Public Service Communications101

1. Public Service Communications101 http://www.barconline.org http://www.barconline.org/about/ares Cache County ARES

2. Objectives • You should be able to define • Why Amateur Radio? • Discuss of proper Public Service operations • What is the Communication Plan? • Practice Test scenarios Experience • Get something from Communications Exercise Cache County ARES

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

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

5. Why Amateur Radio? Cell phones and public service radio (especially newer computer controlled) systems can be among the first to “crash” or become overloaded in major events. Effective, accurate, and timely communications during disasters and other emergencies will make a difference between additional loss of life, injury and loss of property. Amateur Radio is a communication “system” that utilizes multi-band, multi-mode, wide-area networks that are INDEPENDENT of the “infrastructure” or commercial power sources. Cache County ARES

6. Communication is Job #1 • Your job is to pass traffic • Use the most efficient means available • Not limited to amateur or any kind of radio • Use the phone, fax email or bicycle • This requires planning and preparation • We need to train ourselves and others • We need to prepare ourselves. • We need to prepare our event staff • We need to develop comm plans Cache County ARES

7. Chain of Command • Know the chain of command • Observe the chain of command • This promotes efficient communication • Everyone takes their role seriously • Work with people, not around them • There are egos involved • Look professional, be professional and you’ll be treated like one • Offer suggestions to minimize chaos, don’t add to it • Staff will be exhausted, be polite, friendly and smile • Tackle any extra task that needs doing • Even the if the Event Director asks you to take out the trash, make coffee and direct traffic. • Don’t forget Job #1 Cache County ARES

8. Operations “Best Practices” http://www.barconline.org http://www.barconline.org/about/ares Cache County ARES

9. On Air Operations • Listen to traffic • Only critical information goes over the air • Others are listening • Do not editorialize • Stick to facts and exact message text • Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification • Some explanations may not be given on air • Keep chatter off any nets • Know what to say BEFORE pressing PTT • Chatter is for the simplex frequencies • Mind background noise at Net Control and in you Vehicle • There are headphones but operators are working Cache County ARES

10. What to Say • Use plain English • Never use jargon (no 10-codes, Q-codes) • “Condition Codes” are an exception • Speak Clearly – Don’t rush, slur or mumble • Avoid contractions • Use ITU phonetics when spelling • Pronounce numbers individually • Minimize extra words • Clear, Monitoring, Standing by, etc. are unnecessary • Acknowledge all instructions • Nothing goes over the air unless cleared by PIO Cache County ARES

11. ITU Phonetic Alphabet Agreed upon words to represent the letters of the “roman alphabet”. The boldfaced syllables are emphasized. The pronunciations shown in this table were designed for those who speak any of the international languages. The pronunciations given for “Oscar”, “Papa” and “Victor” may seem awkward to English-speaking people in the US. A Alfa AL FAH B Bravo BRAH VOH C Charlie CHAR LEE D Delta DELL TAH E Echo ECK OH F Foxtrot FOKS TROT G Golf GOLF H Hotel HOH TELL I India IN DEE AH J Juliet JEW LEE ETT K Kilo KEY LOH L Lima LEE MAH M Mike MIKE N November NO VEM BER O Oscar OSS CAH P Papa PAH PAH Q Quebec KEH BECK R Romeo ROW ME OH S Sierra SEE AIR RAH T Tango TANG GO U Uniform YOU NEE FORM V Victor VIK TAH W Whiskey WISS KEY X X-Ray ECKS RAY Y Yankee YANG KEY Z Zulu ZOO LOO Cache County ARES

12. Numbers 1—WUN 6--SIX 2--TOO 7--SEVEN 3--THU-REE 8--ATE 4--FO-WER 9--NINER 5--FIFE 0--ZERO Cache County ARES

13. Break TagsDefinitions and Use • ANSWER • To be used when you have the definitive answer to a question currently being discussed on the air • QUESTION • To be used when the asking of a question can't wait • For example, use when the mayor is standing next to you and requesting you to get information using your radio • INFO • To be used when information needs to be transmitted rapidly but is not related to what is being said on the air • for example, if an event that net control needs to know about is going to happen in the next few seconds or if waiting for the end of an exchange will negate the value of the information • PRIORITY • To be used to report an important but non-life threatening situation such as a traffic accident that just happened Cache County ARES

14. Break TagsDefinitions and Use • MEDICAL • To be used to report a minor medical incident that affects the operator in some way • For example, having to leave his/her post for a few minutes to walk someone with aminor cut over to a med tent • EMERGENCY • Only to be used to report an ongoing life or property threatening or damaging incident • YOUR CALL SIGN • An indication that the operator has traffic that can wait and does not require the cessation of the ongoing exchange. This tag is an expectation to be put on hold and in queue for transmission Cache County ARES

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

16. Tactical Callsigns Use the Tactical Call Sign to identify your transmission and address another station by its Tactical Call Sign. No call sign is necessary in a two-way conversation once communications has been established. To comply with FCC rules, add your FCC call sign to your last transmission in a series. It is not necessary to add the receiving party’s call sign, just your own. Cache County ARES

17. Tactical Callsigns Example: • Water Two: Water Two • Net Control: Water Two • Water Two: The lead Marathon runner just passed this point. Over • Net Control: I copy, N7RXE Out. • Water Two: K7LRX Out. Using Over and Out may be omitted if it will not cause confusion. Signing with your FCC call sign will signify ending your transmission. An easy way to remember is to establish contact using your Tactical Call and end the contact with your FCC Call…. Cache County ARES

18. Radio Nets • Open/Closed Nets • Open Nets • Free form • Low or sporadic traffic • Listen before talk protocol • Normal operations • Closed (Directed) Nets • Net Control Station (NCS) • Only transmit when approved by net control • Types of Nets • Tactical Net • The front line net during the incident - where the action is • Resource Net • Used to recruit operators and equipment to support tactical effort • Command Net • Interagency and managers Cache County ARES

19. Identifying an Emergency • Emergency • Immediate threat to life or property • Key Words • Emergency, Break BreakBreak, Help • FCC declares an emergency and posts rules • Any special conditions and rules to be observed • Remember • Emergency traffic always has right of way • FCC follows Good Samaritan rules and will forgive those that help • The FCC also punishes those that are fraudulent Cache County ARES

20. Emergency Traffic • Dos • Assume the emergency is real • Open the frequency • Stop your contact • Take the emergency call • Don’ts • No false emergencies • You can lose your license and go to jail for declaring a false emergency • You can be held liable if you interfere with emergency traffic • You will be required to pay the cost of the search and rescue effort Cache County ARES

21. Minimum Expectations • Practice these skills on the air • Take some turns as net control • Program all the event frequencies into your radio • Know how to program any frequency into your radio • Be able to program frequency/shift, set and enable tone • Be familiar with your equipment • Keep your contact info current • Participate during activations Cache County ARES

22. Event Communication Plans http://www.barconline.org http://www.barconline.org/about/ares Cache County ARES

23. Communication Plans Cache County Ecomm Plan Cache County ARES

24. Communication Plans Cache County Ecomm Frequency list Cache County ARES

25. Communications Plans Cache County ARES

26. Communication Plans • LOTOJA Communications • Radio Communications Procedures • Traffic precedence • 1. Emergency traffic (e.g., need medical assistance) • 2. Safety communications (e.g., locating support vehicle, reporting of support vehicles who are hazards) • 3. Race communications (e.g., requesting cyclist transportation or support, asking race official for clarification, reporting cyclists who have dropped out) • 4. Other communications • LOTOJA Hotline • The LOTOJA Hotline - 435.261.2272 is provided for sensitive, off-the-air, back-up, lengthy, or other communications. This number can receive voice calls or text messages. Leave a message if nobody answers. Be sure to have this number programmed in your cell phone for quick access. • Report race incident or accident details (including bib numbers) to this number promptly after the incident. • This number can be used to have operators make contact or pass important messages to/from cyclist support crews. • Radio Communications Guidelines • Each support vehicle or station is assigned a tactical call sign (such as Yellow 2, Blue 13, or Rover 3). Use tactical call signs for all communications. You must use your FCC-assigned call sign at least once every 10-minutes while actively conversing or at the end of a conversation or series of communications. You do not need to identify with your call sign with each transmission, but only every 10 minutes or at the end of a conversation. • There are four net control areas - Cache, Bear Lake, Star Valley, and Jackson Cache County ARES

27. Communication Plans LOTOJA Frequency List Cache County ARES

28. Communication Plans Little Red Cache County ARES

29. Communication Plans LRRH Frequencies Cache County ARES

30. Practice Scenarios http://www.barconline.org http://www.barconline.org/about/ares Cache County ARES

31. Practice Scenarios • Scenario #1 • Net Control this is Victor 12 • Go ahead Victor 12 • “ A runner is down at Mile 14.”  • As stand alone information is of no use to anyone. • More proper is • “ Runner number 555 is down at mile 14.  He is bleeding, and needs medical attention. Please send medical to this location.” • or  Runner number 555 is down at mile 14. He is bleeding, we have medical on scene attending to him.” Cache County ARES

32. Practice Scenarios Scenario #2 Net Control this is Victor 12 Go ahead Victor 12 Rider 555 is Dropping out Should be rider 555 is dropping out at Afton.  Can you locate his support vehicle and have them meet him at the Afton Feed Zone” Cache County ARES

33. Practice Scenarios • Scenario #3 • Don't know what you guys think but I like to state my traffic kinda in the blind it some times leads to doubles but I feel it cuts down on traffic. using the above Scenario • Instead ofV-7 "Net Control Victor 7“ • Net Control "Victor 7 Go ahead“ • You give all the important info all at once • “Net Control Runner number 555 is down at mile 14.  He is bleeding, and needs medical attention. Please send medical to this location Victor 7.” Cache County ARES

34. Practice Scenarios V-7  “ Runner number 555 is down at mile 14.  He is bleeding, and needs medical attention. Please send medical to this location.” If there is traffic though, you would need break in traffic and it would need the more formal work. I have not heard the use of Mayday on our Events usually Triple Break or Emergency (Callsign), Traffic(Callsign)? Cache County ARES

35. Practice Scenarios Scenario #4 Net Control Rover 4 Go ahead Rover 4 We’ll be out on a potty break Net Control Victor 1 Go ahead Victor 1 We’ll be out on a potty break Cache County ARES

36. Communications Exercise http://www.barconline.org http://www.barconline.org/about/ares Cache County ARES

37. Communications ExerciseObservations http://www.barconline.org http://www.barconline.org/about/ares Cache County ARES

38. Questions? http://www.barconline.org http://www.barconline.org/about/ares Cache County ARES