ARES/RACES PLAN - Amateur Radio Emergency Service

DRAFT 08/13/2008      Emergency Plan for Lexington County, South Carolina     DRAFT 08/13/2008

The Lexington County (Lex-Co) Amateur Radio Service (ARES/RACES) is composed of FCC licensed Radio operators who have voluntarily registered their capabilities and equipment for public service communications duty. Under Federal regulations, Amateur Radio public service communications are furnished without compensation of any kind. [97.3(3)(4)] FCC Rule Book. The Lexington County ARES/RACES functions under this Emergency Plan are under the direction of the Lexington County Emergency Coordinator (EC), who is appointed by the ARRL South Carolina Section Emergency Coordinator. The Lexington County Emergency Coordinator appoints assistant EC’s as needed to ensure efficient ARES/RACES operations.

All ARES/RACES participants are encouraged to read, and study, the ARRL Public Service Communications Manual.  Section 1 Chapters 1, 4 and 5 are of particular interest.  In addition, participants are encouraged to apply for, and to become, an Official Emergency Station.

Participants are encouraged to submit an ARES Registration Form to the Lexington County EC, listed below.

For those participants who wish to submit applications for both the ARES/RACES, visit the SC-ARES/RACES homepage and click on the SC ARES RACES REGISTRATION FORM at:

                                                        http://www.arrl-sc.org/HomePageARES-SC.htm

All ARES/RACES participants should visit the websites of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA.  In particular, review the FEMA section for Training.  ARES/RACES participants are encouraged to take the FEMA courses (1) IS-100, (2) IS-700.

The Emergency Coordinator will develop a plan for an emergency communications system for Lexington County in the event of a natural disaster or civil defense emergency when normal communications fail. The EC will conduct training, and drills for all ARES/RACES members. ARES/RACES will provide communications services to the Lexington County Emergency Management Director, Sheriffs Department, Municipal Police, Fire and Rescue Departments, American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Lexington Regional Hospital and/or other agencies requesting assistance.

The Lex-Co Plan may be activated by (1) A representative of the Lexington County Emergency Management Command and Control Center, and/or (2) the SC Section Emergency Communications, SEC.  The Lex-Co ARES/RACES Emergency Coordinator or one of the Assistant Coordinators, according to the ARES/RACES Chain of Command structure, will be notified that an emergency exists. Any member of Lexington County ARES/RACES who for any reason suspects a communications emergency exists should monitor the assigned net frequency for activity announcements and notify the EC if possible. The EC and assistant EC’s will be notified by telephone.

Local broadcast station Wxxx 1xx.x FM will be contacted by the EC or his representative, for announcements alerting ARES/RACES members. The station’s telephone number is xxx-xxxx. The ARES/RACES telephone call tree will be activated. All ARES/RACES members should check in with the ARES/RACES Emergency Net on the Lexington Repeater on 147.990/390 MHz  upon learning of the communications emergency.  If the 390 repeater is not in service,  the Ridge ARC repeater on 147.825/225 MHz will be used.  Nets will include simplex operation on 146.55 MHz and/or 146.58 MHz.  The Little Mountain repeater, 147.810/210 MHz, typically will not be used in Lexington County; it is the primary SkyWarn repeater and may be in use during weather related emergencies.  Currently, several repeaters are available in Lexington County for 440MHz operations and several 440 repeaters are located in neighboring counties and will be pressed into service if needed.  Mobile units shall be activated, when required. The EC will assume net control or delegate another station as the net control station.  When requested by the Lexington County Emergency Management Director (EMD), a station will be established at the Lexington County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Ballpark Road, Lexington, SC.

 In keeping with a preliminary area/district plan, ARES/RACES members and others should monitor the following frequencies in the event an emergency occurs. 

·         All frequencies are in MHz.  During an emergency, all access tones “should” be disabled.

·         146.550 - currently used by the Ridge ARC (Amateur Radio Club) for a 9 PM Sunday net.  This net proves 2 meter simplex

       covers much of Lexington County.  The secondary frequency is 146.580.

·         146.990/390 – owned by Norman Brinson, KA4FEC, who has verbally given permission to use this repeater during emergencies. 

·         147.855/255 – owned by the Ridge ARC.

·         147.930/330 – Columbia ARC.    Visit the CARC website:  http://carc.ham-radio-op.net/carcrept/carcrepeaters.shtml

·         147.810/210 – Little Mountain.  Currently used by SKYWARN as their primary repeater.  The Little Mountain Repeater is

       currently the "Rally" frequency.  CLICK HERE to refer to the document generated by Bill Lemmon, KA4TWK, Fairfield

       County EC

·         146.395/995 – located near the SC State EOC on Fish Hatchery Road.

·         Other repeaters as needed and announced – 440 MHz etc

·        Refer to the Public Service Communications Manual   Section 1 Chapter 4   for additional frequencies.

 As required, stations will be established at the two mandatory shelters:

        ·       Batesburg-Leesville Leisure Center is no longer an approved emergency shelter.

 ·       White Knoll High School

5643 Platt Springs Road

Lexington,  SC  29073

      Telephone  803-996-4500

      Contact:  Becky Hunt,  803-894-5810,   rahunt1@pbt.com

 ·         Reserve Shelter(s)

 Address

 ·       If necessary, a station will be established at the residence of the Lexington County ARES/RACES Emergency Coordinator.

The Lexington County Emergency Net will be called up by the NCS (Net Control Station).  ARES/RACES members who check into the net should standby and await further instructions. The Lexington County Emergency Net will coordinate with nets in nearby counties and may operate under the control of a single regional or district net. 

 Liaison stations are assigned, as needed, to monitor and make reports, as directed, to the following nets:

·         South Carolina SSB Net 3.915 MHZ which, in turn, has liaison stations to the National Traffic System, NTS.   The SC SSB Net will be used for health and welfare traffic.

·         A liaison station will be assigned to monitor and report to the South Carolina ARES Emergency Net(s) on 3.935 MHz and/or 7.250 MHz.  The SC ARES/RACES Net will be used for government related traffic, i.e. local, state and federal.

·         In the event of a hurricane, a Station will be assigned to monitor WX4NHC on the National Hurricane Net Frequencies on 14.325 MHz, 7.628 MHz, 3.815 MHz, 3.950 MHz and/or 3.940 MHz.

·         Liaison stations will be assigned to monitor the following repeaters:

·               FM – Little Mountain 147.210 – used by SKYWARN

·               FM – Columbia 147.330 – The Columbia ARC operates from the Central SC Chapter Red Cross facility

·               FM – Lexington  147.390 – owned and maintained by Norman Brinson, KA4FEC

·               FM – State EOC – 146.995

·        FM - SCHEARTS - 146.715

·         Liaison stations will be assigned to monitor the following simplex frequencies:

·               FM – 146.550 MHz

·               FM – 146.580 MHz

·               FM – Other frequencies, as needed

All written messages must be in standard ARRL Radiogram form.  This form is to be used on all messages except as noted.  All written messages will be catalogued for clarification and for message tracking at a later time. If a particular served agency requires a different form, take the message as received and accept the responsibility for the accuracy of the message transmission. Stations should not transmit unless invited to do so by the net control station.  All traffic shall be directed to the Lexington County Emergency Operations Center and delivered, by the radio operator, to the County Emergency Management Director for further action. The Net Control Station may direct traffic to another location depending on the nature of the message.  Message precedence is: Emergency, Priority, Welfare and Routine as defined on ARRL Form FSD-3.

The Shelter Stations and the Emergency Operations Center will be asked to check in by the Net Control Station.  Stations will be directed to make reports to or for the EOC in Lexington or for Net Control. Liaison Stations will also make reports or pass information to other stations.  To avoid misinterpretation by individuals who may be listening to the Net via scanners or other radio receivers, amateurs are prohibited from transmitting personal observations or opinions, unless specifically requested by a Lexington County Emergency Command official or a Red Cross official.

All incoming and outgoing messages will be logged by the NCS and/or the alternate NCS.  The log will contain the name of the sender, addressee, the station from whom the message was received, the station to whom the message was sent, time in and time out.  In addition, the log will contain the names and calls of operators on duty, their time in and their time out.  Any significant event will be logged.  Significant events include, but are not limited to, changes in conditions, power failures, meals, new arrivals or departures at a shelter and equipment failures.  Individual operators should keep their own logs to allow for faster message tracking.  It also provides duplicate information should another station’s logs be lost or damaged.

An amateur radio operator will not transmit names of casualties over voice operated radio.  The Red Cross accepts responsibility for casualty lists via telephone, fax or courier.

The Lexington County Emergency Plan will be exercised as follows:

·         The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) occurs in October each year.  As yet, Lex-Co  has not participated in the SET.

·         The Lexington County ARES/RACES will supply public safety communications, in conjunction with local events, to test the effectiveness of the operation.

 The Lexington County ARES/RACES Emergency Net meets [day] [time] [frequency].

Areas of responsibility along with assigned personnel are listed below.

SHELTERS                                              CONTROL OPERATORS ASSIGNED

White Knoll High School                         Control Operator:  [name & call]

5643 Platt Springs Road                        Control Operator:  [name & call]

Lexington,  SC  29073

Telephone:  996-4500

Contact::  Becky Hunt

894-5810

rahunt1@pbtcomm.net

Batesburg-Leesville Leisure Center     No longer an approved emergency shelter

LEXINGTON Medical Center                Control Operator:  [name & call]  

2720 Sunset Blvd                                   Control Operator:  [name & call] 

West Coumbia, SC

Telephone:  791-2000

Name:  Administrator  

[name & call]     Assistant Emergency Coordinator.  Recruit, Train & Dispatch Mobile Units as directed by the EC.  Report activity to NCS.

Lexington County does not have a mobile trailer.  Lex-Co ARES/RACES will coordinate, on an as-needed basis,  with the following mobile response teams which will be deployed during an emergency:

           1.    SC ARES Command Net         [name & call]

                   3.993.5 MHz    LSB

                   7.250 MHz     LSB

           2.  SC SSB Net                Jim Baughman, WB4DLD           Experience as Control Operator on the SC SSB Net

                3.915 MHz  LSB          William B Weathersbee, KK4UX

                  [name & call]               Ridge ARC W4RRC  147.255 MHz

                                  Lexington proprietary KA4FEC  147.390 MHz

                                  Little Mountain  K4AVU  147.210 KMz  SKYWARN

                                 Columbia ARC  KF4GHC  147.330 MHz  CARC at Central SC Red Cross Chapter

Lexington Fire Station  # x          2 Meter VHF

[name]              Fire Captain, Telephone  xxx-xxxx

[name & call]     Control Operator  AEC

[name & call]     Control Operator 

Lexington Police                        2 Meter VHF 

[name]              Telephone  xxx-xxxx

[name & call]     Control Operator  AEC

[name & call]     Control Operator 

Lexington Sheriff Dept               2 Meter VHF

[name]              Telephone  xxx-xxxx

[name & call]     Control Operator  AEC

[name & call]     Control Operator 

Lexington County EMS               2 Meter VHF

[name]              Telephone  xxx-xxxx

[name & call]     Control Operator  AEC

[name & call]     Control Operator 

Batesburg-Leesville Fire Station  # x          2 Meter VHF

[name]              Fire Captain, Telephone  xxx-xxxx

[name & call]     Control Operator  AEC

[name & call]     Control Operator 

Batesburg-Leesville Police                        2 Meter VHF 

[name]              Telephone  xxx-xxxx

[name & call]     Control Operator  AEC

[name & call]     Control Operator 

                        Michael McMasters,  Lexington County Emergency Management Director

                        Lexington County Administrative Building

                        212 South Lake Blvd

Lexington  SC  29072

Telephone:    785-8343

mmcmasters@lex-co.com

COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER – EOC

407 Ball Park Road

Lexington  SC

Telephone:  xxx-xxxx

Link for the Lexington County  Family Emergency Preparedness Handbook

[name & call]     Control Operator  AEC

[name & call]     Control Operator

[name & call]     Control Operator

[name & call]     Lexington County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Lexington, SC.

[name & call]     Batesburg-Leesville Leisure Center  -  no longer an approved emergency shelter.

[name & call]    White Knoll High School  -  Recruit and assign personnel and control Operators.

[name & call]     Administrative Coordinator for Personnel Rosters - Personnel equipment capabilities, equipment Inventory and xxx

                           ARES/RACES        Financial Records

[name & call]     Maintenance of Shelter Antennas and Coverage of 2 meter and 70cm repeaters during an Emergency.  (NOTE: amateur radio antennas are not presently installed at any location).  Locations include the Lexington County Administrative Building at 422 South Lake, Batesburg-Leesville Leisure Center, White Knoll High School.  Monitor and relay to [location] on xxx.xxx MHz.  Recruit Operators in Lexington County and operate as NCS as assigned.

[name & call]     Recruit, Train and Dispatch Mobile Units after a major storm or disaster.

[name & call]     Deployment, maintenance and assignment of Operators for the Mobile Unit. Coordinate deployment with

                          Columbia Amateur Radio Club, [name & call]

2751 Bull Street

Columbia  SC  29xxx

Telephone:  251-6000

Volunteer Services Telephone:  803-540-1234

Pam Bartley

Diane Green

[name]              A volunteer with responsibility for Disaster Shelter Operations.   [address, telephone]

Kenneth B. Ferguson,  K4KXO  -  Operate the NCS Station, delegate others to assume Net Control. Coordinate activities of Lexington County ARES/RACES operations in South Carolina area three (3).

204 xxxxxxxx xx

Lexington, SC 29072

Telephone: xxx-xxxx

k4kxo@k4kxo.com

e-mail:    k4kxo@k4kxo.com