emergency radio communications plan

8/2/2019 Emergency Radio Communications Plan

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SUMMARY

EMERGENCY RADIO

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

DRAFT

Dave Scott

Provincial Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Social Services Branch


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EMERGENCY SOCIAL SERVICES

March 19, 2001

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

I. Overview......................................................................................................................1i) Radio Communications in Canada .......................................................................1

a) Commercial Radio.......................................................................................1b) Amateur Radio ............................................................................................1

ii) RadioCommunications in BC..............................................................................2a) Provincial Emergency Communications Services (PERCS).........................2

b) Municipal Emergency Communications ......................................................2

II. Scenario........................................................................................................................2

III. Provincial Level ESS Emergency Communications Plan ..............................................3

i) The Plan...............................................................................................................3ii) Technology..........................................................................................................4

a) Voice Radio ................................................................................................4

b) Packet Radio ...............................................................................................4c) Volunteer Partners.......................................................................................5

i) Telephone Pioneers Amateur Radio Club (TPARC)............................5ii) Westcoast Amateur Radio Club (WARA)...........................................5

iii) ESS Emergency Communications Team (ECT) ..................................5


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March 19, 2001 Page 1

EMERGENCY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

This section summarizes the Emergency Radio Communications Plan, including the responseenvironment and the strategy and resources used to provide emergency communications for ESS

in British Columbia during major emergencies.

I. OVERVIEW

i) Radio Communications in Canada

In Canada, the federal government agency Industry Canada regulates radio

communications for commercial, government and personal use.

a) Commercial Radio

First responders such as police, fire and ambulance use commercial radios that are

licensed to allocated frequencies to dispatch personnel and co-ordinate response

activities. Typically, first responders have access to two or three different

channels on their radios and this is sufficient under normal response conditions.

During major emergencies that knock out telephone service, or when a large

number of different agencies are responding to an emergency, it is often necessary

to augment regular radio communications with amateur radio resources.

b) Amateur Radio

Amateur radio is a hobby enjoyed by thousands of enthusiasts around the world.

But amateur radio is more than just a hobby. Under federal government

regulations, all licensed amateur radio operators in Canada must make themselves

and their equipment available to provide emergency communications during

emergencies. Time and again, throughout the world, highly skilled and flexible

amateur radio operators have provided crucial communications links following

disasters.

Where first responders usually have access to only a few radio channels, amateurshave access to hundreds of different frequencies and several different modes (e.g.,

regular radio, amateur television, packet radio). Amateurs have the ability to set

up communications anywhere, anytime, under almost any conditions. When

regular communications are overloaded or rendered unusable because of a

disaster, amateurs can fill in the gaps and can provide point to point

communications as needed with a high degree of flexibility.


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ii) Radio Communications in BC

a) Provincial Emergency Communications Services (PERCS)

In British Columbia, the Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) has established the

Provincial Emergency Communications Service (PERCS). PERCS is the umbrella

organization that supports volunteers involved with Emergency Communications

in BC.

PERCS sets standards and provides training and support to amateur radio

volunteers organized in teams under the authority of municipal emergency

communications programs.

b) Municipal Emergency Communications

Most municipalities in BC rely on teams of amateur radio volunteers to provide

auxiliary communications during emergencies. These volunteers provide

emergency radio communications at Municipal Emergency Operations Centres

(EOCs), and assist first responders and Search and Rescue volunteers with

additional communications.

Emergency Social Services (ESS) volunteers also need emergency radio

communications when regular telephone service is disrupted during emergencies.

At reception centres, amateur radio operators from the municipal emergency radio

communications team provides radio communications to the EOC. (See

communications Diagram).

II. SCENARIO

Following any major disaster that affects power and communications infrastructure (ie.,

phones, cell phones, computer email), there will be an immediate requirement for emergency

communications resources.

Coastal BC and Vancouver Island, where 90 % of the population reside, is also the most

active earthquake zone in Canada. Although an earthquake scenario is often sited, other

hazards can and do threaten all regions of the province, including urban interface fires,

flooding, and ice and windstorms. During any one of these scenarios, telecommunicationscould be seriously damaged and disrupted.

The scenario described below is realistic and illustrates the immediate need for emergency

communications assistance as follows:

Time: 1130 a.m. on a regular working day.


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Place: South Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Event: 7.5 Richter scale, 1 minute and 32 seconds in duration. Depth 1 kilometre.

Damage: - 30 % of roads and bridges are damaged and unusable;- 20% of all housing is destroyed;

- 90 % damage to local hydro power most sites operating under emergencypower;

- 50 % damage to water system widespread contamination of drinkingwater; and

- 90 % degradation to the telephone system a combination of damage topower grid, downed phone lines and overload of remaining landline and

cellular system.

Priorities: 1. Emergency medical evacuation and treatment;2. Life saving search and rescue;

3. ESS for those rendered homeless.

Critical Resource: Emergency Communications to provide damage assessmentinformation and co-ordination of response activities.

III. PROVINCIAL LEVEL ESS EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

At the Provincial level, the ESS Branch (i.e., ESS Program Office), Ministry of Social

Development and Economic Security (MSDES), supports an emergency radiocommunications program to ensure an emergency communications capability during a

provincial level response.

Following a major disaster, such as the earthquake scenario described above, the ESSProgram Office may activate the Provincial Emergency Social Services Response Plan to

provide provincial level support to communities in the provision of ESS. Amateur RadioEmergency Communications is the cornerstone of this plan.

The ESS Emergency Communications Program is described briefly below. For more

detailed information, contact the ESS Program Office at 1 800 585 9559 or visit the links at

the end of this section.

i) The Plan

The Emergency Radio Communications Plan is based on the use of amateur radio.

Amateur radio was chosen as the medium for emergency radio communicationsbecause of its flexibility and adaptability.


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Through emergency radio communications, linkages are established between the

MSDES Operations Centre (OC) in Victoria and the following:

Provincial Emergency Co-ordination Centre (PECC) in Victoria;

Provincial ESS Operations Centre (PESSOC) in New Westminster;

Headquarters EOCs of the agencies of the Provincial ESS Support Team;

Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centres (PREOCS) which may be

established in any region of the province experiencing a major disaster.

See the Communications Diagram for a better understanding of the linkages between

these key response agencies.

ii) Technology

a) Voice Radio

Voice radio is the mainstay of amateur radio emergency communications.

Amateurs routinely talk to one another over base stations that are permanently

installed at home or at designated EOCs. Amateurs also communicate with

portable radios in vehicles and with small hand-held radios.

The ESS Emergency Communications Plan specifies the use of Very High

Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) voice radio on the amateur

radio band for short-range communications. High Frequency (HF) radio, for long

distance communications is installed at the PESSOC in New Westminster.

b) Packet Radio

Packet radio is an effective way to send large volumes of text information over

radio waves quickly and accurately.

When regular email is not functioning, a packet radio station composed of a

laptop computer, a radio modem, and an antenna can send digital information

over the airwaves to be received at a similar station at a remote location. Packet

radio allows for a far greater volume of information to be transmitted with greater

accuracy than is possible with voice radio.

Provincial ESS emergency communication sites are located in Victoria, New

Westminster, and Parksville, and all are equipped with packet radio stations to

make use of the speed and accuracy of this type of communications mode.


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c) Volunteer Partners

In keeping with the volunteer spirit of ESS, our emergency communications

operations rely on volunteer energy and expertise as follows:

i) Telephone Pioneers Amateur Radio Club (TPARC)

TPARC members are amateur radio operators who are current or pastemployees of TELUS. TPARC volunteers are the core of the team of

amateur radio operators who will respond to the PESSOC in NewWestminster during disasters.

TPARC volunteers have also developed and overseen construction of the

BC Digital Emergency Communications System. This unique system is a

series of linked repeaters located on TELUS Repeater sites. With back uppower and designed to withstand earthquakes, these linked sites comprise apacket radio backbone connecting Vancouver Island and the west coast of

BC with the interior of the province (and via amateur radio satellite with therest of the world).

ii) Westcoast Amateur Radio Club (WARA)

This amateur radio club is located in Victoria and draws its membership from

communities on South Vancouver Island. The WARA clubhouse is located atRed Cross House in Victoria, and during emergencies, the WARA Emergency

Communications Team provides emergency communications for regional RedCross response operations. WARA volunteers join with ESS Emergency

Communications Team volunteers in joint training and exercising. (Link to

WARA website)

iii) ESS Emergency Communications Team (ECT)

The ESS ECT is comprised of volunteers dedicated to providing amateur

radio emergency communications to the MSDES OC located in downtownVictoria. These volunteers maintain radio equipment at the designated OC

and alternate OC sites for the Ministry. The ESS ECT Volunteers take part in

monthly training sessions with WARA volunteers and check in on theemergency net.

ESS Weekly Emergency Net

Every Wednesday at 1145 hrs the ESS EmergencyCommunications Team conducts a directed net to allow ECT

members to practice their skills at passing voice radio messages


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over the air. If you are a local ham, or just passing through, you are

welcome to check in with the net. The net is conducted on the localWARA repeater at 146.84 MHz, -. 600, with a sub audible tone of

100. Our station callsign is VE7VHR.

For more information on ESS Emergency Communications, contact the Program Office at 1 800585 9559.

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