Operation Plan
SCERS Operation Plan
ALWAYS - SAFETY FIRST If any action requested involves risk, the person should NOT take the action and should notify net control that he/she will not be performing the action requested, along with a statement of the risk assessment.
2. INTRODUCTION
2.1 The Sevier County Emergency Radio Service (SCERS) is a field organization of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and is composed of FCC licensed amateur radio operators who are trained emergency communicators, volunteering personal time, skill and equipment to serve in the public interest.
2.2 The Sevier County ARES functions in this Emergency Communications Plan under the direction of the ARES Sevier County Emergency Coordinator (EC). EC will be recommended to the SEC for ARRL appointment.The EC must be Ecom level one or above and be in good standing with ARRL.
The EC may appoint Assistant Emergency Coordinators (AEC¿s) as needed..The AEC must be Ecom level one or above and be in good standing with ARRL.
2.3 The EC or AEC may appoint Net Control Stations (NCS¿s), whose primary duty is to activate Sevier County ARES if needed.
2.4 When activated, the EC or NCS performing the activation will become the ARES Officer In Charge (OIC), or will designate an OIC. The OIC will be the final authority within Sevier County ARES for the event.
3. PURPOSE
3.1 The purpose of this plan is to provide a written guide containing the minimum information needed in an emergency. Each emergency is different and flexibility is necessary to provide an adequate response.
3.2 The primary responsibility of the Sevier County Radio Emergency Service is to furnish emergency communications in the event of a natural or a man made emergency when regular communications fail or become inadequate or overloaded.
3.3 Drills, training and instruction shall be carried out to ensure readiness to respond quickly in providing effective amateur emergency communications.
3.4 Following is a list of jurisdictions/agencies that will be served, as requested, in an emergency. Other city and/or state agencies will be served as requested by the Sevier County Office¿s of Emergency Management.
3.4.1 Incorporated jurisdictions in the greater Sevier County metropolitan area.
3.4.2 The unincorporated area or populations under the authority of the Sevier County Office of Emergency Management.
3.4.3 The American Red Cross
3.4.4 Police and fire departments
3.4.5 Hospitals and nursing homes
3.4.6 The District 8 Emergency Coordinator,East Tennessee Section, of the ARRL when requested by surrounding counties needing assistance.
3.4.7 The State of Tennessee Division of Emergency Management (TEMA)
3.4.8 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
3.4.9 The Salvation Army
3.5 Sevier County ARES may provide volunteer communications support for other public events in non-emergency situations.
3.6 Sevier County ARES may monitor 146.940 Repeater, Net when weather conditions warrant and reports to the National Weather Service (NWS). No request from a served agency is needed.
4. PLAN ACTIVATION
4.1 Any member of the Sevier County ARES who becomes aware that a communications emergency exists, should contact the EC, a NCS, or an AEC and monitor the current assigned Resource and Tactical net frequencies. A member may also contact the Offical Emergency Station, (OES) by the OES pager number or by paging the EC, AEC, NCS or DEC direct.
4.2 Operators are forbidden to go to the site of any emergency event unless authorized to do so by Net Control.Net Control will only authorize operators to go to the site of an emergency event if the appropriate served agency requests ARES help at that site. The request, requester name, title, served agency, and time should be documented in the net log. NOTE: Currently mobile units may stagein the parking lots of pre-defined staging areas which are: EOC, Sevierville Police and Sevier Parks and Recreation Department Community Recreation Centers.
4.3 The EC, Designated NCS, or Assistant EC shall be notified by telephone or pager. Other methods including amateur radio or courier may be used if needed.
4.4 In any emergency in which amateur radio is requested to serve, amateur radio operators may be alerted by any Emergency Management Coordinator, Red Cross, or state official notifying the EC or designated NCS. If the EC and NCS are unavailable, notify an AEC. The AEC will periodically attempt to contact the EC and Duty Officer. The EC or designated Duty Officer who activates ARES will become the ARES Officer in Charge (OIC). The ARES OIC will document the name, title, and served agency of the requester.
4.5 The ARES OIC will be in charge of all ARES operations during any emergency activation. He/she will be the top Sevier County ARES authority for the event. All ARES participants will take direction from him/her. The OIC may change during the event at the discretion of the OIC or EC.
5. MOBILIZATION
5.1 The OIC or designee will notify ARES members by using pagers, telephone and other systems if available. E-mail may also be used when appropriate.
5.2 [deleted]
5.3 If necessary, the telephone tree will be activated. If telephone service is not available, notification will be by radio and/or runner, as necessary.
5.4 Upon notification that a communications emergency exists, members of the Sevier County Amateur Radio Emergency Service will listen to the frequency and will only check in if they have urgent information or when the Net Control Station (NCS) asks for checkins on the Sevier County Emergency Net. Stations will maintain radio silence, unless they have business with the net.
6. DUTIES OF NET CONTROL STATION (NCS)
6.1 OPEN NETS
The Sevier County Emergency Net will be activated by the Net Control Station. Based upon the facts, stations will be fully advised as to the nature of the emergency.Net control will establish backup frequencies and a backup NCS station.As appropriate, net control will periodically announce that a net is in progress, give brief summaries, and remind users of backup frequencies and backup net control, etc.
6.2 CHECK IN STATIONS
Stations will be checked in from their home stations, mobiles, and portable stations. All stations shall stand by for further instructions. An inventory list will be made of operators and equipment for possible assignment as relief operators.
6.3 Mobile and portable stations will be dispatched as needed either to a ¿Staging¿ location or directly to the incident site as determined by the OIC. OIC must notify NCS which Agency Official, by name and title, requested our deployment should our deployed units encounter a restricted access condition or other challenges. The location of each will be noted at all times by the NCS.
6.4 Each site will have a designated Communications Supervisor (CS) who will coordinate amateur communication at their specific deployment site.
7 OPERATIONS
7.1 MESSAGES
7.1.1 Formal Messages:
Formal messages are those which are written in a standard format. All messages which request material or services which may require payment or replacement must be formal messages.
Message Forms:
All formal messages must be written in standard ARRL format unless otherwise directed by the served agency.It is strongly encouraged to restrict messages to 25 words or less, particularly if the message will be relayed multiple times or sent out of the area. Messages over 25 words are much less likely to reach their destination quickly. Operators receiving messages from officials should encourage the officials to produce messages in 25 words or less to ensure prompt and reliable delivery.The served agency representative can create his/her printed message on the Message Forms provided by the radio operator for that purpose.
Message Precedence:
The operator must assign the message an ARRL PRECEDENCE, defined on ARRL CD Form #3.
This PRECEDENCE will be used on all messages.Any operator receiving messages should check the precedence of messages received for EMERGENCY precedence messages.Anyone giving messages to an operator should check the messages and inform the operator if any of the messages are of EMERGENCY precedence. The person passing the messages should be sure the receiving operator acknowledges this precedence.
Requester name:
All FORMAL MESSAGES require the PRINTED NAME, TITLE, SERVED AGENCY and SITE of the requester .All requests to dispatch operators to a location require PRINTED NAME, TITLE, SERVED AGENCY and SITE of the requester. These requests should be written down in the net log.MESSAGES RECEIVED REQUESTING MATERIALS OR SERVICES WHICH MAY LATER REQUIRE PAYMENT or REPAYMENT OF FUNDS WILL NOT BE TRANSMITTED UNTIL THEY CONTAIN THE PRINTED NAME, TITLE, SERVED AGENCY AND SITE OF THE REQUESTER.
Save Messages:
All operators must save a copy of all formal messages.
7.1.2 Tactical Messages
Tactical Emergency messages, such as FIRE, POLICE or Life-or-Death situations do NOT require NUMBERS. These are first priority messages and we use ¿Break, Break!¿ to get attention of the NCS between transmissions. When accepting such messages for transmission, require only the following information:
A. To (Example: Sevierville Fire Department)
B. What (Example: Pumper truck needed ASAP)
C. Why (Example: Structure fire)
D. Where (Example: Sevier County High School)
E. Who (Lt. Scott Gibson, Sevierville Fire Department)
7.2 TRANSMITTING Stations must not transmit unless invited to do so by the Net Control (NCS).
7.2.1 Exceptions: A.
Stations having tactical emergency traffic.
B. As designated in the standard operating procedure of Amateur Radio.
7.2.2 Keep transmissions short and to the point.All stations, including net control, should leave frequent gaps in their transmissions for emergency traffic. (Long enough for someone to recognize the gap and call ¿BREAK BREAK.¿)
7.3 COMMUNICATIONS METHODS
Operators should use the most efficient method available to transmit their message. If available and appropriate, use the telephone, cell phone, internet, packet, foot, automobile, etc. The more traffic passed off the air, the more available ham radio is for traffic to/from locations without alternate means of communications.
8. DRILLS, TESTS AND ALERTS
8.1 An annual test will be conducted during the Fall of each year in conjunction with the nationwide Simulated Emergency Test (SET) sponsored by ARRL. Periodic exercises will be conducted in cooperation with the various Sevier County Emergency Management Coordinators.
8.2 The Sevier County Emergency Radio Service Training Net will be held at 7:30 P.M., local time, every Monday night, on the 146.940 MHz repeater. This weekly test will be preceeded by an all call activation at 7:00pm local time on the ARES- Pager Alerting System.
8.3 At the discretion of the EC, ARES will sponsor an unannounced activation at least once a year.
8.4 A Standard Operating Procedure detailing emergency response procedures and actions shall be written.
8.5 The Sevier County Emergency Radio Service Emergency Communications Plan and the Standard Operating Procedure shall be reviewed annually with updates as necessary to keep this plan current and viable.
Submitted By: Darrell Sperry, KA4TAR, OES 2005
2. INTRODUCTION
2.1 The Sevier County Emergency Radio Service (SCERS) is a field organization of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and is composed of FCC licensed amateur radio operators who are trained emergency communicators, volunteering personal time, skill and equipment to serve in the public interest.
2.2 The Sevier County ARES functions in this Emergency Communications Plan under the direction of the ARES Sevier County Emergency Coordinator (EC). EC will be recommended to the SEC for ARRL appointment.The EC must be Ecom level one or above and be in good standing with ARRL.
The EC may appoint Assistant Emergency Coordinators (AEC¿s) as needed..The AEC must be Ecom level one or above and be in good standing with ARRL.
2.3 The EC or AEC may appoint Net Control Stations (NCS¿s), whose primary duty is to activate Sevier County ARES if needed.
2.4 When activated, the EC or NCS performing the activation will become the ARES Officer In Charge (OIC), or will designate an OIC. The OIC will be the final authority within Sevier County ARES for the event.
3. PURPOSE
3.1 The purpose of this plan is to provide a written guide containing the minimum information needed in an emergency. Each emergency is different and flexibility is necessary to provide an adequate response.
3.2 The primary responsibility of the Sevier County Radio Emergency Service is to furnish emergency communications in the event of a natural or a man made emergency when regular communications fail or become inadequate or overloaded.
3.3 Drills, training and instruction shall be carried out to ensure readiness to respond quickly in providing effective amateur emergency communications.
3.4 Following is a list of jurisdictions/agencies that will be served, as requested, in an emergency. Other city and/or state agencies will be served as requested by the Sevier County Office¿s of Emergency Management.
3.4.1 Incorporated jurisdictions in the greater Sevier County metropolitan area.
3.4.2 The unincorporated area or populations under the authority of the Sevier County Office of Emergency Management.
3.4.3 The American Red Cross
3.4.4 Police and fire departments
3.4.5 Hospitals and nursing homes
3.4.6 The District 8 Emergency Coordinator,East Tennessee Section, of the ARRL when requested by surrounding counties needing assistance.
3.4.7 The State of Tennessee Division of Emergency Management (TEMA)
3.4.8 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
3.4.9 The Salvation Army
3.5 Sevier County ARES may provide volunteer communications support for other public events in non-emergency situations.
3.6 Sevier County ARES may monitor 146.940 Repeater, Net when weather conditions warrant and reports to the National Weather Service (NWS). No request from a served agency is needed.
4. PLAN ACTIVATION
4.1 Any member of the Sevier County ARES who becomes aware that a communications emergency exists, should contact the EC, a NCS, or an AEC and monitor the current assigned Resource and Tactical net frequencies. A member may also contact the Offical Emergency Station, (OES) by the OES pager number or by paging the EC, AEC, NCS or DEC direct.
4.2 Operators are forbidden to go to the site of any emergency event unless authorized to do so by Net Control.Net Control will only authorize operators to go to the site of an emergency event if the appropriate served agency requests ARES help at that site. The request, requester name, title, served agency, and time should be documented in the net log. NOTE: Currently mobile units may stagein the parking lots of pre-defined staging areas which are: EOC, Sevierville Police and Sevier Parks and Recreation Department Community Recreation Centers.
4.3 The EC, Designated NCS, or Assistant EC shall be notified by telephone or pager. Other methods including amateur radio or courier may be used if needed.
4.4 In any emergency in which amateur radio is requested to serve, amateur radio operators may be alerted by any Emergency Management Coordinator, Red Cross, or state official notifying the EC or designated NCS. If the EC and NCS are unavailable, notify an AEC. The AEC will periodically attempt to contact the EC and Duty Officer. The EC or designated Duty Officer who activates ARES will become the ARES Officer in Charge (OIC). The ARES OIC will document the name, title, and served agency of the requester.
4.5 The ARES OIC will be in charge of all ARES operations during any emergency activation. He/she will be the top Sevier County ARES authority for the event. All ARES participants will take direction from him/her. The OIC may change during the event at the discretion of the OIC or EC.
5. MOBILIZATION
5.1 The OIC or designee will notify ARES members by using pagers, telephone and other systems if available. E-mail may also be used when appropriate.
5.2 [deleted]
5.3 If necessary, the telephone tree will be activated. If telephone service is not available, notification will be by radio and/or runner, as necessary.
5.4 Upon notification that a communications emergency exists, members of the Sevier County Amateur Radio Emergency Service will listen to the frequency and will only check in if they have urgent information or when the Net Control Station (NCS) asks for checkins on the Sevier County Emergency Net. Stations will maintain radio silence, unless they have business with the net.
6. DUTIES OF NET CONTROL STATION (NCS)
6.1 OPEN NETS
The Sevier County Emergency Net will be activated by the Net Control Station. Based upon the facts, stations will be fully advised as to the nature of the emergency.Net control will establish backup frequencies and a backup NCS station.As appropriate, net control will periodically announce that a net is in progress, give brief summaries, and remind users of backup frequencies and backup net control, etc.
6.2 CHECK IN STATIONS
Stations will be checked in from their home stations, mobiles, and portable stations. All stations shall stand by for further instructions. An inventory list will be made of operators and equipment for possible assignment as relief operators.
6.3 Mobile and portable stations will be dispatched as needed either to a ¿Staging¿ location or directly to the incident site as determined by the OIC. OIC must notify NCS which Agency Official, by name and title, requested our deployment should our deployed units encounter a restricted access condition or other challenges. The location of each will be noted at all times by the NCS.
6.4 Each site will have a designated Communications Supervisor (CS) who will coordinate amateur communication at their specific deployment site.
7 OPERATIONS
7.1 MESSAGES
7.1.1 Formal Messages:
Formal messages are those which are written in a standard format. All messages which request material or services which may require payment or replacement must be formal messages.
Message Forms:
All formal messages must be written in standard ARRL format unless otherwise directed by the served agency.It is strongly encouraged to restrict messages to 25 words or less, particularly if the message will be relayed multiple times or sent out of the area. Messages over 25 words are much less likely to reach their destination quickly. Operators receiving messages from officials should encourage the officials to produce messages in 25 words or less to ensure prompt and reliable delivery.The served agency representative can create his/her printed message on the Message Forms provided by the radio operator for that purpose.
Message Precedence:
The operator must assign the message an ARRL PRECEDENCE, defined on ARRL CD Form #3.
This PRECEDENCE will be used on all messages.Any operator receiving messages should check the precedence of messages received for EMERGENCY precedence messages.Anyone giving messages to an operator should check the messages and inform the operator if any of the messages are of EMERGENCY precedence. The person passing the messages should be sure the receiving operator acknowledges this precedence.
Requester name:
All FORMAL MESSAGES require the PRINTED NAME, TITLE, SERVED AGENCY and SITE of the requester .All requests to dispatch operators to a location require PRINTED NAME, TITLE, SERVED AGENCY and SITE of the requester. These requests should be written down in the net log.MESSAGES RECEIVED REQUESTING MATERIALS OR SERVICES WHICH MAY LATER REQUIRE PAYMENT or REPAYMENT OF FUNDS WILL NOT BE TRANSMITTED UNTIL THEY CONTAIN THE PRINTED NAME, TITLE, SERVED AGENCY AND SITE OF THE REQUESTER.
Save Messages:
All operators must save a copy of all formal messages.
7.1.2 Tactical Messages
Tactical Emergency messages, such as FIRE, POLICE or Life-or-Death situations do NOT require NUMBERS. These are first priority messages and we use ¿Break, Break!¿ to get attention of the NCS between transmissions. When accepting such messages for transmission, require only the following information:
A. To (Example: Sevierville Fire Department)
B. What (Example: Pumper truck needed ASAP)
C. Why (Example: Structure fire)
D. Where (Example: Sevier County High School)
E. Who (Lt. Scott Gibson, Sevierville Fire Department)
7.2 TRANSMITTING Stations must not transmit unless invited to do so by the Net Control (NCS).
7.2.1 Exceptions: A.
Stations having tactical emergency traffic.
B. As designated in the standard operating procedure of Amateur Radio.
7.2.2 Keep transmissions short and to the point.All stations, including net control, should leave frequent gaps in their transmissions for emergency traffic. (Long enough for someone to recognize the gap and call ¿BREAK BREAK.¿)
7.3 COMMUNICATIONS METHODS
Operators should use the most efficient method available to transmit their message. If available and appropriate, use the telephone, cell phone, internet, packet, foot, automobile, etc. The more traffic passed off the air, the more available ham radio is for traffic to/from locations without alternate means of communications.
8. DRILLS, TESTS AND ALERTS
8.1 An annual test will be conducted during the Fall of each year in conjunction with the nationwide Simulated Emergency Test (SET) sponsored by ARRL. Periodic exercises will be conducted in cooperation with the various Sevier County Emergency Management Coordinators.
8.2 The Sevier County Emergency Radio Service Training Net will be held at 7:30 P.M., local time, every Monday night, on the 146.940 MHz repeater. This weekly test will be preceeded by an all call activation at 7:00pm local time on the ARES- Pager Alerting System.
8.3 At the discretion of the EC, ARES will sponsor an unannounced activation at least once a year.
8.4 A Standard Operating Procedure detailing emergency response procedures and actions shall be written.
8.5 The Sevier County Emergency Radio Service Emergency Communications Plan and the Standard Operating Procedure shall be reviewed annually with updates as necessary to keep this plan current and viable.
Submitted By: Darrell Sperry, KA4TAR, OES 2005
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