[KYHAM] KEN Training for March 11; BASIC RULES OF EMERGENCY OPERATION Part 3

[Ron Dodson]

This week, we finish with Part 3 of this segment of
training.  

The use of any Q signals, ( QSL, QSY etc) during and
emergency operation will not be used on phone nets.
These signals were developed for CW nets in order to
speed and simplify net operations. When used on phone
they have the potential to be misunderstood.
Additionally, the use of such signals on phone is
considered poor operating technique.

The common use of "Break" and " Break-Break" to
indicate an emergency shall not be used. It has no
universally understood meaning. The word "EMERGENCY"
will be used on phone to announce information of life
or death importance. The standard CW signal is SOS sent
as one charter- not 3 spaced letters.

NEVER MAKE ANY COMMENT TO A MEMBER OF THE MEDIA!!! That
is the job of the Public Information Officer. "I CAN'T
ANSWER THAT QUESTION." is always a good answer. Refer
them to the PIO. Media personnel are trained to be very
convincing and are very clever at getting you to say
something. What they will always be looking for will be
information regarding injuries, deaths, addresses of
the most severe damage, license numbers of vehicles,
rail car numbers, and possible reported causes which
might lead them to a trail-of-responsibility/blame."
This type information is confidential and is to be
passed only by more secure means, i.e. . . . packet or
courier, which they cannot access by scanner. If you
don't recognize a person as someone you absolutely
know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, to be part of the
authorized on-site operations team, don't discuss the
situation with them!!

Should you ever find yourself in a situation where you
have found a dead body, or body parts, DO NOT report
this to the NCS. Request only that the NCS send the
appropriate authorities and help to your location on a
priority basis. If the NCS should happen to ask for
more details, refuse to give them and repeat your
request. A smart and trained NCS operator will catch on
quickly. In the case of a discovered injury or body
entrapment, notify the NCS immediately, but NEVER
TRANSMIT THE NAME OF AN INJURED, TRAPPED OR DECEASED
SUBJECT.

NEVER leave your post or the person you have been
assigned to "Shadow" without notifying the NCS. If the
authorities ask you to move, do so immediately and
without comment; but notify the NCS of your change in
status as soon as you can.

Remember: We are communicators. We do not make
decisions about anything for the authorities. They (our
served agencies) are in charge, not us. It is not your
call to decide that more fire engines are needed, or
that an emergency generator is needed somewhere. Your
only job is to communicate, when asked to do so, what
the authorities want communicated. They do not HAVE to
use you at all; and many times they won't. Do not
insist that they do. You are there to provide them with
an extra way for them to pass information when their
communications
systems either fail or become overloaded. Tell them you
are available for service when needed and back off . .
. speak only when spoken to, stay visible and pay
attention. Nothing can be more embarrassing than to
"lose" the person you are supposed to shadow.  (Don't
laugh... It has happened!)

It may be quicker and more efficient to hand your
microphone to the person who wishes to pass a message
than to try and relay it yourself. Don't be afraid to
let the authorities operate as third parties. Just hand
them the mic and tell them they can't use foul
language. Relays often become incorrectly "translated"
by the relay operator, especially if there is a high
percentage of special agency terminology, technical
terms or jargon that you do not really understand.

If an on-scene authority requests that you shut your
radio off, or that you not transmit, please do what
they ask without question. Normally, they will tell you
why, but they don't have to. This is one circumstance
where you do not notify the NCS of a change in your
status. This deserves a little explanation. This would
normally occur only If there is a presence of
explosives or explosive chemicals or vapors, and there
is the possibility that a spark producing electronic
device is present like blasting caps, smoke detectors,
receivers, telephones, etc., which might be triggered
by an RF Signal.

Let's be careful out there.  73


A REMINDER TO ALL: Ky Severe Storms Preparedness Drill
is set for Tues. March 26, 2002. Should this be a true
severe weather day, the drill will be postponed!

Many communities will be testing warning sirens etc.
Many Local/Area ARES nets and the Ky Emergency Net will
be activating across Ky.  NCS's or EC's can use the 
following format to report their activity to me for
consolidation into a after action report for KyEM and
NWS officials.

==============================================================

SSPM Drill Report

1. How activation was received:
(NOAA Wx Radio, Amateur Radio, EOC Alerted Amateurs,
Media EAS, etc.)

2. Time activation was received:

3. Time Net Activated:

4. Frequency(s) used for Net:

5. Number of stations checking in ...
	Ky Amateurs:
	Neighboring State Amateurs (where applicable):  

6. Time Net Closed:

COMMENTS: (Any comments you feel appropriate. Did
Amateur Radio provide first alerting to county
government? If this was a part of another simultaneous
exercise, please note that here too.)