3. OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES AND CHECKLISTS

3.1 Reporting Emergencies

        In ARES/RACES, most initial emergency reports will probably be passed via VHF, UHF or telephone. The following information should aid members when responding and interfacing with any type of emergency situation.

3.1.1 Emergency Auto-Patch Operation

(For later use) 

3.1.2 Communicating with the 9 1 1 Emergency Operator

In most cases it is preferable to speak directly to the operator rather than relaying through a third person. Wait for the operator to answer and then respond to their questions. To facilitate communications between the emergency operator and yourself, begin the conversation by identifying yourself as an amateur radio operator prior to describing the problem. Once you have identified yourself, briefly and calmly describe the situation, location, and other pertinent information.

    * Give the PRECISE LOCATION: For example: "1 block west of Central Valley Road on Waaga Way." Or, "Westbound on Highway 16, 1/2 mile north of Tremont Street." Give the location first in case communications should be disrupted.

    * Give ESSENTIAL DETAILS. Don't try to tell the operator how to handle the situation. Dispatchers are trained to provide the correct response and they have the necessary knowledge of available resources.

    * If asked for ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (e.g., a more detailed description, your name, telephone number, etc.) provide it to the best of your ability even if you don't understand the necessity for it. It may be required to determine the optimum response or even to provide assurance that the call is "genuine".

    Always use GOOD JUDGMENT when making these calls. Keep CALM, speak CLEARLY, provide ACCURATE INFORMATION, and be COURTEOUS. When providing descriptions, try to relay the following:

    * TYPE OF INCIDENT

    * LOCATION OF INCIDENT (Be as precise as possible) Street Name or Route Number House or Block Number Cross Streets, Intersections, Mile Markers, Landmarks Side of Road (i.e., North bound, West bound, Going from - to)

    * VEHICLES (use acronym: "CYMBAL") Color (If two-tone say color over color) Year (1992 or '92 Ford) Make (Ford, Jeep, Honda, etc.) Body (Style - 2 door, Sedan, Convertible, Wagon, etc.) and License (State and Number. Colors if state unknown)

    * ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Noticeable damage Direction of travel Occupants (refer to number of PERSONS and description)

    * PERSONS (In this order. Omit unknown items) Race Sex Age Height Weight Hair Eyes Complexion Other Physical Traits (Scars, Tattoos, etc.) Clothing

3.1.3 Hazardous Materials Emergencies

        Whether you find yourself at the scene of an accident involving hazardous materials or you are part of an ARES/RACES operation during such an incident, there are some important things to remember about hazardous materials incidents. During such events people are frequently injured due to lack of knowledge or respect for what is involved.

        The U.S. Department of Transportation defines hazardous materials and publishes an emergency response guidebook. Hazardous materials can be found in factories, commercial outlets, homes, schools, parks, farms, or anywhere you find people. These materials are routinely transported over highway, rail, and air through Mason County.

        Vehicles carrying certain amounts of hazardous materials are required to be "placarded" (marked) by the U.S. Department of Transportation. These placards give basic information about the materials involved and their hazards. Placards are diamond shaped, with words such as "corrosive", "flammable", "flammable gas", "poison", etc. Usually you will find a placard with a four digit number, such as 1049, 1205, 1993, etc. This is the United Nations North America (UN/NA) number. This information should be relayed to the emergency responders as soon as possible so that a response can be planned.

If you are the first person on the scene, call 9 1 1 and WAIT for competent personnel (police, fire, or others) to arrive and identify the materials involved.

Safety Tips for Hazardous Materials Incidents

* Stay upwind at least a quarter mile away

* Consider any unknown materials to be hazardous until identified as otherwise by a competent person. Be PATIENT, don't become a patient.

* Radio equipment can be damaged by fumes. Stay away from fumes.

* Flammable vapors could be ignited by operation of your equipment - stay clear of Hot Zone (up-close) operations.

3.2 Preparing for an Emergency

3.2.1 First Actions

        In the event of an earthquake, major fire, flood, or other disaster, your first responsibility will be to attend to the safety and well-being of your family and neighbors. Next, you will probably want to get an assessment of the situation. You will also want to determine where you may be of assistance. The best way to accomplish this is by LISTENING. Listen to both the ARES/RACES emergency net repeater frequency, 146.72 (-) MHz, and the Emergency Broadcast System station, KIRO 710 AM. (Note that operation on the net frequency will be in a simplex mode if the repeater is out of service). If the Net Control Station (NCS) is busy handling traffic don't interrupt just to inquire about the situation or to volunteer your services. Keep listening since further instructions will be provided by the Net Control Station including information on Resource Net operations.

3.2.2 Plan for Family Communication

        Serious concerns will arise when family members are separated at home, school, and work. Advance planning for dealing with this situation is a must. Develop plans for family rendezvous points and communication. Remember that this may not be possible for hours or perhaps even days after the event. Well-rehearsed contingency plans will reduce panic. One very effective practice is to establish a friend or relative outside the area as a check-in location for all members of the family. For example, each could call Aunt Jane in Phoenix to report their well being and whereabouts. Everyone should carry a note with the telephone number at all times. Make certain small children know how to make a long distance telephone call even if they don't have money.

3.2.3 Plan for Emergencies

        Your advance preparation must include the availability of radio and personal gear appropriate to emergency operations. Use the checklists included in the "Operating in a Tactical Net" section of this plan as a guide. You will be able to perform the best job if you are adequately prepared before reporting to a duty site. You also have an on-going individual responsibility to develop your emergency communication skills. In any large emergency there will be many participating amateurs who will not have the benefit of such advance preparation. The direction of disciplined net operation will be set and maintained by the active, experienced ARES/RACES members. When the need arises, any and all volunteers may be requested, regardless of qualifications. There will be little time available to train new recruits. A smoothly functioning ARES/RACES group can more readily make use of the less experienced volunteers. 

3.2.4 Responding to Everyday Emergencies

        The 9 1 1 system exists to provide rapid communication between the public and police, fire and other emergency services in the community. You should be familiar with the system and the emergency services provided. 9 1 1 service is now available throughout Washington.

        With auto-patch available on many repeaters, you have access to 9 1 1 from your vehicle or hand held radio throughout the coverage area. If you are in other repeater areas you may also find occasion to report emergency situations. The call you make could save a life or prevent a crime.

        The first rule to remember when reporting any emergency via radio or telephone is to STAY CALM. The more familiar you are with proper procedures the easier it will be to keep your head in a stressful situation. You may well be the only person who can provide fast communication with the needed emergency services.

3.3 ARES/RACES Net Activation Procedures

        Activating a successful net requires well trained Net Control Supervisors and a high percentage of net members well versed in the guidelines and procedures outlined in the following sections.

3.3.1 Guidelines for Operating in a Tactical Radio Net

        In a county-wide emergency, a request for ARES or RACES assistance will originate from the Mason County Department of Emergency Services. That request will go to the county EC, the RACES Radio Officer, or in their absence the first Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC) to answer the call.

        The person receiving the request should record the name of the individual making the request for ARES/RACES resources, their title, telephone number, and the name of the agency requesting assistance. In addition, log the time and essential information regarding the incident such as location, situational details, and locations to be staffed by ARES/RACES members. Determine if there are any special instructions regarding routes and access to the affected area. Be certain you are absolutely clear on all information. You may, temporarily, find yourself acting as the Net Control Station.

You should get on the 146.72 (-) repeater and broadcast the following alert:

"QST, QST, QST. THIS IS AN ARES COMMUNICATIONS ALERT. THIS (IS/IS NOT) A DRILL."

If you are unsure about assuming net control, say:

"IS THERE A NET CONTROL OPERATOR ON FREQUENCY?"

If a designated control operator responds, you should pass all of the necessary information regarding the situation.

Continue the bulletin:

"ALL STATIONS COPY. THE MASON COUNTY ARES/RACES EMERGENCY NET HAS BEEN ACTIVATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES. ALL AVAILABLE STATIONS BE PREPARED TO CHECK IN FOR ASSIGNMENT WHEN REQUESTED."

        Provide details of the incident.

        After the initial alert, Tactical Nets on simplex frequencies will become operational in their designated areas of the county. The frequencies to be used for these nets are found in Appendix G and will be announced on 146.72 (-) by Net Control as needed. Dispatching individual operators to assignments will be handled by the area AEC's on their simplex frequencies. Emergency situations involving ARES/RACES will almost certainly involve the American Red Cross and all area hospitals. The emergency VHF communications we provide in support of the normal county communications with these locations will be the first to become operational. These locations will initially be staffed by specifically trained operators. Admission to any of the Emergency Operations Centers will not be possible without a current DES Emergency Worker card. (Emergency Worker Applications are available through the ARES AEC Administrations Officer.)

3.3.2 Net Activation Procedures

        Emergency radio communications nearly always use directed nets, as do National Traffic System (NTS) nets. This section discusses how to operate as part of a directed radio net. For the purposes of this article, a radio net consists of several stations on one frequency, following organized procedures, and directed by a net control station. The organization makes for efficient operations, and helps ensure that urgent matters get handled before less urgent ones. In short, the net functions as a team to work toward a common goal; effective net operation is teamwork.

        A Net Control Station is the net's moderator, chairman, team captain, or traffic cop (take your pick). If it is a directed net, the net control will exercise strict control, requiring every station to get permission before using the net. If operations are slow, the net control may declare it a free net and you may call anyone you wish. The net control may change back to a directed net at any time, so be prepared. In any event, the net control is responsible for the operation of the net and you are responsible for following directions. If you come into a net late, listen for a few minutes to get a feel for the procedures used, and then follow them.

Some of the general themes covered in this article:

* Tactical call signs versus FCC assigned call signs

* Interacting with Net Control

* Briefing the relief operator

* Sharing the channel

* Efficiency

* Minimizing misunderstandings

* Preparing and using your equipment

        The use of tactical call signs is basic to success. Ham calls change as individual operators change shifts and this can cause confusion and disruption. FCC call sign rules must always be met, but the tactical call sign is most important. "N7YGE at Shelton EOC" meets all requirements and lets other locations know who is calling and with what part of the system they are talking.

        The use of individual call signs should be minimized and limited to meeting FCC requirements only.

        Use tactical and FCC call signs efficiently. You may be called by your tactical call sign, not your FCC amateur radio call sign. Pay attention and be prepared to respond appropriately. You should use your tactical call sign to identify your transmissions, and you should call another station by its tactical call sign. Of course, the use of tactical call signs in no way relieves you of your obligation to identify at the end of your transmission and every ten minutes using your FCC assigned call sign (Part 97.119(a) of the FCC Regulations). To comply, simply add your FCC call sign to your last transmission in a series. For example:

        Net Control: "Shelton, Net Control" Poulsbo: "Shelton" Net Control: "Tell Chief Greene that his driver has returned" Shelton: "Wilco; W7XL"

        Net Control can do the same, or can identify periodically. At operating locations manned by more than one operator, listen for the tactical call sign assigned for the operating location. By doing so, the net can be conducted without regard to what operator is on the radio of any particular location. Different individuals may operate that radio at various times. Changes will result from a new work shift, relieving an operator for meals or other errands, moving operators among assignments, and other reasons. For all these reasons it is awkward and error-prone to use each operator's FCC call sign. (The Net Control Station must try to keep track of the FCC call sign of each operator on the net. Sometimes an inattentive or distracted operator will answer to his own call sign when he does not catch his tactical call.)

        Answer promptly when called. Unless you make other arrangements, you are expected to listen continuously to the net, and answer immediately when called. If you know you will be unable to participate for an interval, inform Net Control before you leave, and check in with Net Control when you return. Otherwise, the net can waste a lot of time attempting to call you when you are not there. Always check out of your net before leaving. Never depart without making certain that Net Control knows that you intend leave. If another operator assumes your assignment, don't depart before properly briefing them (see below). As a practical matter, we are volunteers and Net Control cannot compel someone to stay that wants to leave. But we owe it to the people and agencies we serve, and to our reputations as individuals and as members of the ARES or RACES organizations, to be reliable. Tell the operator that takes your place everything they need to know to do the job. The following is a suggested list of things that might be important to pass along to your relief.

        If possible, write most of the information down during lulls in the activity, and leave it for your relief; however, go over everything with your relief in person.

* What radio channels or frequencies are you using?

* Any particular radio, power, or antenna details?

* All the tactical call signs and where the stations are located

* Ham calls and names of operators at other sites

* If a telephone is accessible, its location and number

* The officials or others are you serving; how to find and recognize them

* What is your station's purpose?

* What's going on in general?

* What changes are expected?

* Any pending activity: messages sent and replies expected (who gets the reply?).

* Where's the toilet, water, food, etc.?

        Arrive at your assigned location ahead of time. This allows for a proper turnover between you and the operator you are relieving. (You will want to leave on time at the end of your shift, too!) You can use the same list to guide your questions during turnover.

        Keep the channel available for interruptions. There are several things we can do to minimize delay for someone who must break in with urgent traffic. Keep all transmissions short. Stop transmitting if you stop talking. Always release the push-to-talk button if you need to pause for some reason: to think of a street name, to listen to something urgent that is happening nearby, etc. While you make a short pause, others should stand by and wait for you to resume; they aren't free to begin their transmissions simply because you have stopped yours. Don't crowd in and transmit just because its quiet. The station whose turn it is to transmit may not be finished, just pausing. A little courtesy in this regard will go a long way. On the other hand, if something urgent arises at another station, that station may interrupt while you are not transmitting. The important point here is to be courteous and avoid unnecessary transmissions.

        Another reason to keep all transmissions short is; less time is lost if the transmission was only partly readable, due to radio problems, simultaneous transmissions (doubles), background noise, etc. Brief transmissions also allow other stations to interrupt if they have urgent traffic. Use the shortest message to get your point across. Use "Prowords." Additionally, shorter transmissions allow Net Control to exercise its control more promptly.

        An important point to remember when operating in a net is; don't transmit needlessly, don't take an extra turn just to say that you are "clear". If you make a call and no one answers, it is apparent from the context that you are finished. Transmitting only to say, "Nothing heard. KG7OA clear.", wastes time and accomplishes nothing. If no one answers your call simply identify yourself with your FCC call sign and leave the air!

        Don't call endlessly. If you get no answer to your first two calls, wait for a few minutes and let others use the channel. Call again once or twice every few minutes. If urgency warrants, shorten the time between calls, but remember to give other stations a chance to break in - they might have urgent traffic too!

        How to interrupt the net. It is not improper to interrupt a net, i.e., transmit when Net Control has not invited you to do so. That's the purpose for observing breaks between transmissions. If you interrupt, key very briefly, only enough to ID or state something about the nature of the interruption. For example, "KB7UVC, emergency traffic", "autopatch", or "info". If proper transmission breaks are being observed, the stations using the channel will hear you and relinquish it to you for your emergency traffic.

        Use short simple phrases. There are lots of ways to word an idea; pick one of the shorter ways that helps you to "keep all transmissions short". It helps the listener too: the fewer words you say, the fewer he has to understand or transcribe. Establish contact before passing messages longer than 2 or 3 words. This may mean that you call the other station, and wait to hear it tell you to proceed with your traffic. Or it may mean you must wait to hear the other station reply to Net Control's call. Net procedures vary. The point here is: Don't waste air time passing a long message until you have reason to believe you have the other operator's attention.

        Acknowledging received transmissions. Acknowledge transmissions promptly, even when it is obvious from the context that you were asked to do something that you cannot do immediately. Until you acknowledge receipt of a transmission, people won't know if you got it, and so don't know if a repeat will be needed. Once you acknowledge, the net can assume you will continue with your assignment, and the channel can be used for other traffic. Always state questions in a positive form. Ask them directly, for example: "Should we go to Checkpoint Alpha?". That kind of question can be safely answered by "affirmative" or "negative." Avoid turning it into a negative question, for example: "Shouldn't we go to Checkpoint Alpha?". A yes/no answer to that question is ambiguous. The answer will have to be a complete sentence. This wastes transmission time and slows down the flow of traffic on the net. Respond to questions as directly as possible. Again, avoid unnecessary transmissions. If asked a question, just answer it; do not volunteer additional detail or an explanation of why something is so. As always, use good judgment, but be brief; let the questioner ask for more detail if he chooses to.

        Third Party Traffic. Letting third parties speak over your radios is often better and faster than passing messages back and forth. It's just as legal as passing third-party messages. However, don't expect to reserve the channel for several minutes while one of the operators gets someone to come to the radio. Instead, agree with the other operator about who is needed at each end for the contact, then release the channel for other use until everyone is available. Better still, if a secondary or simplex channel is available. Take your third parties to that channel before passing the traffic. As always, keep Net Control informed of what you will be doing.

        Minimize Misunderstandings. Avoid using verbal equivalents of CW prosigns like "QSL" when you mean yes or affirmative, or "QRU" when you mean no traffic. These terms can be ambiguous. Be sure you are clear what the other party means if you hear one of these terms. Hams use these terms all the time with various meanings. You could hear each one used with a number of different meanings. Here are a few examples to watch out for. Use "affirmative" or "yes" to mean "yes" in response to a question that clearly needs a yes/no answer. Use "affirmative," "okay", "will do", etc., in response to a request that you take some action. Use "copy", "understand", etc., to mean "I understood all of your last transmission." Use "I copied your message XXX", or acknowledge your message XXX", etc., to mean "I made a complete and accurate copy of message number XXX and accept responsibility for delivering it." (See listing of prowords in glossary.)

        Preparing and Using Your Equipment. Take charged spare batteries. Make sure ahead of time that you will have fully charged spare batteries for your HT; if you will need multiple radios, they EACH need spare batteries. Take a higher- gain HT antenna. There are several HT antennas that work much better than the small "rubber duck" that comes with the HT. The 5/8 wave and 1/2 wave telescoping antennas, when fully extended, give the most improvement; when collapsed they work about as well as a rubber duck (but they are somewhat longer, and are more fragile). A shortened 1/2 wave antenna (about 12 inches long on 2 meters) is a useful compromise, being about as efficient as a full- length 1/4 wave antenna.

        Repeater Operations. Wait a fraction of a second after pressing the mike button before speaking, to make sure you don't clip off the first syllable. Your radio may take a moment to change over to transmit, and a repeater will introduce its own delay. Once you are used to your own radios and usual repeaters, you might still find yourself using unfamiliar equipment some day. This is particularly important for a one-syllable message such as: yes, four, or Bob. If that syllable doesn't make it, the transmission is useless.

        Environmental Operating Considerations. Don't talk louder in a noisy environment. It is a natural tendency to talk louder if it gets noisy around you, but don't do that on the radio: it generally makes your signal less understandable, not more. You should always be speaking loudly enough into your microphone to achieve full modulation or deviation. If you speak any louder, the radio clips your voice to avoid over-modulation or over-deviation from taking place in the transmitter, distorting your voice and reducing intelligibility. The only truly effective way to overcome loud ambient noise is to reduce it, wait until it passes, or change your operating position to a quieter environment. You can also prepare your equipment ahead of time to work better in noisy locations. A simple thing to do is to make the radio or microphone less sensitive; then you can speak louder (or closer to the mike), without significant increases in the level of distortion. Remember though, with this kind of fix, you will have to speak louder at all times to achieve sufficient signal quality. Shield your microphone from the wind. Wind blowing across the microphone can make it impossible to understand you.

        Don't use VOX (voice-operated transmission) or a locking push-to-talk (PTT) switch on a tactical net unless you are sure it won't cause problems by keying your transceiver when you don't intend to transmit. VOX operation may be appropriate for informal intercom- style coordination, when no hands are available to push a button. In a noisy location, a VOX control may key your transmitter for a long time, jamming the channel, and you probably won't notice. Even in a quiet place, stray noises or fumbles may cause you to transmit unintentionally from time to time disrupting the channel. Ordinary PTT operation is better than VOX on a tactical net. You control exactly when you will transmit.

        For a suggested listing of equipment to consider bringing, see Appendix S.

3.3.3 Amateur Radio Repeater Procedure(For later use)

3.3.4 Disaster Guidelines - Net Control Concepts

        The next section provides Disaster Checklists for Net Control response to natural disasters. The first checklist is for Local Net Control. The second is for Net Control at EOC. There is a third checklist for net supervisors (typically DEC's, EC's, or AEC's) whether at the local or county level.

        Mason County ARES or RACES members are primarily responsible to their local government agencies (cities) and to the county. Communications supporting the American Red Cross in the care of displaced persons (shelter operations) is the number two priority.

        The immediate purpose of the Net Control Operator or the Net Supervisor is to support local government communications first. Once government needs are supported with scheduled coverage, THEN consider offering amateurs to the American Red Cross and other support agencies. Similarly, if you find that you do not have enough dedicated resources to support your local government agencies, then get on other frequencies to get help. Request the Net Control Operator to call out additional operators within the county (146.72 (-)) and to check with adjacent communities to see if they can spare any amateur operators.

        As Net Control you may be doing the same thing on behalf of your local government agency. They may find that they have an excess or deficit of resources of various kinds. Coordinate this information with the county and adjacent communities. Cooperation with the county is important since coordination of all mutual aid resources is done by the county. The county will attempt to provide resources from cities with an excess to cities with a deficit. Remember, LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS PRIORITY. Meet local needs first.

        After the dust settles.... If there is a major lull in activity, there is time to do housekeeping and perhaps take on activities that do not directly support local government disaster operations. This is the time to consider Health and Welfare (H&W) traffic. Amateurs operators should still consider the local government agencies to be our prime "customers". Operators should try to communicate H&W traffic between government workers and their families first. A few words about frequencies. If there is a need for additional frequencies for tactical nets or hotlines, refer to the amateur frequency list in Appendix G.