Organizing Communication Support for Public Service Events

1. Organizing Communication Support for Public Service Events 1

2. Why Work Public Service Events? • It supports your community events with valuable communications • Provides the participants a “Safety Net” • Provides communications exercise and training for those who could be called upon to work a local natural disaster • It’s fun!! 2

3. What Is a Legal Event? • An Amateur may support any event provided it doesn’t violate FCC 97.113 • Hams cannot receive compensation for services (save for expenses) • Event can be non-profit or for-profit 3

4. Types of Compensation & Perks • Tax deductible donation of volunteer time and expenses to the event charity • Donation to an Amateur charity of choice (e.g. Wecomm, Ltd) • Cash for expenses (e.g., gas for SAGs) • Event T-shirt • Post event dinner 4

5. T-minus 6-9 months Meet With Event Organizers • Attend meeting(s) with event organizers early • Note the event date, time period, location, website, contact person • Identify their needs (for Amateurs): • # of water stops, locations, & timing • # of rest stops (major food stops), locations, & timing • # of supply vans, Shuttle vans, & timing • # of Sags vehicles, assigned routes, & timing: • Will Hams need to drive their own SAG vehicles? • Will Hams ride “shotgun” in event vehicles? • Get the event map & queue sheet in electronic format • Determine location for Net Control site (Start/Finish) • Determine perks and compensation 5

6. Event Announcement to Hams • Make an email list of local ARES & club Hams • Put together an announcement to area Hams • Include event details: • Event date and time • Event Cause (e.g., ride for Cancer, etc.) • Event website • List Ham positions that need to be filled • List perks & compensation • Volunteers should indicate assignment preference, time restrictions, equipment needed, & t-shirt size • List the contact person (your email and phone #) 6

7. Event E-mail Folders • Create an Event email Folder in your computer • In this folder create sub-folders for those who: • Agree to volunteer (Hams- Yes) • Respond but cannot volunteer (Hams- No) • Might be able to volunteer (Hams- Maybe) • Create an event email address group and add those who can volunteer 7

8. Event Spreadsheet • Create an event spreadsheet (Excel or equiv.) listing each assignment: • Callsign • Name • Assignment (tactical call, e.g., SAG 1) & details • Open/Close times (approximate) • Notes (eqpt needs- radio, batt., tent, table, etc.) • T-shirt size 8

9. Spreadsheet Example 9

10. T-minus 2 months • Obtain permission to use 2 meter repeaters from the trustees. • Select one to be Prime, another to be Backup, and a simplex frequency (e.g., 146.535) • Determine important cell phone numbers • List these on the spreadsheet 10

11. T-minus 1 week • Send email message reminding everyone of the event date, time, team meeting @ location • (Team meeting is 1 hour before event starts to get final instructions, supplies, t-shirts) • Give directions to event location • Attach map, queue sheet, final assignments and ask that they print them and bring to event • Ask each to double check their assignment and report any changes • Mail packet to those who can’t print documents 11

12. T-minus 1 Hour Event Team Meeting • Thank them and ask everyone to introduce themselves and give their assignment • Ask the Event Coordinator to speak about the event and go over the plan for that day using a large map (Net Control gets the map) • Event Coordinator to stay with Net Control • Give instructions to team: 12

13. Event Team Meeting cont.. • SAGs must stay on assigned route(s) and take participants needing service or transport to the nearest Rest Stop • Mention what to do in event of incident (call 911) then call NCS • SAG to document incident details • Never give names over the air- rider #s only! 13

14. Event Team Meeting cont…. • Pass out any equipment to those with need • Pickup T-shirts & supplies (first aid kits, H20, SAG signs, etc.) • Remind everyone to return equipment to Net Control site when finished • Pass out compensation (e.g., gas cards) 14

15. Net Control Station • Part of event team meeting – give instructions • Repeat frequencies—primary and secondary • Directed net operation • All traffic through NCS • Report to NCS when on-site and active • Advise NCS when off-line and when back • Water & Rest Stops stay on duty until released by Net Control 15

16. Net Control Station • Two operators at a minimum plus one to answer phone calls from participants needing service • Back up power and station • A “formal” means of keeping track of traffic • Close link to event command authority • Arrange for debrief after the event with ham operators and event staff 16

17. Voice Communications Keep all transmissions short. Short transmissions allow other stations to interrupt if they get more urgent traffic. Stop transmitting if you stop talking. Always release the push to talk button if you need to pause for some reason. While you are trying to think of a street name or what the other thing was you wanted to report, unkey the mic to allow urgent traffic to break in. Avoid unnecessary transmissions. Think before you speak. It is proper to interrupt the net and transmit when Net Control has not invited you to. That’s the purpose for leaving gaps between transmissions. 17

18. WHAT TO DO: ITU PHONETIC ALPHABET: [1] LISTEN! Make sure that the channel (frequency) is clear. Know what is going on around you. A ‑ alfa (AL‑fa) 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 (key‑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) 0 ‑ zero (ZEE‑roh) 1 - one (WUN) 2 - two (TOO) 3 - three (TH-UH-EE or TREE) 4 - four (FOW ER) 5 - five (FI-VE or FIFE) 6 - six (SIX) 7 - seven (SEVEN) 8 - eight (AIT) 9 - nine (NINER) DECIMAL (DAY-SEE-MAL) [2] THINK about what you will say. Make your message clear and to the point. Get on. Get off. Get done! [3] MAKE THE CALL. Give: [a] the call sign or identification of the station called [b] the words: ***THIS IS*** [c] the call sign or identification of your station *** EXAMPLE: Net Control, this is SAG 2 *** [4] COMMUNICATE. Speak clearly. Use plain language -> NO CODES! Repeat back critical information. [5] USE STANDARD PHONETICS for: Station identification. Spelling words and names that are not easily understood. Voice Communications 18

19. Break Tags When net communication gets heavy, someone may have a quick solution to a problem that is taking up too much valuable airtime for discussion, but can't break into the net to share it. "Break Tags" to the rescue. These are simply seven one-word Break Tags. They are: "answer," "question," "info," "priority," "medical," "emergency," and your call sign. Most of these tags have been used with great success in large public & emergency services nets. Here is how they work: Instead of saying "break" between transmissions during a directed net, the operator uses the word specified as a Break Tag without a call sign. They are to be used only when the operator's traffic will be appreciated by net control and results in more efficient communication. They are to be used wisely, as net control is directed to stop and turn over the net to the breaking station. The message that follows a break should be as short as possible. • "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 answer of a question can't wait; for example; 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 not a life threatening situation such as a fender bender that just happened. • "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 a minor cut over to a med tent. • "Emergency" – this is only to be used to report an ongoing life, property, threatening or • damaging incident. • “Your Call Sign” – This is an indication that the operator has traffic which 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. • "Break Tags" takes very little training. Its use is contagious and comes very naturally. It will be a part of our communications from here on in. (This great idea is from Connecticut SEC Rod Lane, N1FNE) 19

20. Information to get from participant calling for help • Get location where help is needed (e.g., line #, road, intersection, fire number, house) • Ask for the issue/problem • Get the callback phone number (if there is no caller ID) • Rider number/description/name of the person needing the help 20

21. Post Event • Send email to everyone thanking them and to attend the Post Event Debriefing on the local repeater ARES net • Take notes on what worked well, what didn’t work well and how to make it better next year. • Pass along to organizers the comments that they should know for next year (also, take these to next year’s kickoff meeting) 21