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Appendix E: Jump Teams

Self-supporting mobile teams have been a staple of ARES operations for many years. Jump teams can go quickly to distant locations to help in ARES operations. They can be first responders where no local Amateurs are available. They can provide relief operators to let exhausted local operators to get some rest. Each Alaska DEC should maintain at least one such team ready to respond to a call within two hours or less of notification. The ideal would be two or three jump teams in each District.

Suggested organization

Each DEC appoints an assistant to recruit a pool of operators from the District train and organize them, and keep them functional. Volunteers are chosen in part for their ability to drop whatever they may be doing and hit the road with their "ready kits" already loaded.

Deployment

Normally, no relief teams are sent to another District unless specifically requested by the DEC in the impacted area. Nothing, however, prevents volunteers from offering their services. Often, they simply show up in the disaster area uninvited. To be most useful, however, they should coordinate with the ARES team and the local DEC. How and whether to use them is entirely a matter for the DEC or the EC in the impacted location to decide.

When a jump team is activated, the coordinator designates a team leader from among the members on a particular assignment After the leader is fully briefed, he and his team depart for the assigned site or staging area as quickly as possible.

The coordinator typically remains at his home station to keep in close touch with both the DEC and the team captain. The team leader is the coordinator's contact person for that team's mission. His or her duties include getting all the team members to the correct site, he keeps in touch with them en route and on duty.

Upon arrival, the team should be able to set up a station on emergency power, operate on VHF/UHF and/or HF on designated frequencies, and maintain radio contact with other ARES stations as required.

The coordinator provides a reliable base station link with home for the team members as necessary.

Scheduling operator relief

As soon as local ARES members in the target area begin to report for duty posts, the DEC in the impacted area would notify the SEC that relief crews will be needed to staff various positions in about 24 hours, relieving worn-out local operators.

The notice would specify the number of operators and any special equipment needed, e.g.; emergency power, portable repeaters, special antennas, ATV, AMTOR or APRS, or high-speed CW operators, for example. The SEC then attempts to locate suitable teams. He sends them to a staging point near the impacted area to await further instructions.

The SEC arranges for a second-wave replacement team if necessary, and attempts to keep fresh operators moving into the impact area about every 24 hours until they are no longer needed.

The first jump teams typically should be scheduled to arrive in the target area or staging area about 24 hours after local ARES units go on Orange Alert.

The staging point

At the staging point the leader reports the teams arrival to the coordinator and the host DEC. The host DEC will advise the team how to reach specific duty sites, and on what frequency to check in. On that frequency, the impact-area DEC will direct the team to its specific duty assignments.

Preparedness

The jump team should be self-supporting in transportation, fuel, food, water, emergency power, and sleeping accommodations in addition to their communications equipment.

The ready kit

Each member should prepare his own "ready kit" and keep it in his vehicle or at a specific place where it can be picked up without delay. Due to weather extremes in Alaska, the ready kit contents needs to be tailored to any possible situation and should include items necessary for personal survival.

Typically, the ready kit would include two changes of comfortable old clothing. It should also contain non-perishable personal toiletry items and personal ID s, a durable drinking cup, a small first-aid kit including sun block, insect repellent and a non-prescription analgesic and any prescription medications are also needed.

Each member should have a checklist to be consulted every time prior to departure. First on this list would be the ready-kit.

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Last modified: Sat Feb 9 17:42:56 AKST 2002