Duval County Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES)
When all normal means of communications fail!

The Duval County
Amateur Radio Emergency Service
Emergency Communications Plan



Title Page
Table of Contents
Definitions

 

 

Part 1: Who We Are

 

    Introduction

    Ham Radio

    ARRL

        ARRL Field Organization

            ARES

 

Part 2: What We Are Trying To Do

 

    Mission

    Goal

    Service Objectives

        Disaster Communications

        Public Safety Communications

            River Run

            St. Johns River Cleanup

 

Part 3: How We Develop Our Plans

 

    Methods

        Topologies

            Broadcast (1 way)

            Point to Multi-point

            Point-to-point

            Networks

        Telephone System - random access

        Directed Nets - U.S. Mail analogy - Hierarchical Access

    Communications Planning

        Communications Resources

            Software

                Quick Reference Material

                    ARES callout list

                    List of all repeaters for North Florida and South Georgia, including CTCSS tones, etc.

                    List of all packet nodes, frequencies and maps

                    List of all potential shelters with phone numbers

                    List of all hospitals with phone numbers and name of contact

                    List of NWS offices, phones, direct lines, frequencies, etc.

                Forms

                    Gold form

                    Standard message traffic form

                    ARRL Radiogram forms

                    Shelter census forms

                    Roll-call list of ARES members call signs

                Computer Programs

                    APRS

                    Simple Packet program (e.g. BUXTERM, PACOMM)

                    PSK31

                    ATV programs

                    Spreadsheet (for dynamic tables & reports)

                    Internet web browser
                    Internet e-mail

                Manuals

                    Instructions for transceiver operation

                    Disaster plans for served agencies

                    County plan

                    District Plan

                    Section Plan

            Hardware

                H/T's

                Mobile Stations

                Base Stations

                Repeaters

                TNC's

                Computers or Terminals

                SSTV Equipment

                Operator's Workstation

 

Part 4a: What Our Current Plans Are

 

Pre-Planning Process

    Standard Operating Procedures

        Personnel

            Leadership

            Job Descriptions

            Teams

                Primary QRT

                Secondary QRT

                Third QRT

                Hams at-large

        Training & Drills

            Weekly nets

            Weekly net script

        Insignia

            Red hat - Ham Radio

            Red hat - Emergency Communications

            Yellow vest - Ham Radio

            Duval County EOC badge

            ARES Badge + Letter

            SERT Badge

 

Operations

    Callout

        Beepers

        Telephone Tree

        Admin Network

    Local Repeaters

        RANGE MOU

        List of 2m Repeaters

        List of 70cm Repeaters

    District Repeaters

        NOFARS MOU

    Simplex Operations

        List of Simplex Frequencies

        Emergency Simplex Base Stations

            Fuller Warren Bridge

            Parking Garage Roof

    Networks

        Voice Nets

            Tactical Call Signs

            Duval County ARES

                Tactical Net

                Admin Net

                RDF Net

        District Nets

        NFAN

        Gateway Stations

        Digital Nets

            Digital Communications Plan

            Duval County ARES Digital Node

                Procedures

            SEDAN

                Procedures

                Map

            APRS

    Traffic

        Informal

        Formal

            Duval County ARES Message Form

            ARRL Radiogram

        Precedence

        Routing

        Standardized Messages

 

Served Agencies

    American Red Cross

        MOU

        Headquarters

        Shelters

        Primary

        Pre-wired

        Secondary

        Special Needs

        Communications Plan

    Div of Emergency Preparedness (EOC)

        MOU

        ESF System

        List of EOC Phone Numbers

        List of Hospitals

    Jacksonville Fire-Rescue

        MOU

        List of District Headquarters

        List of Phone Numbers

    Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

        MOU

        List of Phone Numbers

    Fl Division of Forestry

        MOU

    National Weather Service

        MOU

        Skywarn Program

 

Definitions

AEC - Asst. Emergency Coordinator

 

APRS - Automatic Packet Reporting System - A digital system that transmits and displays data on maps on computer screens. Highly effective as a parallel to voice circuits.

 

ARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Service headed by the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC); is part of the ARRL field organization.

 

ARRL - American Radio Relay League - National Amateur Radio organization dedicated to implementing Part 97 of the FCC regulations.

 

Blue Alert - Condition Blue - Alert status allowing ARES officials at their discretion to shut down operations when they complete their emergency-related duties.

 

CEM - County Emergency Manager or County Emergency Management

 

Communications emergency as defined the FCC occurs when normal communications systems are disrupted in a specified area.

 

County - Any geographical jurisdiction assigned to an EC. For ARES purposes a County can be an actual Florida County, a portion of a County, or a combination of counties.

 

County Warning Point - A county public safety site, such as a Sheriffs dispatch office that functions 24 hours a day. It is a principal contact point for the State Warning Point.

 

DEC - District Emergency Coordinator, an appointee in charge of ARES activities in a cluster of counties comprising a District

 

DEM also FDEM - The Florida Division of Emergency Management

 

Disaster - An event causing death or serious injury to humans or a major loss of property.

 

Distress traffic - Any traffic relating to an acute, immediate threat to human safety or property; i.e. SOS, MAYDAY, or EMERGENCY traffic.

 

District - Two or more contiguous counties assigned to a DEC.

 

EC - Emergency Coordinator. An ARES appointee who supervises emergency planning and operations in a specified geographical area. Reports to the DEC.

 

E-mail - Electronic messages exchanged over the Internet or local computer network.

 

Emergency - any situation in which human life or property is threatened. The emergency ceases when relief agencies have no further need for our services. (See "Disaster")

 

Emergency Net - A group of Amateurs using the same frequency and associated side frequencies to support emergency relief measures.

 

EOC - Emergency Operating Center; an emergency headquarters.

 

ESF - Emergency Support Function. Each of the 16 ESFs is a group of people in an EOC dealing with specific kinds of problem.

 

FDEM - Florida Division of Emergency Management (see DEM).

 

FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency

 

Formal traffic is written in ARRL message form. It is used when Amateur Radio operators relay information between third parties.

 

GATEway Stations - Fixed stations providing liaison between two nets.

 

GPS - Global Positioning Satellite

 

HAZMAT - Hazardous Materials.

 

Informal communications - Radio exchanges between two people not requiring verbatim relay to any third party. Classified as non-traffic; not handled on emergency nets.

 

Jump Team - A group of experienced Amateur volunteers selected and trained to mobilize on very short notice to meet an emergency.

 

Key City - A cluster of GATEway stations within a specific geographic area providing liaison between activated emergency nets or a Served Agency HQ.

 

LGL - Local Government Liaison is an appointment made by the State Government Liaison (SGL) for any specific task.

 

NF - Northern Florida - The Northern Florida Section of ARRL.

 

NM - Net Manager.

 

NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Home agency for the National Weather Service

 

No alert - same as Condition Green. Normal operations.

 

NTS - National Traffic system.

 

NWS - National Weather Service.  See: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jax for Jacksonville.
 
Orange Alert - Condition Orange.  ARES members are active at assigned duty posts not on standby.
 
QNC - QN signal for CW or digital net use meaning "All net member stations please copy."  It indicates that the message to follow is of general interest.
 
RACES  - Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service.
 
Red Alert - Condition Red.  Maximum level of ARES activation in the Duval County ARES Plan.
 
Section - ARRL administrative unit headed by elected Section Manager (SM).
 
SEC  - Section Emergency Coordinator.  Official responsible for all ARES activites within a Section.
See: http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/org/sec.html
 
Secondary net  - A communications channel associated with the primary emergency net used for traffic handling and other time-consuming net business.
 
Service information - Handling notes attached to a message form.
 
Service message - Radiogram relating to handling of another message.
 
SET  - Simulated Emergency Test.
 
SGL - State Government Liaison is an appointment made by the Section Manager.  The role is that of interface between amateur radio and all facets of state government.  See:
 http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/org/sgl.html
 
Side Frequency  - Secondary Net.
 
SITREP - Situation Report.  Message reporting status of emergency-related activities.
 
SM - Section Manager.  See http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/org/sm.html
 
STM - Section Traffic Manager.
 
Tactical traffic - Spoken instructions or consultation on the air.  No third party communication occurs.
 
Traffic - Any exchange of information between two or more Amateur Radio stations.
 
Traffic Log - A list of incoming and outgoing traffic at an Amateur station.
 
White Alert - Condition White.  Notice to ARES members to prepare for deployment on very short notice.
 
 

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