• Copyright © 2008 Radio Amateurs of Canada Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+ - Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) and the authors of this document authorize the re-use and republication of content taken from this document only if ALL the following conditions are met:
1. Information is formally attributed to this document, as a RAC publication, or to the original copyright holder if applicable.
2. Information is used solely on a not-for-profit basis
3. RAC is notified of the re-use in writing to the Chief Field Services Officer at: CFSO, Radio Amateurs of Canada, Suite 217, 720 Belfast Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1G 0Z5.
• This manual affords the opportunity to operate in a consistent manner that will facilitate common Emcomm methods from Section to Section and between ARES in Canada and the USA.
• The complete manual is located on the RAC website
• ARES is a public service organization that delivers communications services during emergencies. ARES (pronounced AIR-EEZ) provides qualified communications personnel who establish ad-hoc radio communications links where and when they are needed.
+ - The major roles played by ARES typically include:
• Mitigation of telecommunications failures
• Supplementary telecommunications support or augmentation
• Command and control level interoperability (for example, communications from a command post to an EOC and between EOCs)
• Special assignments such as observation and reporting.
• ARES does not typically replace the communications infrastructure used by police or other emergency responders, or the systems in place to support agencies and recovery organizations.
• While advanced communications systems have become ubiquitous in the commercial and public service worlds, their sophistication and reliance on shared commercial networks increases the probability of 'system overload' during crises ...
+ - The value that ARES offers in today's context is flexibility, survivability, and scalability:
+ - Flexibility - ARES communications capabilities can be tailored very quickly to meet unusual needs.
• Amateur radio is unique in that the radio operators are also skilled in the installation, configuration and even repair of the radio systems that they use, and are able to easily adapt those technologies and systems to meet unforeseen requirements.
• ARES can create high-capacity ad-hoc networks anywhere that those networks are needed, with very little lead time.
• Connectivity can be delivered into virtually any location, regardless of coverage by existing repeaters and trunking systems.
• Survivability - Systems survivability is a real issue in situations where extreme weather affects physical communications infrastructure, or where commercial electrical power is interrupted for extended periods.
• Scalability - ARES is one possible solution in the event that the demand for communications exceeds capacity.
• What is expected from you when you volunteer with ARES? The answer: Whatever you want to offer. ARES is a flexible, volunteer-centric organization.
• It serves as an envelope that the amateur community can use to deliver emergency communications services to the community.
• There is no minimum level of participation. All our documented procedures, protocols and rules are guidelines, intended to facilitate cooperative communications and to communicate best practices.
• You should not feel pressured to participate to a greater extent than you are comfortable. Your work with ARES is not a job, or an obligation.
• We do ask that you show respect and consideration for other ARES participants, who are also volunteers. We’re all in this together.
• ARES ‘management’, including your emergency coordinator, assistant emergency
coordinators, trainers, and most of the RAC organization are also volunteers. Their
work with ARES is not a job. They do not get paid, and they donate their time to
benefit the community.
+ - However, even though ARES is an all-volunteer organization, there are certain things you can expect from ARES:
• Your privacy will be protected with regards to any information that is not in the public domain and may be sensitive or confidential. `
• Your time and effort will be respected. ARES will try not to waste either.
• Your effort during exercises and emergencies will be recognized and acknowledged.
• ARES will do its best to protect your safety and security during operations. (That being said, the final responsibility is yours, and you must be cautious of your safety at all times. Refuse any assignments or duties that you feel may be too hazardous to your safety.)
• You will have an input into how ARES is run, and the practices that are used. While ARES groups try to use best practices garnered from other ARES groups and ECOM organizations and operations, remember that your ARES group is your organization, and will also reflect your views and preferences.
A communications emergency is a situation in which normal communications infrastructure and processes are unable to meet the communications demands associated with an unusual event, potentially putting people, property or public safety at risk.
• Effective communications is essential.
• Without reliable, up-to-date information decision-makers are unable to manage the disaster response.
• Responding agencies and organizations may not share information effectively.
• In the absence of reliable information, rumours and misinformation can lead to serious harm.
The Incident Command System (ICS) is used to organize most disaster responses. ICS deals directly with many of the critical management, safety and logistical issues that arise during a disaster.
• Amateur radio can be extremely useful during disasters.
• However, most disaster response managers do not know what amateur radio is, or how it can be used.
• Only when communications systems fail completely is amateur radio considered as an alternative.
• Amateur radio offers a number of advantages: (see manual)
• Amateur radio also suffers from some disadvantages: (see manual)
+ - Our served agencies may include:
• ARES may also interoperate with other amateur radio emergency communications organizations, including: (see manual)
Despite the changing technologies and the evolving role of ARES and amateur radio in emergency communications, we still need to train and prepare for the emergencies of today and tomorrow. Things that we can focus on in order to add value and invest in
our abilities include the following:
• Practice our voice operating skills for both tactical and formal messaging handling
• Learn packet and use it in exercises
• Think about robustness and survivability when building your station and designing system
• Keep up to date with digital and wireless communications technologies, even those that do not seem to relate directly to amateur radio (for example, wireless digital telephony, wireless computer networking, and Internet-based communications)
• Be aware of the lessons learned elsewhere in the world by emergency communications agencies, including other ARES groups
• Be aware of the lessons learned elsewhere in the world by emergency communications agencies, including other ARES groups
• Be professional in all our interactions with community stakeholders, emergency officials, government representatives, and the media
• Be ready to serve
• ARES only becomes involved in an disaster when prompted by a served agency.
• ARES could be called upon to assist in any phase, but is more likely to be involved during Phase 1, Phase 2, and possibly parts of Phase 3.
• Telecommunications between the disaster site and the EOC are critical. Without reliable communications, it is impossible for the EOC to know what is going on, let alone coordinate activities.
• These telecommunications facilities are normally provided using systems operated by the responding agencies (for example, the police and fire radio systems). Typically, the communications facilities are pre-installed and tested periodically to ensure that they will operate during a disaster.
• Disaster response personnel have largely adopted cellular telephones and handheld computers as a backup to the telecommunication facilities used by primary responders. However, when cellular facilities become overloaded or unreliable, alternate telecommunications facilities are needed (for example, rented commercial radios).
• Amateur radio operators who understand the process and are properly trained and regularly exercised can be of tremendous assistance during emergencies.
+ - • When properly trained in formal message handling, amateur radio operators can be used to transmit a wide variety of messages on behalf of participating agencies – particularly those who do not have their own telecommunications resources.
• These messages could include operational messages requesting equipment needed at the site.
• Logistic and supply messages are often used to arrange for food and supplies at the site.
• Personnel and administrative messages dealing with the replacement of shift workers are also important.
• Amateur radio operators can replace communications systems that have failed, augment systems that are overloaded, or simply carry lower priority traffic that would otherwise not be communicated at all.
• Served agencies direct our operations.
• We manage communications to meet their needs, but the served agencies define those needs and identify their communications requirements to us.
• We are there to serve their needs.
• It is important that ARES personnel remember their place in the overall organization.
• Do not try to take over a situation.
• Your role is to communicate, not to lead.
• More details - see manual
• Depending on the nature of the emergency, the location where you are deployed, and your skills, capabilities and willingness to help, you may find yourself taking on responsibilities over and above those of a radio operator. For example, you may be called upon to drive a vehicle, help transport other workers or the public, keep watch over an entrance, site or piece of equipment, or even serve soup in a field kitchen.
• More details in manual
A number of specific services are available to ARES clients, letting them tailor ARES communications support to fit their organizational and operational needs.
+ - Emergency communications stations 5-1
This is the most commonly requested service. Emergency communications stations provide voice and data communications between specific locations (for example, emergency operations centers, aid stations, shelters, hospitals, and other key locations). These stations augment existing communications, adding capacity and flexibility. (In the unlikely event that existing communications infrastructure fails, these stations can also serve as a backup.)
+ - Shadowing 5-1
Shadowing involves attaching telecommunications operators to specific 'high-value' personnel in an organization. This ensures that key personnel are kept in touch, regardless of location, communications overloads or failures, or other factors.
+ - Mobile communications service 5-1
• ARES mobile communications service attaches telecommunications operators to mobile units (such as evacuation buses, assessment units, search and rescue teams, or other mobile units requiring communications support). Telecommunications operators ensure connectivity between the mobile units and EOCs or coordination points.
• Mobile communications services could also use a mobile positioned to act as a relay station when there is poor coverage on simplex or repeater networks.
+ - Data messaging 5-1
• Data messaging service is provided using D-STAR, ad-hoc packet radio LANs, Wifi networks, and point-to-point Ethernet radio links (using higher power and gain antennas in the shared amateur radio portions of the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz bands). Data messaging stations are set up at key sites such as evacuation centres and EOCs, allowing the efficient transfer of large quantities of data.
• More ..
+ - Rapid community assessment 5-2
• During many types of emergency, getting information about conditions in the community at large can be crucial. The ARES network provides an easy way to get basic information very quickly. During community emergencies (for example, during severe weather events), the ARES network can provide rapid assessment of conditions at a large number of locations throughout the region.
• More ...
+ - Backup communications 5-2
ARES backup communications service places ARES emergency communications stations at or near existing high-value communications stations (such as those at City Hall, EOCs, hospitals, etc.) to provide backup service in case of problems or overload in key communications links. In this mode, the backup communications stations and networks are staffed and ready but idle unless needed.
+ - Interoperable communications (inter-agency bridging) 5-2
• In situations where aid, response and recovery efforts are being hampered by incompatible communications systems, ARES can assist by providing a communications ‘bridge’. This need may arise when:
• More ...
+ - Wide-area communications relays 5-2
ARES can provide communications connectivity outside the local area when required. This service is useful during emergencies that disrupt telephone and Internet communications over a wide area.
ARES operators are radio operators who are familiar with ARES procedures and are included on ARES and provincial EMO callouts.
+ - Net Control Stations
• Emergency net controllers serve as net control stations during emergencies or exercises.
• A net control station will take control of a specific channel (typically a repeater channel), and will maintain order and ensure efficient communications between stations on that channel.
+ - Official Emergency Stations
• Stations and associated licensees may be designated as Official Emergency Stations (OES).
• An OES designation means that the station is fully prepared to provide enhanced capabilities during emergencies.
+ - Telecommunications operators
• Telecommunications operators are individual amateur radio operators who participate in ARES nets using either their own handheld or mobile equipment, or equipment at designated Official Emergency Stations.
• Telecommunications operators handle radio traffic and message forms in order to send messages from the site that they are supporting, or to receive messages for that site.
• Telecommunications operators may also be attached to vehicles (for example, a city bus being used for evacuations), or an individual person (for example, shadowing a relief coordinator).
+ - Relay stations
• Relay stations are located away from supported sites and EOCs, but contribute by relaying traffic from one channel or medium to another.
• A relay station may be designated to carry traffic between a local VHF channel and a provincial HF net.
• A relay station may move traffic between voice and packet channels, or arrange phone patches.
• In situations where communications between endpoints is hampered by poor propagation, jamming, or other problems, a station able to communicate with both endpoints may be assigned the task of relaying traffic between those endpoints.
• The Provincial Communications Officer (PCO) directs EMO communications support activities at the provincial level.
• The District Communications Officer (DCO) manages communications resources at the local level, when tasked by the PCO.
• The emergency coordinator (EC) performs a number of tasks, most of them in preparation for emergencies and exercises rather than actually during an emergency.
• The EC establishes working relationships with various regional agencies that might need communications support.
• The EC addresses the training, organization and emergency participation of interested amateurs.
• The EC also creates an emergency communications plan, communications networks, and site operating procedures.
• Assistant emergency coordinators (AEC) perform many of the tasks that an emergency coordinator performs.
• The AECs assist by offloading responsibilities from the emergency coordinator.
• Communications supervisors manage communications requirements during an exercise or emergency. Communications supervisors are often ECs or AECs, but any qualified operator can act as a supervisor.
• More ...
• A station manager is similar to a site manager, except that the station manager is responsible solely for the communications station at a site, and coordinates with the designated site manager (or site coordinator).
• More ...
• Runners are responsible for carrying messages between an ARES station and personnel elsewhere onsite (for example, carrying messages between the City Hall ARES station and the Mayor’s Office in City Hall).
• Runners also perform other support tasks as required, ensuring that the telecommunications operators are able to give their full attention to nets and traffic handling.
• Runners do not have to be licensed amateurs, although telecommunications operators may take breaks by serving as runners periodically.
• More ...
• Message clerks, like runners, manage message delivery and collection. However, message clerks usually work alongside radio operators at the communications station, typically behind a desk or counter.
• Message clerks help clients fill in message forms, and ensure that messages are delivered only to those authorized to receive them.
• Repeater managers are the owners or technical contacts for specific area repeaters that may be important to emergency communications.
• A repeater manager is someone who may or may not actually be involved in ARES or in any specific exercise or emergency, but can be 'on-call' to troubleshoot problems during emergencies.
• A repeater manager is also the point of contact for requesting permission to use a repeater during exercises.
• In some situations, technical support might be required (for example, to restore repeater operation during power outages, or to establish antennas or emergency power as specific locations).
• Technical support primes are people who volunteer to perform technical support where and when it is needed.
• Support primes do not have to be licensed amateurs (although in most cases they probably will be certified).
• Chances are good that when an emergency arises, you will either be at home or at your place of work. You need to be prepared for emergencies when at home or at work, to ensure you're equipped to respond when situations arise.
• This means having radio equipment available and ready for use, along with supporting materials like paper and pens, a flashlight, and other useful items.
• It also means having a kit that contains anything you may need during a 24-hour period without support (things like medications, water, chocolate bars, and spare batteries).
• Preparation goes beyond simply your ability to operate.
• You should also prepare your family, your home or your business so that during an emergency you will be free to participate in ARES. Discuss your role in ARES with your employer so that they will understand the need to give you time off if you are needed during a disaster.
• In many emergencies, your car will become essential transportation. In many situations, it may become your operating post. The following guidelines suggest steps you can take to ensure that your vehicle is ready for an emergency situation:
• More ...
The first priority in home safety is ensuring the safety of your family and property. By preparing in advance, you’ll ensure that you’ll be available for ARES operations and that your family and home will be safe in your absence. Consider the following recommendations:
• More ...
• If you do not take your car to work, prepare a small ready pack that you can leave at your desk or in your office.
• More ...
Ensure that your equipment is complete, appropriate, and reliable. For more information about equipment selection and configuration, see “Equipment selection and configuration” on page 14.1.
• At the beginning of an exercise, or when a need for ARES support is identified during an emergency, a callout is performed to activate the local ARES group. The EC and AECs call their assigned operators to warn of a possible mobilization, to ask operators to monitor a net frequency, or to actually deploy operators to locations.
• More ...
• EMO activations, triggered by the provincial EMO
• ARES activations, triggered by served agencies or events that have occurred within a region or community
When you get a call for an emergency callout, you will be told the emergency channel that is being used. In some situations, you may also be immediately dispatched to a location. On activation:
• Begin monitoring the emergency channel and stand by for instructions.
• Call the personnel on your own ARES callout page, if you have been assigned callout duties.
• Check into the emergency net during the next general call for check ins.
• Prepare your emergency pack (add charged batteries, cell phone, etc.) and stand by for deployment.
• When you hear about a community emergency or telecommunications outage, begin scanning the ARES frequencies and stand by to join an emergency net.
• If the community emergency is not serious enough to warrant ARES or EMO activation, the net may not convene.
• If the emergency is serious, or if the telecommunications outage is likely to affect critical services, an EC or district communications officer (DCO) will initiate the emergency net and call for check-ins.
• If you discover a widespread telecommunications outage and believe that your EC may not be aware of it, take steps to notify your EC using whatever means are available.
• When you are deployed to a location, take your Ready Pack and enough food, water and medication to operate comfortably for at least 24 hours.
• If you require transportation, advise the EC/AEC or DCO when they call to activate you, or inform the net controller when the controller requests information about your status and availability.
1 Seek out the location site manager and tell them that you have arrived. (The location of the senior officer is often indicated by a flashing green light.)
2 Ask them where you are to set up the station (or if operating handheld, where you should place yourself)
3 Check into the emergency net and notify the net controller that you are on station and in contact with appropriate parties.
4 Wear a name badge that clearly says Communications Operator.
5 If practical, put up a sign identifying your post or station as a communications station.
6 If you are equipped with an FRS handheld and are at a location where FRS is being used by officials, turn it on to channel 9, with privacy codes (CTCSS) turned off.
1 Seek out the station manager (or location site manager, if you are the first ARES operator to arrive)
2 Find the communications station.
3 Refer to the Communications Station Operating Procedures in the ARES binder at the station and follow procedures to activate the station.
4 Check into the emergency net and notify the net controller that the station is activated and ready for service.
5 Wear a name badge with your first name, clearly indicating ARES.
Frequencies used during ARES operations will depend almost entirely on the repeater systems and communications plans in place within your region. In addition, the frequencies used during ARES operations may vary depending on the available surviving repeaters, on the area where communications support is needed, and on the number of channels needed to meet end-user requirements.
This section in the manual provides an overview of ICS-100. ARES members are encouraged to take the current ICS-100 on-line course.
• An ARES operator may be assigned to the COML, or they may be assigned as a Technical Specialist in another area.
• ARES operators may also be asked to perform non-ARES activities, and could conceivably be assigned anywhere.
• If an operator is assigned to a non-ARES unit, operators need to comply with the directions of the unit supervisor, understand the mission, and report actions back to that unit supervisor.
• Amateur radio groups deployed as units should be structured into groups of three to five operators under one ARES unit supervisor. For example, if a unit has 20 members, the leadership needs to break the unit down into four or five units. This could be based upon geography (where the units will be deployed), time of day (shifts), specific function (HQ unit, field unit 1, field unit 2, etc.), or any other reasonable, manageable division of labor. Instead of one ARES leader getting status or providing direction to 20 members, the one leader interacts with only four subordinates, and those four interact with three to five operators.
• This allows a much faster and more manageable method of communications and control.
• Smaller units are also able to be re-assigned and moved more quickly than large units, so the smaller units also give ICS more flexibility in the use of overall resources.
• ICS requires the use of plain English in all communications. Avoid special codes, prowords or jargon.
1 Directed net. A formal net with a net controller, who directs all communications on the net. Stations request permission from net control before calling other stations or passing traffic.
2 Open net. A net that allows informal communications, with or without a net controller. If there is a net controller, the controller acts to provide coordination, recordkeeping, and other support. On an open net, stations do not need to get net control permission before calling or passing traffic.
• More ...
Tactical voice communications is used in situations where messages need to pass back and forth between stations without delays, and do not need to be formal. Examples of tactical traffic include:
• Requests to mobile stations for location or operational status
• Traffic that has not been originated by third parties (such as coordination between telecommunications operators or ECs)
• Informal discussions between officials
• Informal information requests
• General broadcasts from one station to many other stations (point to multipoint)
Formal voice communications is used in situations where messages need to reach their destinations without any errors, need to be logged and recorded, or are being relayed by intermediate stations. Examples of formal voice message traffic include:
• Formal requests or directives sent to a specific individual or office
• Formal reports or responses sent to a specific individual or office
Like formal voice message traffic, digital communications is used in situations where messages need to reach their destinations without any errors, and need to be logged and recorded. Digital messaging is particularly well suited to formal traffic that is lengthy in nature. Examples of tactical traffic include:
• Evacuee lists sent from evacuation shelters to the Canadian Red Cross
• Detailed reports sent from shelter managers to the Canadian Red Cross
• Supply requisitions sent from an emergency measures office to aid agencies
• Public bulletins sent from City Hall to local radio and TV stations
Automated traffic is any form of communications that does not involve operators at both ends of the connection. Current examples of automated traffic include:
• Vehicle location coordinates (GPS data sent over APRS packet)
• Weather data sent over packet
• Site photos or video sent over SSTV or amateur television (ATV)
• Know what you are going to say before you transmit.
• Listen carefully before transmitting to ensure that you understand the net and that you are not ‘speaking over’ another station.
• Speak clearly and slowly.
• If the message needs to be written down, speak more slowly.
• Pause after logical phrases.
• Speak at an even pace
• Speak across the microphone, and not into it.
• Key the microphone a second or two before speaking, to ensure that repeater and receiver squelch has opened.
• Identify using your callsign or tactical callsign at the beginning of any transmission.
• If using a handheld, do not move around while transmitting.
• Acknowledge any instructions directed at your station. If you understand the instructions, reply with “acknowledged”. If you wish to indicate that you will comply with the instructions, reply with “will comply”. If you do not understand the instructions or need more information, request that the sender repeat or clarify the instructions. (Do not say “repeat”. Instead, use “say again”.)
• Do not use the word “break” when you pause. It is confusing, wastes time and has another meaning in formal message handling. Merely unkey and pause. If the other station has questions, they should key up and make their request known. This also permits other stations to break in if they have emergency traffic.
• Do not make any angry or sarcastic comments on the air. On-air humour is not recommended. During an exercise or emergency, amateur radio becomes a profession, not a hobby. Sound professional.
+ - Q codes
+ - Tactical call signs
• Use tactical call signs once you have been assigned a task or location. A tactical call sign is a label that identifies either your duties (for example, Fire One for an operator attached to the Fire Chief) or your location (for example, RC for a station at the Red Cross building). Tactical call signs reduce confusion.
• Use your own call sign periodically in order to satisfy Industry Canada identification requirements, but do not over-use your own callsign. (For example, normally say “EOC this is RC”, and every 15-30 minutes during traffic, say “EOC this is RC, VE9ZYX at the Red Cross.”)
+ - Phonetics
The only phonetics that are acceptable during emergency communications are those of the NATO/ITU phonetic alphabet. This is the phonetic alphabet recommended by Industry Canada, and in general use in amateur radio.
+ - Frequency designations
• Formal message handling can be done using voice, packet, or even CW or RTTY. Formal message handling involves a simple process at the sending and receiving stations to ensure accuracy, delivery, and tracking.
• The sending station transcribes the message onto a radiogram form (or has the sender fill in the form themselves).
+ - Elements in a formal message (radiogram)
+ - Accepting messages for transmission
When you accept a formal message for transmission to another station, you must collect the following information from the sender:
• More ...
• In addition to passing messages for third parties (our served agencies), ARES operators will also send and receive messages to provide other ARES stations with important information, or to provide tasking (orders, instructions or rules of operation).
• This ‘internal’ ARES network traffic is not intended to go to any third party, but may be just as important as third-party traffic if it impacts ARES operator safety or the health of the ARES communications network. More info in the manual
+ - Format for tasking instructions (orders)
• If you are a communications supervisor or emergency coordinator, you will issue ‘orders’ to ARES operators or stations to set up, maintain and manage the ARES communications network.
• As an ARES operator or station manager, you will receive orders for you or your station.
• When possible, these tasking messages should be delivered in person, rather than by radio. Do not interrupt during tasking. Wait until the instructions are complete before asking questions. .
+ - • The format for orders is broken in to several distinct units:
If you are using cross-band repeating, remember the following guidelines:
• Count 1001, 1002 before talking after pressing the PTT switch. The 1001 provides time for your radio to transmit and bring up the repeater. The 1002 provides time for the repeater to bring up the cross-band repeater.
• In bi-directional repeat, repeater tails will lock you out until the tail drops. (The cross band radio will not drop out until the repeater tail drops.)
• Other users can slip in before the tail drops, keeping the person using cross band from getting in.
• Amateur radios are not designed for heavy use. Configure your radio to minimize transmit power. Consider using a computer CPU fan to keep the CBR transceiver cool.
• Use CTCSS to keep out intermod or other users on the same frequency.
• Make sure your radio is capable of cross-band repeating, and that you know how to set it up.
When you are replacing another operator at a site or station (or when you are being replaced), ensure that the handoff of responsibility goes smoothly by discussing:
• Basic procedure, policy, net, and stations
• How messages are routed, and local delivery procedures
• Who the location manager is, and where
• Who the location manager is, and where
• Any equipment concerns or issues
• General activities within the location
• General activities within the location
The basic duties of a net controller are:
• Taking charge of the net while the net is in session. You are responsible for controlling who uses the frequency. This needs to be balanced with the fact that you are managing a group of volunteers. You need to determine whether tight net discipline is required for the incident.
• Keeping track of which resources are on the net and who has cleared the channel. You are also responsible for knowing what types of traffic each resource is capable of handling.
• Ensuring that there is a backup net controller, in case you are indisposed or experience an equipment or propagation failure. (For some nets in some situations, this may not be required.)
• Keeping a written record of net activity, stations and traffic.
• Speak slowly in a calm voice at all times.
• Pause before transmitting to allow break-ins.
• Periodically announce the designation and purpose of the net to ensure that new check-ins and monitoring stations understand that purpose.
• Keep a written record of net activity, and a list of traffic for each station. If you don't use an organized recording system you will get confused as the traffic gets heavier.
• Discourage idle chatter courteously, until all traffic is cleared. Do not however, make the net cold, stiff, and formal except at times of high traffic density, or during real or simulated emergencies.
• Remember that other people will have to read your notes. Write clearly and in clear text (no special symbols or short forms).
• Make instructions clear and precise. Use as few words as possible. Use clear text.
• Send traffic as fast as you would write it down. Tactfully remind other stations to do the same when necessary. Break every five words or so to allow stations time to catch up. Request that stations ask for fills at the end of each paragraph.
• Use tactical callsigns and enforce this rule with other members on the net. Tactical call signs are legal as long as periodic ID requirements are met.
• Politely break in to communications currently on the repeater or frequency, explain the situation and the need to open a net, and request use of the repeater or frequency.
• Once you have control of the repeater or frequency, introduce yourself, with your callsign, as net controller.
• Clearly identify the net designation (for example, ARES logistics net) and explain the net’s purpose.
• State that the repeater or frequency will be used solely for net operations for a period of time.
• Briefly review ‘rules of the road’ for net operations.
• Call in any stations that you know are waiting to check in (such as stations that you know have been assigned to the net).
• Solicit other check-ins.
To open a net, use the following prompts: (See script)
• Initially, accept check-ins on the primary net frequency.
• Once the primary net becomes an operational net, and a standby net is established, make periodic announcements directing newly activated stations to wait on the standby net until directed to return to the operational net.
• Local traffic is routed to a section net, then to a region net, then to an area net, and finally to TCC. It then returns to another area net, then to a region net, then to a section net, then to a local net.
• Assigned net representatives (net liaison stations)
• Freelance traffic
Unlike standby and operational nets, a support net normally does not require full-time net control. If you are assigned to control a support net, consider the following guidelines:
• Monitor the net and be ready to step in to provide coordination when it is required.
• Make a periodic announcement (perhaps every 15 minutes) on the net.
• The announcement should state that a net is taking place, and explain the purpose of the net.
• You may also consider listing key stations that are permanently on net. Keep the announcement brief so that you do not distract monitoring operators from other tasks.
+ - In the unlikely event that you are required to run a CW traffic net (for example, in situations where propagation is too poor for voice communications, and digital modes are not available), use the following guidelines (There are several pages in the manual covering these topics):
• In some situations, you may be required to authenticate with another station. For example, if you are transmitting mission-critical information or instructions and the receiving station needs to make sure you are actually an authorized ARES station, the receiving station will ask you to authenticate.
• The process of authentication is simple. The station that requests the authentication chooses a challenge code at random from a code table (a printed matrix of unique, secret codes called a one-time pad). The station that has been challenged to authenticate has the same code table, and finds the matching response code. The challenged station reads the response back to the challenger, who then checks their code table to ensure that the response is correct. If the response is correct, the challenger knows that the challenged station has the correct code table and is therefore authorized to send or receive traffic.
• Most ARES stations will be provided with a standard set of code tables. For specific high-sensitivity links between specific stations (for example, between an EOC and a command centre), additional code tables may be provided that are available only to those stations, providing an extra layer of authentication. (For procedures regarding restricted authentication, see the Communications Station Operating Procedures at your post, if available.)
• Procedure 13.1: Request authentication from another station 13-1
• Procedure 13.2: Respond to a request for authentication from another station 13-3
• Procedure 13.3: Responding to an authentication failure 13-3
• Procedure 13.4: Monitoring a challenge-response between other stations 13-4
• Procedure 13.5: Ordering a change to a new code table 13-4
• Procedure 13.6: Changing to a new code table 13-5
• Procedure 13.7: Resolving authentication failures 13-5
This section provides guidelines to help you choose and prepare equipment and deployment kits. The information provided here is intended to help you make your own decisions about what to include in your ARES emergency packs, based on the equipment you own, your transportation, your ability to carry gear, and the various scenarios for activation.
+ - Labelling and recovering equipment 14-1
• During times of emergency, it's quite likely that you will become separated from some of your equipment (for example, during shift changes at stations, while loaning items out to other operators, or simply during transit).
• It is very important that you clearly label all equipment to make sure that it finds its way back to you at the end of the operation.
• Any valuable piece of kit should be marked with your callsign.
+ - You may also consider labelling your equipment with:
+ - Labelling packs, bags and containers:
• You should also label or tag any packs, bags or containers you are likely to use during an ARES operation (including your Ready Pack and any ‘subpacks’ within it). Use
• Avery labels or adhesive equipment labels on any ‘hard’ items like Pelican cases or briefcases.
• Use luggage tags on any soft items.
+ - Setting up shared stations 14-2
+ - Emergency packs and kits 14-2
• A Ready Pack is a portable package of equipment and supplies that will let you operate comfortably from any location for at least 24 hours (and hopefully longer).
• You should keep the Ready Pack somewhere accessible, such as the closet close to your front door, or in your car's trunk (so that it is accessible while you are at work).
• Suggested contents (See manual for long checklist):
• In some situations, you may be asked to provide services for longer than 24 hours, or you may volunteer to provide emergency communications outside your normal operating area.
• In these situations, you should take additional supplies, hardware and comfort items to meet the needs of the situation and to allow you to operate for longer periods or in situations where you may not have immediate support.
• Suggested items include the following (See manual for list):
If you are responsible for station setup at a specific location, you need additional equipment and supplies specific to that location and the equipment that will be used there. For example, your station kit may include the following items (See manual for list):
• At this time, regional ARES involvement in SAR is limited. It is expected that ARES may be used only in large-scale SAR operations (such as a passenger jet crash), but this may vary from Section to Section.
• If you are interested in volunteering for deployment on possible search and rescue exercises or events, you need to build an additional pack with gear you will need during SAR operations.
+ - Your SAR Pack should include the contents of your Ready Pack, and should also include the following items:
• extended-length flex antennas for handhelds (cannot be fragile)
• regional road and topographical maps
• outdoor clothing suited to the season (including hiking or snow boots, reflective ‘hunter wear’, hats, etc.)
+ - General preparedness gear 14-11
• Blankets or sleeping bags • Warm clothes • Additional prescription eyeglasses • Extra pairs of house and car keys • Cash and change • Manual can opener • Baby supplies: formula, bottle, pacifier, clothing, blankets, diaper wipes, disposable diapers, canned food and juices • Additional medical prescriptions
• Water • Food • Blankets • Spare leash and collar • Medications • Carrying case • Favourite toy
+ - Handheld equipment 14-12
+ - Choosing handheld radios When you are buying a handheld radio, you may wish to consider features and accessories that will be useful during emergency operations:
• It is recommended that you have two handhelds: one primary radio that you use regularly, and a backup radio that normally stays in your Ready Pack and can be used in case your primary radio dies. (A backup radio may also be useful in situations where you wish to monitor more than one channel, or wish to loan a radio to another operator.)
+ - Primary radios 14-13
Your primary radios should be ones that you use on a regular basis, and should be kept charged and ready for use at all times. Recommended features and configurations include:
• programmed with local repeaters and ARES channels
• able to function on battery/auto/emergency power for extended periods
• headset, or speakermic with headphones
• effective portable antenna (extended-length whip for handhelds, or an external mag-mount 1/4-wave or better)
+ - Backup radios 14-13
Your backup radios should be ones that you do not need on a regular basis, but that are in working condition. Recommended features and configurations include:
• programmed with local repeaters and ARES channels
• AA alkaline compatible battery packs, or external battery input with an external AA battery pack
• effective portable antenna (extended-length whip for handhelds, or an external mag-mount 1/4-wave or better)
• a BNC antenna jack, or an SMA jack with an SMA-to-BNC adapter
• headset, or speakermic with headphones
+ - Power 14-13
• Batteries are one of the most crucial elements of your radio system. During ARES operations, most operators will spend most of their operating time running from battery packs or battery systems.
• When choosing batteries, you need to consider how they will be used. Equipment that is used and recharged regularly can benefit from batteries that have high capacity but may self-discharge (run down without being used). Equipment that is used infrequently benefits from batteries that do not self-discharge, or can be replaced quickly in the field.
• More details in manual
Generators are extremely useful for ARES operations, particularly for those that involve commercial power failures lasting longer than several hours. A generator is a large investment, so it is not recommended that you buy one just for ARES applications. However, you may be able to justify buying one to power your home (keeping your refrigerator or other equipment operating) during an extended outage.
• Handheld generators
• Portable generators
• Fixed generators
+ - Headsets 14-17
• Headsets are essential in most emergency operating locations. Headsets let you function in noisy environments (like a typical EOC) and also reduce the noise that your station generates. By increasing overall comfort, headsets let you operate longer and reduce fatigue.
• For use in an automobile, a single earmuff headset is recommended. (Dual-muff headsets may be illegal if worn by the driver.)
• For use at an EOC or other busy site, a double earmuff headset is recommended.
• For use during shadowing or other highly mobile activities, you may wish to use a more discrete headset, like an in-ear bud or audionic headset.
+ - Equipment cases and carry bags 14-18
• You need to be able to transport your equipment to locations where it is needed. If you are a mobile or shadow operator, you'll need to carry equipment with you as you move. Equipment cases and carry bags make transportation and operation easier. Tactical vests make it easier to pack equipment on your person.
• Equipment bags or cases should be clean and in good condition. Padding inside the bags or cases will protect your equipment from rough handling. You may wish to use a watertight or weather resistant case for high-value equipment.
+ - Tactical and identification vests 14-18
• Tactical vests should be comfortable even if worn for hours.
• Camouflage (camo) vests are NOT recommended; they are not suitable for any ARES deployment.
• Ideally, wear an ARES tactical vest (which is orange, yellow or green with EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, ECOM, ECOMM or COMM printed on it.
+ - Computers 14-18
Desktop computers are not usable in situations where you need to relocate to an emergency site. However, if you are serving from home (for example, as a net controller, liaison or relay station), a desktop computer collocated with your station can be very useful. Ensure that your computer is preconfigured with software you can use for logging, record keeping, and packet communications.
Laptop computers can be very useful at fixed locations, or where data communications is required. Ensure that spare batteries and the power supply are also packed with the computer itself. Consider using a waterproof case (such as a Pelican case) to ensure protected transport.
Opinions are mixed on the usefulness of handheld computers (PPCs, Palms, etc.) in emergency contexts. Palm and PPC handhelds are not currently recommended, since they cannot be used easily for packet and data exchange, and are not as suitable as pen and paper forms in mission-critical applications and mixed environments.
+ - Software 14-19
• An important issue is software compatibility and familiarity. Any experienced operator should be able to sit down at your logging terminal or packet terminal and use the most commonly required features.
• For packet operations, it is recommended that you have ARESPACK software installed or available. (To find the most recent version of ARESPACK, or equivalent software, search the Internet for “ARESPACK”.)
+ - Computer accessories 14-19
A number of computer accessories may be useful during an exercise or an emergency event. You do not need all these accessories, but if you have them you should consider including them in your emergency pack.
• Network and wireless LAN adapters
• Floppy disk drive
• USB Flash Drive
+ - Specialized radio equipment 14-20
• Cross-band repeaters are typically mobile VHF/UHF dual-band radios that have a cross-band repeat (CBR) function built into them.
• The radio receives on a UHF channel and transmits the signal on a VHF channel (or vice versa).
• These radios can be invaluable during ARES operations.
• A simplex repeater is a transceiver that has been configured with a specialized audio module to retransmit any received signals. The simplex repeater records the audio from a received signal on a digital recording chip, and when the signal stops, immediately begins retransmitting that recorded audio on the same frequency (on simplex). This provides a ‘dirty’, simple way of extending communications range.
• A common simplex repeater configuration uses a basic handheld radio with an Icom- compatible mic/speaker jack, and a Realistic simplex repeater (available on clearance from some Radio Shack stores in the US, and from eBay).
+ - Vehicles 14-21
• With regards to ARES participation, the most important consideration when deciding which automobile to use and equip is reliability.
• While heavier vehicles (like SUVs or pickup trucks) may seem like attractive choices, they aren't needed for most scenarios.
• While four-wheel drive vehicles can be invaluable during winter storm emergencies, most cars can be equipped with traction equipment (such as snow chains) to make limited driving possible even in severe conditions.
• Almost any vehicle capable of getting you to your station or duty location is enough, so long as you can rely on the vehicle to work, and be available, when it's needed.
• More details in manual
+ - VHF radio configuration 14-23
If you are setting up a station at an EOC or other operations centre, consider the following recommendations:
• Install or use headsets or earphones to minimize your impact on the EOC.
• Consider RFI when installing antennas, feedlines and equipment. Do not interfere with other communications systems at the EOC.
If you are setting up a station in a hospital, at a medical-care senior citizens’ home, or in any environment where medical equipment is being used (See details in manual):
If you are setting up a station in a mobile unit (for example, in a city bus being used for evacuations):
• Do not drill or hard-mount equipment. If you need to temporarily mount equipment, use velcro strips.
• Do not alter the vehicle in any way.
• Keep all antennas, cables and equipment out of the way of the driver.
• Keep in mind the purpose of the vehicle during the emergency, and the activities that will take place on the vehicle. (For example, if the vehicle is being used to transport victims, ensure that your installation will not be in the way of, or vulnerable to injured persons brought onboard.)
• You may want to integrate as much as possible into local communications being used onsite.
• For example, if you are serving in a large EOC, you may want to adopt a phone extension and make sure that key clients know how to reach you via that extension.
• You may want to monitor an FRS/GMRS channel (such as Channel 9) so that clients can reach you using the cheap, short-range FRS handhelds that are now commonly available.
• You may want to bring an Ethernet-equipped laptop so you can plug into the location's LAN in order to facilitate messaging and file transfer.
• Whether you are a skilled ECOM operator, a serious traffic handler, or simply a hobby operator, consider the following suggestions for configuring your home station for ARES operation:
• More ...
• In the context of emergency communications the term “digital communications” refers primarily to the transmission of electronic messages.
• We can further subdivide the topic into modes used in the HF bands and those used in the VHF bands and above.
• The development of affordable personal computers with powerful data processors is driving significant and on-going change in the way that digital communications can be exploited by ARES
• This section is technical and covers several pages in the manual,
• In any emergency management operation record keeping is absolutely mandatory.
• It is required by law and/or regulation. All public service tactical radio circuits will be recorded (911 Call Centre, Dispatch Centres, etc.)
• Every EOC and incident site command centre will have a document control section where copies of all written directives, orders, and messages will be complied and filled. Amateur Radio operators supporting these activities will be expected to meet the same standards.
• There are three message formats that the ECOM operator must be familiar with: standard email, the ICS 213 form, and the traditional NTS Radiogram.
• More ...
+ - When your deployment ends (or when your shift ends, if practical), hand off your logs and operational notes to:
• In ICS organizations, all documentation is sent to the documentation section usually on a daily basis. In fact, all documentation is the property of the served agency. If you do not know who should receive the logs, contact the EC or communications supervisor and request clarification. You must keep a written copy of all traffic for at least seven years following the operation
• Once a deployment is over, it is important that everyone involved work together to assess the effectiveness of the response. This helps us improve our processes and practices for future deployments. It also ensures that significant contributions are recognized.
• Tactical debriefings
• Critical incident debriefings
• This section provides information needed by station managers responsible for setting up, provisioning and configuring an ARES emergency station.
+ - Station planning 19-1
+ - Periodic station maintenance and validation 19-2
• Official emergency stations
+ - Official emergency stations (OES) are:
• Personal stations used by designated ECs, AECs, net controllers, and relay operators
• Preinstalled, non-residential stations which will be used by ARES operators during exercises or emergencies.
• Official Emergency Stations should be tested monthly if possible, and at least once every three months.
This section provides information that is useful to communications supervisors during an ARES operation.
+ - Duties of a communications supervisor 20-1
The communications supervisor performs ongoing management of ARES operations during a deployment. The communications supervisor performs tasks such as:
• selecting frequencies and defining nets
• assigning and scheduling net controllers
• deploying operators to sites and stations
• working with served agencies to identify and satisfy communications requirements
• managing communications and logistical problems as they arise.
+ - Best practices for communications supervisors 20-1
The following best practices may make you a more effective communications supervisor:
• Start a log. Write down date, time and description of any significant activities, events, or observations. This helps you keep track of your responsibilities during your shift and may also help forensically after the operation.
• Do not wait to be called. Even if you are told not to respond, you can still prepare your group and monitor the situation. It is better to ramp up fast and then stand down rather than to wait until being called and working from a catch-up position.
• Use a formal and complete Incident Command approach, including organization, objectives, terminology and operational periods to manage your operations outside the ICS-defined incident area. (Within the incident area, ARES operators will fall under the existing Incident Command structure.)
• Send one person to the EOC or served agency to ensure that communications with the EOC or served agency is available to you. (Do this only if you have established relationships with the organization or served agency.)
• Avoid sending your personnel to useless locations. Use your expertise to make suggestions regarding where amateur communications can be of greatest use.
• During widespread disasters, consider the possibility that ARES operators will be unable to move easily due to blocked roads, traffic congestion or damaged bridges.
• Repeaters may be degraded or down. Be prepared to use both simplex and repeater frequencies, and train in the use of both.
• Once phone service is restored and reasonably reliable, consider standing down your operations as much as possible to ensure that your personnel are able to rest, in case they are needed again. • Use your communications system to give constant and regular situation reports (sitreps). In the absence of official reports, talk only about your ARES response. Assign one person to read the latest sitreps on the air at least once an hour on operations frequencies and once every 15 minutes on check-in frequencies. Consider posting your sitreps on the Internet as well, if possible.
• Maintain communications with ARES ECs and partner organizations in adjacent areas (ARES groups and organizations with which you have mutual aid agreements) to ensure that they are ready to assist if needed. Update them periodically on your operational status.
• Use personnel who do not have amateur licenses to perform member callouts, logging of net traffic, sitreps, coordination, logistics support or other off-air tasks.
+ - During ARES activation phase 20-2
During the initial activation of ARES, you may be tasked by an EC or AEC to act as a Communications Supervisor.
+ - Ongoing management of communications operations 20-2
• Determine staffing requirements at each location.
• Determine appropriate shift lengths.
• Begin initial staffing work-sheet.
• State any special requirements operators may need, (mobiles, HTs, frequencies used, foul weather gear, and other equipment).
• Keep locations advised of staffing progress via appropriate tactical nets.
• Accept changes in staffing requirements and make adjustments to work-sheet and volunteer announcements.
• Ensure that there are extra operators available to cover off personnel attrition.
• When scheduling personnel to serve shifts at stations, provide a period of overlap to ensure that replacement operators are onsite before the current operators are due to go off-shift.
You may find that you have untrained amateurs willing to volunteer, or the situation may require that you solicit untrained or unregistered amateurs to augment your trained ARES operators. If you have a need to solicit untrained or unregistered amateurs:
• Make frequent announcements on the net requesting volunteers for open staffing requirements.
When soliciting untrained or unregistered amateurs or accepting volunteers:
• Obtain call, first name and phone number for each volunteer.
• Consider retasking trained ARES operators to act as communications supervisors or site or station managers.
• Declare a directed net. Give and ask for major damage and injury reports unless otherwise requested. Set up a resource net if necessary.
This section provides information about selecting net controllers, and scheduling controllers during longer operations.
+ - SELECTING NET CONTROLLERS
+ - Choose net controllers based on availability, experience, and interest. When choosing a net controller from the available ARES operators, consider some of the qualities that often make for a good net controller:
+ - Remember the following important guidelines:
• The net controller must have good, reliable coverage of the net area (either on simplex, or through the repeater).
Note: Net control should always be performed by a station that has a strong signal. Do not transfer net control duties to a weak or marginal station. If faced with a choice of a weak station manned by an experienced controller, or a strong station manned by an inexperienced controller, choose the strong sta- tion.
• An EC or AEC should not serve as a net controller unless absolutely necessary. (The EC or AECs may be required to coordinate with client management, or perform other mission-critical duties, and should not commit to running a net.)
• The net controller should be able to communicate with liaisons at served agencies, either by telephone, radio, liaison station, courier, or Internet.
• The net control station should have alternative, back-up power and a back-up transceiver.
• Provide an overlap of at least 15 minutes at shift changes. This allows the new net controller to get up to speed on net activities before the handoff.
• Schedule net control shifts to run 1-2 hours. Unlike operator shifts, net control shifts often involve almost constant, frenetic activity, and quickly result in exhaustion.
• When net controllers are few, try having net controllers switch off with their backup controllers regularly (for example, once an hour).
• When net controllers are few and you are running operational, tactical and support nets, try to rotate controllers at shift changes to different nets that offer different types and levels of activity.
• Accommodate individuals’ natural schedules as much as possible. If you have some controllers who are more comfortable working overnight, be sure to schedule them to work overnight and not during the day.
For every net controller, also schedule a backup net controller that can take over in case of equipment failure or other situation at the primary net control station.
This section describes the duties of an emergency coordinator (EC). Primary responsibilities include planning, organizing, coordinating and communicating.
+ - General duties 22-1
• Establishing a viable working relationship with all the municipal Emergency Measures Coordinator and the various private agencies in the ARES jurisdictional area which might need the services of ARES in emergencies.
• Promoting and enhancing the activities of ARES for the benefit of the public as a voluntary, non-commercial communications service.
• Managing and coordinating the training, organization and emergency participation of interested amateurs working in support of the communities, agencies or functions designated by the Section Emergency Coordinator/Section Manager.
• Establishing an emergency communications plan for the communities and agencies that will effectively utilize ARES members to cover the needs for formal message traffic.
• Establishing local communication networks run on a regular basis and periodic testing of those networks by realistic drills.
• Establishing an emergency traffic plan, if possible utilizing the National Traffic System as one active component for traffic handling. Establishment of an operational liaison with Local and Section nets, particularly for handling traffic in an emergency situation.
• Doing all that is possible to further the favorable image of amateur radio by dedication to purpose and a thorough understanding of the mission of the Amateur Radio Service.
+ - Planning 22-1
• Drafting brief, specific ARES plans to fulfill community needs for emergency communications.
• Developing training programs to fill special skill requirements of members as needed.
• Establishing a workable plan in coordination with other local two-way radio organizations for responding to non emergency communications requests; e.g., walkathons, parades, special events.
• Developing, implementing and maintaining a current “telephone tree” for use in alerting and activating ARES members in emergencies.
• Establishing regular, announced meetings of ARES members to plan programs and drills and to accomplish specific goals.
• Developing a local ARES operating manual to include all essential operating aids and reference information, with annual updates.
+ - Organizing locally 22-2
• Appointing Assistant Emergency Coordinators (AECs) and issuing AEC Certificates when needed. The AECs will be designated specific functions and/or agencies within the jurisdictional area.
• Maintaining a current roster information on all enrolled ARES members.
• Recording special skills and equipment useful in emergencies.
• Issuing ARES and/or municipal identification cards and cancellation when appropriate.
• Establishing and fostering radio nets as required to maintain an active ARES unit, develop capable net control stations, transact a full range of traffic, and disseminate news and bulletins of value to the amateur population in general, and to ARES in particular.
• Recommending OES candidates to the SM/SEC.
+ - Coordinating with ARES groups, served agencies, and stakeholders 22-2
• Establishing effective liaison between ARES and emergency services' designees in local radio clubs and repeater associations.
• Coordinating and cooperating with ECs of adjacent areas and sections.
• Acting as principal area representative from ARES to area coordinating councils of volunteer emergency response teams.
• Through the SEC/STM, arranging for effective liaison and active cooperation with operators of the National Traffic System for both incoming and outgoing traffic during both normal and emergency conditions.
• Developing and organizing an emergency planning committee of all agencies that would be involved in a disaster in your jurisdiction with special emphasis on the agency with which RAC has an agreement – Canadian Red Cross.
+ - Communicating 22-3
• Preparing EC bulletins and releases for periodic issuance over radio nets and at meetings of amateurs to keep ARES members (and local amateurs in general) informed of ARES matters.
• Conducting periodic meetings in person and on-the-air for the purpose of developing close coordination and a free exchange of information among ARES members.
• Using the municipal Emergency Measures Manager, where possible, to contact heads of agencies to be served to determine requirements and methods of introducing Amateur Radio into their operations. Communicate such plans to all ARES members
• Providing user-agencies with current contact information for alerting/activating ARES
• Submitting monthly reports to the SEC/DEC (as directed) covering ARES news, achievements, events, problems, contacts with user agencies, etc.
• Checking into local and section nets regularly--on all modes possible-- to be accessible to the membership and be aware of their participation, keep members informed and support their efforts, and provide special bulletins of interest and importance to members.
• Reporting regularly by radiogram, correspondence, or the official report form (FSD-211R) to the DEC/SEC on names, calls and telephone numbers of AECs and their areas of responsibility, public service events planned or impending, problems which should be of concern to the SEC/DEC, names and call signs of amateurs involved in communications, operations or exercises, and performance of individual members considered particularly noteworthy.
+ - During an emergency or an exercise 22-3
• In times of disaster, evaluating the communication needs of the jurisdiction and responding quickly to those needs. The EC will assume authority and responsibility for emergency response and performance by ARES personnel under the EC’s jurisdiction.
• After operations or exercises, providing prompt oral and written reports and critiques concerning served agencies and ARES operations to agencies and SEC/ DEC.
Once you complete this section, you will be able to describe the tasks associated with ARES activation.
+ - ARES activation 23-1
When you hear about a community emergency or telecommunications outage, consider what level of activation is appropriate. Then perform the following steps:
1 Activate ARES to the lowest level that is appropriate. (See “Activation and mobilization” on page 8.1.)
2 If possible, contact your liaisons at appropriate served agencies (for example, the Canadian Red Cross) and ask them if assistance is required.
3 If you cannot contact your liaisons, consider visiting agency locations (for example, Red Cross headquarters or City Hall) to determine whether ARES support is needed.
4 If you receive or solicit a request for assistance, go to “When you receive a request from a municipality or served agency” on page 23.2.
5 Depending on the nature of the emergency, and what you find out in dialog with your liaisons, deactivate, maintain or escalate the ARES activation.
When you receive a request for support from a served agency, gather as much information as possible about the agency’s communications needs, and about any aspects of the emergency situation that may affect ARES operations and operators. Then perform the following steps:
1 Authenticate the individual making the request. (See “Authentication” on page 37.1.)
2 Determine what level of ARES activation is required. (See “Activation and mobilization” on page 8.1.)
3 Activate ARES to the appropriate level. (See “Activation and mobilization” on page 8.1.)
4 Confirm with the requesting agency that activation has taken place.
+ - 5 Move ARES to an operational status:
• Select or activate a Communications Supervisor (or take on those duties yourself, if no one else is available).
• Dispatch ARES operators to designated duty locations.
• Actively poll served agencies to ensure that changing communications requirements are captured.
• Provide agency liaisons with contact information for the Communications Supervisor, as a backup in case you cannot be reached.
6 Confirm with the requesting agency that deployment is taking place, and ensure that the agency’s site managers will be ready for the ARES operators that have been dispatched to them.
To activate ARES, perform the following steps:
1 Notify the other ECs or AECs that an activation is taking place.
2 Initiate a limited or full callout of ARES operators.
3 Select a net control station to operate the initial ARES net.
4 Give the net controller a script to be read to ARES stations as they log into the net, outlining the scenario, whether it is an exercise or a real emergency, and any other pertinent information.
• At the beginning of an exercise, or when a need for ARES support is identified during an emergency, a callout is performed to activate the local ARES group.
• During certain broad exercises, or during actual emergencies, the activation may be triggered by a request from an Emergency Management Organization (EMO), from the Canadian Red Cross, or from other provincial or municipal agencies. Managers at each agency should have a list of ARES ECs or AECs that they can contact to activate ARES. (This redundancy guarantees that at least one of the EC/AECs can be reached at any given time.)
• In situations where telecommunications has failed, or where a community emergency has been declared but ARES has not been specifically activated, available ECs or AECs may decide to perform a limited (warm-up) or full activation in the expectation that a request may be received.
• During a callout, any one of the ECs or AECs can trigger the callout (either autonomously, or in response to a request). The triggering EC/AEC first calls the next EC/AEC in the EC ring. Then the EC/AEC calls the operators for which they are responsible.
• If an EC/AEC fails to reach the next EC/AEC in the EC ring, the EC/AEC takes on responsibility to call the second EC/AEC in the ring, and the operators assigned to the unavailable EC/AEC. If the second EC/AEC in the ring is also unavailable, the EC/ AEC continues by calling the final EC/AEC in the ring, and then calls the additional operators belonging to the second missing EC/AEC. If the final EC/AEC is also unavailable, the EC/AEC personally calls all the operators directly.
• This system ensures that all available operators are called, regardless of the availability of EC/AECs. So long as one EC/AEC out of the four are available, ARES can be triggered. This system also ensures a redundant, efficient callout that avoids multiple calls to operators.
+ - Managing communications 23-3
For detailed information about managing ongoing communications operations, see “Managing communications operations” on page 20.1.
During exercises and planned operations, you are likely going to be working with an ARES group made up entirely of operators who have had some experience or have participated in at least some ARES training. However, during real disaster operations, you may also be compelled to deal with operators who are not ARES trained. The following groups may either volunteer to participate, or actually self-deploy:
• Amateur radio club members, as a group
• Untrained, individual amateurs
• Amateurs with ARES training obtained in other regions, who are not currently registered with ARES locally • ARES operators arriving from other areas under a mutual assistance request
• ARES operators who self-deploy from other regions
• Non-ARES trained amateurs who self-deploy from other regions
• Unlicensed amateurs in training who may already have equipment and familiarity
• Unlicensed radio owners who wish to self-deploy
Any ‘walk on’ volunteers that either represent themselves as amateurs or ARES operators potentially become a management problem that you will have to address. In some cases, such as radio club members or ARES operators arriving under a mutual assistance request, these will present valuable opportunities to increase your network capability and capacity. In other cases, such as unlicensed radio enthusiasts and even licensed amateurs with no ARES training, they will present a possible hazard to your operations. In any case, you cannot ignore these groups.
The process of mustering, or activating, your personnel will change depending on the type and severity of the emergency. Typically, the following methods are used:
• telephone callout
• on-air callout • gathering at a single marshalling point
• gathering at multiple marshalling points
• direct-from-home dispatch (operators sent from their home locations directly to posts, without ever going to a marshalling area).
Check the ARES membership database to see the training provided to each member. When possible, assign personnel based on training and experience. (For example, an operator who has been oriented on the PLEOC site is a better choice for PLEOC deployment than one who has not.)
Also consider other training the person may have had (for example, ground search and rescue, first aid, community aid, coast guard auxiliary, ATV use, etc.).
Unfortunately, many amateur radio operators and some ARES personnel face fitness challenges that may limit how and when you should deploy them during actual emergencies. Consider not only known disabilities but also overall health when assigning personnel to posts. Also consider the schedule and likelihood of relief when making assignments. (Some posts may not expect relief for 24 hours or more, putting great stress on any operators assigned there.)
If the disaster area includes regions or served agencies in which French is a common working language, does the person have enough fluency in French.
• Does the person have a vehicle that is capable and suitable for transport to and from the site or duty?
• Is the person mobile enough to meet the onsite requirements? (For example, a person with a physical disability may not be suitable for duties shadowing a fire chief, or attached to a search and rescue team.)
Assess the risk associated with a posting and consider it in relation to the person’s expressed preferences and the person’s vulnerability. (For example, in a radiological environment, it is preferable to use operators who are no longer of childbearing age.)
You must be careful when dealing with the participation of spontaneous or unsuitable volunteers (for example, unlicensed radio enthusiasts). If these volunteers are perceived to be radio amateurs by served agencies, they become a management problem you must deal with even if it seems at first to have nothing to do with ARES. Strategies you may wish to use:
• Assigning volunteers to assist with already staffed posts
• Asking volunteers to perform non-radio related duties elsewhere
• Asking volunteers to perform non-radio related communications duties (for example, handling telephone traffic).
Before you go out looking for new recruits, consider taking the following steps to ensure that your recruitment efforts are successful:
• Prepare training and documentation that is friendly and accessible.
• Put up a website or webpage that can be used during recruitment to deliver key information and drive interest.
• Create an invitation letter that you can send out to prospective participants.
• Identify amateur licensing and certification options in your area (to aid those who may be interested in participation but are not yet licensed).
• Define a ‘vision’ of participation that includes as many people as possible.
• Be clear about expectations and the ‘ARES experience’.
• Map out a simple, clear process for interested parties to get more information and register.
• Identify any requirements for CPIC or background checks on the part of your served agencies.
• Design (in consultation with your served agencies) identification badges that will be issued to participants.
• Draft a training and meeting schedule that will provide a consistent level of activity during and after your recruitment campaign.
• Identify media points of contact for press releases and news story pitches.
When planning your recruitment campaign:
• Review the database of licensed amateurs (available from the RAC website) to identify callsigns, names and addresses in your operational area.
• Create a schedule of hamfests in or near your operational area.
• Create a schedule of meetings for ham clubs in or near your operational area.
• Search for message boards and websites frequented by amateurs in your region.
• Consider recruiting from other volunteer organizations and clubs.
• Consider offering information briefings at workplaces, schools, colleges, community centres, and other venues.
• Create a membership database to track participant registration. Include categories for skills, availability (time of day, day of week, month of year), special restrictions, license class, etc.
• Identify key topics, events or persons who could be leveraged with the media to generate stories that will increase public awareness of amateur radio, ARES, or your specific group.
When designing scenarios, consider the following ‘learned lessons’ about disasters and disaster communications:
+ - During a major disaster
• The extent of the disaster may be difficult to assess, though assessment will be needed to ensure the proper commitment of resources.
• Emergency equipment and field personnel may commit without being dispatched.
• There may be a greater demand for aid than can be met with the units available.
• Communications are likely to be inadequate.
• Trained personnel may become supervisors because they will be too valuable to perform hands-on tasks.
• Responding mutual aid units may become lost, and may require maps and guides.
• Citizens will volunteer, but their commitment will usually be short-term.
• HAZMAT situations may arise unexpectedly.
• The Command Post or EOC will become crowded with non-essential personnel.
• Staging will be essential; the flow of personnel, equipment and supplies may be overwhelming.
• Fuel may not be available if there is no electricity to run the pumps, or if fuel delivery is disrupted.
• The primary police department concern will be law enforcement; there may not be sufficient time or manpower to provide miscellaneous services.
• At night, there may not be enough generators or lights available.
• Many injured people may have to find their own way to medical treatment facilities.
• Volunteer and reserve personnel may be slow to respond; they will put their own families' safety first.
• On-duty public safety personnel will also be concerned about their own families, and some may leave their posts to check on them.
• Law enforcement and the media may clash; all media representatives should be referred to the Public Information Officer (PIO).
• Very few citizens will use evacuation and mass care centres; they will prefer to stay with friends and relatives, or to camp out in their own yards.
• The identification of workers and volunteers may be a problem; it will be difficult to determine who is working where and on what.
• There may not be enough handheld radios, and batteries will run short.
• Critical facilities will have to be self-sufficient, in case gas, lights, water or other essential services are disrupted for extended periods.
• Emergency responders will require rest and must be relieved.
• Equipment may be lost, damaged or stolen, and may never be accounted for.
• Someone will eventually get the bill; record-keeping and accounting procedures are important.
• If phones are working, the number of requests for service will be overwhelming. People will have to fend for themselves; it will be difficult for dispatchers to ignore these pleas for help.
• Some field units may “disappear”; you might not be able to reach them and will not know where they are or what they are doing.
• Security may have to be posted at hospitals, clinics, and first-aid stations to control hysterical citizens demanding immediate attention.
• Representatives from public agencies based outside the affected region may want to come and observe the operations or offer assistance.
• Department heads (EOC) staff may not have a working knowledge of their assigned areas of responsibility, and might tend to “play it by ear.”
• Management may not be familiar with field response procedures, and may attempt to change standard operating procedures.
• Emergency responders (public safety and medical alike) may not be adequately trained to respond efficiently.
• Needed supplies, materials and equipment needed may not be readily available in the chaos of the initial response.
• There may be a general lack of necessary information; coordinators will want to wait for damage or casualty assessment information before establishing priorities.
• General information may be offered in response to specific questions when field units cannot verify the requested information.
• There may be an overcritical desire to “verify” all incoming information. If it is received from a field unit, it should be considered as verified.
• Some EOC and Command Post personnel may become overloaded; some will not be able to cope with the volume of activity and information they have to deal with, and some will not be able to cope with the noise and distractions.
+ - In an earthquake
• Fires are likely to occur, caused by electrical shorts, natural gas, fireplaces, stoves, etc.
• Fires in collapsed buildings could be very difficult to control.
• Water could become contaminated and unsafe for drinking. Tankers may be needed for firefighting and for carrying drinking water.
• Electric power could be interrupted.
• It might be difficult to shut of the gas; valves that are seldom, if ever, used will be difficult to find, and may not work when they are found.
• There is likely to be an epidemic of flat tires; police, fire, and emergency medical vehicles will require repair in the field.
• Fires will need to be investigated; mutual aid will include arson investigators.
• Search dogs will be needed early in the operation.
• Riveted steel (oil and water storage) tanks may fail.
• Streets could become impassable in some areas; it will be necessary to clear streets of rubble in order to conduct emergency operations.
• There will be aftershocks; they will hamper emergency operations, create new fears among the citizenry and may cause more destruction than the original shock.
• Structural engineers will be needed to evaluate standing buildings for use as evacuation centres, command posts, information centres, first aid stations, etc.
• Many fire hydrants may become inaccessible (covered or destroyed by rubble) or inoperable.
• A key issue that needs to be addressed during planning is frequency coordination. This involves the selection of channels that will be used during exercises and emergencies. Channels will include repeater and simplex frequencies on 2m or 70cm, and HF frequencies.
• Channels need to be prioritized in terms of reliability, availability, and coverage. It is particularly important that all operators know which channels to check during a callout. While individual channels can be allocated during an emergency by a net control station or EC, the need for task-specific channels needs to be mapped out ahead of time.
• An important issue to deal with prior to exercises and emergency operations is coverage. Every repeater has a specific footprint, inside which you can reliably access the repeater. The footprint varies depending on the type of equipment (transmit power, receive sensitivity, and antenna characteristics), and operating conditions (outside, in- car, or inside buildings).
+ - To determine repeater coverage for a given area, it is recommended that you use:
• a mobile transceiver with typical power output, high and low power settings, and a typical mobile antenna
• a handheld transceiver with high and low power settings, and a 'rubber duck' antenna
• Arrange a period of time when a second station that has good coverage into the repeaters is available for comm checks. Drive around the area and at specific checkpoints, check communications on each repeater channel with each transceiver on high and low power settings. Mark the results on a roadmap for each checkpoint and each repeater.
• Once the survey is complete, consider also the characteristics of each repeater. For example, find out which repeaters are equipped with emergency power, which may be affected by weather (such as high winds), and which can be considered 'highly reliable'.
• Look at the footprint for each repeater and compare it to your operational scenarios. If you identify areas that will require communications but fall into different footprints (meaning that they will not be able to use the same repeater to communicate), consider assigning a relay station that can communicate reliably into both repeaters.
• Identifying issues with point-to-point communications on simplex channels may be complex, particularly if you don't have direct access to some of the locations (for example, at an EOC).
• You need to actually try communications between each high-value endpoint using the modes, frequencies and preferably the equipment that will actually be used during an exercise or emergency.
• If you do not have direct access to a facility or location, attempt communications from near the location using equipment similar to the equipment that will actually be used.
• Create a checklist of connections between endpoints, and check off each link with information about the quality of the link.
+ - If you identify a dead spot (where no repeaters are available) in a critical area, or if you have a low-quality link, there are several steps you can take to rectify or work around the problem:
• Use higher-powered equipment or better antennas in that area.
• Inquire with repeater managers to see if there are any options for improving coverage.
• Use a mobile or portable repeater during the event.
• Establish a relay station that can take traffic from the affected area or can communicate with both ends of the bad link.
• On specific point-to-point links, you may also consider using alternate bands or modes (such as packet, HF voice, 10 meter FM, or SSB on 2 or 6 meters), if equipment, antennas and qualified operators are available.
When planning your ARES response, remember that your team will suffer its own vulnerabilities. Consider the following guidelines:
• Running an ARES group should not be the responsibility of a chosen few. Get everyone involved as much as possible, and delegate.
• Do not hamstring participants unnecessarily with titles. It is the responsibility of everyone in your group to ensure that your system functions properly.
• Focus on doing a proper job. Spend the time needed to do it right.
• Look for single points of failure or weak links in your organization or practices, to ensure that you are able to provide services reliably during a crisis.
As an emergency coordinator, your role is to listen to all the members of the group and then make educated decisions based on those inputs. Remember the following guidelines:
• Every one of us is a volunteer. We spend our own time and use our own equipment and money preparing for emergency communications duties.
• Make everyone feel that their voices have been heard. Remember: you need them, not the other way around.
• Always open your meetings to anyone who is interested in attending, including the public. Nothing should be closed, by invitation only, or secret.
• If your meeting location or operations centre cannot hold the anticipated number of people in your group, then find another place to hold your meetings. Most public libraries or schools have rooms that you can use at little or no cost.
• Work to develop as large a membership as possible. A larger pool of operators will make your communications group more effective. Even operators who wouldn’t be suitable as net control operators or shelter station operators could be useful as an at-home loggers or runners.
• If you cannot maintain a high profile with your membership and within your community, then try to find someone else who can take over the role. All ECs and AECs need to be both active within the community. This means attending local non-emergency events and all training and general meetings. You also need to attend all the local area amateur radio club meetings, even if you aren’t a member. The face you show will dictate how many people will turn out for an event.
• Do not assume that people will automatically show up to do your bidding during an emergency.
• Listen, take notes and get back to anyone who may have a question.
• Publish an email address and encourage people to contact you regarding problems, questions or suggestions.
Even though ARES is a volunteer group, in an emergency the members will have to quickly follow the directions of the EC. In an emergency there will likely be no time for discussion or for personal likes or dislikes.
• Make sure that each and every participant in your group has a photo ID that verifies their membership in your organization. On the ID, include an expiration date and fields for your signature and the holder’s signature.
• Ensure that the photo ID cards are as professional looking as possible, and comparable to any official government or served agency ID. There are many places that offer “passport” size photos.
• Make it the responsibility of each member to supply you with two photos. One is for the ID, the other is for your records.
• Getting in during a drill and getting in during an emergency are two different things. Many officials may be unaware of our existence. A professional-looking ID will help cement your legitimacy. Proper IDs also make your members feel that they belong to an official, professional group, instilling them with a sense of professionalism that will help them fulfill their duties.
• If possible, provide served agencies with sample of your ID card so they can include it in their directives.
There are never enough resources at your disposal when you hold training classes. Make sure that the information you provide is current and comprehensive. Remember the following guidelines:
• Take the time to investigate what materials would best suit the training needs of your group, based upon locale and known weaknesses in your area. For instance, do not stress earthquake rescue if your area never has earthquakes.
• When you train, make sure you supply your members with plenty of handouts they can refer to after the training sessions.
• Host question and answer sessions.
• Never assume that everyone understands everything you might have presented. When you do train using drills, vary the drills and break down the drills so that each phase of your group's communications duties can be tested and reviewed.
• When each drill is complete, host a review. During the review, ask your team members what they think could be done better.
• It is unlikely that all your members will have the same equipment, and you will probably face some challenges related to that equipment. Equipment failure is one of the greatest vulnerabilities in any communications system. Frayed cables, a failure to pre-program operating frequencies, and antenna shortcomings can all present serious challenges during operations. `
+ - Remember the following guidelines:
• Assess each member's equipment for suitability and susceptibility. Each rig, cable, mic, antenna and power system should be inspected at least once a year. Look for patched-up cables, frayed power cords, questionable connectors or beat- up looking radios.
• ECs should offer to take an inventory of each member's equipment to facilitate deployment planning based on equipment capabilities.
• If you have prearranged locations, consider preinstalling antennas and coax cables to reduce setup times.
• Consider setting up an SOP for each site you may be manning with all the details need for the site. ARES operators should not be dispatched to hospitals or other critical sites with makeshift equipment and antennas that may or may not work. Your partners and served agencies will notice. If a member goes into a duty site and their equipment looks professional, and they are able to become operational without visible issues, this too will be noticed. Every station must work right the first time.
• Amateur radio is a hobby of experimentation, and new modes are constantly being developed and promoted by various individuals, clubs and organizations. Some new modes and technologies might seem well suited for emergency communications work. However, you should remember that an emergency deployment is not an opportunity to test new modes, methods or technologies.
• The main mode of communications used during almost every emergency is voice communications. Anyone can be properly trained to use a microphone. It takes much more knowledge, training and equipment to use a laptop, modem and software.
• Another issue is the availability and reliability of equipment. Will all your members be equipped to service a laptop that stops functioning?
Visit every site that your group could possibly be assigned to and create a master book listing each site, the probable location within each building where the station setup will be, how easy it is to reach any repeaters you have at your disposal, and the simplex range from each location.
If you expect adjacent ARES groups to support you, send them copies of all information and updates so they can be assigned locations on initial callouts.
Your operational plans should be reviewed annually to correct any shortfalls detected during the past year. Every five years the operational plan should be fully reviewed and, if necessary, rewritten completely.
• There may be times when your group's resources will be stretched beyond its capabilities. When the severity of a situation reaches a point that you can no longer offer the complete services or manpower needed, you will need to request mutual aid response from either another emergency communications group located within your service area or a group further away. It is imperative that your group develop mutual aid agreements with adjacent communications groups. Simple cross training would also be very beneficial. Develop a good working relationship with other groups, and remember that the National Emergency Coordinator (NEC) is available to help you develop these relationships. (The NEC must also be called in whenever you activate a mutual aid agreement during a disaster response.)
• Once a year, practice a “mock drill” together. This is a good way to learn from each other. Also note that when a mutual aid request comes from another group and you are the one supplying the additional service, you will be doing so under their umbrella and are responsible to their EC. Do not take over. Just assist as requested.
• To make your ARES group an effective tool for served agencies, you need to do a “selling job”. Not everyone is aware of ARES, its capabilities, or its role during disaster responses. You can change that by interacting professionally with your served agencies and other responder groups. It is very important to avoid being overly zealous.
• Document what you do and how you can help. Take photos and write a short account of how your emergency communications group has played a role during past events.
• When dealing with the media, only one person should serve as spokesperson for your group. This will avoid mis-quotes and mis-information. Delegate and build teams
• Where possible delegate responsibility to others in your group. Do not try to do everything yourself. Delegating responsibility not only makes your job easier and allows you to do more, it also helps to engage your members and promotes participation and skills building.
• If possible, create RED teams or jump teams within your group. A core of committed and readily available members allows you to plan with greater certainty and demonstrate a reliable minimum capability to served agencies.
To be effective, you need to be organized. You should:
• Keep a list or database of members, tracking licensing status, current address and contact information, and availability
• Keep a description of equipment and SOPs for each official emergency station (for example, at an EOC).
• You may also wish to offer members the option of including their equipment in a common ARES equipment database. By recording serial numbers, you can help facilitate the return of equipment in situations where an owner’s label is defaced or lost during a deployment. An equipment database can also help you demonstrate functional capabilities and plan your responses (for example, by knowing in advance which operators have cross-band repeat capable transceivers, or packet-capable stations).
• A simulated emergency test (SET) is a training exercise used to test plans, procedures, policy and equipment under simulated disaster conditions. SETs can also serve to demonstrate the value that ARES provides in times of need to served agencies such as the Canadian Red Cross, Emergency Preparedness organizations, and to the public.
• The annual ARES SET is a North America wide exercise administered by the ARRL in the United States and RAC in Canada. Both ARES and the National Traffic System (NTS) components are involved. The SET gives communicators the opportunity to focus on the emergency-communications capability within their communities, while interacting with NTS nets.
• SETs may range from simple table-top exercises involving ARES members to full- scale exercises involving a number of emergency service organizations.
• SETs provide learning experiences for operators and emergency coordinators, allowing them to gain experience in communications using standard procedures and a variety of modes under simulated emergency conditions. Lessons learned during SETs help you maximize your readiness and address any issues before you face a true disaster response.
• To be effective, SETs should be well-planned and should use scenarios that are relevant to the community or region served by your group. You need to get as many people involved as possible, especially newly licensed amateurs. Promote your SET on nets and repeaters.
The following best practices may make you a more effective emergency coordinator:
• Compile a list of phone numbers (home, office, cellular) for all key personnel associated with your served agencies and partner organizations.
• Get into digital communications. The more you can do with digital, the more useful you will be in a disaster.
• Provide SOPS to help operators perform each role with which they might be tasked.
+ - Part of staying prepared is periodic training and practice. We hope to take advantage of the following opportunities for exercising our preparedness and communications skills:
• Formal emergency exercises held by regional emergency and safety organizations.
• Less formal emergency exercises for radio amateurs, conducted by ARES groups.
• Facility-specific exercises (for example, Field Day operations at an Emergency Operations Centre).
• Regional not-for-profit events and operations requiring communications support.
• Informal drills between ARES members (for example, message handling during weekend sessions).
• Net operations (for example, a once-monthly ARES net hosted on one of the local repeaters).
• News bulletins, Q&A quizzes, allegories and other useful aids provided in a printed bulletin or over the web.
+ - Exercises serve a number of functions:
• Ensuring that ARES practices, processes and personnel are able to meet the needs of served agencies
• Identifying opportunities to improve practices and processes
• Identifying the need to improve operator performance through further training or practice
• Demonstrating capability and best practices to served agencies and partner organizations
The following types of exercise may be used individually or combined to form more involved exercises:
1 Repeater coverage test
2 Simplex coverage test
3 Activation
4 Informal ‘tactical’ message handling
5 Formal message handling
6 NTS interzone exercise
7 Multinet exercise
8 Rapid community assessment
9 Road rally exercise
10 Packet communications
11 Combined ‘served agency’ exercise
12 Mobile repeater test
13 SAR exercise
14 Site test
15 Capabilities demonstration
1 Announce the emergency situation. Activate the emergency net. Dispatch mobiles to served agencies.
2 Have designated stations originate messages on behalf of served agencies. Test messages may be sent simulating requests for supplies. Simulated emergency messages (just like real emergency messages) should be signed by an authorized official.
3 Emphasize tactical communications for served agencies.
4 As warranted by traffic loads, have liaison stations on hand to receive traffic on the local net and relay to your section net. You should also be sure that there is a representative on each session of the section net to receive traffic going to the local area.
5 Operate at least one session (or substantial segment of a session) of the local net on emergency-only basis. Or, if a repeater is on emergency power, allow only emergency-powered stations to operate through the repeater for a certain time period
An important post-SET activity is a critique session to discuss the test results. All ARES members should be invited to the meeting to review good points and weaknesses apparent in the drill. Emphasize ways to improve procedures, techniques, and coordination with all groups involved. Report your group's effort using the appropriate forms (available at http://www.rac.ca/fieldorg/setform.htm) and include any photos, clippings and other items of interest.
Using ARES participants and practices to provide communications support during public service events gives ARES participants an opportunity to test their equipment, deployment methods, and communications practices in real-life situations that may not be very similar to an emergency, but are more realistic than table-top or simple message handling exercises. Public service events might include marathons, parades, or community events like festivals that require traffic control or service coordination.
This course provides a range of information resources and best practices for ARES operation. However, you will also need standard operating procedures (SOP) specific to your region and your scenarios. Manual has several pages of description and template.
+ - Tips for writing a good SOP 28-6
If your SOP is going to be effective, it needs to be well written and appropriate for your audience. Consider the following tips when writing your SOP:
• Familiarize yourself with modern writing standards. A good reference is Strunk and White, Elements of Style.
• Query your team to see if there is anyone with professional technical writing or editing experience who can assist in the effort.
• Keep in mind that the SOP is not in and of itself your training document. The SOP is meant to be used in the field, during actual exercises and operations. Write it with that in mind, focusing on important information and leaving out anything that operators do not need while performing their work.
• Write in the active voice.
• Include flowcharts and diagrams whenever practical.
• Keep the language as simple as possible, without distorting its meaning.
• Use short sentences with specific messages and meanings. Do not be ambiguous.
• Make any imperatives (actions) very easy to find on the page.
• Use lots of white space on each page.
• Provide a detailed table of contents and index.
• Number each chapter and paragraph (for example, 4-14).
+ - Creating callout trees 28-6
• If your ARES group has a large number of participants, or covers a large area, organize the callout list geographically.
• Remember to update your callout tree regularly.
• If you have participants who you do not expect would be routinely available for callouts, include them on an extended callout list, or ensure that those participants are at the bottom of your callout list.
• If you have formalized mutual aid agreements with ARES groups in other regions, gather key names and contact information from those ARES groups and include them in at the bottom of your callout tree.
+ - Checklists 28-7
This section provides additional information about administrative roles (roles that do not normally. interact at the operational level) within ARES.
+ - Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) 29-1
• The SEC is the assistant to the SM for emergency preparedness. The SEC is appointed by the SM to take care of all matters pertaining to emergency communications and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) on a section-wide basis. The SEC post is one of top importance in the section and the individual appointed to it should devote all possible energy and effort to this one challenging organizational program for Amateur Radio. There is only one SEC appointed in each section of the RAC Field Organization.
+ - SEC qualifications and functions:
• The encouragement of all groups of community amateurs to establish a local emergency organization.
• Recommendation to the SM on all section emergency policy and planning, including the development of a section emergency communications plan.
• Cooperation and coordination with the Section Traffic Manager so that emergency nets and traffic nets in the section present a united public service front, particularly in the proper routing of Welfare traffic in emergency situations. Cooperation and coordination should also be maintained with other section leadership officials as appropriate.
• Recommendation of candidates for Emergency Coordinator and District Emergency Coordinator appointments (and cancellations) to the Section Manager and determine areas of jurisdiction of each amateur so appointed. At the SM's discretion, the SEC may be directly in charge of making (and canceling) such appointments. In the same way, the SEC can handle the Official Emergency Station program.
• Promotion of ARES membership drives, meetings, activities, tests, procedures, etc., at the section level.
• Collection and consolidation of Emergency Coordinator (or District Emergency Coordinator) monthly reports and submission of monthly progress summaries to the SM and RAC Headquarters. This includes the timely reporting of emergency and public safety communications rendered in the section for inclusion in TCA.
• Maintenance of contact with other communication services and serve as liaison at the section level with all agencies served in the public interest, particularly in connection with the federal, provincial and local government, civil preparedness, the Canadian Red Cross, etc.
• Your position description includes assisting your successor as much as possible to ensure a smooth transition in your position. This involves promptly updating and turning over the position records and supplies to your successor so that there is a little loss of continuity as possible. A business-like transition reflects well on your professionalism, responsibility and consideration as well as on RAC.
• Recruitment of new hams and RAC members is an integral part of the job of every appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public.
• Requirement: The Section Emergency Coordinator is required to be a Full RAC member and hold an Amateur Operator's Certificate (or equivalent, as stipulated by the Radiocommunication Regulations) and should always operate radio equipment only within the limits and privileges of the certificate and qualification held.
+ - Section Manage 29-2
+ - The Section Manager is the senior elected RAC official in a section. The Section Manager:
• Recruits and appoints Section-level assistants to serve under his/her general supervision and to administer the following RAC programs in the Section: emergency communications, message traffic, and on-the-air bulletins.
• Supervises the activities of these assistants to ensure continuing progress in accordance with overall RAC policies and objectives.
• Appoints qualified RAC members in the Section to volunteer positions of responsibility in support of Section programs, or authorizes the respective Section-level assistants to make such appointments.
• Maintains liaison with the the VP of Field Services (VPFS) and makes monthly reports to the VPFS regarding the status of Section activities; receives from the VPFS information and guidance pertaining to matters of mutual concern and interest; keeps informed on matters of policy which affect Section-level programs.
• Conducts correspondence or other communications, including personal visits to clubs, hamfests and conventions, with RAC members and affiliated clubs in the Section; either responds to their questions or concerns or refers them to the appropriate person or office in the organization; maintains liaison with representative repeater-frequency coordinating councils having jurisdiction in the Section.
• Writes, or supervises preparation of, a monthly "Section News" column in TCA to encourage member participation in the RAC programs in the Section.
• Your position description includes assisting your successor as much as possible to ensure a smooth transition in your position. This involves promptly updating and turning over the position records and supplies to your successor so that there is a little loss of continuity as possible. A business-like transition reflects well on your professionalism, responsibility and consideration as well as on RAC.
• Recruitment of new hams and RAC members is an integral part of the job of every
appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new
ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to
serve the public.
• Requirement: The Section Manager is required to be a Full RAC member and hold an
Amateur Operator's Certificate (or equivalent, as stipulated by the Radiocommunication
Regulations) and should always operate radio equipment only within the limits and
privileges of the certificate and qualification held.
+ - Assistant Section Manager 29-3
• The ASM may serve as a general assistant to the Section Manager or as a specialist. That is, the ASM may assist the Section Manager with general leadership matters as the Section Manager's understudy, or the ASM may be assigned to handle a specific important function that does not fail within the scope of the duties of the Section Manager's other assistants.
• At the Section Manager's discretion, the ASM may be designated as the recommended successor to the incumbent Section Manager, in case the Section Manager resigns or is otherwise unable to finish the term of office.
• The ASM should be familiar with the "Guidelines for the RAC Section Manager," which contains the fundamentals of general section management.
• Your position description includes assisting your successor as much as possible to ensure a smooth transition in your position. This involves promptly updating and turning over the position records and supplies to your successor so that there is a little loss of continuity as possible. A business -like transition reflects well on your professionalism, responsibility and consideration as well as on RAC.
• Recruitment of new hams and RAC members is an integral part of the job of every appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public.
• Requirement: The Assistant Section Manager is required to be a Full RAC member and hold an Amateur Operator's Certificate (or equivalent, as stipulated by the Radiocommunication Regulations) and should always operate radio equipment only within the limits and privileges of the certificate and qualification held.
+ - District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) 29-3
The RAC District Emergency Coordinator is appointed by the SEC to supervise the efforts of local Emergency Coordinators in the defined district. The DEC's duties involve the following:
• Coordinate the training, organization and emergency participation of Emergency Coordinators in your district of jurisdiction.
• Make local decisions in the absence of the SEC or through coordination with the SEC, concerning the allotment of available amateurs and equipment during an emergency.
• Coordinate the interrelationship between local emergency plans and between communications networks within your District of jurisdiction.
• Act as backup for local areas without an Emergency Coordinator and assist in maintaining contact with governmental and other agencies within your District of jurisdiction.
• Provide direction in the routing and handling of emergency communications of either a formal or tactical nature, with specific emphasis being placed on Welfare traffic.
• Recommend EC appointments to the SEC.
• Coordinate the reporting and documenting of ARES activities in your District of jurisdiction.
• Act as a model emergency communicator as evidenced by dedication to purpose, reliability and understanding of emergency communications.
• Be fully conversant in National Traffic System routing and procedures as well as have a thorough understanding of the locale and role of all vital governmental and volunteer agencies that could be involved in an emergency. Your position description includes assisting your successor as muc
• Your position description includes assisting your successor as much as possible to ensure a smooth transition in your position. This involves promptly updating and turning over the position records and supplies to your successor so that there is a little loss of continuity as possible. A business-like transition reflects well on your professionalism, responsibility and consideration as well as on RAC.
• Recruitment of new hams and RAC members is an integral part of the job of every appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public.
• Requirement: The District Emergency Coordinator is required to be a Full RAC member and hold an Amateur Operator's Certificate (or equivalent, as stipulated by the Radiocommunication Regulations) and should always operate radio equipment only within the limits and privileges of the certificate and qualification held.
+ - Emergency Coordinator 29-5
+ - The RAC Emergency Coordinator is a key team player in ARES on the local emergency scene. Working with the Section Emergency Coordinator, the DEC and Official Emergency Stations, the EC prepares for, and engages in management of communications needs in disasters. EC duties include:
• Promote and enhance the activities of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) for the benefit of the public as a voluntary, non-commercial communications service.
• Manage and coordinate the training, organization and emergency participation of interested amateurs working in support of the communities, agencies or functions designated by the Section Emergency Coordinator/Section Manager.
• Establish viable working relationships with federal, provincial, municipal government and private agencies in the ARES jurisdictional area which need the services of ARES in emergencies. Determine what agencies are active in your area, evaluate each of their needs, and which ones you are capable of meeting, and then prioritize these agencies and needs. Discuss your planning with your Section Emergency Coordinator and then with your counterparts in each of the agencies. Ensure they are all aware of your ARES group's capabilities, and perhaps more importantly, your limitations.
• Develop detailed local operational plans with "served" agency officials in your jurisdiction that set forth precisely what each of your expectations are during a disaster operation. Work jointly to establish protocols for mutual trust and respect. All matters involving recruitment and utilization of ARES volunteers are directed by you, in response to the needs assessed by the agency officials. Technical issues involving message format, security of message transmission, Disaster Welfare Inquiry policies, and others, should be reviewed and expounded upon in your detailed local operations plans.
• Establish local communications networks run on a regular basis and periodically test those networks by conducting realistic drills.
• Establish an emergency traffic plan, with Welfare traffic inclusive, utilizing the National Traffic System as one active component for traffic handling. Establish an operational liaison with local and section nets, particularly for handling Welfare traffic in an emergency situation.
• In times of disaster, evaluate the communications needs of the jurisdiction and respond quickly to those needs. The EC will assume authority and responsibility for emergency response and performance by ARES personnel under his jurisdiction.
• Work with other non-ARES amateur provider-groups to establish mutual respect and understanding, and a coordination mechanism for the good of the public and Amateur Radio. The goal is to foster an efficient and effective Amateur Radio response overall.
• Work for growth in your ARES program, making it a stronger, more valuable resource and hence able to meet more of the agencies' local needs. There are thousands of new peoples coming into the Amateur Radio Service that would make ideal additions to your ARES roster. A stronger ARES means a better
ability to serve your communities in times of need and a greater sense of pride for
Amateur Radio by both amateurs and the public.
• Report regularly to the SEC, as required.
• Your position description includes assisting your successor as much as possible to ensure a smooth transition in your position. This involves promptly updating and turning over the position records and supplies to your successor so that there is a little loss of continuity as possible. A business-like transition reflects well on your professionalism, responsibility and consideration as well as on RAC.
• Recruitment of new hams and RAC members is an integral part of the job of every appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public.
• Requirement: The Emergency Coordinator is required to be a Full RAC member and hold an Amateur Operator's Certificate (or equivalent, as stipulated by the Radiocommunication Regulations) and should always operate radio equipment only within the limits and privileges of the certificate and qualification held.