[KYHAM] KEN Training Feb. 25: BASIC RULES OF EMERGENCY OPERATION Part 1

[Ron Dodson]

KERR ARTICLE IV
Section 4.1 BASIC RULES OF EMERGENCY OPERATION

Do Not! act on your own to provide emergency
communication. We must remember that we are to ASSIST
the various served agencies only when called for. An
unorganized, knee-jerk reaction to an emergency
situation will create problems and damage our good
will.  If you suspect that a potential emergency
situation exists that would require amateur radio
communication, please monitor the various assigned net
frequencies for your area. If you suspect we may be
needed, notify your local Emergency Coordinator or
Assistant EC.  

When a served agency needs our assistance, they usually
alert designated amateur radio operators who are
members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
Typically, this is the local Emergency Coordinator who
has registered himself and other amateurs IN ADVANCE
with the agencies seeking help. Once called in by the
served agency, the EC (or designated amateur) should
notify the District Emergency Coordinator. The DEC will
then notify the Section Emergency Coordinator, who in
turn will notify the Section Manager. Use only enough
operators to get the situation under control.


(Activation of nets in "Stand By Mode" to check on
availability of amateurs in anticipation of a response
is always a judgment call and can sometimes be
worthwhile. Care should be exercised that no one 'jumps
the gun" and confuses the situation.)

The EC will normally assign an NCS for control of the
local net which is to be designated as the "key
station." This station will be used extensively during
a communications emergency. Key station personnel
should have full use of emergency power capability with
adequate relief operators assigned to ensure continuous
operation. When an officially activated emergency net
is in session, the NET CONTROL IS THE BOSS. Discipline
is essential if operations are to go smoothly. DO NOT
TALK unless specifically asked to do so.

If the emergency should cover more than the local area,
the EC in charge may, at his/her option, ask for
activation of additional traffic nets on a District or
Section-wide basis. He will assign liaison stations to
/ from these nets.

All messages must be written traffic in standard ARRL
form. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that anyone taking
emergency traffic should use the "emergency radiogram"
format similar to the ARRL form FSD-244 which is
intended for (H)ealth and (W)elfare traffic that is
enclosed as a sample at the end of this chapter. This
will give you a written,signed, and dated record of
emergency traffic passed. This is invaluable as an
audit trail and for later critique sessions.  

(In making this statement we realize that there will be
verbal communications which are not RADIOGRAMS!  It is
ridiculous to even consider the need for a radiogram to
advise of a tornado on the ground or funnel cloud
sightings etc. during SkyWarn and other situations. Our
reasoning in the KERR statement is based on the idea
that if a Mayor,
County Judge Exec. etc asks that an important message
be transmitted it is worthwhile for the served agency
AND YOU to have a written record of the message and its
origin, destination and content.  Radiograms are the
quick way to accomplish
this.)   

All emergency and priority messages must be SIGNED by
the official who originates them, with their title,
taking responsibility for their contents.
Message precedence of (E)mergency, (P)riority,
(W)elfare or (R)outine shall be used on ALL messages.
The filing time of (E)mergency and (P)riority traffic
is important and must be shown.

During formal nets in disasters, stations do not
transmit unless invited to do so by the net control.
The ONLY exception to this is for a station having
EMERGENCY traffic.