Part1 – Basic Checklist
Part2 – Life Support
Part3 – Suggested Emergency Equipment List
Part4 – Operating Hints
Part5 – Basic operating procedures for drills and actual emergencies
Part6 – Basic message handling
Part7 – What to do if problems occur
Part8 – How to report emergencies
Part9 – Standard operating frequencies
Part10 - Local information

Part1 – Basic Checklist

The following list of items should either bealready in your vehicle, or ready to load on a moment’s notice.

1. Warm jacket, sturdy shoes, rain gear, bugrepellent (dress appropriately for the weather conditions)
2. Note pads, pens and pencils, clip board, IDbadges, copy of current your FCC License
3. List of net frequencies (available in theCumberland County Resource Manual)
4. Traffic handling instructions, message forms(available on the Cumberland County ARES/RACES web site)
5. Maps of local area, special maps as needed fordrills or other events
6. "Who’s Who" list of contact names,phone numbers, and locations for officials and others (available in theCumberland County Resource Manual) who may be important to the success of yourmission
7. Full tank of fuel for your vehicle

Winter and Cold weather add-ons (inMaine, you should have these at all times)

8. Blankets, Winter clothing, gloves, snowboots, hat
9. Tow chain or strap, jack, jack pad (for snow),shovel (in case you get stuck)
10. Flashlight (2), spare bulbs and batteries
11. Basic vehicle tool kit, including batteryjumper cables, lug wrench,
12. Spare fuses (at least 3 for each size used)
13. First aid kit, portable fire extinguisher,safety flares, hazard warning reflective markers

Part2 – Life Support

Remember that emergencies usually happen atinopportune times. The weather in Maine is always a concern, and you must be ingood physical condition if you are going to provide useful communicationssupport during emergency situations.

Clothing: Rain gear, spare clothing, anddon’t forget extra socks, underclothing, and shoes. Wet clothing will make youless effective, and could even jeopardize your survival. Bring mittens andgloves, winter hat, extra jacket (parka in winter). If you might be someplacefor an extended period, you may wish to bring a sleeping bag. Mosquito repellentmesh is mandatory in summer for most bush locations. Dry towels are useful formany things.

Food: "C" rations (Also known asMRE’s), concentrated food bars, cold sandwiches, fruit, "trail mix",candy bars, coffee (as needed for the event at hand). Plan at least 1 gallon ofwater per day per person. Water purification tablets. Canteen or water bottle.Basic "mess kit". Fuel canisters (Sterno) for cooking if desired.Paper towels. Can opener. Eating utensils.

Medical: Comprehensive basic first aid kit,plus bug repellent, sun screen, aspirin tablets, antacid tablets, vitamin pills,soap. Any prescription medications you might require.

Shelter: Rain repellent plastic over-wearand/or a small tent. 2 Plastic coated tarpaulins. 100’ of ¼"polypropylene rope. Also, material to build a fire, matches and/or cigarettelighter, knife, folding shovel, toilet paper. Optional items: Lantern, axe, saw,"Leatherman" combination tool, compass, spool of nylon cord.
 
 

Part3 – Suggested Emergency Equipment List

Radio: HF transportable set (can be yourregular base station radio) and/or a VHF/UHF mobile and/or hand-held set.Include microphone, headset, key and/or keyer, speaker/mic, as needed. Headsetsare absolutely required for VHF/UHF hand-held radios when aboard buses or otheremergency vehicles, or in high noise areas – recommended for ALL uses.

Antennas: Portable or mobile antennassuitable for the radio in use. For VHF/UHF, include an antenna suitable foroutdoor use or external mounting on a vehicle (eg: Magnetic or clamp-on mount).Do not depend on "rubber duck" antennas. For HF, wire dipoles, end fed¼ wave wires and similar antennas serve well. At least 2 or 3 25’ lengths ofRG-58 type coax cable w/connectors, plus "barrel" fittings, UHF/BNCadapters. HF antenna coupler if you have one. Heavy string or nylon cord to holdup HF antennas. Duct tape and cord to assist in attaching VHF/UHF antennas tovehicles. Extra wire for HF antenna ground radials or counterpoise. Externalantennas are absolutely required for VHF/UHF mobile use!

Power: HF radios can usually operate directlyfrom 12V vehicle batteries. 2 or 3 spare alkaline and/or ni-cad packs (fullycharged, of course) for hand held radios. Charger for hand held sets. Powercables for radios, AC extension cord, large clips to hook up to automobilebatteries. DC power supply for HF set. Bring some "clip leads" forunexpected situations. Adapter to power/charge radios from vehicle cigar lightersocket.

Operating accessories: 2 notebooks, severalpens/pencils, flashlight w/extra batteries & bulbs, extra fuses for everyradio and charger. Tools: standard and Phillips screwdrivers (2 sizes), wirecutters, "Crescent" wrench, hex key set, pliers, tape measure,soldering tool and solder, VOM, electrical tape. Any special tools you may needthat are specific to your equipment.

Part4 – Operating Hints

HF Antennas: Keep portable antennas in theclear as much as possible. If given the choice between "high" and"clear" – choose clear. Horizontal antennas perform well on 80/75and 40 meters for "local" service (within 500 miles). Try to get themat least 10’ high – more if you can. For 20 meters and above, use ¼ waveverticals, vertical or sloping dipoles. If you can keep your antenna in theclear, additional height always helps. Include a ground rod or stake for usewith end fed or random wire antennas (not needed with dipole type antennas).

VHF/UHF Antennas: External antennas arealways preferable. A simple dipole or "J" antenna hung in a tree orfrom a fence will always outperform an indoor antenna. "Rubber duck"antennas are essentially useless inside a metal vehicle. Use a magnet or gutterclip mount instead. Even standing your HT on the vehicle roof will improve copy.If you are in a "bad spot", try moving a few feet and try again. Ifthis helps, stay in the better location until your message is passed. Hold yourHT so the antenna is vertical and away from your body.

HF Operations: Use headphones for betterlistening. Be ready to relay distant stations if needed. In power emergencies, a100W rig at 25W saves batteries and is only 1 "S" unit weaker.Reducing CW speed improves copy. Know the standard phonetic alphabet.

VHF/UHF Operations: If copy is good, usereduced power to save batteries. Use phonetics only when asked. Be ready torespond promptly! Answer within 2 seconds if possible. DO NOT YELL! If signalsare weak, speaking more softly than normal often improves copy. When usingrepeaters, check the "reverse" frequency to see if a weak signal isbetter on "direct". Relay such signals to net control whenappropriate. Use simplex channels for localized operations or auxiliary netswhere possible, save the repeaters for wider area coverage.

Part5 – Basic operating procedures for drills and actual emergencies

If there is a net control, that station willbe in charge of routing all communications. Pay attention to what net controlsays, be ready to act on requests quickly, and refrain from transmitting unlesscalled or you have new traffic to contribute. Do not leave the net withoutinforming net control! If net control requests that you switch to a differentchannel to pass traffic, return to net as soon as that traffic is passed andnotify net control that you have returned. Do not contact another stationdirectly without instructions from net control.

If there is no net control, and you arebasically familiar with how to run a net, please take charge and become netcontrol. If you are net control and you need to take a break, be sure someoneelse is available to take over before leaving.

Listen to the operation of the net beforejumping in. Try to determine who is net control, what the overall situation isand who, if any, are the "key players" in the event at hand. Be sureyou have something to contribute before breaking in. If the net control wishesto know who is available but not presently involved in the actual activity, heor she will ask for "check ins" - this is the time to make yourpresence known.

Remember! We are here to assist the variouspublic officials (police, fire, disaster managers, or whoever else is in overallcharge) - we are NOT here to take action independently. This means you shoulduse common sense and your experience to expedite traffic – but you must notsecond guess the person in charge and start dispatching people, equipment, andmaterials, or otherwise performing tasks that are not communications in nature– unless of course that is also your official job for that situation. How youget the message passed is to a large extent up to you and your individualinitiative. The person coordinating the event doesn’t care how you get yourpart of the job done, as long as it gets done promptly and smoothly. Amateurradio is here to serve others, not to become the "star" of the show.Our job is best done when public officials realize they can rely on us to"get it done" while they worry about other more important things.

The operation may use "tactical"(example: "Bus 9" or "Fire Base") or standard amateur callsigns, or (as is usually the case) a mix of both. If tactical call signs areused, you will be given an opportunity from time to time to identify yourstation. Do not transmit your ID unless requested, except when responding to aquery. If called, give your ID once when answering the initial call, andnot again until you are called with a different query or you are initiating acall to respond to a previous query. Over identification wastes time andinterferes with other users when traffic is heavy. Do not use phoneticsunless requested by either net control or the station(s) you are in contactwith. Only when there are two or more stations (active at the same time) withvery similar sounding calls should phonetics be used frequently – and eventhen partial phonetics are usually sufficient. Example: K1 Golf Alpha Xrayinstead of Kilo One Golf Alpha Xray.

Speak clearly and slowly when relayingcritical traffic. Saying something once clearly is better than having to repeatseveral times. If phonetics are required, know and use the standard ARRL/ICAOphonetic alphabet. "Home-made" or "cute" phonetics have noplace during emergencies, and only delay and confuse messages and other traffic.

Respond promptly when called! You should tryto respond within 1 or 2 seconds when called. Long delays confuse the operationand slow traffic. If you are net control, it is your responsibility to keeptraffic moving smoothly and to help less experienced operators as needed. Firmcontrol of a net will result in fewer repeats and delays. Give short summariesof what is happening as time permits. This helps new arrivals, and keepseveryone focused on the event at hand.

Part6 – Basic message handling

If you are handling a query (request forinformation), make sure you follow up and get the answer in a timely manner.When you have the answer, check in with net control and let him or her know thatyou have the response. If you cannot obtain the information needed, or it isimpossible to contact the intended recipient, be sure and let both net controland the originating station know. If you need assistance in your efforts, asknet control for help.

Always obtain the name and, if possible, theposition of both the originator of a request and the person(s) who answer thequery. Try to get a physical signature if you can. This is very important, andis necessary to assure all involved that the information is both genuine andaccurate. In situations where formal messages are not being used, this is critical!

If you are handling written traffic, get a"count" of the number of words in the original message, and any replymessage (see example below). This count should be passed with the traffic andverified by both ends to make sure words were not missed. Make sure the count iscorrect before acknowledging receipt of the message.

When handling message traffic by radiotelephone(voice), spell phonetically any unusual words or names the first time theyoccur. Common words and well known names can be passed as spoken words. Pauseand ask the receiving station to confirm the text received from time to time.Typically, pause after the address block and after every 2 or 3 sentences. Thereceiving station will normally answer with "QSL" or "OK"(or something like that) if all is OK, and with "need a fill" or"repeat all after (word)" in case copy was garbled.

The required parts of a message are asfollows. Additional information regarding messages may be found in any ARRLHandbook or the ARRL Operating Manual.

1. Origination group: This is also where any reply will be sent. You must include the originating person’s name, mailing address or place name, and, if available, telephone number. Also, include the date and time of origination. Typical date-time group: 01/06/99 0330Z
2. Who is the message going to? As above, include name, mailing address or place name, and if available, a contact telephone number.
3. Count of words and number groups. See example below. The count is needed to verify
   that the message was transmitted correctly. The count is sometimes called the "check".
4. Text of message: Make every attempt to limit message length to 25 words or less, including number groups and punctuation. Long messages can cause problems in emergencies.
    

   Example: Need 15 water barrels at airport X Have 22 cases food rations on hand X All
   personnel have shelter X (signed) Joe Doe

   (This message has a count of 20. Each word or number group counts as 1 word. Also,
   each "X" counts 1. "X" (spoken as "xray") is used in place of the period at the end of
   each sentence. Note that the "signature" is NOT included in the word count.)

5. All messages must have a signature (the originating person’s name). Try to get a physical signature, if possible, on the "original" copy (text) that you used to generate the message.

Part7 – What to do if problems occur

If you are using a hand held set, try moving afew feet. If there are obstructions between you and the receiving station (orrepeater), try to move into a clearer spot. If your signal improves after such amove, STAY PUT until the traffic is passed. Moving to yet another spot orreturning to your original position is likely to cause signal loss and a returnto no or poor copy conditions. Under marginal conditions, even the position ofthe radio can make a difference! Once you get a good signal., don’t change anythinguntil the traffic is passed. A very important point to remember when using VHFor UHF FM systems that if signals are weak, shouting or even normal talking canmake things worse, instead of better. Under weak signal conditions, speak softlyor farther from the radio – it will usually improve the copy on the other end.

If copy cannot be obtained after moving to adifferent location, going to higher power, connecting a better antenna, oranything else you can try on your own, then ask for any station that is hearingboth sides to relay for you. During net operations, check before moving offchannel to make sure both yourself and the other station can hear each otherclearly. If this is not the case, ask net control to assign a relay station, orotherwise assist you to make sure the traffic can be passed successfully.

There may be an alternate means by which youcan pass the traffic. It may be more efficient to make use of othercommunications services, telephones, commercial carriers, runners, or whateverelse it takes to get the job done. The idea is to successfully pass the message,not to restrict it to amateur radio channels only.

Part8 – How to report emergencies

When reporting emergencies, several things areimportant. In every case, remember to give the receiving party (Police,troopers, Fire Dept, Ambulance, etc.) the following basic information:

1. What is the emergency. Is this a life threatening event? Is there a fire, a dangerous animal, a natural phenomenon (weather, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, etc), or a dangerous man-made event, such as a traffic accident? Try to determine if anyone is injured, and if so, how many persons. Are any physical conditions (such as sea conditions or visibility) pertinent to the emergency? Describe what assistance is needed. Do not move injured persons unless their life or safety is in immediate danger - wait for trained medical personnel. Cover victims with blankets keep them warm and lessen shock and exposure injuries.
2. Where is the emergency. Describe the location so that emergency response personnel can get there as quickly as possible. If on a highway, give mileage, landmarks, direction of travel on the road, and physical description of the vehicle, person, or whatever else will make it easy for responding personnel to identify the exact location. If not on a highway, give any appropriate landmarks or other means to identify the site to emergency personnel. (ie: 3 miles SSE of Icy Cape)
3. Who is calling. Give the emergency crew your name, where you are calling from, how you determined the nature of the emergency and a number or other way they can call you back if necessary. If you are calling via ham radio, stay on the line until they release you. Also, unless your safety is endangered and you are on the scene, stay put until the emergency crews arrive. If relaying from another station, stay in contact until released.

Part9 – Standard operating frequencies

Statewide HF: 3940 kHz LSB / 7262 kHz LSB

Statewide 2 meter calling/coordination:146.52 Simplex

Local ARES: 147.09 (+) (100.0 Hz CTCSS) or146.420 MHz simplex

Cumberland County ARES/RACES web page:http://www/n1me.com Check this page for late breaking news, training schedules,information during emergencies, and useful tips.

Part10 - Local information - (write in pertinent data for your location)

Police Emergency: _________________________Non-emergency Num. ____________________

Fire Emergency_______ _____________________Non-emergency Num. ____________________

State Trooper Emer.________________________Non-emergency Num._____________________

Hospital Tel: ______________________________Emergency Rm Tel:_______________________

Emergency Shelter (Addr & Tel Num)__________________________________________________