All posts by Paul Nienaber

Training Sessions

Orientation and GoBox Inro

SRQARES Orientation Course

  • REQUIRED for ALL new members in first 90 days of membership
  • 90 minutes duration. Includes tour of REDCOM radio room
  • offered at multiple dates and times each year
  • to be conducted at the ARC building in Sarasota

Course Outline:

  • ICS local, Sarasota overview (WCF, SEC, DEC, EC, AECs, etc.)
  • Mobilization Procedures (when and how)
  • Dispatch Procedures (shelters, ARC, TFITs, EOC, DOCs, etc.)
  • Radio Procedures (NCSs, tactical call signs, frequencies, etc)
  • Go-Box orientation (basic setup and use for V/UHF phone mode)
  • Record keeping and documentation when deployed (FEMA, ARRL, and EOC/ARC requirements)

Please download and print a copy of the following forms to bring to the training session:

Training Sessions

WinLink Setup and Radio Integration

Purpose. Learn what Winlink is, what it does, and how to install the application on your computer and configure it to work with your radio. Part two of this training will focus on how to create, send, receive, and answer emails with the WinLink application.

Please review (or download and print) the following tutorial files that will be used during this training session.

Winlink-Introduction
Winlink_Installation
Winlink_Setup_Windows11
SRQARES_GoBox_SignaLink

Please visit the winlink.org website and download the winlink software to your laptop computer. Please try to install the software on your computer if at all possible. You will be prompted to provide your call sign and furnish a username and password to establish your email account on the WinLink system. If you have an issue doing this that’s OK; just bring you computer to the training session and we will help you install, configure the software. If you don’t have a laptop that’s OK too. We will have some for you to learn with at the training session. Part of the winlink installation/setup process wil involve creating your personal winlink email account.

Deployment, Uncategorized

General Information

NO MEMBER OF SRQARES WILL SELF DEPLOY FOR ANY REASON.

Activation and Deployment may occur at the same time or at some period of time after Activation. Deployment is where SRQARES members accept assignments and then go to a location to provide emergency communications. This will be dependent upon the needs and requests from our served agencies. Not all of our served agencies will have the same needs at the same time. The Red Cross for example, does not staff immediate need shelters, as these are operated and staffed by Sarasota County. The Red Cross is tasked with operating any long-term shelters and providing meals and disaster assistance. As the time this Communications Plan is written, SRQARES is collaborating with SMH to identify employees who are interested in becoming licensed Amateur Radio Operators, and they will assume the task of providing backup communications and provide them with the necessary training.

SMH has also agreed to allow spouses of deployed SRQARES members to stay at their facilities during a deployment. SMH also has pet shelters at both their SMH-S and SMH-V facilities. Thus, if an SRQARES member resides in a zone that is subject to evacuation, typically Zone A or Zone B, this is an option for them to go to one of the facilities as opposed to going to a shelter and being in the general population. This document will be updated as this becomes an operational unit.

The health and safety of ALL VOLUNTEER MEMBERS is of paramount importance. The first step in any emergency response is to assess the situation and plan for the health and safety of the responding resources. Be realistic about your ability to deploy. Consider you own situation first. Are there any health concerns, family or work commitments, or time constraints? If you have questions about the assignment and the deployment please ask!

Sarasota County EOC and the Red Cross will have a Mission Number for any deployments, as reflected in the Incident Action Plan. These Mission Numbers are important for tracking hours and expenditures.

Deployment

Taskings or Assignments

As a general rule, the following information should be provided and obtained prior to the deployment?

What is the assignment?

  • What is the Mission Number?
  • Where is the assignment?
  • How do I get to the assignment?
    • Directions?
    • Are there any known detours, road closures?
    • Check points?
  • How long will I be deployed?
    • This affects what needs to be brought to the assignment
  • What communications equipment needs to be taken to the assignment?
    • Is there AC power?
    • Is AC power dependent upon generators?
    • What frequency is to be used while enroute?
    • What frequency will be used once at the assignment?
  • ICS-205
  • Check-in upon arrival?
  • Tactical Call Sign assigned?
  • Contact person at the assignment?
  • Bring copies of ICS-217, ICS-205
  • Bring sufficient copies of ICS-213 Message Form and ICS-214 Activity Log

Depending on the assignment, dress appropriately for the weather and where you will be going. Dress comfortably, but also so that you present a professional appearance. We are Amateur Radio Operators, but we should show by our actions and appearance that we are professionals in emergency communications. High-Viz vests should be worn, name tags, ids, logo shirts if possible. Project a “command presence” to those at the assignment.

DO NOT leave you assignment until relieved by a replacement or until told to stand down by Net Control.

Once relieved or told to stand down, make arrangements to get your ICS-213 and ICS-214 forms to the EC.

SOP

Introduction and Expectations

Upon activation of SRQARES, all participating members need to be aware of their responsibilities as ARES operators.  Our job is to support communications between served agencies whether it’s the ARC, Sarasota EOC, Hospitals or other agencies.  We are working for them, not SRQARES.  Thus, usual casual communication practices are suspended and a formal structured communication plan is implemented. By following news and weather reports preceding an event, operators should have some idea as to any pending emergency situations that might result in an SRQARES activation.

Remember that your first duty is to yourself, your family, and your property. Attend to the safety and well being of our family and your property first. Then prepare yourself for possible SRQARES assignments.

DO NOT SELF DEPLOY REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION

As a member of SRQARES the organization has the following expectations of you:

  1. Being able to effectively communicate with the R&I Net (Resource & Information).
  2. Understand basic operating procedures.
  3. Able to switch to alternative frequencies as necessary.
  4. Able to operate using simplex operations.
  5. Able to act as a relay station in the event of simplex operation.
  6. Be able to maintain operation for a minimum of 72 hrs.
  7. Be able to manually program your radio should the need arise.
  8. Participate in weekly check-ins and scheduled drills/exercises.

SRQARES members can only be activated or deployed by our Emergency Coordinator EC at which time specific instructions and necessary credentials will be issued.   Operators are not expected to relocate from the safety and security of their base station until deployed and are no longer needed at any emergency evacuation shelters within Sarasota County.  Immediate needs, County shelters are now staffed by County Employees. Long term shelters (72 hours post event) will be operated by the Red Cross and SRQARES will support those. If you evacuate to an emergency shelter you will find yourself in the general population, not in a radio room.

  • Take care of yourself, your family, and your personal property first.  That is the first priority for any volunteer.
  • Remain at your base of operations and prepare for any event such as severe weather.
  • Ensure you have emergency power available, extra batteries, generator, etc.
  • Ensure you have emergency supplies on hand for at least a 72 hour duration.
SOP

Forms

download forms

The SRQARES.org web site has available for download all forms necessary for operations. Ensure that you have an ample supply of the current revisions of all the forms used during activation.  These include:

ROAR (Radio Operators Availability Report

ICS-205 (Emergency Frequencies to be used

ICS-213 form, (General message form

ICS 214 form (your log sheet

Sit Rep form (Check in form) following an event

ICS-217 Communications Resource Availability Worksheet

Sarasota County Grid Square Map.

SOP, Uncategorized

Check In Procedure

LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN

Once SRQARES is activated, SAR-1/SAR-2 becomes a controlled R&I (Resource & Information net. Always follow the instructions of the Net Control Station and only transmit when invited to do so. All routine voice traffic is expected to move to alternate frequencies. The R&I Net is intended for Emergency and Priority traffic only. Note that Outbound Health and Welfare traffic is considered to be Priority Traffic while inbound Health & Welfare requests are not.

Check into the R&I net when requested using normal check in procedures: i.e. Net Control this is W4XYZ. Wait for Net Control to acknowledge your transmission and follow net controls instructions.
Once checked into the R&I net, continue to monitor SAR-1 or SAR-2 at the top of each hour to keep up to date on SRQARES status and possible advanced mobilization if required. You do not need to check into the net more than once but are expected to monitor the net awaiting further instructions or assignments. The R&I Net Control will contact you if needed. Start your ICS 214 form, reporting any significant events heard. This log is needed following an event for financial reimbursement of the county by the Federal Government. It also serves as a valuable record for after action reporting of what worked and what we need to improve upon.

During the incident, we expect that there will be little if any traffic passed with the possible exception of unexpected emergencies and weather information.

SOP

Traffic Handling

Traffic is defined as any message for which a radio operator transmits or receives on behalf of a third party.  Operators are expected to transmit and receive messages exactly as they are composed without any spelling or editorial changes.

No messages or content of any message can be shared with outside parties without the approval of the public information officer or EC.  FCC Regulations require that operators must maintain a copy of any third-party messages

Plain English and ITU Phonetics are to be used at all times.  Common Prowords and tactical call signs can be used.

Ten Codes and other “Ham Speak” terms are to be avoided

Common Procedural Words Prowords

“OVER” – used at the end of a statement indicating Net Control should speak

“Stand By” – Wait until Net Control can respond

“Break” – a pause allowing new traffic to enter into the Net

“Relay” – Notifies Net Control of traffic not reaching their station

“Returning” – Notifies Net Control you are returning to the Net

“Out” – Used to indicate termination of the traffic exchange. You’re call sign at the end of the exchange should be used as well.

SOP

Recovery Operations

Assuming our principal event will be a Hurricane, once sustained wind speed drops below 40 MPH, an “All Clear” will be issued by the EOC.  At that time, the SRQARES R&I net control operator will return to handling traffic starting at the top of each hour and move into a Recovery Mode of operation.

In all probability, most if not all repeaters will be down.  In such an event, the Net Control Station will operate in the simplex mode and continue to supply information updates at the top of each hour.  Listen closely prior to entering the Net to avoid stepping on any emergency or priority traffic.

SOP

Situation Reports

Immediately following an event, Net Control will request Situation Reports (Sit Reps). Your Situation Reports can provide critical information representing on the ground, real-time, “SITUATIONAL AWARNESS” at your location.  This information will be passed to the EOC to assist in the prioritization and deployment of County resources.

Operators are requested to complete a Sit Rep (Situation Report before checking back into the R&I net. I.E., “Net Control W4XYZ”.  Net Control will acknowledge your call sign.  You may be requested to move to a different frequency and/or report to a different sub-net control operator.  If so, check into the new net using the same procedure.   When requested by the Net Control Station, submit your SitRep slowly allowing Net Control time to copy your information and acknowledge your report.  Operators are expected to standby and monitor their assigned net until released by the Net Control Station.  Once an assignment is complete, all stations should return to the R&I Net for further assignments or to request to secure their station.

You may be requested by net control to move to a different frequency or special net.  Acknowledge Net Controls instructions, and move to the assigned frequency and check into the new net. I.E., “Net Control” W4XYZ and wait for acknowledgment.  Follow Net Controls instructions.

Your situation may change during the Recovery Phase of an event.  Be prepared to notify Net Control of any significant changes to your Sit Rep.  For example, a family member may be injured while cleaning up debris requiring you to leave your station. 

SITUATION AWARENESS IS POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTION THAT WE CAN PROVIDE DURING AN EVENT.