Madison County ARES Operations Manual
1.0
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this plan is to provide procedures for Madison County Amateur Radio Emergency Service members in handling emergency communications in Madison County. The Madison County ARES provides the organizational framework for the Madison County Emergency Response Net (herein after referred to as the “Madison County Net” or “Net”). Participation in Net operations is open to any licensed amateur radio operator whether a member of ARES or not.
2.0
GENERAL INFORMATION
The
Madison County Net was organized on May 13, 1993, in a meeting attended by
thirty-three amateur radio operators. The Madison County Net initially held
weekly training sessions on the local North Alabama Repeater Association’s
146.34/94 MHz repeater on Sunday nights. This
schedule was changed in late August 1993 to a Thursday night schedule, to
facilitate net check-in with the existing Thursday night North Alabama SKYWARN
training net sessions.
The organizational structure for activation and operation of the Net along with training falls under the scope of the Madison County ARES. Group meetings are normally held on a quarterly basis and at the Huntsville Madison County Red Cross building. Announcement of the these meetings is given on the weekly net training sessions, at the Huntsville Amateur Radio Club meetings and the HARC’s newsletter. Attendance at these meetings is open and encouraged to all who share an interest in serving their community during disasters. Various training programs are given at these meetings ranging from weather spotting to traffic handling. ARES members are encouraged to attend any training courses offered by the National Weather Service or any other local emergency response agency.
3.0
NET ACTIVATION
Activation
of the Madison County Net shall be determined by the type and severity of the
event to be addressed. There are
four levels of alert for Madison County Net operations
ranging
form 0 to 3 with 0 being the lowest alert status and 3 being the highest.
Each ascending level brings the net into an increasing level of alert.
The degree of net alert status is determined by the Net Control Station,
the ARES Emergency Coordinator, or an Assistant Emergency Coordinator based upon
the type of emergency situation that exists or may exist.
For
civil emergencies and preparedness events, the requesting agency shall contact
the ARES Emergency Coordinator who shall then coordinate the necessary response
for the event. The EC or one of the
AEC’s shall designate a responsible NCS to activate the Madison County Net to
the appropriate level of alert based upon the severity of the event.
3.1
ACTIVATION LEVELS
3.1.1
Level 0
Normal,
NON-emergency conditions exist in Madison County. At this level there will be no activation of the Madison
County Net and repeater use shall be nominal.
Net members shall maintain routine preparedness for emergency activity
and monitor regular media outlets for weather-related or other emergency
information, should net activation be needed.
3.1.2
Level 1
Preparedness
level, possible worsening of conditions in Madison County, or
immediately-surrounding counties. Upon
knowledge of a Level 1 event ARES members are to begin monitoring the
146.34/94Mhz repeater. Discretion
is advised in the formation of any Net operations at this level until such time
as conditions worsen in Madison County or surrounding areas.
A responsible Net Control Station, or designee, shall determine the need
to open the Net. Upon that determination, the NCS shall announce the formation
of an informal (non-directed) net
operation for the purpose of emergency-preparedness, and will take Net check-ins
as time permits, per the Preamble directives.
Net participants should minimize transmissions and informally report
significant events during this period.
Activation
of a Level 1 Alert is indicated by:
SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH for Madison County or immediately-surrounding counties
WINTERSTORM
WARNING for North Alabama
3.1.3
Level 2
Preparedness/Action
level, possible life threatening or damaging conditions may occur in Madison
County and may be in progress in immediately-surrounding counties. The NCS in a
Level 2 event will designate liaison operators to help maintain the flow of
information and make sure it gets to the correct agency.
Net operations will be in an informal
(non-directed) manner. Contact
should be made with the EC and or the AEC’s in order to insure that operations
during the event will be correctly organized and managed.
The EC or AEC’s will determine the need for additional manpower to
fulfill needs during the event. ARES
members should have, ready at hand, their disaster kit in case they are called
on to help a county agency needing addition communications help.
All operators shall minimize transmission lengths and report significant
events and status at the request of the NCS.
At the discretion of the NCS, a Directed
Net may be opened in a Level 2 Alert if the situation warrants this action.
Activation
of a Level 2 Alert is indicated by:
TORNADO
WATCH for North Alabama *
SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING for Madison County
*When
a TORNADO WATCH is issued for North Alabama at least one qualified ARES member
will need to staff the station at the Huntsville Madison County Red Cross
Building. The EC and AEC’s shall
make the determination if a member is qualified to operate the Red Cross station
during a Level 2 Alert on the basis of past experience, attitude and ability to
work under stress. See section 6.0
Operations at the Red Cross for more information.
3.1.4
Level 3
Emergency
action level, LIFE-THREATENING conditions are about to occur, or are occurring
or have just occurred in Madison County or in immediately surrounding areas.
When a Level 3 Alert condition exists the Net NCS will immediately
establish a DIRECTED NET OPERATION, and conduct it per the established Preamble
for Net activation. Operators shall
maintain radio silence unless they have EMERGENCY or vital traffic.
Operators shall keep any transmission short and to the point so as not to
hinder anyone with EMERGENCY traffic. A
DIRECTED NET shall remain in effect
during the recovery phase if needed to support any emergency response agency.
Activation
of a Level 3 Alert is indicated by, but not limited to the following
emergencies:
TORNADO
WARNING for Madison County or Limestone or Morgan Counties
EARTHQUAKE
causing damage within Madison County
WILDFIRE
in Madison County
PLANE
CRASH over a major population area within Madison County
RADIOLOGICAL
DISASTER at Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant or transportation accident
involving release of radioactive material within Madison County*
CHEMICAL
SPILL requiring evacuation of residents*
TERRORIST
ATTACK in Madison County*
ENEMY
ATTACK on the United States of America*
*ARES will function to support RACES operations with regards to these incidents unless the President has invoked his War Powers and then only those ARES members enrolled in RACES will be able to operate. Also, during a RACES activation only those ARES members enrolled in RACES may communicate to a station functioning in a RACES capacity.\
4.0
RADIO PROCEDURES DURING EMERGENCIES
1.
Identify yourself at the beginning of each transmission
especially where confusion may result if omitted and at least once in a
10 minute operating period to meet FCC requirements.
2.
When reporting an event, especially severe weather, make sure to include the
exact location and time the event occured.
3.
Listen before transmitting. Be sure you are not on the air with someone else.
4.
Know what you are going to say before you push the mike button; in other words,
engage your brain before you put your mouth in gear.
5.
Hold the transmit button down for at least a second before beginning your
message to insure that the first part of your message is not cut off.
6.
TALK ACROSS THE FACE OF YOUR MICROPHONE. This technique makes the communications
more understandable. In other words, hold the face of the microphone almost at a
right angle to your face.
7.
Speak slowly, distinctly, clearly, and do not let your voice trail off at the
end of words or sentences. Give each and every word equal force. For some this
takes a lot of practice and conscious effort but do it.
8.
Never acknowledge calls or instructions unless you understand the call or
instructions perfectly. If you do not understand, ask for a repeat.
9.
When you have understood the message, acknowledge the receipt with the words
"copy", "received" or "acknowledged." The word
"copy" is preferred and NEVER the word "QSL."
10.
The word "break" is never used UNLESS there is an emergency. Give you
call letters to gain access to a net.
11.
Always acknowledge calls and instructions. Nothing is more disruptive to the
smooth flow of communications than dead silence in response to a message. If you
cannot copy or respond to the call immediately, then tell the caller to say
again or stand by. Otherwise, acknowledge each call immediately.
12.
Under stress, many operators have a tendency to talk too fast. ACCURACY FIRST,
SPEED SECOND.
13.
At times, radio conditions are poor and words must be overly exaggerated to be
understandable. In general, speak very slowly and distinctly to carry through
static and weak signals.
14.
If your are relaying a message for another person, be sure you understand it. If
it makes no sense to you, get an explanation before you put it on the air. If
necessary, refer the message back to the originator for clarifications.
15.
There is no place for "Q" signals during official and emergency
communications. They are too easily misunderstood, rarely save time, and often
result in errors.
16.
Do not act as a relay station unless Net Control, or another radio station, asks
for a relay -- and you can fulfill the requirement with your station.
17.
When transmitting numbers (house numbers, street numbers, telephone numbers,
etc.), always transmit number sequences as a series of individual numbers. Never
say numbers in combinations.
18.
If a proper name needs to be transmitted, always spell it out using the ICAO
phonetic alphabet. Do not use cute or self-invented phonetics. There is no place
for them in official
and
emergency communications. Avoid using the phrase "common spelling" to
reduce confusion.
19.
ONLY TRANSMIT FACTS. If your message is a question, deduction, educated guess,
or hearsay, identify it as such. Do not clutter up the air with non-essential
information. Be careful what you say on the air. There are many ears listening.
Many facts may be taken out of context even when carefully identified.
20.
If you do not understand the whole message given to you or if you missed a word
out of the transmission, reply with "Say again." Do not say
"please repeat" because it sounds too much like the word
"received" when conditions are poor.
21.
Chewing gum, eating, and other activities with items in the mouth tend to
clutter up the clarity of your speech. Don't.
22.
Avoid angry comments on the air at all costs. Obscene statements are not
necessary and are out of place in all communications.
23.
Sound alert. Nothing destroys confidence as much as a bored or weary sounding
radio operator. If you are tired, get a relief operator.
24.
During an incident, communications suffers enough confusion without wisecracks
and jokes. Amateur Radio may be a hobby to enjoy, but when providing emergency
communications you must remember that it is serious business and should be
treated assuch at all times.
25.
Stay off the air unless you are sure you can be of assistance. It does no good
to offer advice, assistance, comments or other input to a net unless you can
truly provide
clarification.
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and
remove all doubt!
26.
Always know your location. If you are mobile or portable and moving around,
always keep a sharp lookout for landmarks. You must be able, if called upon, to
accurately describe your location at any time. This is particularly important if
you are with a search team or other mobile units.
27.
On VHF and UHF frequencies, particularly when on the fringes of communications,
look for a receiving “hot spot” site and use it. Don’t walk around talking
while in a communications fringe area. Repeaters have much more transmitting
power than your handheld. Even if you have a good signal from a repeater, it
does not mean you are received well by the repeater.
28.
If you check into an emergency net, you must monitor on the net frequency. If
you must leave the frequency, ask permission from the NCS. Report to the NCS
when you return to the net. It is vital that the NCS know the availability of
each station on the net and it is up to YOU to keep the NCS advised. However, if
the NCS is very busy and you must leave the net, do so without interrupting the
net.
29.
Net Control Stations frequently are very busy with work that is not on the air.
If you call the NCS or dispatcher and do not get a reply, be patient and call
again in a minute or two. If you have an emergency, say you have “Emergency
traffic” after you identify yourself when you call the NCS. Be patient with
the NCS and other stations.
30.
A mobile radio (that is one that is mobile, portable, or airborne) has priority
over any other type of radio station AND other forms of telecommunications. This
is true in all radio services. Fixed station operators must recognize that a
call from a mobile station takes precedence over telephone calls, personal
conversations, and other activities. Respond promptly to any call from a mobile
station – even if it is to advise the caller to standby.
In
conclusion, these few rules and suggestions are intended to help you become a
better operator – whether Public Safety or Amateur Radio. Analyze your present
operating methods and try to polish each element so your participation in radio
communications
is
professional and worthwhile. Your Net Control Station operator may have the
final authority but good, clean operating methods and procedures almost make a
net run without an NCS.
5.0
ORGANIZATIONAL INTERFACES
Functional
interfaces and liaison shall be established with the following local agencies
and Amateur Radio response units, for the purpose of enhancing the functionality
of service to Madison County:
Huntsville Amateur Radio Club
American Red Cross
Huntsville-Madison County Emergency Management Agency
North Alabama SKYWARN
National Weather Service
6.0
OPERATION AT THE RED CROSS
The
Red Cross activates when a TORNADO WATCH has been issued for North Alabama.
The Madison County Net will be in Level 2 Alert status when this occurs
and may be required to maintain communications with the Red Cross.
At least one qualified operator will be required to staff the station at
the American Red Cross Building located at 1101 Washington Street.
The EC and or the AEC’s will make the management decisions of who
should operate the station during the event.
The EC or AEC’s will also coordinate relief operators for long events.
The determination of who is a qualified operator is determined by their
participation in Net practice, attitude, dependability, maturity, ability to
operate in a stressful environment and their experience from any other severe
weather events.
The
operator staffing the station at the Red Cross should set up the two meter
radios to monitor the 147.34/94MHz, 147.82/22 MHz and the 147.84/24MHz
repeaters. The HF rig should be
tuned to 3965KHz with the antenna
switch set to the dipole. The
operator should check into the Madison County Emergency Net, the Madison County
RACES net and the North Alabama SKYWARN net and, if appropriately licensed, the
Alabama ARES net if activated. Operations
from the Red Cross position will be mainly to serve as a relay point between the
various nets and to gather information for the Red Cross to base their
responses.