Basic Operator Course – Unit 3

Basic Operator Course – Unit 3
Monroe County ARES-RACES Group Basic Operator Course – Unit 3 Directed Net Fundamentals Operating a Tactical Radio Net Thanks and credit for some content and concepts to: ©Virginia RACES, Inc. and ©Indiana ARES/RACES

Monroe County ARES-RACES
Objectives Directed nets Why one is necessary How to keep a Net Control log Operational considerations and format Operating practices should be used by ARES/RACES Correct voice communications procedure ABC’s- ACCURACY, BREVITY, CLARITY Procedural words and phonetics Monroe County ARES-RACES

Directed Net When Net Control requires stations to get permission before using the net: This is a Directed Net. Directed nets are recommended whenever more than four stations share the same working frequency. A Directed Net enables the NCS to prioritize and handle quickly multiple stations that have traffic to handle. Every ARES-RACES operator should know how to call up and run a net. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Net Control Operator Controls the net Maintains net discipline by setting example Moves traffic efficiently Tracks what’s going on Records what happens Reports to the served agency, Radio Officer, Emergency Coordinator and/or Net Manager Monroe County ARES-RACES

The NCS Log … and other Station logs … Written – because you will not remember everything when the event gets busy. Written – so that you can correctly brief your relief operator. Written – so that an event can be reconstructed by the served agency, the Radio Officer/Emergency Coordinator or Net Manager. Written. Monroe County ARES-RACES

ICS 309…Station Log Served agencies may require a formal log ICS 309 is a good, all-around log Task # - Task number should be assigned by the Communications Team Leader. Date/Time Prepared – Use military and 24-hour formats Operational Period - Identify the time period or sequence # assigned that is covered by your shift. Task Name: Assigned by the IC [Incident Commander] and available from the command staff. Station ID - This may correspond with your Tactical Call but should identify your Physical Assignment. Could come from IC and the ICS –205 Communication Plan LOG - The log consists of the Time, Stations and Events that occurred, … which becomes part of the official incident record. Monroe County ARES-RACES

ICS 309 Communications Log Task # [sequential, assigned by communications team leader] Date Prepared: [dd mon yy] Time Prepared: [24 h/ hh:mm.ss] FOR OPERATIONAL PERIOD # [assigned] TASK NAME: [assigned by agency] RADIO OPERATOR NAME: [First Last, call sign] STATION I.D.: [tactical] LOG Time From To Subject 00:00 SAR-2 Command Check status grid 39 deg min N, 109 deg, min W 00:15 Stage A EMS-3 on site with 2 paramedics [continue down page] Page 1 of # ICS 309 Monroe County ARES-RACES

NC/Station-created Log
Date, time, and frequency Mode: FM voice, packet, HF, CW Priority: Station which originated the traffic Station which took the traffic Other Routing: By which liaison, to which net? (record the use of relays or alternate frequencies) Sequence of Assignment(s) or Action(s) taken Number of pieces, Destination (or Agency) Location NTS Emergency Priority Health & Welfare Routine ICS Urgent Immediate Routine Monroe County ARES-RACES

Operating a Net Preparation and planning help Prevent Chaos! Ensure that an Alternate Net Control is always available. Back-up is vital if Battery fails Thunderstorm activity Any unforeseen or dangerous situation. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Net Consistency All Indiana ARES/RACES Emergency Nets will follow the same operating procedures and practices. Use and practice these procedures on VHF and Simplex nets during drills and public service nets which are practice for emergency events. Develop the ability to provide effective local coverage without depending on repeaters South Central Indiana Simplex Net SCISN – Monitor and/or Check-in to learn practices Monroe County ARES-RACES

NCS Considerations NCS should not operate from an EOC Noisy / distracting -- to you and agency officials NCO should always make sure: Equipment / antennas are in good order Batteries are charged, inspected regularly To use minimum reliable power so batteries last longer That back-up and/or emergency power is available To be on time, and at the correct frequency Monroe County ARES-RACES

Standard Net Format NCO identifies, asks if frequency is in use Moving an emergency net to another frequency should be a last resort. Moving a drill or practice session is less problematic, but remember the frequency belongs to the stations already using it. Be diplomatic. Cooperate. They will probably move. Identify the Net and Purpose: This is a directed net in support of Red Cross Disaster Assessment. Identify NCO by call sign and name: Net Control is KC9LES, name is David. Give location of NCS (for beam headings): Repeater is on IU campus. or Simplex NCS is W 7th St. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Standard Net Format2 Secure an appropriate Back Up (Alternate) Net Control (ANC) and decide what functions are expected: Recording check-ins Tracking assignments and actions … for example.. Announce what outlets are needed for net traffic: Liaison with National Weather Service in Indianapolis … neighboring repeater/simplex nets … EOCs and served agencies … Operators in affected areas … County Emergency Stations … Official Emergency Stations … Indiana Traffic Net … for example. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Standard Net Format3 Avoid long call-ups. Do not accept check-ins just ‘for the numbers.’ Call for Emergency (Urgent) and/or Priority (Immediate) traffic first Act on it immediately. Be prepared to move this to an alternate volunteer. Call and Assign Liaison stations Don’t wait until you need a liaison to ask for volunteers. Restate Purpose of Net and Provide Instructions: This is a directed net in support of National Weather Service. We will take traffic from any station with reports of any rotation, wind exceeding 30mph, damage to tree limbs in excess of 1 inch, or downed, healthy, mature trees. Call now with call sign, observation and location. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Prioritize Traffic Prioritize each check-in The National Traffic System (NTS) and Indiana Traffic Net (ITN) categorize traffic as Emergency – Life and Death Urgency Priority – Important messages with a time limit Health & Welfare – Inquiries or advisories Routine – Normal, everyday messages. Handle last. The Incident Command System (ICS) comparisons: Urgent = Emergency Immediate = Priority / Time Value Traffic OPNETs (operational nets) = NO Welfare traffic Routine = Routine. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Tasks and Traffic Emergency Nets: Don’t Take Check-ins to Build a Roster Match up need with assets: Who has traffic requirements? Which traffic is most urgent? Where is the traffic going? Who can handle the traffic? What are the tasks? Who can handle the tasks? Assign the work as it comes in. Use the Monroe County ARES-RACES Asset List Establish strategic or 'side' frequencies with nets Pass traffic on strategic nets in high traffic loads Use the tactical net for local needs. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Moving Traffic As soon as traffic arrives, call for outlets and get it out Handle in priority order Within each priority, handle ‘through’ traffic first Via HF Using repeaters and relays through liaison stations Do not accept HW on an Emergency Net Refer to an NTS net Refer to a local strategic net Make exception if specifically requested by the served agency. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Tactical Call Signs… … enable operating a net without regard to Who is operating a station in any particular location. Tactical calls identify location or function Command Red Cross 3 EMA Shadow. Tactical calls provide continuity when operators change. Use your Tactical Call to identify your function or location SAR-1, Shelter 4, Net Control, Dispatch, Utilities, Radio Officer An operator may have multiple Tactical functions. Contact others by their Tactical Call Fire Shadow this is Net Control Listen for your Tactical Call. Monroe County ARES-RACES

FCC ID and Part 97 Add your FCC call sign to the last transmission in a series … or at the 10 minute mark in a long exchange of traffic. NCS will use the FCC call sign every 10 minutes and at the end of the last transmission in a series. Excessive ID wastes time. ID to move the net and identify function and location. Appropriate Tactical Calls identify function and location FCC call signs satisfy Part 97 requirements Suffix-only identifications [RVB, FEB, I] are technically legal when accompanied by a Part 97 FCC identification, but do not serve to identify location or function any better than a full FCC call, but do speed up the net. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Responsibilities of Net Participants
Know how the net operates Be familiar with the standard ARES-RACES procedures Understand that nets may vary from place to place, event to event Learn through training and listening. Respond only to the Net Control Station Or to an authorized Go Direct call Answer promptly Listen continuously. Never leave a net without checking out. Be Reliable Arrive before your shift at operating position Get briefed and be ready to take over. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Briefings: Passing the Torch
Use OPBRIEF.doc and ICS 309 Log on RACES Events Write down all oral instructions or comments Update as needed Pass on your notes to relief operator Tell relief operator everything she/he needs to know. Refer to the prompts on the OPBRIEF form Pass OPBRIEF and ICS 309 to relief operator Pass all extraneous notes and comments. Monroe County ARES-RACES

OPBRIEF Contents What is our assignment? What is my tactical call? Who is the served agency Official in Command? Who is the served agency official at this location? How are agency staff recognized? With whom do I maintain regular contact? What are their tactical call signs? Where are the various net stations located? What type of current activity is pending? What frequencies should I use for what function? Radio, power, antenna, other equipment information Nearest telephone: location and number. Location of toilet, water, food, first aid, other supplies. Monroe County ARES-RACES

ARES-RACES Operating Practices
ABCs: Accuracy + Brevity = Clarity No idle chatter in a directed net. Establish initial contact by stating only your FCC call sign. Subsequent contacts: State only your Tactical Call. Wait for NCS to recognize you before transmitting further. Think before you speak. Write a script if necessary. Stop transmitting when you stop talking. Wait 2-3 seconds before keying and between transmissions … the equipment delay Do not call endlessly. PTT = RTL. Monroe County ARES-RACES

ARES-RACES Operating Practices2
Talk Little … Listen Much Emergency/Urgent/Priority/Immediate traffic – Interrupt When it is necessary to do so, ID and say why: SAR-1 … urgent. KB9RVB … time value priority. Do not use ‘Q’ signals on phone (voice) nets. Use plain language only Operations bridge many agencies and services Not all share the same jargon or parlance. Do use short, simple phrases. Wait to be acknowledged before continuing Acknowledge transmissions to you. Monroe County ARES-RACES

ARES-RACES Operating Practices3
Answer questions immediately and directly Do not explain your answer unless requested Be brief Let NCO ask for more detail, if needed. Ask for clarification For whom a message is intended, if you don’t know Exactly what task you are being assigned to complete. Use Third Party Protocol Legal, expedient and necessary Act as Control Operator for direct communication to/from unlicensed agency personnel. Request permission to Go Direct to another station. Monroe County ARES-RACES

More ARES-RACES Operating Practices4
Write down, names of served agency officials for whom you send traffic Make a line item entry on ICS 309 or any other station log Necessary in case they wander off before you get a reply or need more information Helps eliminate duplicate requests for the same resources or information Do not pass names over the radio But do use names of agency officials to authenticate messages Exceptions may be approved by agency through NCO if doing so is operationally necessary. Monroe County ARES-RACES

RACES Operating Practice
During a severe ARES- or designated RACES-supported event, officials expect possible malicious interference. During the RACES call up, the following is permitted: Do not say frequencies over the air Refer to OPBRIEF designators, such as Tac-1, Side-2 RO/EC and team leaders may use ICS Form 205. Refer to OPBRIEF.doc and ICS Form 205 Communications Plan if RACES is activated. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Formal Traffic and Messages
Paraphrasing introduces errors Get fully-worded, written / signed messages Enter on ICS Form 213 if RACES is activated Red Cross has a preferred message-handling system Use ARRL Radiogram for other activities. If given a message orally… write it down then read it back verbatim for approval by the originating official. Pass the message exactly as you read it back to the originating official who approved it. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Formal Traffic and Messages
Formal messages aren’t needed for most Real-Time Tactical Communications: Direct conversations between third parties Life and safety matters when timing is critical Most routine task assignments / completions Most routine resource coordination Record routine exchanges as line-items in the log. Don’t fixate on the Form. Be prepared to copy messages without a form. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Directing Traffic Normal Tactical Traffic or Formal Messages: Address traffic to specific stations Ask requestor who should handle it The requestor usually knows better than Net Control who should get the message Get permission from NCS to send traffic direct. Send traffic directly to that party If NCS isn't the one to handle it, not being specific wastes time asking or explaining it again to someone else Monroe County ARES-RACES

ARES-RACES Good Audio Practices
After keying, wait briefly before speaking to avoid clipping the first syllable, usually caused by … Transceiver delay changing from Rx to Tx Equipment delay from repeater links. In a noisy environment … Use an earphone or headset Shield your microphone Speak across the microphone Use a normal speaking voice. If you speak louder than needed for full modulation, voice audio is clipped, which reduces intelligibility. Monroe County ARES-RACES

ARES-RACES Good Audio Practices2
Listen before keying Don’t interfere with contact in progress Remember, other operators are pausing Don’t be in a rush. Slow down. Get it Right. On a net, say… Net Control, this is [Tactical Call or call sign]. Wait to be acknowledged. Listen. If NCO is busy, it may acknowledge with Wait or Stand by If you have been directed to wait, and NCS is busy with another contact, do not re-call when that contact is completed Your call is in the queue. Stand by. If you have not been acknowledged, re-call, cautiously. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Third Party and Go Direct
During emergency and event nets, encourage the use of Third Party Protocol Go Direct Both are legal, clear and expedite traffic and information. For a Third Party contact, say, I have third party traffic for [tactical call or agency official]. On Third Party, state your FCC call and identify the partyoperator. Say, This is KB9RVB with John Smith as third party. On Go Direct, after NCS gives permission, say, [Tactical Call or call sign], this is [your Tactical Call or call sign] Monroe County ARES-RACES

Pro Words Use Procedural Words … Correctly: Pro Words expedite traffic with minimal errors. The Basic Four This is … always use to identify. This is Net Control. Over … means, I have finished transmitting. I am awaiting and expecting your reply (to my transmission). Go ahead … means, Proceed with traffic. It’s your turn. Out … means, End of Contact – I have finished and expect no reply. Over and Out or Clear? Monroe County ARES-RACES

Pro Words Over-Out/Clear-Out
Use Procedural Words … Correctly: Over means, I am finished and waiting for you to reply, Out means, I am finished and expect no reply, Over and Out would mean, I am finished and waiting for you to reply, but I expect no reply! Contradictory. Don’t use. What about Clear? Clear is used to release the frequency Directed net check-ins may not contact another station or leave the net without permission Only the NCS can end the net and release the frequency. End transmissions on directed nets with Out. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Pro Words Roger / Confirm / Affirm
Use Procedural Words … Correctly: Roger means received and understood should not be used for yes and affirmative. Confirm acknowledges traffic sent or a ‘fill’ some nets substitute Charlie. Affirmative = Yes Negative = No Because each sounds distinctive and has clearer meaning under marginal voice conditions Monroe County ARES-RACES

Pro Words Say again - Fill
Say again to request a fill, Stating, say again, requests complete repeat Say again … followed by… Word before [word] Word after [word] All after [word] All before [word] ... will set up a Fill. Say again all after requests. I say again to provide a fill. Stating, I say again, provides complete repeat I say again, to request a fill. Confirm? I say again all after requests, a fill. Confirm? Monroe County ARES-RACES

Pro Words Correction-Break-Wait
Correction means, I made an error and am transmitting again from after the last correct word. I am transmitting again from after the last copied word. Correction, the last correct word. Confirm? Correct means,You are right. Break is used as a separator in formal messages, not to interrupt a contact. In emergency, use plain language … N9FEB, urgent. EMA Shadow, time value priority. Wait means, I am occupied. Stand by. Wait, out means, I will be off air for a period of time. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Pro Words in Message Traffic
Figures means, the next group following is numbers 1708 S High St. Figures One Seven Zero Eight South High Street. Initials means, a single letter or a letter group follows RACES Initials Romeo Alpha Charlie Echo Sierra. Mixed Groups are identified by the first member: 17th Street -- Figures One, Seven, Tango Hotel Street K9FEB – Initials Kilo Niner Foxtrot Echo Bravo Words Twice: in really bad conditions, request that sender say each word twice. Sender responds, Say say each each word word twice twice. Monroe County ARES-RACES

Always use Standard ITU Phonetics
A -- Alpha B -- Bravo C -- Charlie D -- Delta E -- Echo F -- Foxtrot G -- Golf H – Hotel I -- India J -- Juliet K -- Kilo L -- Lima M -- Mike N – November O – Oscar P -- Papa Q -- Quebec R -- Romeo S -- Sierra T -- Tango U -- Uniform V -- Victor W -- Whiskey X – X-ray Y -- Yankee Z -- Zulu Monroe County ARES-RACES

When Conditions are Poor…
Numbers must be exaggerated to be understandable 1 = Wun = Too 3 = Tree = Fower 5 = Fife = Siks 7 = Sevven 8 = Ate 9 = Niner 0 = Zearow Initial in Oscar is Oh Figure 0 is Zero Never say, 100 as One Oh Oh Always say, Wun Zearow Zearow. Monroe County ARES-RACES

73 KB9RVB Clear Monroe County ARES-RACES

Basic Operator Course – Unit 3

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