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- FINDER.VCO: FINDER VOICE OPERATOR INSTRUCTIONS: EMERGENCY RESPONDER MODE
-
-
- A. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
-
- o accurately deliver status and requests into the FINDER system
- o ensure that responses get back to the requestors
- o assist the public in using the FINDER system
-
- FINDER is actually a special form of traffic handling. As such, the Voice
- Operator's job is to clearly and accurately pass and receive traffic.
-
- You will pass three types of traffic:
-
- o Current information
- o Status requests
- o Status reports
-
- The FINDER system Data Cards are designed in part to aid this
- traffic handling. Consistent use of the FINDER traffic format,
- encouraged by the layout of the Data Cards, will help to ensure
- speed and accuracy.
-
-
- B. FINDER VOICE OPERATOR CHECKLIST
-
- o Prepare your equipment in advance
- - 2m rig
- - mag mount or 'hot-rod' antenna
- - backup power (e.g., extra batteries, gel cells, etc.)
- - PL 259 to BNC adapter
- - extra FINDER Data Cards
- - pens
- - white ARES helmet or other identification
- - roll of adhesive tape
- - felt tip marker
- o When FINDER is activated, receive your assignment from Resource
- Net Control and write down the following:
- - simplex voice frequency for communication with your packet operator
- - Callsign of Packet Operator who will be your local net control
- o Check in on the voice simplex frequency with your Packet Operator when
- you arrive on site (typically a firehouse)
- o Identify yourself to the site director (e.g., firehouse captain);
- if no one is immediately available, identify yourself when they return.
- Explain your function and capabilities.
- o Set up your station
- - sign identifying yourself to the public
- - Data Cards
- o Assist the public in filling out the Data Card properly
- o Pass input to the Packet Operator
- o Receive responses from the Packet Operator
- o Deliver responses to requestors
- o Clean up after you are excused from your local net
- o Secure the fire station if the fire fighters are not present
- o Report back to Resource Net Control
-
-
- C. USING THE FINDER DATA CARD
-
- Refer to file FINDER.DC. This file contains a copy of the two-sided data card.
-
- o side one has a status request part and a current information part
- o side two has a status report form
-
- Side one is really two different cards: one for requesting the status of
- family members, and one for entering the current information about a
- specific person.
-
- Note that each half is further divided into an upper and lower part. The
- emergency responders or their families should fill out the upper part. The
- lower part is for your use for tactical identification.
-
-
- 1. CURRENT INFORMATION PART (right side of the card)
-
- A family member or emergency responder fills in this part of the card
- to enter their own current information in the FINDER system. During
- the course of an event, they may input current information several
- times.
-
- The Home Phone identifies a family and is the key that the FINDER
- system uses to match up family members. Be sure that the emergency
- responder or family member uses their own home phone number. The
- format is:
-
- abbbcccc
-
- where 'a' is a single digit abbreviation for the area code defined by
- the sysop (viz., 5 or 8 for 415 or 408, respectively) and 'bbb' and
- 'cccc' represent the 7-digit home phone number.
-
- The First Name (the first 5 characters) identifies which family
- member is entering current information. If there are two or more
- family members whose names are similar, the family should have
- previously agreed upon ways to distinguish themselves (e.g., use
- middle names or final digits: JOHN1, JOHN2).
-
- The person should circle only ONE of the three possible status
- values.
-
- The person should circle only ONE of the ten possible locations at
- which they intend to be.
-
- In the 'Radio Operator Use Only' section, the Voice Operator should
- fill out:
-
- o The origin code of the location where the card was initially
- filled out. This should be a previously agreed upon 4 character
- code beginning with at letter for the location. This may be a
- different location than the Voice Operator's current station if
- the card was delivered by courier from some other station.
-
- o Time entered in 24 hour format (an optional field; if not
- entered, the central FINDER program will insert the current time)
-
- o Date, 2-digit date only (an optional field; default is the
- current date)
-
-
- 2. STATUS REQUEST PART (left side of the card)
-
- The Home Phone follows the same format as used in the current
- information part of the card, as described above.
-
- In the 'Radio Operator Use Only' section, the Voice Operator should
- fill in the 'Route Reply to' field. This is because the Packet
- Operator must know whom should get the response to the status request
- (remember that many voice operators could be talking to the same
- packet operator). Typically, this section will contain the
- identifier of the voice operator.
-
- 3. STATUS REPORTS
-
- On the back side of the FINDER Data Card is a table. Use this table
- to record status responses from the Packet Operator who is acting as
- local net control.
-
- Fill in the columns as the Packet Operator reads the information.
- The Packet Operator will only read the raw numbers in one long
- sentence; hence, the Voice Operator will have to be familiar with the
- format of the information.
-
- The Voice Operator fills out the time received when the Packet
- Operator sends the status report.
-
-
- D. MODEL FINDER TRAFFIC DIALOGUES
-
- These dialogue models show FINDER traffic handling in abbreviated format.
- If the Voice and Packet Operators agree in their local net, they may expand
- the dialogue by adding in headers (e.g., 'The phone number is ...').
- Examples of a longer dialogue may be found in the dialogues for the Packet
- Operators. At all times the Packet Operator acting as local FINDER net
- control is the final authority so long as the information is passed
- accurately.
-
-
- 1. CURRENT STATUS INFORMATION
-
- Voice Operator Packet Operator
-
- 'FINDER Net-1, this is Palo Alto 3.' 'This is Net-1;
- go ahead.'
-
- 'Current Information: 'Roger.'
- 5 555 9994 JOHN 21 PA05 1421 16
- Copy?'
-
-
- 2. STATUS REQUEST
-
- Voice Operator Packet Operator
-
- 'FINDER Net-1, this is Palo Alto 3.' 'This is Net-1;
- go ahead.'
-
- 'Request: 5 555 9994, PA03. Copy?' 'Roger.'
-
-
-
- 3. RECEIVING STATUS REPORT
-
- Voice Operator Packet Operator
-
- 'PA03, this is
- FINDER Net-1.'
-
- 'This is Palo Alto 3. Go ahead.' 'Prepare to copy
- status:
- 5 555 9994 JOHN
- 21 PA05 1421 16.
- Copy?'
-
- 'Roger.'
-
- END - FINDER.VCO