Franklin County Emergency Net Net Operations Guide 10/1/2004 The following guide is setup to help everyone understand how to operate within the Franklin County Emergency Net. It is a work in progress, so updates will be sent our regularly. GLOSSARY OF TERMS: NCS: Net Control A) What is the … Franklin County Emergency Net (FCEN): This is our primary Net. The FCEN is equivalent to an ARES Net (even though we are not affiliated with ARES). This Net is open to all Amateur Radio operators. 99% of our Net operations will be with the FCEN. Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service Net (RACES): A RACES Net is open only to those members who have registered with Franklin County RACES. Non RACES stations will not be allowed to participate in this Net, by Federal law. Only the Federal Government can order a RACES emergency situation to be established. This is a very small probability, and has not been done for many years. SKYWARN: SKYWARN Nets are open to all Amateurs. The purpose of a SKYWARN Net is to gather weather information to forward to the NWS and other authorities. B) Checking into the FCEN When you hear that the FCEN Net is active, or you have been alerted that there is a FCEN/SKYWARN activation, the first rule is LISTEN. Please stand by until there is a break in the traffic. Give your callsign only, and wait for a response from the Net Control. Keep your transmissions short and to the point. The NCS will ask for any info that is needed (see Break Tags below). Examples: N3AAA: “N3AAA” NCS: “N3AAA recognized” N3AAA: “N3AAA is checking into the Net, and will be available until 10pm” NCS: “N3AAA, you are checked in at 830pm. Thank you for checking into the Net” N3AAA: “N3AAA, out” NCS: “This is W3AAA, Net Control, standing by” NCS: “Any checkins for the Franklin County Emergency Net, Callsigns only please” N3AAA: “N3AAA” NCS: “N3AAA we have you checked into the Net. Thank you.” N3AAA: “N3AAA, out” NCS: “This is W3AAA, Net Control, standing by” The Net Control (at the direction of the EC/AEC) will ask for specific information from those stations checked in (like who has emergency power, who can go to a shelter location, who has HF capability, etc.) Examples NCS: “We are looking for stations that can go mobile to locations in the County, callsigns only please” K3AAA: “K3AAA” W3AAA: “W3AAA” NCS: “K3AAA and W3AAA are recognized as being able to go mobile if needed” NCS: “Are there any stations with HF capabilities, callsigns only please” N3AAA: “N3AAA” AA3AA: “AA3AA” NCS: “N3AAA, can you act as our link to 80 meters for the next hour?” N3AAA: “ Yes I can, please give me the 80 meter frequency” C) Franklin County Emergency Net Frequencies a) Operations Net The Franklin County Emergency Net (FCEN) frequencies are divided up into two groups: Operations and Traffic. There is one repeater frequency (147.120) and one simplex frequency (146.505) designated for the Operations Net The FCEN will usually be activated on 147.120. If the repeater is down, or at the direction of the EC/AEC, the FCEN can be activated on 146.505. (The unused Operations Net Frequency can be utilized as a Traffic Frequency if needed) The Operations Net is primarily used for the following: 1) Check ins and check outs of the FCEN 2) Bulletins (such as weather related) 3) Traffic direction (see below) 4) Contacting NCS for traffic handling 5) Requests for information from the NCS Operations Net Frequencies Frequency Notes 147.120 W3ACH Repeater (covers north and central Franklin County) 146.505 Simplex (Alternate) c) Operations Net Frequencies Frequency Notes 147.120 W3ACH Repeater (covers north and central Franklin County) 146.505 Simplex (Alternate) (NOTE: Both frequencies can be used for traffic if necessary) Traffic handling should only be done on the Operations Net for the following reasons: 1) Stations are unable to switch frequencies 2) Stations are unable to make contact on a Traffic Frequency 3) At the direction of EC/AEC b) Traffic Frequencies There are 6 simplex, 1 repeater and 2 alternate frequencies designated by the FCEN for traffic handling. When a station announces that they have traffic, they (along with the station the traffic is for) will be directed to one of the Traffic Frequencies. 147.225, 146.415, 146.535 and 146.585 are the most common channels. 446.050, 446.075 and 446.100 will be used only if both stations have 70 cm capability. Certain stations may be fixed on one frequency due to limited radio capability. Frequency Notes 146.415 Simplex 146.535 Simplex 147.585 Simplex 147.225 N3NRI Repeater (covers South & Central Franklin County and Fulton County) 446.050 Simplex (short range) 446.075 Simplex (short range) 446.100 Simplex (short range) Alternate Traffic Frequencies Frequency Notes 147.090 W3CWC Repeater (Hagerstown-covers Waynesboro) 145.430 Repeater (covers Shippensburg area) (NOTE: These alternate frequencies will be used as little as possible. These channels are repeaters in other Counties, and may be busy at times) c) Packet: 145.650 (future use) d) Cross band Repeaters: Mobile cross band frequencies: CR1: 445.025 CR2: 445.050 CR3: 445.075 CR4: 445.100 CR5: 445.125 Common cross band PL:131.8 Chambersburg Hospital cross band (simplex operation-transmit and receive on this frequency only) 445.200 PL:131.8 Waynesboro Hospital cross band (simplex operation-transmit and receive on this frequency only) 445.300 PL:131.8 All local frequencies are subject-to-change. Changes will be made by the EC/AEC in charge. The Net Control will announce any frequency changes made. Cross band outputs will be on a specific VHF channel. The purpose of the cross band repeater is to extend the range of handheld (HT) radios. Please set your HT to the UHF frequency only (simplex mode) to access the cross band repeater. D) BREAK TAGS Break Tags are used to allow important traffic to be passed when the channel is busy. Please use break tags when you need to ‘break‘ into a conversation: TAG DESCRIPTION Answer To be used when you have the answer to a question currently being discussed on the air. Question To be used when the answer of a question can't wait, for instance when the Mayor is standing next to you and requested you to get some info using your radio. Info To be used when information needs to be transmitted rapidly but is not related to what is being said on the air. For instance if something that net control needs to know about is going to happen in the next few seconds or if waiting for the end of an exchange will negate the value of the information. Priority To be used to report an important but non-life threatening situation such as a fender-bender that just happened. Medical To be used to report a minor medical incident that affects the operator in some way, like having to leave their post for a few minutes to walk someone with a minor cut over to a med tent. Emergency Only to be used to report an ongoing life or property threatening or damaging incident. Your Call Sign An indication that you have traffic that can wait and does not require the stoppage of the ongoing exchange. This tag is an expectation to be put on hold and in queue for your transmission. Examples of break tag usage: N3AAA: Do you know how many cots are needed at the shelter W3AAA: I believe 6 cots K3AA: Answer NET CONTROL: Answer, go ahead K3AA: This is K3AA, at the shelter, 10 cots are needed. NET CONTROL: 10 cots, thank you K3AA…N3AAA did you copy? N3AAA: N3AAA copies, thanks. N3AAA out W3AAA: W3AAA out K3AA: K3AA standing by N3AAA: I have had 6 inches of rain here in the last 4 hours, and the winds are 20 mph out of the west. End of report from N3AAA K3AA: Emergency NET CONTROL: Emergency recognized, go ahead K3AA: This is K3AA, I need a … E) TRAFFIC HANDLING TRAFFIC TYPES: NTS NTS (National Traffic System) traffic is the most rare traffic we will handle. The ARRL PSCM manual has a complete section on NTS traffic handling for further study. RACES MESSAGE FORM FCEN is using a form, modeled on the FEMA ICS213 form for important and official traffic. The RACES MESSAGE FORM will be slowly introduced soon as the standard form to be used by all FCEN/RACES members. TACTICAL TRAFFIC Tactical Traffic is the standard, in County, “Point A to Point B”, “quick message” traffic that the FCEN was designed to handle. We will handle more TACTICAL TRAFFIC than anything else. Ideally, all messages should be copied onto the RACES MESSAGE FORM, so to have a record of message traffic. But there are times and situations in the field that message forms cannot be used. TRAFFIC HANDLING TIPS: 1) Slow down!! One of the largest causes of message mistakes is that the sender is speaking too fast. Remember, the person on the other end could be trying to copy the message down to paper or typing it into a computer. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the sending station to slow down too!! 2) Don’t be afraid to ask for a fill-in, or repeat!! If you are not sure that you got the message correctly, ask the sending station to resend whatever part of the message you missed. The easiest way is to add the phrase “Please repeat all after..” (after the part you did get correct). 3) Check the “check” If you are receiving a message that is “numbered” (such as an NTS message), at the end of the message stop and count the words. Example: if the NTS message you just got had a check (word count) of 18, and you only have 17 words, find out why!! The reason the “check” is there is to reduce the message errors. 4) Be patient with “officials” Official are usually not used to working with us as much as they should be. Most officials are used to picking up the phone/microphone and saying what they want. They are not trained in message handling like we are. Also, if you are filling out a message form, please get a name of the official sending the traffic. 5) Accuracy and brevity These two may not seem like they go together, but they actually do in many cases. Try to keep your on-air traffic to a minimum. Learn and use net procedure, and make sure you have your information correct before sending it (if possible). 6) Keep a record Again, if possible, try to keep a record of your traffic. It will be a lot easier if you can have a record at hand, just in case of any questions that may arise later.