[W2CRA] Amateur Radio Services and Emergency Communications

[Bill Powell]

Amateur Radio Services and Emergency Communications

http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/emergency/amateur.html

Amateur Radio is a voluntary noncommercial communication service that is utilized by private citizens. A fundamental purpose of amateur radio is to provide a platform for emergency communications to the public during severe weather-related emergencies, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and public health threats. Amateur radio operators serve in this vitally important role by relaying critical messages and updates related to these kinds of incidents and events, as well as precautionary guidance from government, first responders and health care providers to ensure that communities are well-informed when traditional lines of communications are not working. This enables the public to make better informed decisions during emergencies to protect their families and themselves.

During emergencies, amateur radio operators utilize informal and formal groups to coordinate communication. Generally, these groups are referred to as "networks" or "nets." At the community level, nets typically use VHF (very high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) channels. Communications requiring transmission over longer distances may be transmitted on channels in amateur service bands in the HF (high frequency) portion of the radio spectrum. At the state level, amateur radio operators are often involved with state emergency management operations. At the national level, they participate in a number of organizations and groups to provide amateur radio services (please see below).

ARES, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service is an association sponsored by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), for amateur radio operators who provide emergency communications. Many ARES members complete proprietary fee-based training offered by ARRL. ARES members provide services through ARRL’s local and regional volunteer networks.

RACES, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, is administered by local, county, and state civil defense organizations and is supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Although RACES was developed originally for wartime and civil defense, today, its members are generally organized by local, county or state governments and are comprised of amateur service licensees from within a particular city, town, village, county or region within a state. These volunteers work closely with their respective Office of Emergency Management (OEM) under the lead of federal Emergency Support Function (ESF) # 2. These RACES groups form an auxiliary communications service that serves as a back-up and provides supplemental emergency communications. The RACES volunteer’s primary mission is to provide government auxiliary communications, however, the mission can be redirected to support emergency communications during all kinds of crises.

In general, ARES and RACES members voluntarily provide public service communications, such as shelter logistical communications and emergency communications services to other volunteer groups, including the America Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations. Their voluntary roles as amateur radio operators may expand under government direction during disasters.

SKYWARN is a group of highly trained volunteers who are utilized by the National Weather Service (NWS) as weather spotters. The program was developed in the early 1970s to promote cooperation between communities and the NWS. Skywarn volunteers typically obtain local weather information about wind gusts, hail size rainfall, and cloud formations that could signal a developing tornado or another weather-related emergency, and report this information to the NWS. Skywarn volunteers often are amateur radio operators.

SKYWARN assists in the receipt and distribution of NWS information by state and local governments to alert the public of incoming weather-related emergencies.

The Hospital Emergency Amateur Radio Team (HEART) is one of only a half-dozen ARES groups that specialize in providing volunteer services to hospitals during emergencies. Such specialization is important because working in a hospital can be much different than working in other business or civic sectors. As in all situations in which emergency communications are necessary, the amateur radio operators assisting hospitals must be quick, brief, and highly accurate. However, they must also know something about the medical terminology often encountered in a message. Moreover, the volunteer relaying the information must be prepared to experience and cope with emergency medical care in a trauma setting, particularly when a mass casualty incident occurs.