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Cache County ARES 1

Public Service Communications101

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You should be able to define◦ Why Amateur Radio?◦ Discuss of proper Public Service operations◦ What is the Communication Plan?◦ Practice Test scenarios Experience◦ Get something from Communications Exercise

Cache County ARES

Objectives

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Every year Amateur Radio Operators volunteer their time and equipment to help support a wide variety of events. These events include, but are not limited to, parades, walks, runs, and bike tours. While Amateur Radio operators are primarily communicators, they in many cases get heavily involved in the actual operation of the event. Whether it be helping to plan logistical support or responding to event emergencies, Amateur Radio Operators play a vital role in the health and safety of event participants and overall event success.

Cache County ARES

We are Communicators

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Public Service Events are an important way to display Amateur Radio's capabilities to the general public and to practice with our equipment in a non-emergency situation. Many of the functions amateur radio communicators perform at these Public Service Events are identical to those performed during incident and EmCom situations. They're also a great place to learn how to be a better operator. Public service events are a great place to get some experience and training before "the Big One" strikes in your area, and you get to be an Emergency Communicator.

Cache County ARES

We are Communicators

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Why Amateur Radio?

Cell phones and public service radio (especially newer computer controlled) systems can be among the first to

“crash” or become overloaded in major events.

Effective, accurate, and timely communications during disasters and other emergencies will make a difference between

additional loss of life, injury and loss of property.

Amateur Radio is a communication “system” that utilizes multi-band, multi-mode, wide-area networks that are INDEPENDENT of

the “infrastructure” or commercial power sources.

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Your job is to pass traffic◦ Use the most efficient means available◦ Not limited to amateur or any kind of radio◦ Use the phone, fax email or bicycle

This requires planning and preparation◦ We need to train ourselves and others◦ We need to prepare ourselves.◦ We need to prepare our event staff◦ We need to develop comm plans

Cache County ARES

Communication is Job #1

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Know the chain of command Observe the chain of command

◦ This promotes efficient communication Everyone takes their role seriously

◦ Work with people, not around them◦ There are egos involved

Look professional, be professional and you’ll be treated like one

Offer suggestions to minimize chaos, don’t add to it Staff will be exhausted, be polite, friendly and smile Tackle any extra task that needs doing

◦ Even the if the Event Director asks you to take out the trash, make coffee and direct traffic.

Don’t forget Job #1

Cache County ARES

Chain of Command

Cache County ARES 8

Operations “Best Practices”


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Listen to traffic Only critical information goes over the air

◦ Others are listening Do not editorialize

◦ Stick to facts and exact message text Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification

◦ Some explanations may not be given on air Keep chatter off any nets

◦ Know what to say BEFORE pressing PTT◦ Chatter is for the simplex frequencies

Mind background noise at Net Control and in you Vehicle◦ There are headphones but operators are working

Cache County ARES

On Air Operations

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Use plain English◦ Never use jargon (no 10-codes, Q-codes)◦ “Condition Codes” are an exception◦ Speak Clearly – Don’t rush, slur or mumble

Avoid contractions Use ITU phonetics when spelling Pronounce numbers individually Minimize extra words

◦ Clear, Monitoring, Standing by, etc. are unnecessary Acknowledge all instructions Nothing goes over the air unless cleared by

PIO

Cache County ARES

What to Say

Agreed upon words to represent the letters of the “roman alphabet”.

The boldfaced syllables are emphasized. The pronunciations shown in this table were designed for those who speak any of the international languages.

The pronunciations given for “Oscar”, “Papa” and “Victor” may seem awkward to English-speaking people in the US.

A Alfa AL FAH

B Bravo BRAH VOH

C Charlie CHAR LEE

D Delta DELL TAH

E Echo ECK OH

F Foxtrot FOKS TROT

G Golf GOLF

H Hotel HOH TELL

I India IN DEE AH

J Juliet JEW LEE ETT

K Kilo KEY LOH

L Lima LEE MAH

M Mike MIKE

N November NO VEM BER

O Oscar OSS CAH

P Papa PAH PAH

Q Quebec KEH BECK

R Romeo ROW ME OH

S Sierra SEE AIR RAH

T Tango TANG GO

U Uniform YOU NEE FORM

V Victor VIK TAH

W Whiskey WISS KEY

X X-Ray ECKS RAY

Y Yankee YANG KEY

Z Zulu ZOO LOO

Cache County ARES 11

ITU Phonetic Alphabet

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Numbers

1—WUN 6--SIX

2--TOO 7--SEVEN 3--THU-REE 8--ATE 4--FO-WER 9--NINER 5--FIFE 0--ZERO

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ANSWER◦ To be used when you have the definitive answer to a question

currently being discussed on the air QUESTION

◦ To be used when the asking of a question can't wait For example, use when the mayor is standing next to you and

requesting you to get information using your radio INFO

◦ To be used when information needs to be transmitted rapidly but is not related to what is being said on the air for example, if an event that net control needs to know about is going

to happen in the next few seconds or if waiting for the end of an exchange will negate the value of the information

PRIORITY◦ To be used to report an important but non-life threatening

situation such as a traffic accident that just happened

Cache County ARES

Break TagsDefinitions and Use

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MEDICAL◦ To be used to report a minor medical incident that

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

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

EMERGENCY◦ Only to be used to report an ongoing life or property

threatening or damaging incident YOUR CALL SIGN

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

Cache County ARES

Break TagsDefinitions and Use

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Tactical Callsigns

By using Tactical Call Signs, the net can be conducted without regard to which operator is at the radio. They identify the position and not the operator.

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Use the Tactical Call Sign to identify your transmission and address another station by its Tactical Call Sign.

No call sign is necessary in a two-way conversation once communications has been established.

To comply with FCC rules, add your FCC call sign to your last transmission in a series.

It is not necessary to add the receiving party’s call sign, just your own.

Cache County ARES

Tactical Callsigns

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Tactical CallsignsExample: Water Two: Water Two Net Control: Water Two Water Two: The lead Marathon runner just passed

this point. Over Net Control: I copy, N7RXE Out. Water Two: K7LRX Out.

Using Over and Out may be omitted if it will not cause confusion. Signing with your FCC call sign will signify ending your transmission.

An easy way to remember is to establish contact using your Tactical Call and end the contact with your FCC Call….

Open/Closed Nets◦Open Nets

Free form Low or sporadic traffic Listen before talk

protocol Normal operations

◦Closed (Directed) Nets Net Control Station

(NCS) Only transmit when

approved by net control

Types of Nets◦Tactical Net

The front line net during the incident - where the action is

◦Resource Net Used to recruit

operators and equipment to support tactical effort

◦Command Net Interagency and

managers


Radio Nets

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Emergency◦ Immediate threat to life or property

Key Words◦ Emergency, Break Break Break, Help

FCC declares an emergency and posts rules◦ Any special conditions and rules to be observed

Remember◦ Emergency traffic always has right of way◦ FCC follows Good Samaritan rules and will forgive

those that help◦ The FCC also punishes those that are fraudulent

Identifying an Emergency

Cache County ARES

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Dos◦ Assume the emergency is real◦ Open the frequency

Stop your contact Take the emergency call

Don’ts◦ No false emergencies

You can lose your license and go to jail for declaring a false emergency

You can be held liable if you interfere with emergency traffic

You will be required to pay the cost of the search and rescue effort

Emergency Traffic

Cache County ARES

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Practice these skills on the air◦ Take some turns as net control

Program all the event frequencies into your radio

Know how to program any frequency into your radio◦ Be able to program frequency/shift, set and enable

tone Be familiar with your equipment Keep your contact info current Participate during activations

Cache County ARES

Minimum Expectations


Event Communication Plans


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Cache County Ecomm Plan

Cache County ARES

Communication Plans

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Cache County Ecomm Frequency list

Cache County ARES

Communication Plans

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Communications Plans

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LOTOJA Communications◦ Radio Communications Procedures

Traffic precedence 1. Emergency traffic (e.g., need medical assistance) 2. Safety communications (e.g., locating support vehicle, reporting of support vehicles who are hazards) 3. Race communications (e.g., requesting cyclist transportation or support, asking race official for

clarification, reporting cyclists who have dropped out) 4. Other communications

◦ LOTOJA Hotline The LOTOJA Hotline - 435.261.2272 is provided for sensitive, off-the-air, back-up, lengthy, or other

communications. This number can receive voice calls or text messages. Leave a message if nobody answers. Be sure to have this number programmed in your cell phone for quick access.

Report race incident or accident details (including bib numbers) to this number promptly after the incident.

This number can be used to have operators make contact or pass important messages to/from cyclist support crews.

◦ Radio Communications Guidelines Each support vehicle or station is assigned a tactical call sign (such as Yellow 2, Blue 13, or Rover 3).

Use tactical call signs for all communications. You must use your FCC-assigned call sign at least once every 10-minutes while actively conversing or at the end of a conversation or series of communications. You do not need to identify with your call sign with each transmission, but only every 10 minutes or at the end of a conversation.

There are four net control areas - Cache, Bear Lake, Star Valley, and Jackson

Cache County ARES

Communication Plans

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LOTOJA Frequency List

Cache County ARES

Communication Plans

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Little Red

Cache County ARES

Communication Plans

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LRRH Frequencies

Cache County ARES

Communication Plans


Practice Scenarioshttp://www.barconline.org

http://www.barconline.org/about/ares

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Scenario #1

Net Control this is Victor 12

Go ahead Victor 12

“ A runner is down at Mile 14.”

As stand alone information is of no use to anyone.

More proper is ◦ “ Runner number 555 is down at mile 14. He is bleeding, and needs

medical attention. Please send medical to this location.”◦ or Runner number 555 is down at mile 14. He is bleeding, we have

medical on scene attending to him.”

Cache County ARES

Practice Scenarios

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Scenario #2

Net Control this is Victor 12

Go ahead Victor 12

Rider 555 is Dropping out

Should be rider 555 is dropping out at Afton. Can you locate his support vehicle and have them meet him at the Afton Feed Zone”

Cache County ARES

Practice Scenarios

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Scenario #3 Don't know what you guys think but I like to state my

traffic kinda in the blind it some times leads to doubles but I feel it cuts down on traffic. using the above Scenario

Instead ofV-7 "Net Control Victor 7“

Net Control "Victor 7 Go ahead“

You give all the important info all at once “Net Control Runner number 555 is down at mile 14. He

is bleeding, and needs medical attention. Please send medical to this location Victor 7.”

Cache County ARES

Practice Scenarios

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V-7 “ Runner number 555 is down at mile 14. He is bleeding, and needs medical attention. Please send medical to this location.”

If there is traffic though, you would need break in traffic and it would need the more formal work.

I have not heard the use of Mayday on our Events usually Triple Break or Emergency (Callsign), Traffic(Callsign)?

Cache County ARES

Practice Scenarios

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Scenario #4 Net Control Rover 4 Go ahead Rover 4 We’ll be out on a potty break

Net Control Victor 1 Go ahead Victor 1 We’ll be out on a potty break

Cache County ARES

Practice Scenarios


Communications Exercisehttp://www.barconline.org



Communications ExerciseObservations



Questions?http://www.barconline.org


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Documents

public service radio

public service events

year amateur radio operators

comm plans cache county

kind of radio

event emergencies

event staff

general public