YARA EmComms
Yukon and Southeast Alaska Emergency Preparedness Net
Daily 6:50 pm Yukon Time
Winter: 146.880, Haeckle repeater, Whitehorse area
Summer: 146.940 - 100.0 PL (Wide Area Network )
The Net area coverage: Yukon, Skagway, Haines, and Juneau Map
YARA/EMO radio room during telecomms failure, Wed, Oct 3, 2012
(Terry VY1AK, Pam VY1PJB, Kelly VY1CA)
Click picture for larger image
"PHONES FAIL ACROSS TERRITORY"
"The Yukon Amateur Radio Association helped establish an early communication network..." Terry, VY1AK, President of YARA
-- Yukon News archives, Wednesday October 3, 2012. See more info on outage below under Purpose.
Net Rules and Procedures
Net Manager - Michael Settle - VY1MGS
Net Manager - Pam Buckway - VYPJB
Other Net Managers - volunteers from time to time
Link: Contacts, Directors, Committees, and Projects
YARA Roster (Winlink Form) Current Roster
Winlink Forms from other jurisdictions Forms
YARA EPNet Procedures Download printable version
Alaska-Pacific Emergency Preparedness Net Link
Other 2m and HF nets around the country Radio Amateurs of Canada
Purpose
The YARA Emergency Preparedness Net is part of YARA's overall preparedness for ememergency communications support. It is an exercise for Yukon radio operators to ensure that they are ready and available in event of a real emergency. An example of this occurred in October 2012 when the entire Yukon telephone and Internet service was inoperable for many hours. The YARA radio network continued to work throughout Yukon.The net control, Terry VY1AK, set up an emergency net at his home in the early hours of the morning, then relocated to the EMO headquarters. Within 60 minutes, 4 operators were deployed to the CBC, the Firehall, the airport tower and as a floater downtown. By the end of another 30 minutes, at total of 20 YARA members from Whitehorse, Haines Junction, Dawson City, Carmacks, and on the Klondike Highway (mobile) had called into the net, ready to be deployed if required, showing the effectiveness of an ememergency net.
The daily preparedness net serves two functions: one to make sure that your equipment is operable and ready to be deployed, and two, that you are knowledgeable about net operating procedures.
If you are licenced radio operator, you should get on the net roster and check-in if you are near your radio, even if you are not available for the next 24 hours in event of an emergency. It is pracice for the real thing. You can add your name to the roster at the end of the "missed, late and visitor check-ins" portion of the net procedures - see below.
If you are interested in developing skills and practicing as net control, you can also let us know.
Pre-Net Activities
1845 HRS Yukon time net control should be listening to make sure the repeater is not in use. If it is in use at the time TRY (in a polite manner, the net does not own the frq) to secure it for net operations. In a directed net such as this one, all communications are routed through the net controls so as to maintain order and to eliminate the interference caused when stations transmit out of order.To maintain order, please standby until you actually hear a net control or until you hear someone making a sweep call for net control. The net controls will ask stations in different locations to pickup those that were not able to hear the net controls during the roll call.
Helping with a relay
If you hear someone that is trying to get in and they are not being acknowledged and you feel you can help with a relay, please use the following procedure:
A. Say "RELAY" and wait to be acknowledged by the net control.
B. When acknowledged, simply state who is calling in and the reason (if you heard it) for the call. Keep your transmission short and listen for doubling by un-keying your transmitter momentarily to check for doubling.
C. If you have already checked into the net then you have identified your station and thus you DO NOT have to say your call sign when you provide a relay.
D. If you have not yet checked into the net, then say your call sign once (phonetics are not needed) before providing the relay. You do not need to identify each time once you have identified.
E. Please avoid adding extra comments or unnecessary information as this tends to slow the net down.
When NOT to transmit!
It is important that we, as valued net members, know that if we transmit our stations at the wrong time, we may unintentionally cause interference to other net members who may be trying to hear. Here are some guidelines the (if followed) will help to create an atmosphere of professionalism that a net such as ours should portray:
A. Do not transmit to say that you are not hearing anything or that you are not hearing net control unless you have traffic that needs to be handled immediately.
B. Do no transmit to arrange a meeting on another frequency without being acknowledged by a net control unless the net is over.
C. Do not transmit to other stations while the net control is calling the roll.
The purpose of the net control station
Our net control operators are the heart of making this net a pleasant experience for all. They are the focal point of ALL communications that occur (for any reason) while the net is in session. Here are some of the things the net control operators do:
A. Establish and maintain contact between their station and other net control stations during the net session.
B. Direct net members and acknowledge net members.
C. Provide entertainment.
D. Call roll for the net to log attendance.
E. Coordinate traffic handling, informal contacts, and provides information about the net.
F. Make announcements and read bulletins.
G. Make communication possible between stations that may not hear each other.
Script for Net Managers
Down printable versionGood Evening
This is _______________________
My name is ____________________ located in ____________________
I will be calling roll for the Yukon Amateur Radio Association, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS NET
This is a directed net that meets Monday through Sunday, @ 1850 hrs Yukon time
The purpose of this net is to record who is available For emergency call out during the next 24 hrs
Please do not break in during roll call except to help with a relay
We will pick up LATE, MISSED and VISITOR check ins After roll call is complete.
Are there any traffic listings or bulletins at this time?
Are there any mobile or low power stations?
Any relays?
ROLL CALL FOLLOWS! (Read from roster)
Are there any LATE, MISSED or VISITOR check-ins?
That concludes this evening’s net. The frequency is now clear.