Untitled Document

Purpose
It is the purpose of this document to serve as a general guide for the conduct of amateur radio nets and their coordination between the local, regional and section levels. Net Managers (NM’s) at all levels should work closely with any served agencies involved and the local, regional and section ARES leadership respectively in a cooperative effort to provide the most reliable service possible in the accurate and timely movement of message traffic either written or verbal. It must be acknowledged that this document cannot be all-inclusive and in some situations the situation may dictate actions not directly mentioned here. In such situations there is no substitute of GOOD, COMMON SENSE mingled with PRIOR TRAINING and EXPERIENCE to assist all levels in making sound decisions and being able to justify them.

Overview
ARRL is a member of the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD). ARRL is also participating with Citizen Corps and the Department for Homeland Security. At Section Level KY ARES is a member of the state level VOAD organization and works in active cooperation with KY Division of Emergency Management and other agencies to provide a back up and support communications medium for any type of disaster or emergency within the state.

The National Traffic System is an organization sponsored by the ARRL, dedicated to providing communications during disasters on behalf of ARES, as well as the handling of third-party traffic. When a disaster situation arises, NTS is capable of expanding its cyclic operation into complete or partial disaster operation depending entirely on the extent of the disaster situation and the extent of its effect. The normal cycles may be expanded as required by the situation, so that more traffic can be handled and so that it can be handled more rapidly. In the extreme case, the cycles can operate continuously, with required representation present in all nets continuously, with stations designed for this function replacing each other as others are dispatched to the higher or lower nets with which they make liaison.

The Kentucky Section has 120 counties divided into 14 areas comprised of approximately 8 to 10 counties each. Four section nets on HF bands and various regional and local VHF and UHF nets serve Kentucky.

KY Emergency Net (KEN) which serves as the section coordination and training net during the once per week session each Monday evening on 3993.5 kHz. LSB at 7:30 PM Eastern Time. KEN is also our section "tactical" frequency during drills and emergency operations that affect either multiple regions or the state as a whole. KEN also uses 7.228 MHz. LSB during any daytime operations.
KY Traffic Net (KTN) on 3.960 MHz. LSB 7 PM EST. which handles written traffic in standard radiogram form and other written traffic as needed
Kentucky CW Net (KYN) on 3.599 MHz CW at 8:00 PM Eastern time which handles written traffic in standard radiogram form
Kentucky Slow Speed CW Net on 3.721 MHz CW 10:00 PM Eastern time which handles written traffic in standard radiogram form

Forms of Traffic
Just as response to disasters requires a diverse response effort, so too will traffic be diverse in nature. In some cases traffic will likely be verbal (point to point) such as a command post calling for a resource (ambulance, fire vehicle etc.) to go to a certain location for a specific task. In such a case there is no need for a written piece of traffic like a radiogram to convey this message. In other cases there will be a need for written messages and different agencies will use different forms of written messaging. In the past amateurs were always taught to use the standard ARRL Radiogram in all cases. In our modern world it is foolish to limit ourselves to this one form for relay of messages for the outside agencies we serve. Some of the varied form types are included in the rear of this plan along with instructions for using each type. These include:

ICS Form 213
ARRL Radiogram
ARRL Disaster Welfare Message Form
Forms specific to the served agency (EMA, ARC, Salvation Army etc,.) Local ARES Groups must make an effort to learn in advance what types of written message forms they may be asked to handle by the served agency and work to become proficient in their use BEFORE any real activation.

Types of Nets
Amateur radio nets may be of a variety of forms or even a hybrid combination. At the discretion if the Net Control Station (NCS), based upon the situation at the time and the amount of activity taking place, nets may be INFORMAL (Open) in nature. This is most common during periods in which a net is in “Stand By” mode while awaiting a full activation for an impending occurrence or during periods of little activity. When an informal net is in session, stations may freely call one another without first asking the NCS for permission to do so.

Once a net is brought into a full activation or when activity is frequent and the situation is fluid the NCS may declare a FORMAL (Directed) Net. At this point stations are asked to refrain from making transmissions to any station without first calling and obtaining permission from the Net Control Station (NCS). This will limit the flow of activity so that there is little danger of a station with important traffic being overrun by stations with stronger signals.

TACTICAL NETS are nets which are geared primarily toward handling a response at the “hands on” level. Most traffic passed here will be verbal in nature with occasional written information being passed. Tactical callsigns (ie. “EOC”, “Fire Station 1”, etc. ) are commonly sued here, HOWEVER when using tactical callsigns you must still comply with the requirements of FCC Rules and Regulations regarding proper station ID using your amateur radio callsign once every ten minutes or in most cases the best choice is at the end of your exchange.
RESOURCE NETS are nets for the purpose of gathering manpower, equipment and supplies for future deployment. FCC Callsigns are typically used on these nets.
TRAFFIC NETS are for the passing of formal, normally written, traffic. They are directed nets, using FCC issued calls. Traffic may be passed on the net frequency or sent off to another frequency at the option of the NCS. Casual conversations may be allowed at NCS discretion when circumstances will allow.
ICS NETS: During an emergency a large percentage of our served agencies use the Incident Command System as a model for their operations. When this system is used by your served agency you will need to understand what term in ICS corresponds to what term in ARES.

An ARES Tactical Net is equal to an ICS OPERATIONS Net, and an ARES Resource Net is equal to an ICS LOGISTICS Net.

Net Names and Tactical Callsigns
Any name used for any given net is a local option. The same holds true for tactical calls. Use the name for your nets and locations that convey the most information to the largest number of people who will be involved in the operation.

Kentucky Net Operations in a Disaster or Major Emergency
The Emergency Coordinators and Net Managers in disaster areas will (in coordinated fashion) first determine the communications needs and make decisions regarding the disposition of local communications facilities, in accordance with the need and in complete coordination with agencies to be served. The District Emergency Coordinator (if one is in place) should be consulted and briefed on the situation and anticipated needs of the agencies to be served.

In disasters affecting a whole area or contiguous areas of the section, the DEC(s) in the affected area(s) may need to coordinate their nets and resources to cover the immediate needs and begin planning a briefing for the SEC and ASEC on any short term and possible long term needs of additional resources to be brought in from outside the affected area.

The Section Emergency Coordinator or Assistant SEC, after conferring with the affected DECs and ECs, makes their recommendations to the Section Manager and Net Managers at section and/or region levels. The decision and resulting action to alert the NTS regional management may be performed by any combination of these officials, depending upon the urgency of the situation.

While the EC is, in effect, the manager of ARES nets operating at local levels, and therefore makes decisions regarding their activation, managers of NTS nets at local, area and section levels are directly responsible for activation of their nets in a disaster situation. It is recommended that for the greatest efficiency and use of manpower and equipment that all net managers and ARES leadership coordinate efforts by pre-planning beforehand and develop local plans and SOP’s for anticipated after consultation with the agencies to be served.. This same coordination should be maintained in any occurrence, which dictates actual response and net activations in accordance with those plans and SOP’s.

Section, Regional and Local Net Managers
You may be contacted during a disaster situation by the corresponding, appropriate level of ARES leadership, to activate your section, regional or local net, whether NTS or not, either to provide section-wide, regional or local contact or, in the case of NTS nets, to provide liaison with the “outside world.” There should be some means of activating your net(s) at any time. It is suggested that you make it understood in your net that in the event of a disaster, all amateurs involved in ARES or traffic nets should be somewhat “Self Activating” and begin to monitor their net frequency for possible activity and announcements. Some net stations, at locations badly needed, can be activated by telephone if phone lines are available. If the situation is of a large enough scale that the event may cause in increase of traffic into or out of the section the section, net managers should make contact with your NTS region net managers in the event that communications connected with the disaster do transcend section boundaries, recommending extraordinary activation of the region net. You should have some prearranged method of contact for this purpose. Designate net stations to conduct liaison with the NTS region net, either through another section net or direct. This is your responsibility! and not that of the TCC Regional Net Manager.

1. NCS (the net control station) opens the net with a preamble such as:
QST QST QST KYN KYN KYN DE W4NCS KY CW TRAFFIC NET OF ARRL NTS QND
(Meaning net is a directed net) QNZ (Meaning zero beat NCS frequency)
QNN TOM IN LVL QNA 9RN REP DE W4NCS K (To check in 9RN rep.)
KYN QNA NET REPS DE W4NCS K (etc. until all net representatives have checked in)

2. All stations checking in should make certain they are zero beat with NCS before transmitting.
After liaison stations to other nets have checked in, NCS will call for other stations:
KYN DE W4NCS QNI K

3. Stations reporting in will at first opportunity (to avoid doubling with other stations) transmit a “ditdit” or a letter of the alphabet to get the attention of the NCS.

4. Hearing this, NCS will reply with the same letter or “K” indicating that the station checking in should go ahead. Net control stations will return to stations checking in at the same speed as the entering stations.

5. The station KE4STN then reports in: “DE KE4STN GE QRU K” (meaning good evening, no traffic) If he has traffic, he says instead: “DE KE4STN GE QTC 1 LVL AA 2 KB4NET K” (This means 1 message for Louisville, 2 messages for KB4NET. AA is a separator signal also used in the heading of messages)

6. NCS then acknowledges: “KE4STN R GE AS NEXT” (KE4STN checked in, good evening, wait, and next station check in)

7. Next station checks in. If check-ins cease, NCS will again call: “KYN KYN DE W4NCS QNI K”

8. Knowing that KE4STN has 1 message for LVL and that K4RAR (near Louisville) has checked in, the NCS may direct that the message be cleared off the net frequency as follows: KE4STN QNK LVL K4RAR UP 5 (KE4STN clear traffic for Louisville to K4RAR up 5 Khz.)

9. Both stations then signify they have heard by sending “G” or “GG” (for going) and move up 5 Khz. The station receiving the traffic normally calls the station sending the traffic on the new frequency: KE4STN DE K4RAR GE QRV? (Asking KE4STN if he is ready to copy)

10. KE4STN then replies: K4RAR DE KE4STN QRV K (I am ready to copy) The message is then sent, and if KE4STN receives it OK, he says “QSL”, and both stations sign with each other and return to the net frequency.

11. If conditions are poor, NCS may use the following to send stations to pass traffic: KE4STN QNV W4RAR UP 5 QNK 1 LVL (Meaning KE4STN call W4RAR here to see if copy is OK, then both move up 5 Khz to pass Louisville traffic.)

12. Under good conditions, NCS may simply call the two stations then say: QNK 1 LVL UP 5 (Both stations should reply “G” or “GG” (for going) to indicate they understood. “QNR” may be used instead of “QNK.”)

13. If another station, N4KYA, has checked in while KE4STN and W4RAR are up 5 Khz. and has traffic for KE4STN, the NCS may advise him to go up and wait for them to finish and then pass the traffic to KE4STN: N4KYA QNQ UP 5 QNK 1 TO KE4STN

14. Stations that are moved off the net frequency to pass traffic should return to the net frequency after the traffic has been passed, unless the NTS has instructed otherwise. They should give their call upon returning to the net frequency.

Stations in the net should stay until dismissed by the NCS. The NCS may dismiss stations singly or by calling several at once: N4YKA K4RAR QNX 73 DE W4NCS. The directed net (QND) is ended when all traffic has been cleared. NCS then says: KYN DE W4NCS QNF