Introduction to Emergency Communications

By

Glen Sage, W4GHS

So, you have an interest in being involved in Amateur Radio Emergency communications, this is commendable.  At times when all other communications systems have failed, Amateur Radio has been praised for its’ role of bridging the gap when these systems have collapsed due to infrastructure destruction or traffic overload.  The existence of Amateur Radio emergency service programs continues to insure our frequency allocations.   We do not enjoy all this band space assigned to us because we have passed an exam but due to the fact that we are viewed as a valuable resource to our communities, our nation and the world in times of communications emergencies.

Our responses over the years have created a rich heritage and established a direction for our future.  Forty or more years ago the norm of mobile communications was on 75 meters with the long loaded antennas and large tube type rigs.  The birth of the modern era took place here in Virginia back in August of 1969 following Hurricane Camille.  This activation took place due to inland flooding following the hurricane making landfall in the Gulf of Mexico then making its way north and dumping record rainfall in Virginia.  This system knocked out communications, bridges, and highways and took 125 lives in Virginia.  Up until that time 2- meters had mostly been used on 2-meter AM simplex.  When Camille dumped record rainfall on the Blue Ridge of Virginia it was near Lynchburg, Virginia.  Lynchburg was the site of the GE Commercial Radio Division.  This facility was loaded with hams that gathered together 2-meter repeaters and equipment and headed north to install temporary repeaters on the mountains surrounding the impact area.  In books written about this event, numerous words of praise were given to the Amateur Radio community due to their invaluable service.  This began the modern era when 2-meters with their repeater systems became the backbone of local and regional communications.

Low power, FM 2-meter repeaters began to spring up in the early 70’s.  These were usually built from kits and their output power was well balanced with the available transceivers that were being used.  Most of the rigs of that era had only about 15 watts.  By the mid-70s commercial, solid state repeaters begin to come available at reasonable prices and repeater sites across the nation began to upgrade to these surplus commercial repeaters.  Shortly following this change, packet radio began to be the rage with Amateur Radio.  The Internet was just in its' infancy so this became the substitute Amateur Radio e-mail system.  For the next decade this became the digital system of choice for emergency communications and many states setup systems across their states to facilitate this mode.  By the end of the century other digital modes began to become the new system of choice for digital communications with emergency communications groups.  Since Hurricane Katrina, “D-Stars” and Winlink have emerged as systems of choice especially along the gulf coast.  In 2008 these two systems were the real workhorses during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

Prior to 9/11 there was not a major push in the arena of training for the Amateur Radio emergency communicators.  This has rapidly changed in the past decade.  This is to be expected.  A number of years ago, those that served on rescue squads were ambulance drivers with perhaps some basic first aid training.  They loaded the patient and rushed them to an emergency room.  Today rescue squad members have a minimum of basic EMT certification and many have advanced training that allows them to start almost any type treatment when they arrive on scene.  As time continues the agencies that we serve have higher expectations for our skill and training levels.  Prior to the events of 9/11 hams mostly relied on serving with traffic nets and perhaps occasional Simulated Emergency Test (SET) as their training regiment.  Many areas went for years without ever conducting or participating in a SET.

There are loads of avenues available to the ham interested in developing their skill level in communication related areas.  These can come from our served agencies such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and CERTS programs etc.  The Red Cross offers many related courses such as “Introduction to Disaster, Shelter Management, Basic First Aid and CPR.  The ARRL offers Emergency Communications level 1, and EC-016 course for management.  There are many emergency communications  courses that are offered free by FEMA.  These are Incident Command (ICS) courses and may be taken online.

Our Twin County Emergency Amateur Radio Service/ Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (EARS/RACES) unit provides a weekly training net on a local 2-meter repeater.  This is not a “rag chew net” that is labeled as a training net.  There is a presentation each week on a subject related to emergency communications with a time for questions and discussions following the presentation.  This draws people from other jurisdictions and we have about as many people in the net from a neighboring state.  There are many “rag chew” nets available and they have a value of building friendships and teaching new hams about net discipline and procedure.  Emergency training nets need to go beyond these goals and on HF should have more significant goals than that of checking propagation for a given area.

All of us need to avail ourselves to training opportunities that improve our skill level.  Another source of learning can be from free online courses.  Some of these courses are excellent and one that was developed in Colorado is outstanding.  A link to this PDF file can be found here, http://www.w0ipl.net/ECom/EComBas.pdf.   A second online course is the KY Emergency Course and is one used for qualifying hams for the advanced certification.   Even REACT offers a basic Communications online class.  The ARRL assisted REACT in the development of these materials.  A certification is also given on these REACT materials.  The materials offered online at our website is designed to assist with a better understanding of our role with emergency communications and preparation for activation.