Illinois Section Emergency Communications Plan

CONTENTS:

IL SECP I. ARES® INTRODUCTION

IL SECP II. ARES® PLAN PURPOSE

IL SECP III. ARES® ACTIVATION:

IL SECP IV. ARES® MOBILIZATION:

IL SECP V. ARES® SOP for Nets, NCS and Net Members

IL SECP VI. Standard Operating Plan for SECURING ARES® NETS AND OPERATIONS

IL SECP VII. POST or AFTER ARES® ACTIVATION REPORTS:

IL SECP VIII (Reserved for District Emergency Communications Plan)

IL SECP IX (Reserved for Local Emergency Communications Plan)

IL SECP X. IL-SECP Errata

ANNEX Unpublished information

This Illinois Section Emergency Communications Plan is authored by

________________________

<>R. Patrick Ryan KC6VVT
Illinois Section Emergency Coordinator <>
P. O. Box 24,
Tonica, IL 61370-0024 <>

This Illinois Section Emergency Communications Plan is approved by

__________________________

<>Thomas Ciciora, KA9QPN
Illinois Section Manager, ARRL

The Illinois Section EC will advise, and provide a copy to the ARRL Section Manager, of this Section Emergency Communications Plan (ECP), the Emergency Response Plan (ERP), and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), as contained in this IL SECP for record purposes.

References, appendices, District and local Emergency Communications Plans, and specific unpublished information, may be attached or follow after this document, and are not included in this published IL SECP except by reference.

IL SECP I. ARES® INTRODUCTION

I. ARES® INTRODUCTION

    A. The Amateur Radio Emergency Services®, (ARES®) in the Illinois Section is composed of FCC licensed amateur radio operators who have voluntarily registered themselves and their station capabilities and equipment for public service communications duty with a local American Radio Relay League Emergency Coordinator in the State of Illinois.

    B. The Illinois Section of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is comprised wholly of the ARRL members residing within the State of Illinois, who elect the Illinois Section Manager via the rules and election process of the American Radio Relay League. The ARRL and the Section Manager in Illinois supports the Amateur Radio Emergency Service®, known as ARES®, to help provide emergency communication to ARRL served agencies within the Illinois Section. The undersigned formally acknowledge ARES® as an ARRL program and agree to abide by all rules and guidelines the League establishes. League references were used to prepare and amend this plan.

    C. The ARES® in the Illinois Section functions under the general direction of the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC/IL), who is appointed by the ARRL Section Manager. The SEC will organize ARES® in Illinois in accordance with the ARRL Public Services Communication Manual and the ARRL Emergency Coordinators manual with the goal to carry out this SEC Plan in providing emergency communications for ARRL served agencies on the local and state level in the State of Illinois..

    D. The SEC/IL may recommend and appoint various assistants, including ARRL District Emergency Coordinators (DEC/IL), and local ARRL Emergency Coordinators (EC/IL) to register and lead the individual amateur radio operators registered in ARES® in their jurisdiction. It is SEC/IL policy that without a local appointed ARRL EC; there is no recognized local ARES® group.

    E. The SEC, DEC, and local EC may recommend ARRL Official Emergency Stations (OES) as needed to ensure emergency communication via amateur radio in various areas and localities, or for jurisdictions with or without a local EC. Select OES may serve on ARESMAT/IL teams.

F. All ARRL appointees agree to serve in accordance with their ARRL Official Guidelines as a condition of their continued ARRL appointment, and agree to observe ARRL policy and official guidelines.

IL SECP II. ARES® PLAN PURPOSE: <>

<>II. ARES® PLAN PURPOSE

A. The purpose of this Illinois Section Emergency Communications Plan (IL SECP) is to provide a written guide containing the minimum information that would be needed in a local or widespread emergency; recognizing each emergency can be different and the flexibility to provide an adequate response is a necessity. The Illinois Section Emergency Communications Plan (IL SECP) is the recommended plan that will be followed where possible by those who are registered in ARES® with their local ARRL EC in the event of a communications need, a large-scale emergency, when disaster occurs, or when normal means of communications is disrupted or overloaded.

B. The primary responsibility of the ARES® in the Illinois Section is to furnish the minimum essential emergency communication via amateur radio in the event of a communication emergency, when regular communications fail or are inadequate, for various public and private served agencies.

C. All ARES® drills, training and instruction shall be carried out with the coordination of the local ARRL Emergency Coordinator to insure readiness to respond quickly in providing effective emergency communications via amateur radio to, between, or from served agencies, whenever such an emergency occasion may arise.

D. The following ARRL served agencies have national Memorandum of Understanding or Statements or Understanding, and may require ARES® emergency communication support via amateur radio on the state and local level:
    1. The American Red Cross Disaster Services, and involved local chapters of the Red Cross;
    2. The Salvation Army, and in conjunction with their Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) units;
    3. National Weather Service Weather and their Weather Forecasting Offices within the State of Illinois, and assist those NWS offices with Illinois Counties within their County Warning Areas that are located outside of the state of Illinois;
    4. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and member agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);and through affiliated Citizen Corp programs such as Citizen Emergency Response Teams (CERT), among others.

E. Other local, county or state government, or special district, region or wide area and local agencies may also seek and request our emergency communications support via amateur radio, and may specifically include local units of the following organizations:
    1. Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and their Regional IEMA coordinators;
    2. Illinois county or local Emergency Management Agency, or Emergency Service and Disaster Agency (ESDA) units of these local governments;
    3. Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), including any Regional and local hospitals and their PODS;
    4. Illinois State Police (ISP), their respective ISP Districts, local County Sheriff and local Police Departments;
    5. Local Fire Departments and respective MABAS organization.
    6. Medical and Ambulance Services, including Regional Illinois Medical Emergency Response Teams (IMERT) via their District Emergency Coordinator for IMERT .

F. Member representatives of organizations of the Illinois Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) may also request emergency communications assistance from the ARRL or ARES® via their special District Emergency Coordinator for ILVOAD, or direct to the SEC/IL.

G. Other national organizations and agencies have National Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) or Statements of Understanding (SOU) with the ARRL may also be supported locally through local MOU or SOU with local ARRL EC and their ARES® groups or units, or by special request to the SEC/IL.

H. This voluntary service is performed by federally licensed amateur radio operators who are governed by federal regulation under U. S. Code 47 C.F.R. § 97, known also as FCC Part 97 rules.

I. Under the federal regulations that govern our amateur radio service, our amateur radio public service must be furnished without monetary compensation of any kind. As such, emergency communications services via amateur radio in the Illinois Section shall also be furnished free of charge as a volunteer service by ARES® registered amateur radio operators. Note that expense reimbursement may or may not be available, so keep records.

IL SECP III. ARES® ACTIVATION:

III. ARES® ACTIVATION

A. ALERT -

In an emergency in which ARES® may serve, the ARES® registered amateur operators in Illinois may be alerted by any means at the disposal of any official from any served agency or the ARRL. It is the responsibility of any ARES® registered responder to notify the ARRL local EC of any such alert received.

The American Radio Relay League headquarters in Newington, CT, and their amateur radio station W1AW, may notify any and all ARRL officials or ARES registered members, by any means of official ARRL bulletins or messages, of possible or required ARES activations. Monitor W1AW for emergency communications per W1AW schedule as published.

Also, the ARRL Illinois Section Manager, the ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator, ARRL District Emergency Coordinator, or local ARRL Emergency Coordinator or ARRL Official Emergency Station acting on their behalf, may notify any ARES® unit of any alert.

Any Federal, State, County, or local Emergency Management Authority may also alert amateur radio operators in ARES® via public radio or television, NOAA Weather Radio SAME broadcast, or via published sources.

Volunteer contact by ARES® with their many served agencies is expected upon receiving any alert in ARES®, as previously assigned to the ARES Responder by the local EC.

Any ARES® Activation may be initiated by the:
1. Local ARRL Emergency Coordinator (EC); _________________________ EC/IL

2. ARRL District EC (DEC); __________________________ DEC/IL

3. ARRL Section EC (SEC): Pat Ryan KC6VVT SEC/IL

4. ARRL Section Manager: Thomas Ciciora KA9QPN SM/IL

Any formal message signed by the above, and then relayed by the designated ARRL Official Emergency Stations in ARESMAT, or as read on other coordinating radio nets by designated local ARES® Net Control Stations.
Any ARES® registered member, who for any reason, is notified or suspects that a communication emergency exists, and/or receives a request that ARES® should be activated, should contact their local ARRL Emergency Coordinator or Assistant Emergency Coordinator and local ARRL Official Emergency Stations, and monitor their assigned ARES® net frequencies for activity.

In no case should an ARES® registered member activate without coordination with or from one of the above, but may begin preparation activity to mobilize, and prepare ready kits, batteries charged, etc.

IL SECP IV. ARES® MOBILIZATION:

IV. ARES® MOBILIZATION

    A. When a widespread communication emergency exists in Illinois, or when ARES® Mutual Aid Teams (ARESMAT) may be required to assist, all Illinois EC and OES shall activate and monitor their local ARES® nets, and the Illinois Section ARES® HF emergency net, as cited below.

    B. The SEC, DEC, or the local EC in disaster or emergency, (or their designated local OES or liaison) shall activate and monitor the Illinois Section ARES® HF emergency net for emergency tactical and NTS traffic. All other EC and OES designated shall monitor this net for calls for check in, assistance or relay.

        1. The primary frequency for IL Section ARES® net shall be 3.905 MHz LSB, + or -, and this critical frequency area will and must be shared with the Illinois Sideband NTS Net.
        2. The secondary frequency for IL Section ARES® net shall be 7.230 MHz LSB, + or -,
        3. ARES® Mutual Aid Teams and local EC “in disaster” or emergency shall also monitor and use 146.520 MHz or 446.100 MHz FM simplex to call or meet other ARES® Responders, and to coordinate or direct any responding ARESMAT to other local ARES® local frequencies and emergency repeaters.
        4. The National APRS digital packet amateur radio frequency of 144.390 MHz may and shall also be used to pass wide area Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) bulletins, status and necessary geo-location or position information for those ARES® stations that are APRS equipped and that may be active in an emergency, and to pass one line tactical messages, and where necessary, NTS emergency and priority messages.

A. Messages or Radiograms® shall be sent to specific stations.

B. Bulletins may be sent to BLN#

C. One line email may be sent addressed to EMAIL followed by message line of callsign@arrl.net with the short one line message following email address.

D. Multi-line email may be sent to WLNK-1 following APRSLink instructions.
5. The ARES® Packet stations and ARESBBS shall use 145.010 MHz primary frequency, and 145.030 MHz secondary frequency, wherein possible, for tactical 1200 baud packet traffic in support of their agencies in point to point communication links.

General packet BBS use and other non-emergency packet radio traffic shall be minimized for use on these frequencies, or use 145.050 MHz alternatively, wherever possible.
6. Other Illinois or Regional NTS nets will be activated for emergency and priority traffic by the Section Traffic Manager, or the Net Manager or Net Control Station, or by those stations with emergency or priority traffic or radiograms.

Note: there may be an automatic 72-hour moratorium on Health and Welfare traffic and routine traffic to the disaster or emergency area, when all ARES® stations must concentrate on tactical, as well as outbound Emergency and Priority NTS traffic.

IV. ARES® MOBILIZATION (CONTINUED)

C. Upon becoming aware that a communication emergency exists, ARES® members

should always monitor, and check into their local ARES® emergency net, as soon as possible. The NCS shall notify the local EC, DEC and designated OES by any means necessary that the ARES® net has been activated in accordance with their local Emergency Communications Plan, and all EC or designated OES shall monitor the Illinois Section ARES® HF Net in addition to their local ARES® net and packet frequencies as soon as possible.

    D. All ARES® stations shall check in, monitor and follow instructions of the Net Control Station (NCS) for their local ARES® nets, and make no unnecessary transmissions.

    E. Additional liaison stations and ARES® nets will be activated on alternate frequencies, as necessary, by the ARES® Net Control Station of each net to facilitate the flow of pertinent information to and from the emergency nets and their served agencies, or as directed by the local EC.

    F. The following agencies, if served, shall be assigned OES or liaison stations by an NCS of an ARES® Net, as requested and needed, and requests for emergency communications assistance via amateur radio in ARES® will be coordinated with the local Emergency Coordinator from any or all of the following.
         1. Any American Red Cross Disaster Services amateur radio frequency or nets;
         2. Any Salvation Army, or SATERN, amateur radio frequency or nets;
         3. Any National Weather Service local Weather Forecasting Office, or Skywarn amateur radio frequency or net;
         4. Any National Traffic System (NTS) amateur radio frequency or net activated to handle emergency or priority traffic.
         5. Any local Emergency Management Agency or Emergency Services Disaster Agency or RACES support amateur radio frequency or net;
         6. Commercial broadcast radio and TV station news departments;
         7. Local Police department amateur radio frequency or net;
         8. Local Fire department amateur radio frequency or net;
         9. Local Hospital amateur radio frequency or net;
       10. Local Ambulance Service amateur radio frequency or net;

    G. All local ARES® Backup and/or relief stations shall be organized by the NCS, working with an EC or Assistant EC, to replace or schedule replacement of any activated OES or ARES® stations and liaisons who are already in service. This scheduling should be done as soon as possible for long-lasting emergencies or disasters.

All must realize in some disasters and emergencies local ARES® may be overwhelmed and require short, or longer term duration assistance or aid. See Section V ARESMAT

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IL SECP V. ARES® SOP for Nets, NCS and Net Members

V. ARES® Standard Operating Plan - Nets, NCS and Net Members

ARES® Net Control Stations (NCS) are those designated or assuming the control of an ARES® radio net, and shall call roll and maintain a disciplined emergency net, allowing no transmissions unless called for by themselves as net control, maintain an even paced emergency net, allow frequent and necessary break in time for emergency or priority traffic from other stations, and be responsible for the proper conduct of the emergency net at all times.

The NCS of the primary local ARES® emergency net will maintain other net lists of those agency nets activated or with assigned liaisons, along with frequency, alternate NCS or liaison, time net begun, and net ending time, and provide to the local EC as necessary.

All ARES® NCS have a special responsibility to the EC, Liaison and the ARES® Responders. Therefore, all NCS shall maintain a disciplined net and:
    Log all check ins and check outs by radio with time and callsign,
    Maintain the active ARES® net roster at all times and tactical call list.
    Assign ARES® Liaison Stations to all other agency nets to bring information as needed to the ARES® primary emergency net.
    Direct ARES® Responders who have checked in to leave the ARES® net frequency only when necessary, and in conjunction with the local EC and Assistant EC. <>

All ARES® radio net members must be disciplined in their role in an emergency net. Each member of an ARES® radio net shall:
    Check in by call sign and advise of their location when requested by the NCS.
    Follow instructions of the NCS where safe and practical.
    Check out of the emergency net only with the permission or direction of the NCS.
When checking out of the net, each ARES® Responder will provide the NCS with their checkout location, and any destination or route.

ARESMAT
Response and travel time, and use of Mutual Aid Teams in ARES®, known also as ARESMAT, should and must be considered for those local "in disaster" EC requiring additional assistance beyond local resources. As this consideration is real and necessary at times, prior or emergency Mutual Aid Agreements will best serve the local EC in disaster or emergency if need.

Requests for ARESMAT assistance in Illinois will be from the local EC and coordinated with the neighboring local EC, District EC, or Section EC.

ARESMAT assistance from outside the ARRL Illinois Section will be further coordinated by the SEC/IL, or SM/IL.

ARESMAT assistance from outside the ARRL Central Division will be further coordinated by the SEC/IL, or SM/IL and via the ARRL Central Division Director.

IL SECP VI. SOP for SECURING ARES® NETS AND OPERATIONS

VI. ARES® Standard Operating Plan - SECURING NETS AND OPERATIONS

    ARES® Emergency Nets will be deactivated only when termination is requested by the local EC and any Served Agency, and it shall be the NCS responsibility to call roll of each of the active net stations that have checked into the radio net prior to securing this emergency net.

    All remaining active stations in the ARES® Emergency Net at deactivation shall acknowledge this net termination by giving their call sign, and be logged out individually by the NCS. All active ARES® Responders must be accounted for in the ARES® Net Log, or exception noted for cause.

    The local ARRL Emergency Coordinator shall and must be advised of any net station exceptions by the NCS.

ARESMAT members assisting from outside the local area are to be released from local EC coordination, and strongly encouraged to return to their own jurisdictions, as soon as possible, and certainly upon securing local nets and operations.

FCC Emergency Communications Declarations: When FCC ECD, special communication restrictions have been placed on any amateur frequency, the public official who requested this restriction is responsible for notifying the FCC when such restrictions are no longer necessary, and facilitate the return to regular amateur radio operations as soon as possible.

The local EC and NCS may find it necessary to advise and remind the public official who requested this FCC restriction when such need for such FCC restriction is over. In some rare cases, EC may also be called upon to relay this information directly to the FCC in accordance with ARRL policy as published or contained in any Annex.

IL SECP VII. POST or AFTER ARES® ACTIVATION REPORTS:

VII. POST or AFTER ARES® ACTIVATION REPORTS

The local EC is strongly encouraged to call a special ARES® meeting soon after the emergency to conduct a critique of the ARES® participation with ARES® members who participated in the emergency, and record the lessons learned, modify or update the local Emergency Communications Plan as needed, and advise all ARES® Responders of any needed changes, and report to their DEC and SEC on this meeting.

The local EC shall record the number of amateurs involved, the man hours for the emergency operation, and submit a succinct special report to the District and Section EC of the facts of the ARES® activation and mobilization as soon as practical.

In all cases, the totals of any ARES® emergency operations and man hours shall also be reported in the Monthly EC Report ARRL form FSD-212 as provided for that special category.

A Public Service Activity Report to the ARRL, the ARRL Illinois Section Manager and the Public Information Coordinator may be submitted at any time by the EC or designated Public Information Officer, or ARES® staff, and shall follow the ARRL format.

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IL SECP VIII. Reserved for DISTRICT ECP

VIII. Reserved for DISTRICT ECP

The District EC shall attach any District Emergency Communications Plan here.

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IL SECP IX. Reserved for LOCAL ECP

IX. Reserved for LOCAL ECP

The Local EC shall attach any local Emergency Communications Plan here.

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IL SECP X. IL-SECP Errata:

X. IL-SECP Errata:

Publishing:
The most current version of this Illinois Section Emergency Communication Plan, also known as the Illinois ECP, or ILSECP, shall be published and made available to the Section Manager and the Illinois Section as required.

In accordance with previous minutes of the ARRL Board of Directors, a copy is hereby provided by reference to the ARRL Headquarters in Newington CT, for the ARRL Field and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department.

The IL SECP public edition and future revisions may be published in HTML format at the Illinois ARES® web page at http:/www.qsl.net/ares-il/ILSECP.html and shall be in effect when so published.

The ILSECP non-public annexes and special frequencies will be made available to ARRL and EC/IL as needed.

References:

ARES Field Resources Manual, published by the ARRL

ARRL Public Services Communication Manual

ARRL Emergency Coordinators Manual

<>ARRL National Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) or Statements of Understanding (SOU)

U. S. Code 47 C.F.R. § 97, known also as FCC Part 97 rules.

Annex:

Annex may be appended freely and this unpublished information shall follow this page of this plan. Annexes may include special operational references, such as ARRL and local MOU/SOU, frequency lists, served agency points of contact, ARES net scripts, net roll call, station lists or rosters, WIAW schedule, ARESCOM/Winlink2000, APRSLink, etc, as needed.

Revision 7/31/04 Note: This IL SECP has been revised to conform to recently published ARRL Board of Director’s minutes that has “established as policy that ARES® groups and any group using the ARES® logo shall formally acknowledge ARES® as an ARRL program, including in their bylaws or other organizational documents, and agree to abide by all rules and guidelines the League establishes. Since both ARES® and Amateur Radio Emergency Service® are registered ARRL service marks, ARES® groups are to utilize the R symbol in any printed or electronic media and note that the logo is used by permission. All ARES® records, membership rosters and other data pertaining to the ARES® program, wherever located, are the property of the ARRL. "

Revision 7/03/05 Note: This IL SECP was updated and revised with necessary League information and references on FCC ECD, W1AW Emergency Communications and ARESMAT. Other minor changes were made for clarity and readability, and to add references, define IMERT and add the DEC IMERT staff advisor.

Revision 12/31/05 Note: This IL SECP was updated and revised with necessary League information and references on digital communications, APRS, APRSLink, reporting activations, with plan copies to be published and sent to the ARRL, SM/IL and DEC.

Revision 7/01/06 Note: This IL SECP was updated and revised to list our new ARRL Section Manager.

ANNEX

Additional unpublished information shall be attached here as necessary, kept current, and available.

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