AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY
SERVICE PLAN
For Franklin Parish, Louisiana
1. INTRODUCTION
1. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service is composed of radio operators who are licensed by the
Federal Communications Commission after passing a
written examination on their knowledge of telecommunications and
technical skills in the operation of radio equipment.
2. The Franklin Parish ARES Team (FPAT) is composed of FCC licensed Amateur Radio operators
who have
voluntarily registered their capabilities and equipment for
public service communications duty.
3. Under Federal regulations, Amateur Radio public service
communications are furnished
without compensation of any kind.
4. The Franklin Parish ARES Team functions under this emergency
plan under the direction of
the Franklin Parish Emergency
Coordinator (EC) in consultation with the District
Emergency Coordinator (DEC).
5. The EC may select assistant EC’s as needed for the ARES
to function efficiently.
2. PURPOSE
1. The purpose of this plan is to provide a written guide
containing the minimum information
that would be needed in an
emergency. Each emergency is different and flexibility to provide
an adequate response to each is a
necessity.
2. The primary responsibility of the Franklin Parish ARES Team is
to furnish communications in
the event of a natural or man-made
disaster,when regular communications are inadequate
or fail.
3. All drills, training and instructions shall be carried out to
insure readiness to respond quickly
in providing effective Amateur emergency communications
whenever an occasion may arise.
4. The following agencies could be served during a communications
emergency: Franklin
Parish Emergency Management, American Red Cross,
Parish government officials,
Fire Department, Police Department, Salvation
Army, Hospital and other agencies requesting
assistance from ARES.
3. DEFINITIONS
1. Public Service - any non-commercial activity for which
communications are needed to enable
its safe conduct.
2. Competent Official - any executive authorized to request
assistance in the public interest and
to assume responsibility for those who respond to his
request.
3. Communications Emergency - any situation in which a public
agency requests supplementary
communications.
4. Emergency - any situation posing a threat to the safety of
life or property. Examples include
but are not limited to:
tornadoes,earthquakes, severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods,
severe
icing conditions, widespread fires,
discharge of toxic gasses or nuclear radiation,widespread
power outages, industrial explosions,
mass casualty accidents, civil disorders, and any event
declared an emergency by competent
authority.
4. ACTIVATING
THE PLAN
1. Any member of the Franklin Parish ARES Team who, for any
reason, suspects a communications
emergency exists should monitor the assigned net frequency
for activity.
2. If local telephone service is available, the EC and/or
assistant EC’s (AEC) should be notified by
telephone.
3. In an emergency in which Amateur Radio might serve the
community, Amateur Radio operators
might be alerted by any City, Red Cross, Emergency Management, or
similar official by contacting
the EC or AEC if EC is not available.
5. ARES
MOBILIZATION PROCEDURE
1. If telephone service is available, the telephone tree is
activated.
2. Upon the awareness or notification that a communications
emergency exists, members of the
Franklin Parish ARES Team will check
into the Combined Emergency Services net on 146.700 (-)
FM repeater with 146.520 FM Simplex as
an alternate frequency.
3. Mobile units are activated and dispatched as necessary.
4. The EC will assume Net Control or delegate another station as
Net Control Station (NCS).
Net Control may be from the Franklin Parish Emergency Operations
Center (EOC) or as needed.
6. DUTIES OF
NCS
1. The Combined Emergency Services Net will be called to order by
the NCS.
2. Members of the Franklin Parish ARES Team are checked into the
net from their mobiles and
home stations to await further instructions.
3. Liaison stations to the following National Traffic System nets
may be assigned:
1. Louisiana Traffic Net (LTN) 3910 KHz
2. Louisiana the CW Net (LCW) 3.673 Mhz.
3. West Gulf Coast EM Net (MS,LA,TX)
Day 7.285 Mhz Traffic
Night 3.873 Traffic
7.290 Mhz H&W
3.935 Mhz H&W (Health &
Welfare)
4. State or Local Emergency LA ARES Net 3.873 Mhz.
5. Mobiles are dispatched as needed to the Red Cross
headquarters, Salvation Army, and any
other agencies as required.
7. OPERATIONS
1. All written messages must be in standard ARRL format.
2. All messages MUST be signed by the Official who
originates them, with his title, taking
responsibility for their content.
3. Message precedence of Emergency, Priority,
Welfare, and Routine as defined on ARRL
form FDS-3 shall be used on all messages.
4. Stations do not transmit unless invited to do so by Net
Control. The only exception to this is
for a station having Emergency traffic.
8. DRILLS,
TESTS, AND ALERTS
1. An annual net will be conducted in October in conjunction with
the nation wide ARRL Simulated
Emergency Test (SET).
2. The Franklin Parish ARES Team will regularly supply Public
Service Communications in
conjunction with local events to test the effectiveness of the
operation.
3. The Combined Emergency Services Net meets on 147.015 (+)Mhz at
8:00 PM Mondays.
4. At the discretion of the EC, ARES Stations may be activated unannounced via the telephone tree
at least once per year.
9. INFORMATION
FOR OFFICIALS
1. Amateur Radio operators are trained communicators. When acting
in that capacity, they are not:
interpreters, evaluators, or field commanders. Their purpose is to transmit messages given to
them by responsible officials.
2. By this plan, ARES members are prohibited from transmitting
personal observations or
opinions,UNLESS specifically requested
by a responsible official.This avoids misinterpretations
by citizens who may be listening in on
scanners.
10.
INFORMATION FOR AMATEURS (FOR AMATEURS ONLY)
1. To avoid confusion, tactical call signs denoting your function
or location may be used. You need
only sign off at the end of your exchange of transmissions
with your full FCC call sign to conform
to FCC rules and regulations.
2. Think about what you need to say before keying the mike. Time
can be critical. Talk like a
telegram, rather than like a long letter. Follow the NCS’s
instructions explicitly and promptly.
3. If you are directed to cover an official or agency, report
directly to the person in charge, identify
yourself, briefly explain the capabilities of the Amateur Net,
and answer any questions that he
may have.
4. Never quit your post without authorization from the NCS. If
relieved by the responsible official,
you may be needed elsewhere.
5. NCS will plan for additional and relief operators as needed.
6. If using a repeater and it fails, move to the repeater output
frequency in simplex mode.
7. All traffic must be written and signed by the responsible
official who originates the message.
Use message precedence as defined by the originator. If you
become aware of an unrecognized
need, notify NCS. Never transmit on your own, unless asked by a
competent authority.
1. ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
1. The Emergency Coordinator shall:
1. Assure compliance with FCC regulations.
2. Coordinate activities within ARES.
3. Coordinate ARES activities with the Franklin Parish Emergency
Management Director
as well as with the ARES Section
Emergency Coordinator (SEC).
1. The Assistant Emergency Coordinator shall:
1. Aid the EC in the performance of his duties and
2. Function in the capacity of the EC in his absence
1. The Training Coordinator shall:
1. Establish training requirements for ARES members.
2. Coordinate all training activities and
3. Provide necessary training to assure backup support for
designated key positions.
1. The Net Coordinator shall:
1. Provide net control operators for all nets and
2. Be responsible for implementation of all net reports.
1. The Membership Coordinator shall:
1. Recruit a sufficient number of members to handle anticipated
emergencies and
2. Develop and maintain a current membership / equipment
capabilities list.
1. TRAINING
1. The ARES group shall meet the third Monday of the month at
6:00 PM Local time
at ________________________________________ Located in Winsboro (
subject to change ).
2. There shall be a minimum of two simulated emergency tests per
year.
3. Training functions may include ARES participation in local
civic events and other functions that
improve skills in communication, organization, discipline, and
judgment.
4. The Emergency Coordinator or the Training Coordinator may call
preparedness classes when it is
felt that classes are the most effective means of training ARES
members.
5. Those that have HF privledges, there is a Statewide HF ARES
Net conducted on 3.873 Mhz. LSB
at 7:30 PM Local time every Sunday
evening.
6. A Parish informal Training Net will be on 146.700 (-) FM at
7:30 PM Local Time every Monday
Evening for local
information,anouncements, and Training for Amatuers in Franklin
Parish and
surounding areas, we will take
check-in's outside the Parish.
7. A Preamble for the Local Net will be available.
2. MEMBERSHIP
1. Membership in ARES is open to any individual who holds a valid
Amateur Radio license.
2. All new members are expected to register themselves and their
operating capabilities with
the membership coordinator and take part in the training sessions
that will be provided.
3. All new members must keep the membership coordinator apprised
of any changes in their
equipment or their Amateur status that may affect the
operation of ARES.
3. LIMITATIONS
1. The information contained in this plan is to be used as a
guide. It is not the intent of this plan
to limit the actions of an operator who is on site and best able
to determine the prevailing
conditions.
2. Although a radio operator may report conditions as he observes
them, such observations are
to be considered those of a layman and evaluated in that context.
3. This plan is subject to alterations and/or revisions as
required.
4. This plan supersedes any and all other previous plans.
5. This is the first ARES Plan for Franklin Parish.
Amateur Radio
Emergency Services Plan. Rev 1.1
Franklin Parish,
Louisiana 5/01/2003
Larry Laborde
N5ASA
EC Franklin
Parish
245 Dobber Glass
Rd.
Baskin,Louisiana
71219
Home: (318)
248-3957
Cell Phone:
(318) 953-0213
email: n5asa@arrl.net
This page was last modified:
N5ASA