talking too slowly, then you are

probably at the correct paceprobably at the correct pace• Leave a 3 or 4 second break between Leave a 3 or 4 second break between

transmissionstransmissions


Do not editorializeDo not editorialize Do not rationalize/defend your Do not rationalize/defend your

actions actions • Leave it for the debriefLeave it for the debrief

LISTEN!LISTEN!• Two-way communication requires Two-way communication requires

listening.listening. Use plain languageUse plain language

• No jargon, “Q” signals, or 10 codesNo jargon, “Q” signals, or 10 codes


Use standard ITU phoneticsUse standard ITU phonetics• No cutesy stuff – maintain a professional No cutesy stuff – maintain a professional

demeanordemeanor Pronounce numbers as individualsPronounce numbers as individuals

• ““seven zero”, not “seventy”seven zero”, not “seventy” Get all info needed for formal written Get all info needed for formal written

traffictraffic• Who, what, when, whereWho, what, when, where


Use tactical callsUse tactical calls• ““Hey you, it’s me.” Hey you, it’s me.”

““Net Control, Checkpoint One”Net Control, Checkpoint One”

• Use AR call sign at the conclusion of Use AR call sign at the conclusion of your transmission. This lets the other your transmission. This lets the other person know you are finished with your person know you are finished with your communicationcommunication

A New ConceptA New Concept

BREAK TAGSBREAK TAGS

Break TagsBreak Tags

A new method of getting attention A new method of getting attention and establishing message priorityand establishing message priority

Seven one-word break tagsSeven one-word break tags Have been used with great success Have been used with great success

in large public/emergency services in large public/emergency services netsnets

Break TagsBreak Tags

Operator uses the word specified as Operator uses the word specified as a Break Tag without a call sign.a Break Tag without a call sign.

They are to be used only when the They are to be used only when the operator's traffic will be appreciated operator's traffic will be appreciated by net control and results in more by net control and results in more efficient communication.efficient communication.

Message that follows a break should Message that follows a break should be as short as possiblebe as short as possible

Break TagsBreak TagsDefinitions and UseDefinitions and Use

ANSWERANSWER• To be used when you have the definitive To be used when you have the definitive

answer to a question currently being answer to a question currently being discussed on the airdiscussed on the air

QUESTIONQUESTION• To be used when the asking of a To be used when the asking of a

question can't waitquestion can't wait For example, use when the mayor is For example, use when the mayor is

standing next to you and requesting you to standing next to you and requesting you to get information using your radioget information using your radio


INFOINFO• To be used when information needs to To be used when information needs to

be transmitted rapidly but is not related be transmitted rapidly but is not related to what is being said on the airto what is being said on the air

for example, if an event that net control for example, if an event that net control needs to know about is going to happen in needs to know about is going to happen in the next few seconds or if waiting for the the next few seconds or if waiting for the end of an exchange will negate the value of end of an exchange will negate the value of the informationthe information


PRIORITYPRIORITY• To be used to report an important but non-life To be used to report an important but non-life

threatening situation such as a traffic accident threatening situation such as a traffic accident that just happenedthat just happened

MEDICALMEDICAL• To be used to report a minor medical incident To be used to report a minor medical incident

that affects the operator in some waythat affects the operator in some way For example, having to leave his/her post for a few For example, having to leave his/her post for a few

minutes to walk someone with a minor cut over to a minutes to walk someone with a minor cut over to a med tentmed tent


EMERGENCYEMERGENCY• Only to be used to report an ongoing life or Only to be used to report an ongoing life or

property threatening or damaging incidentproperty threatening or damaging incident Your Your CALL SIGNCALL SIGN

• An indication that the operator has traffic that An indication that the operator has traffic that can wait and does not require the cessation of can wait and does not require the cessation of the ongoing exchange. This tag is an the ongoing exchange. This tag is an expectation to be put on hold and in queue for expectation to be put on hold and in queue for transmissiontransmission

Documents

EmComm Overview – Introduction to Emergency Communications Compiled by Steve Hilberg, N9XDC EC, ARES ® of Champaign County, IL January 2006