QRZ! Ham Radio 4/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 4.iso/files/races/opsined.txt

Text File | 1994-11-27 | 9KB | 193 lines

Page 1

  OPSINED Version 1. 3     3/1/92



Subject: IN TIME OF NEED
[Category: OPS]

THE AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR IN TIME OF NEED
by Russell E. Bankson, N6GWL Pacific Region, Civil Air Patrol
What does an Amateur Radio operator do as a public service
volunteer who sometimes works during an emergency?
The basic concept of the volunteer Amateur in emergencies is to
provide communications for the safety of life and protection of
property for the community during emergencies when established
communications for and between public service agencies are
overloaded or not functioning.
Let's get down to the nitty gritty of how the Amateur tactical
communications net performs its services.
When an emergency or disaster happens in a community, the Amateur
Radio public service volunteer checks into pre- established nets
to report conditions in his locality and his availability and
capability. If there is a need for Amateur radio communications,
when directed he may report to the emergency operations center,
fire department, hospital, Red Cross, shelter, incident
commander, forest service, Amateur radio net control station, or
to the area as directed where the Amateur is needed. As long as
all established communications are available, he does nothing but
monitors and is available in the event any communications system
becomes overloaded, fails, or is not available between agencies.
This sometimes means more than coming to the assignment with a
hand held transceiver. Following the October 17, 1989 earthquake
the Amateurs had to install antennas, coaxial cables, lights for
operating positions, power supplies for mobile transceivers used
as base stations, maps, phone numbers, writing materials, battery
charging systems, personal survival kit, tools, transportation,
fuel, money, expertise, dedication and professionalism. Many of
the locations worked around the clock for many days.
So far nothing has been said about what communications service
the Amateurs provided during the earthquake emergency when phones
were disabled and electrical power was off and there was danger
to life and severe damage to property. I am going to relate some
of the messages the Amateurs handled following the earthquake in
Watsonville, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco.
Within twenty minutes after the quake the Amateurs had checked in
to the reporting nets, checked their neighbors for well being,
and had reported to the Red Cross Amateur Radio stations.
Immediately the tactical emergency net was established. This was
done because there was no power, no reliable phone communications
between the Red Cross Chapters, and a major threat to life and
property existed.

Here is just a small example of the many types of messages
handled by the tactical net of Amateurs. If you use your
imagination you can visualize the service the Amateur provides
during floods, hurricanes, fires, lost people, earthquakes,
hazardous material spills, internal telephone failures in
hospitals, snow storms and other communication needs.
a. Boots, sox and rain gear needed - who can supply?
b. 22,000 pounds of fresh fruit - who can use now?
c. People finder dog teams are coming.
d. Man with infrared people finder arrived from New York - report
where?
e. Need canned food, cots and tents.
f. Nurses' thermometers broken - need replacements.
g. Helicopter is loaded for Santa Cruz - where to land?
h. Need prescription filled - drugstore is closed.
i. Hard hats are needed.
j. Shelter is closing - moving where?
k. Amateurs near Cypress overpass disaster must have dust masks.
l. Amateurs coming from over 200 miles away.
m. 1500 homes in Oakland were damaged.
n. Several truck convoys going to Santa Cruz from Bay Area.
o. More Amateurs are needed - some have been working around the
clock.
p. What communication paths are open?
q. Message from St. Croix, Virgin Island, Red Cross worker: "I
want to come home."
r. Supply truck is missing for 14 hours - report if found.
s. Operator needed for the blood bank.
t. Hospital needs radio circuit with blood bank.
u. Two Red Cross emergency power generators will not start.
v. Need more shelter managers for replacement.
w. Oakland Disaster Control wants Amateur service at the EOC.
x. Cellular telephones being sent to Watsonville and Santa Cruz.
y. Fresno is sending supplies to Watsonville.
z. State OES Region Two office is on two Amateur Radio
frequencies.

Why did the Red Cross need to use Amateur Radio communications?
Communications were needed to activate shelters for thousands of
displaced people. Feeding, providing clothing, accepting
donations of supplies, transporting supplies where needed,
providing safe routes between cities, storage of supplies,
communications between leaders with responsibilities, assignment
of personnel to tactical positions, keeping track of hundreds of
assigned volunteers, providing change of shift personnel around
the clock, communications with Western Red Cross Field Office and
other chapters, communications with other agencies such as the
Navy, Air Force, Department of Transportation, fire departments,
police, State Office of Emergency services, damage evaluators and
hospitals.
When the need is there, the dedicated public service Amateur
Radio operator is there, doing volunteer public service.  RB
114-117
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Russ Bankson has been a licensed Amateur Radio operator for 7
years. He has been deeply involved with volunteer emergency
communications operations, plans, and system development for over
forty years. A Lieutenant Colonel in the Civil Air Patrol, he
spearheaded a period of major CAP communications development in
California as its director of communications. Russ is active for
in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service of the American Radio
Relay League. One of his favorite activities is speaking before
youth groups and encouraging their interest in radio,
electronics, and the sciences.

"HERE WE ARE BUT NOBODY CALLS US" [How to Solve this Problem]
I'm sure you've all heard that old expression, "Out of sight is
out of mind." Well, the same holds true for a lot of volunteer
organizations who may bemoan the fact that "Here we are but
nobody calls on us." Or, "When they alerted everybody, they
didn't call (me)(us)." This is not an unusual condition. It can
often be traced to the fact that liaison is lacking between the
volunteer organization and the government agency they serve.
Simply stated, the volunteers are not making regular and frequent
visits to the agency. If the volunteer group is fulfilling a need
or operational task for the first time, the need for these visits
is more important than ever. Once a week is usually not too
often. True, business may not be necessarily discussed at each
and everymeeting, but seeing one another on a regular basis is
important. Another old adage pops up here, whether we like it or
not: It's not what you know -- it's who you know. The best
volunteer resource in the area may be out there, but the local
disaster management agency will not really know about them, let
alone alert them, because there is no ongoing liaison. When the
emergency develops is NOT the time. Yet many volunteer feelings
may be hurt when their offers of assistance are declined --
simply because they are an unknown quantity. RB064

RACES RESPONDER'S CHECKLIST
See ICS Responders Check list, ICS section

RACES PROPER RADIO USAGE
See ICS Proper Radio Usage, ICS section, also Operations
Technicques.

HOW TO MAKE ACCIDENT REPORTS BY RADIO
Here is a checklist on how to report accidents and other
incidents to the Highway Patrol or other law enforcement
agencies. Thanks to Lolly Craig, CHP dispatcher, and the Kern
County-Central Valley Amateur Radio Club "Communicator".  RB024

REPORTS-OF-ACCIDENTS:
1. Exact LOCATION:
a. If a freeway, confirm which freeway by comparing name and
route number.
b. Distance and direction from crossroad or major landmark.
c. Direction and travel and lanes involved if blocked.
2. Are there any INJURIES?
If yes: (1) Is an ambulance needed?(2) Is anyone pinned inside a
vehicle?
3. Roadway CONDITION? a. If blocked, can vehicles be moved? b.
Spillage? Fuel or load?

REPORTING-OTHER-INCIDENTS
1. Vehicle or Suspect Description:
a. Color and Size of vehicle if make and model are unknown.
b.Location, as specific as possible.
c.Moving suspect or vehicle: (1)  Time frame. (2)  Direction of
Travel. (3) Do you or can you still observe the vehicle or
suspect from a safe location?



FOOTNOTE TO BULLETINS-BY-TOPIC
This material is the result of the interest of people from many
areas around the country. Their ideas, questions and suggestions
were then put into these bulletin formats by Stanly Harter,
KH6GBX, State Races Coordinator, Office of Emergency Services,
2800 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, California 95832 between l985
and l992. Input and comments are welcomed by mail or packet radio
to W6HIR @ WA6NWE.#NOCAL.CA [Telephone [phone].]