The mission of Spokane County ARES/RACES is to support and enhance the telecommunications needs of its served agencies with the versatile talents and flexible resources of trained and competent amateur radio operators, thereby serving the public interest in times of emergency or special need and fulfilling the basis and purpose ideals of the amateur radio service.
This plan provides guidance to Spokane County ARES/RACES in its support to local and state government during certain emergency conditions. It also provides guidance to all parties as to the maintenance of an ARES/RACES program in Spokane County.
The purpose of this plan is to address Spokane
County ARES/RACES as an officially sanctioned volunteer emergency
communications resource in Spokane County and the State of Washington.
This plan stands as Attachment 3 to Emergency Support Function #2
(Communications and Warning) of the Spokane City/County Comprehensive Emergency
Management Plan and enables agencies and organizations having responsibilities
outlined under other Emergency Support Functions of the same Spokane
City/County plan to include Spokane County ARES/RACES in their emergency plans
and programs.
The Amateur Service is a radio communication service (often
referred to as “ham radio”) for the purpose of self training,
intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that
is, duly authorized (federally licensed) persons interested in radio technique
solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.
The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service (RACES) are emergency communications services that consist of
licensed operators in the Amateur Service who have voluntarily registered their
qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public
service. Though ARES and RACES are technically separate organizations,
the Spokane City/County Department of Emergency Management recognizes the
privately administered ARES in tandem with the publicly administered RACES as
an effective and versatile unification of the county’s amateur radio emergency
communications resources. RACES registration of its total membership
officially links the group to its primary client, local and state government,
while ARES serves, day to day, as the organizational and operational foundation
of the county RACES program.
As one organization, Spokane County ARES/RACES unifies and strengthens the public and private resources of amateur radio and offers consistent and uninterrupted service to the community.
Part 97, Subpart E, Federal Communications Commission Rules and Regulations;
RACES Plan, State of Washington Department of Emergency Management;
Spokane City/County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, Emergency Support Function #2: Communications and Warning;
Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Radio Relay League, Inc., dated August 3, 1984.
Basic to the ability of any member of Spokane County ARES/RACES to serve the public is a clear understanding of the relationship between amateur radio and the concept of public service. The Basis and Purpose statement of Part 97 of the FCC Rules and Regulations provides for the Amateur Service by recognizing and encouraging the enhancement “... of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.” Therefore, all amateur radio licensees should feel an obligation to consider public service a necessary and continuing part of their activities. Such service is provided strictly on a volunteer basis, as FCC rules prohibit amateur radio operators from either receiving compensation for providing communications or from providing communications specifically intended to further the conduct of commerce. Active involvement in ARES/RACES is the primary key to be used by the individual Amateur Service licensee in fulfilling this public service obligation.
During the early phases of any area-wide emergency, either within or outside of Spokane County, it can be assumed that the existing communications systems used by most agencies, particularly by those concerned primarily with public safety, may become severely overloaded and may fail completely. In these instances, volunteer radio communicators may be called upon to supplement existing systems when it is anticipated that those systems may become overloaded or disabled, or when it is necessary to supply communications services where no established links exist.
Public safety communications systems are designed to handle routine emergency situations. It is not feasible for public service agencies to maintain resources that can meet each and every demand of each and every major disaster or wide-spread communications emergency. The volunteer communications systems of Spokane County ARES/RACES can be used to complement public safety communications resources, augmenting existing systems, substituting for damaged or inoperable systems, and establishing communications links with otherwise inaccessible areas. The magnitude of a particular emergency situation will determine the degree to which ARES/RACES communications systems and operators are utilized.
Under the supervision of the Deputy Director, in accordance with the rules governing RACES, the Spokane County Department of Emergency Management (DEM) provides for involvement of licensees of the Amateur Service in officially sanctioned emergency service work. By tradition and agreement, the DEM recognizes Spokane County ARES as the established organizational and operational foundation of the county’s RACES program. Therefore, in order to encompass the full scope of the group’s mission, the joint organization shall be called Spokane County ARES/RACES.
a. Membership is available to any citizen of the United States possessing a valid FCC Technician class or higher Amateur Radio Operator License. A copy of the applicants FCC Amateur Radio Operator License shall be submitted to the Spokane County EC with application for membership to be kept on file. Membership in the American Radio Relay League is not required.
b. Each candidate for membership must complete a Spokane City/County Emergency Worker Registration Card application to the Spokane County Department of Emergency Management for a Spokane County Sheriff’s Department Volunteer photo identification card. Applicants should expect a limited background check to be conducted before approval of their registration is finalized with the signature of the Deputy Director. Spokane City/County DEM reserves the right to refuse membership to any applicant it deems unsuitable. Should the DEM refuse to issue a Sheriffs Department Volunteer photo identification card their Spokane County ARES/RACES membership will be terminated.
c. Completion of additional ARES/RACES database registration forms will be requested by the EC to document the personal skills and resources that applicant’s can offer in service to the organization.
d. Members are expected to provide and use their own equipment for ARES/RACES activities and training. There are no specific equipment requirements for members
e. Members are expected to have transportation in the form of a personal vehicle, someone who will provide them with transportation or public transportation to meetings, public service events, practice drills and activations.
All members of Spokane County ARES/RACES are volunteers, and the degree of professionalism and/or expertise to which members may either aspire or reach must never cloud this fact with respect to the expectations that are placed upon them at the time of their registration and afterward.
2. Proof of Membership and Identification
Proof of membership in Spokane County ARES/RACES is an official letter of acceptance from the RACES Officer. Upon receiving this letter, new members well be directed by the EC to contact DEM to obtain a Spokane County Sheriff’s Department Volunteer photo identification card, complete with identification number and photo on the front and department insignia on the back. The identification card serves as proof of membership in the field and is to be worn conspicuously on the person of any ARES/RACES member involved in official business for Spokane County. It will be worn as well for emergency activations, this includes official drills and non-emergency public service events in which ARES/RACES members are working along side personnel from any government agencies served by ARES/RACES.
Members are not authorized to wear this identification at any other time and must relinquish possession of their DEM and ARES identification cards upon termination of their membership in Spokane County ARES/RACES.
In addition to the County identification card, an ARES membership card will be given to all new members. This ARES card, required by the ARRL, serves as a receipt of membership in the ARES organization only and carries no official identification significance with regard to DEM, the Sheriff’s Office or any served agencies.
There is no official uniform for members of Spokane County ARES/RACES, though members may be asked to participate in acquisition of certain clothing items (such as vests, shirts, jackets or hats) that, for certain situations, serve to offer individual members some visual association with the group.
· Completing NIMS ICS 100 & 700 training
· Receiving HIPPA training to comply with local and state hospital requirements
Membership participation will be evaluated every two years. If a member’s participation is lacking, membership may be terminated at the discretion of the RACES Officer and/or the Deputy Director. If membership is deemed adequate, membership will continue for another two-year period.
Adequate participation is defined as:
· Checking into least ten Tuesday night nets per year
· Attending at least two monthly meetings per year
· Participating in at least one public service event per year
· Participating in at least one practice, simulated emergency or activation event per year
The EC can substitute or waive these specific requirements to accommodate members with conflicts due to physical limitations, employment or other personal situations that make participation in these activities difficult or impossible.
From the ARES/RACES group, DEM will choose one member to serve as the group’s administrative leader or RACES Officer. This position is mandated by the rules governing RACES itself, and must be filled by a General Class, Advanced Class or Extra Class licensee, thoroughly knowledgeable of FCC Rules and Regulations and familiar with the functions of the American Radio Relay League and ARES. Individuals with strong organizational abilities, good verbal and written communications skills and experience in emergency center operations are ideal candidates.
All eligible members of Spokane County ARES/RACES may be considered, though the obvious choice for RACES Officer is the holder of the appointed ARRL Field Services position of Spokane County Emergency Coordinator (EC). Provided that this individual meets the mandated criteria and is willing to serve in the capacity of RACES officer, and provided that this individual is also acceptable to both the Deputy Director and the Director (the Spokane County Sheriff), the Director will, in writing, appoint this individual RACES Officer. Should the EC not wish to serve as the RACES officer, or should the Director, for some reason, find the EC an unsuitable candidate, another ARES member may be considered for the position of RACES Officer. In this case, at the discretion of both the Director and the Deputy Director, the ARES EC will serve as an Assistant RACES officer and the RACES officer will serve as an ARES Assistant EC. Additional ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinators may serve as assistants to the RACES Officer. It must remain clear that the RACES Officer serves at the discretion of the DEM Director.
The ARES/RACES Plan is a document developed by the RACES Officer outlining the organization, administration and action of Spokane County ARES/RACES before, during and after an emergency. It is prepared in accordance with the needs of Spokane County and the region it serves and is approved by the Spokane County Director of Emergency Management. It is forwarded to the Washington State Department of Emergency Management communications officer for coordination and retention. The Spokane County ARES/RACES Plan is to be maintained in the same review and revision cycle as Emergency Support Function #2 of the Spokane City/County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
FEMA suggests that a Spokane County ARES/RACES Plan should address:
19. Kootenai County RACES, 147.08 MHz
FM repeater (Coeur d’ Alene, ID) KC7ODP, +600 KHz offset. The
Kootenai ARES/RACES net meets the first Thursday of the month at 7 PM, following the daily traffic net at 6:30 on 147.08.
UHF frequencies (in the 440-450 MHz range) are used most often as auxiliary frequencies, in tandem with VHF frequencies, and will be selected just prior to use.
For service to government agencies, Spokane County ARES/RACES is activated solely by or through Spokane County DEM. Agencies requesting the services of ARES/RACES must make the request to the DEM Deputy Director or the authorized duty officer. Spokane County DEM must obtain a mission number from the Washington State DEM before ARES/RACES is authorized to serve these agencies. This policy is of great benefit to ARES/RACES members, for it ensures that, for every activation, each participating member is afforded the protection of the state’s insurance coverage as per RCW 38.52.
To activate Spokane County ARES/RACES, the DEM Deputy Director or the Duty Officer will make contact with the RACES Officer via telephone. The Deputy Director or Duty Officer may also alert the RACES Officer or a designated RACES assistant via the Spokane County Paging System. (see Attachment 3). If the RACES Officer is not available, a list of several Assistant Emergency Coordinators and other primary ARES/RACES contacts will be consulted, and calls for activation will be made accordingly. DEM will also have the current general membership list and telephone mobilization tree available in case no primary contact is available (see Attachment 4). If a communications emergency exists, a request for Spokane County ARES/RACES members may be aired via the Emergency Alert System. As ARES/RACES members are trained to meet on-the-air on the frequency of the local ARES/RACES repeater when they believe an activation may be imminent, members of the Spokane County Mobile Emergency Operations Center group (many of whom are also ARES/RACES members) may be used to communicate with ARES/RACES members on behalf of the DEM.
Certain agencies will have in place agreements by which prior contact with and/or by ARES/RACES leaders will be encouraged in order to speed up an eventual response. This practice is called Proactive Response (see Attachment 5). This contact does not signify an official authorization to serve. Standard activation procedure must be followed and a mission number obtained before ARES/RACES volunteers are officially allowed to serve in the field for government agencies.
With regard to the American Red Cross, the Spokane County ARES/RACES group is authorized to provide service by virtue of the group’s ARRL affiliation and the memorandum of understanding that exists between ARRL and the American Red Cross. Service of this type is possible during times when no emergency has been declared. At this point, such activation is strictly between the group and the Red Cross and does not involve DEM authorization, as members are acting as Red Cross volunteers for whom the Red Cross assumes responsibility. When the Red Cross becomes involved in an incident that calls for ARES/RACES members to serve government agencies as well (with Red Cross responding in cooperation with those agencies), the status of members serving Red Cross may have to be re-evaluated in order to determine if some or all should be considered as DEM volunteers at the time.
With regard to the National Weather Service, Spokane County ARES/RACES members serve as NOAA Skywarn Weather Spotters. Spotters are encouraged to report severe local storms and unusual weather phenomena to the Weather Service; however, this activity rarely requires spotters to engage in any activity outside of discussing the situation on the air (a special spotter report collection net may be called for this purpose) and making spotter reports from their homes or wherever they happen to be at the moment, either via radio or telephone, depending upon the demands of the situation. This type of activity is covered in a memorandum of understanding between the ARRL and NOAA and will be considered a non-emergency activity within ARES rather than one requiring DEM authorization. Only when the Weather Service specifically requests that ARES/RACES members actually respond to a particular area, in the field as observers or as operators of the ARES/RACES station at the Spokane office of the National Weather Service, must formal authorization through Spokane County DEM be obtained.
Spokane County ARES/RACES possesses three means of mobilization that may be set into action by the RACES Officer:
Tactical traffic will be considered any traffic pertaining to the general coordination of the ARES/RACES operation itself, or any traffic generated by or on behalf of served agencies for coordination purposes, but not requiring a signature or any other such trail of accountability.
All administrative traffic requiring the signature of the sender will be formatted as formal, written traffic. Originators of such traffic, especially those originating traffic for the purpose of communicating official command decisions, disseminating public information or ordering resources, should be encouraged to prepare messages in writing. When sent, these messages will follow one of two accepted forms:
ARES/RACES Operators should be prepared to send messages using whichever form is best suited for the particular incident. Messages addressed to the State DEM should certainly be sent using the State’s message form. Messages can be translated from the ARRL form to the state form with little difficulty.
The majority of equipment used in Spokane County ARES/RACES is the personal property of members. With registration, members are required to fill out an equipment resource form. This information is collected and stored in a database so that, if necessary, members may be called for service or assigned tasks on the basis of equipment resources needed for the incident. Members who respond when activation occurs are expected to have equipment that is in good working order (see Attachment 8).
Guided by the personal resources and abilities that ARES/RACES members have declared during registration and proven during operational activities, members will be called upon to fill the following station assignments (as suppliers of equipment and/or operators), according to the needs of the situation at hand:
Guided by the personal resources and abilities that ARES/RACES members have declared during registration and proven during operational activities, members will be called upon to fill the following station assignments (as suppliers of equipment and/or operators), according to the needs of the situation at hand:
It is possible that an ARES/RACES organization from an adjoining county in Eastern Washington or Northern Idaho, or from any other area, may request aid from Spokane County ARES/RACES when its own membership is stressed beyond its capacity to provide uninterrupted services during a protracted incident. Providing that a request is being made as per authorization of the respective county DEM involved, Spokane County ARES/RACES will do its best to respond and will depend upon the assistance, guidance and authorization of Spokane County DEM in determining what response, if any, is possible.
QST, QST, QST, This is __<Call Sign>__ in __<state your city>__ calling the Washington State Emergency Net. This net meets on Mondays at 6:30 PM local and on Saturdays at 9:00 AM local time on 3985 KHz, with a secondary frequency of 7245 KHz.
This is a directed net. Please use your call sign for recognition by net control.
The purpose of this net is to support and maintain the communication capabilities of ARES/RACES in the State of Washington.
All amateurs interested in emergency communications are invited to check in.
Visitors are encouraged to register with their local ARES or RACES groups to become members of this net, and are welcome to check in when their county is called.
Out of state check-ins will be handled at the end of roll call.
When checking in, please identify your appointment.
Do we have any emergency or priority traffic? (Handle now)
Any net reports or announcements? Give your call sign only, please. (Handle now)
Are there any mobile or emergency powered stations that wish to check in?
(Start roll call) Call the County, any visitors? Then next County: (Know how to pronounce the names of all of the counties. Also, this is an HF net, so do not talk too fast or listen for too short a time; encourage relays).
Now calling section and state staff: (Call each position separately)
Section Manager – West
Section Manager -- East
Section Emergency Coordinator – West
Section Emergency Coordinator -- East
Assistant State Emergency Coordinator
State RACES Officer
State Government Liaison
Section Traffic Manager West
Section Traffic Manager East
State NM
State Communications Coordinator Camp Murray
American Red Cross
District Emergency Coordinators
Western Washington
District 1
City of Stanwood and Camano Island
Island County
San Juan County
Skagit County
Snohomish County
Whatcom County
District 2
Clallam County
Jefferson County
Kitsap County
District 3
Grays County
Lewis County
Mason
County
Pacific County
Thurston County
District 4
Clark/Skamania Counties
Cowlitz County/
Wahkiakum County
District 5
Pierce County
District 6
King County
District Medical Services Team
Eastern Washington
District
7
Chelan/Douglas Counties
Grant County
Okanogan County
Kittitas County
District
8
Benton County
Franklin County
Klickitat County
Walla Walla County Yakima County
District
9
Adams County
Asotin County
Columbia County
Ferry County
Garfield County
Lincoln County
Pend Orielle County
Spokane County
Stevens County
Whitman County
(After roll call)
Are there any out-of-State visitors wishing to check in?
Are there any late or missed stations? Come now with your District, County and call sign please.
Are there any visitors who wish to check into the net?
This is __<Callsign>__ closing the Washington State Emergency Net.
Thank you for checking in.
QST, QST, QST. This is Net Control Station [ call ] calling the Spokane County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Net. This is a directed net, meeting every Tuesday at 2000 hours local time on the Spokane County ARES/RACES Repeater at a frequency of 147.30 MHz. All stations are invited to check in. Be advised that this repeater requires a 100 Hz sub-audible tone for access.
The purpose of this net is to provide information and coordination concerning the joint activities of Spokane County’s Amateur Radio Emergency Service and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service. It is also intended to serve as a weekly emergency net operations training session.
All stations standby for check-in. Be advised that STATIONS WITH EMERGENCY TRAFFIC MAY BREAK IN AT ANY TIME. All other stations, please observe proper procedure for any transmission. Visiting stations will be invited to check-in after the call for ARES/RACES members.
This is Net Control Station [ call ] now calling for ARES/RACES officials:
· Spokane County Emergency Coordinator and RACES officer:
· Spokane County Assistant Emergency Coordinators:
· ARRL District and Section Officials:
· ARES/RACES officials from surrounding counties:
This is Net Control Station [ call ]. Standby for ARES/RACES member check-in. Check-in will be ordered alphabetically in groups by call sign suffix. When checking in, list any traffic, contacts, reports, bulletins and announcements, then hold for direction from Net Control. Any station needing to leave the net immediately after checking in, please advise Net Control and wait to be excused. Now calling for ARES/RACES members:
· ALPHA throughHOTEL
· INDIA through QUEBEC
· ROMEO through ZULU
Now calling for any visitors: please respond with your call, name and location.
Now calling for stations without sub-audible tone capability. Please check in on the output of the repeater, 147.30 MHz. First wait for the repeater to tail out before checking in. All other stations, please standby and copy for possible relay. {pause} Are there any relays?
Are there any additional traffic listings?
This is Net Control Station [ call ] Stations that have listed traffic, standby:
· Stations with Bulletins and Announcements:
· Stations with formal written traffic:
· Stations with contacts:
· Is there any additional traffic of any kind?
This is Net Control Station [ call ], now calling for late or missed check-ins:
· ALPHA through MIKE
· NOVEMBER through ZULU
Last call for traffic of any kind:
Good evening and thank you all for checking in. This net meets every Tuesday at 2000 hours local time. This is Net Control Station [ call ] closing the Spokane County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Net at [ time ] hours.
Attachment 3:
Spokane County Paging System and ARES/RACES Duty Officer
Through the Spokane County Department of Emergency Management, Spokane County ARES/RACES is provided with two digital alphanumeric pagers, accessible 24 hours daily through the Spokane County Paging System, that may be used in both emergency and general administrative situations. The paging system has wide area coverage over all of Spokane County and reaches into significant portions of surrounding counties. Multiple transmitter sites are located in Spokane and Southern Stevens County and are maintained by the Spokane County Radio Shop.
The telephone access number for this pager is available from the EC:
The Combined Communications Center, DEM Officials and designated ARES/RACES leadership officials with the paging software can send alphanumeric messages to these pagers utilizing their computer systems and a modem. Separate instructions are provided with the software package.
Persons with out the paging software can access the paging system with their touch-tone telephone by dialing the pager number. The voice prompt on the automated system will advise the caller to enter (at the tone) the four-digit PIN number of the pager the caller wishes to signal. Pager PIN numbers for Spokane County ARES/RACES are:
Emergency Coordinator and RACES Officer
Duty Assistant Emergency Coordinator
Group Call
After entering the desired pager number, the caller will then be prompted to enter a numeric message after the tone.
Under a separate plan, with the Combined Communications Center, these pagers are signaled when the Major Incident Support Team is activated (see attachment 11).
Spokane City/County DEM utilizes these pagers to activate ARES/RACES during emergency situations and as such both the EC/RO or the Duty AEC should respond as instructed and following activation procedures as outlined under Part VI. ARES/RACES Emergency Activation.
The pagers are tested daily by the DEM to insure the system is in proper working order.
A. Duty Assistant Emergency Coordinator
The EC/RO shall establish a scheduled rotation of the AEC pager (2498). All ARES/RACES AEC’s shall be responsible to be part of this schedule. If the Duty AEC is going to be out of Spokane County for a time period greater than 24 hours, then the EC/RO shall be notified. If the Duty AEC is going to be unavailable for a significant time period than that person shall deliver the pager to an alternate AEC or other ARES/RACES member as directed by the EC/RO. During the time period that an AEC is the Duty Officer that person should insure their timely access to a telephone and a 2-meter VHF-FM transmitter capable of reaching the major repeaters.
ALL EMERGENCY ACTIVATIONS SHOULD BE DONE USING THE GROUP CALL!!!
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K7PKT |
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