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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PAGE
"Jump" links for sections on
this page:
Get a street map of Durham
County and know all about Amateur Message Forms and Radiograms. You
can get a Free map of Durham at Northgate Mall info center or the
Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau at 101 East Morgan Street or
see
You can get a copy of and information on
Radiograms at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/#radiogram_form
Test out your HT and your mobile NOW! Program
up the local ARES and Skywarn frequencies NOW and know how to use
simplex. Give a call and see if it works! Most 2m and 70 cm repeaters
require a subtone, do you know how to set subtone (CTCSS) on your
radio?
Durham ARES = 145.450 / 144.850 no tone
Durham ARES Alt =147.360 / 147.96 (136.5 tone)
Durham ARES = 444.925 / 449.925 (100.0 tone)
ARES SIMPLEX = 146.535 no tone
Wake ARES = 145.390 / 144.790 (82.5 tone)
Skywarn and the State EOC = 146.880 / 146.280
no tone
Orange ARES = 442.150 / 447.150 (131.8 tone)
Tar Heel Emergency Net on H.F. 3923 kHz or, if
propagation is poor, 7232 kHz
Can you locate the EOC on Broad Street near Costco? The
Red Cross Center on University Drive near Garrett Road? In the Past we
have used the Durham High Schools as Shelters. Can you find Riverside,
Northern, Hillside, Jordan and Southern High School?
Can you find Hwy 501 and Hwy 15-501, Hwy 98
and Hwy 70 the 147, the 157 and 751?
I know this may be silly but we have spent a lot of
time in the past during an emergency giving out directions. But If you need help its OK!
Next ARES Meeting is fourth Saturday of the month at 10:00 am,
unless schedule is adjusted. Check with us on the air, or call.
DNC-ARES Net, 9 pm Sunday night, 145.45 repeater.
Here is Net Control Script
ARES CALL UP PROCEDURE 444.100 + rpt Durham ARES administration / logistics backup Located on VA Hospital, emergency AC power no PL 146.535 Durham ARES Simplex, No PL 446.100 Durham ARES Simplex, No PL 445.800 Durham ARES HT to Mobile Cross Band 440.800 Durham ARES Mobile to HT Cross Band NORTH CAROLINA STATE EOC SUPPORT ARES/RACES Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Activation Level Definitions for NC State EOC Support. (Note that this applies to Wake County Emergency Management activities as well, by substituting "Wake County" for "State" or "NC State" in the following information.)The following Activation Level definitions will allow for a structured unified response to emergency situations for the State of North Carolina, Dept. of Emergency Management (NCEM http://www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us/), while providing support for civilian agency activities during emergency situations. This plan is modeled on the NCEM Emergency Operations Plan (http://www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us/NCEOP/NCEOP2001.pdf). It is not necessary for activation levels to occur sequentially, increasing or decreasing levels. It is the responsibility of the ECs to coordinate with NCEM and apply the Activation Level necessary to provide support. Activation Level 4 Standby:This level of activation is to raise the awareness of ARES/RACES volunteers and to provide advance notice in order for them to prepare for a possible deployment. There is no requirement for a net to be established at level 4. Volunteers should monitor their radios if possible (see frequencies below) and check their level of preparedness. Below are some examples:Check family membersCheck schedule and availabilityCheck batteriesCheck Go Kit Fill gas tankEtc.The ARES/RACES ECs may utilize the following methods to establish ARES/RACES activation in support of NC State EOC emergency communications:1. Announcement on local repeaters. The main VHF repeater for the NC State is 146.88. In the event 146.88 ( - no tone) is not available 145.390 (- 82.5) is the backup. The 164.40 ( - no tone) is a second level backup. In the event no repeaters are available tune to 147.420 simplex. 2. Announcement on HF 3923 kHz (USB) or 7232 kHz (USB) depending on availability of operators and conditions.3. Announcement by phone. 4. Announcement by email.A level 4 activation notification message will take the following format:An ARES/RACES Level 4 Stand By Activation has been established by (EC name ) to support the NC State EOC at (time and date). All ARES/RACES volunteers are asked to check preparations and listen to ARES/RACES State EOC frequencies. (additional information if available). Thank you for your support of the State EOC. Activation Level 3 Minimal Deployment At this level of activation ARES/RACES ECs shall assess the need for volunteers. ECs may contact minimal numbers of ARES/RACES members to gather scheduling information. There is no requirement for a net to be established at level 3, however if the ECs feels a net is required, they may call for Net Control Station (NCS) volunteers. Liaison station support may also be established. If deemed necessary the ECs may conduct equipment testing including possible testing at the EOC. Volunteers should monitor their radios if possible (see frequencies below) and check their level of preparedness.A level 3 activation notification will take the following format:An ARES/RACES Level 3 Minimal Deployment Activation has been established by (EC name) to support the NC State EOC at (time and date). All ARES/RACES volunteers who are available are asked to standby and be ready for an assignment. All available operators are asked to listen to ARES/RACES State EOC frequencies as outlined above. (additional information if available). Thank you for your support of the State EOC. Activation Level 2 Moderate DeploymentAt this level of activation at least one ARES/RACES EC/AEC shall be deployed at the EOC. ECs shall start the call up tree for ARES/RACES members to establish a 72 hour schedule. There is a requirement for a net to be established at level 3 and the EC/AEC shall establish a schedule for Net Control Station (NCS) volunteers. Volunteers should monitor their radios (see frequencies above) and be ready to react to calls for service at the EOC or elsewhere. Special instructions shall follow if this is a RACES activation. A level 2 activation notification will take the following format: An ARES/RACES Level 2 Moderate Deployment Activation has been established by (EC name) to support the NC State EOC at (time and date). All ARES/RACES volunteers are asked to be ready for an assignment and listen to ARES/RACES State EOC frequencies. The call up tree has been activated. (additional information if available, including RACES specific instructions). Thank you for your support of the State EOC. Activation Level 1 Massive Deployment At this level of activation EC/AEC schedules are updated to fulfill operator and net control requirements for up to two weeks. All ARES/RACES resources shall be available to support NCEM and other served agencies. All nets and sub-nets shall observe strict net protocols until the Activation Level 1 is rescinded. A level 1 activation notification will take the following format:An ARES/RACES Level 1 Massive Deployment Activation has been established by (EC name) to support the NC State EOC at (time and date). All ARES/RACES volunteers are asked to be ready for an assignment and listen to ARES/RACES State EOC frequencies. Please ensure your family is secure before applying for a schedule slot. (additional information if available, including RACES specific information). Thank you for your support of the State EOC. John Guerriero - KG4HDT EC NCEM Tom Brown - N4TAB EC Wake County revision 1 October 31, 2002 DURHAM PLAN FOR UTILIZING AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICES CITY and COUNTY OF DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING PLAN FOR UTILIZING AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICES Friday, July 12, 2002 FOREWORD The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is composed of licensed Amateur Radio operators who volunteer their time and equipment in the public service at no cost to the public. A primary responsibility of the Amateur Radio Service, as established by Part 97 of the Federal Communications Commission s regulations, is the rendering of public service communication for the general public, particularly in times of emergency, when normal communications are not available. ARES volunteers provide a pool of trained communicators and equipment for a variety of communications needs. In most North Carolina counties, ARES members are also registered as Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) operators in case of declared national emergencies. PURPOSE The purpose of this document is to define the methods of cooperation, activation, and responsibilities of ARES in providing emergency communications for the City and County of Durham, North Carolina. The contents are based on the MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BEWTEEN THE ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC-SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICIALS - INTERNATIONAL, INC., AND THE AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE, dated October 1996. DEFINITION OF DISASTER A disaster is either a natural of man-made occurrence that causes human suffering or human needs that the victims cannot alleviate without assistance and which rapidly depletes the resources of the responding agencies involved. It will be understood and agreed that members of ARES will neither seek nor accept duties other than Amateur Radio communications, and that ARES members do not have, nor can exercise, the authorities granted to public safety officials. METHOD OF COOPERATION A. The ARES Durham County Emergency Coordinator (EC) will provide Police, Fire, Emergency Management and other officials, as requested, a periodically-updated list of ARES / RACES members and contact information for key individuals. In addition, the EC will also provide lists of pertinent frequencies used by ARES, RACES and Skywarn. B. ARES members will maintain a general knowledge of the communications environment and needs of served agencies. As appropriate and necessary, they will undergo training in communications-related activities (e.g., weather spotting and damage assessment). ARES representatives will be available, if possible, to participate in planning activities which may involve communications needs. C. ARES representatives are available to give presentations on capabilities and facilities as requested for information to official agencies. D. ARES will provide radio operators at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during emergencies and drills to assist in any reasonable capacity as assigned by public officials. ARES will also provide radio operators, when requested, for the Mobile Command Center when it is dispatched to the field. E. When a disaster occurs requiring the use of Amateur Radio communications facilities, ARES assistance may include, but is not limited to, the following. 1) The establishment and maintenance of fixed, mobile, and portable emergency communication facilities for local radio coverage and point-to-point contact between public safety officials and locations, as required. 2) Maintenance of the continuity of communications for the duration of the emergency period or until normal communications channels are substantially restored. 3) Providing information from the Skywarn weather-spotting network. 4) Providing communications for damage assessment reports. 5) Providing communications from designated centers for 911 reports in case of telephone system failures. 6) Providing communications with shelters or other designated public gathering places. 7) Providing communications for fire, police, or other emergency response vehicles in case of city or county radio system failures. ACTIVATION OF ARES All ARES members are listed in a database with an attendant calling tree which has contact information for each member. The EC and Assistant EC s are listed at the base of the calling tree. Officials are provided with periodic updates of this contact list by the Durham County ARES EC. In case of an emergency, a public official may activate ARES by contacting any ARES member, with preference for the EC and AEC s at the base of the calling tree. In addition, ARES members have instructions to check into a prearranged radio net in case of an emergency to receive instructions. FACILITIES AND FREQUENCIES In Durham County, VHF and UHF repeaters are located so as to provide, in general, countywide coverage between base stations mobiles, and portable stations. These repeaters may be monitored on 145.450 MHz (the primary repeater for emergency traffic in Durham), 146.880 MHz (the primary repeater for Skywarn operations), and 444.925 MHz (for overflow traffic and linking with counties or states); these repeaters are all equipped with emergency power. In addition, repeaters on 147.360, 147.225, 444.100, 443.275, 443.625, 444.675 and 444.450 are available. If all repeaters have failed or if it is needed 146.535 MHz and 446.100 are the designated simplex frequencies. METHOD OF IDENTIFICATION The City or County of Durham will provide ARES members with appropriate and necessary identification. All ARES members will undergo background checks if the City or County of Durham deems it appropriate and necessary.
RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICE (RACES)
GUIDELINES FOR NORTH CAROLINA
Revised April 2003 RACES Guidelines for North Carolina I. Overview RACES is the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, and is defined in Part 97 of the FCC Rules. It is essentially a "restricted mode" of Amateur Radio communications, to be activated by FEMA, state or county civil defense agencies (called Emergency Management in North Carolina). To lawfully participate in RACES communications, an Amateur Radio station must first be registered with his county civil defense agency. When RACES is activated, stations so registered may only contact other RACES stations or those stations authorized by the government to communicate with RACES stations. Under some circumstances, such as wartime, RACES can be activated such that all other Amateur operation must cease, and RACES stations may only operate on a restricted subset of the Amateur frequencies. Therefore, it is important for all Amateur Radio operators to be aware of the RACES rules, and for their stations to be registered with the civil defense agency in their county. ARES is the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and is a radio service created and supported by the American Radio Relay League. Almost all of our disaster and public service communications is provided by ARES. ARES operates under normal Amateur rules and therefore is not as restricted as RACES operation, so most of our preparedness and deployment takes place under ARES. In North Carolina, by both tradition and written agreement, those Amateurs who are registered in ARES are also considered to be registered in RACES. This eliminates the need to keep two lists and allows us to "switch hats" if RACES is activated. II. The Short Version. The whole objective of this document is to make sure that all stations are registered properly, so they can legally operate if RACES is activated. Almost everything else simply restates current ARES responsibilities in RACES terms. If we do the following, we will stay out of trouble: A. All stations should register for ARES/RACES with their County EC (who is also the County RACES Officer). B. County ECs must keep an accurate list of ARES/RACES stations on file with their county director of Emergency Management, and with the Section EC (who is also the State RACES Officer). This ensures that amateurs can legally operate if RACES is activated. C. Hold drills at least once a year to remind people what RACES is. III. Agencies Served. Unlike ARES, RACES serves civil defense agencies only. The civil defense agencies below have jurisdiction in North Carolina. A. Federal Emergency Management Agency (hereinafter referred to as FEMA). FEMA is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. B. North Carolina Division of Emergency Management (hereinafter referred to as NCEM). NCEM is an agency of the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. C. County Office of Emergency Management (hereinafter referred to as County OEM). County OEMs are agencies of their corresponding county government. The exact name of the agency will vary from county to county. IV. Eligibility A. Any United States citizen, who possesses a valid FCC Amateur Radio Operator License, Technician Class or higher, is eligible to become a member of RACES. The services of amateurs who have a Novice Class license may be used, but this is not recommended due to the privilege limitations. B. State and County RACES Officers must have a General or higher class license. V. Organizational Structure A. State Level. At the state level, the RACES command structure is organized to facilitate communications with North Carolina Emergency Management. 1. State RACES Officer. The ARES Section Emergency Coordinator also serves as the State RACES Officer. When the ARRL Section Manager appoints the Section Emergency Coordinator, that person will normally be nominated as State RACES Officer at the same time (subject to acceptance by the NC Director of Emergency Management). If for some reason the SEC is unable to serve as a RACES Officer, then the Section Manager may nominate a different person to serve as State RACES Officer.The State RACES Officer may designate a State RACES Assistant to serve as Acting State RACES Officer in case of his absence during an activation. 2. State RACES Assistants. ARES District Emergency Coordinators (both ASECs and Area DECs) corresponding to NCEM Branch and Area Offices, and the Emergency Coordinator for NCEM will serve as liaison between their NCEM counterparts and North Carolina RACES. Since RACES only permits communications on behalf of civil defense agencies, Skywarn ECs do not have a specific role under RACES. 3. RACES Stations. All state RACES officials must also be registered RACES stations at their county level. B. County Level. At the county level, the RACES command structure is organized to facilitate communications with the County OEMs. 1. County RACES Officers ñ The ARES Emergency Coordinator for the county normally serves as the County RACES Officer. When the ARES SEC appoints a county Emergency Coordinator, that person will normally be nominated as County RACES Officer at the same time (subject to acceptance by the county director of emergency management). If for some reason the EC is unable to serve as a RACES Officer, then the SEC may nominate a different person to serve as a County RACES Officer. The County RACES Officer may designate a County RACES Assistant to serve as Acting County RACES Officer in case of his absence during an activation. 2. County RACES Assistants. The County RACES Officer may appoint assistants to serve in his absence, or to address specific needs. This appointment should coincide as much as possible with Assistant Emergency Coordinator appointments. 3. RACES Stations. All stations that have registered with the County RACES Officer, and are on file with the county director of emergency management, may participate in RACES activations at both the county and state level, if permitted by the rules of the particular activation. VI. Emergency Activations A. National Emergency (War Emergency Powers). In the event of an emergency which necessitates the invoking of the President's War Emergency Powers under the provisions of Section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. ß606, RACES stations and amateur stations participating in RACES may only transmit on the specially designated frequency segments in FCC Rule ß97.407 (shown in the Subpart E Appendix to this document). B. State or Regional. In the event of an emergency in which activation of RACES is requested by NCEM or FEMA, then North Carolina RACES shall be activated by the State RACES Officer, or his designee. Amateurs participating as RACES Stations may only communicate with other RACES Stations, and certain other stations authorized by the responsible agency. C. County. In the event of an emergency in which activation of a county RACES unit is requested by the County OEM, or by FEMA, then that county's RACES shall be activated by the County RACES Officer, or his designee. Amateurs participating as RACES Stations may only communicate with other RACES Stations, and certain other stations authorized by the responsible agency. VII. Drills. A. Most training, drills and activations will take place under the ARES organization, rather than RACES. RACES drills are held for three main purposes: to remind Amateurs to register their stations, to verify registration lists, and to encourage awareness of the RACES rules and regulations. B. Statewide RACES drills. North Carolina RACES shall seek permission from NCEM to conduct a minimum of at least one drill per year, on RACES frequencies. More drills may be held, subject to the restrictions of FCC Rule ß97.407 (e) (4). C. County RACES drills. County RACES Officer shall seek permission from their county director of emergency management to hold at least one drill per year, on RACES frequencies. More drills may be held, subject to the restrictions of FCC Rule ß97.407 (e) (4). VIII. RACES Station Responsibilities. A. Most training, drills and activations will take place under the ARES organization, rather than RACES. RACES stations are encouraged to participate in both. B. FCC Rules and Regulations apply to the operation of a radio in the amateur service and therefore apply to the RACES organization. C. Duties of RACES Stations. Amateurs participating in RACES are expected to do each of the following: 1. Register their station with the ARES County Emergency Coordinator/County RACES Officer, using form FSD-98 or other form provided by the County RACES Officer. 2. Inform their County RACES Officer of any callsign, name, address, telephone number or e-mail address change that takes place after initial registration. 3. Become familiar with the RACES Rules (Subpart E). 4. Observe RACES rules during an activation or drill. 5. Participate in RACES drills, whenever applicable. 6. Inform the County RACES Officer of the status of your station at least once per year. D. Duties of County RACES Officers. County RACES Officers are expected to do each of the following: 1. Maintain a good relationship with the county director of emergency management. 2. Encourage Amateurs to join ARES/RACES. 3. Maintain an accurate list of registered RACES stations in the county. 4. Make sure that repeater, node and other unattended stations that might be used during an activation are registered for RACES operation. 5. Submit a hardcopy list of registered RACES stations to the county director of emergency management at least once per year, and more frequently if the list changes. The hardcopy list is required, even if the list is also submitted electronically. 6. Submit a copy of the list of registered RACES stations to the State RACES Officer also. 7. Seek permission from your county director of emergency management to conduct at least one RACES drill per year. Conduct this drill on RACES frequencies. 8. Designate preferred frequencies for county RACES operation. IX. RACES Modes and Frequencies A. The mode of transmission should be selected to utilize the available communications resources. Both the mode and frequency must remain flexible to suit the emergency situation. Non-voice modes are preferred when the communications should not be easily intercepted by the general public. B. State Activations. The frequencies shown in Table 1 will be used for initial communications in each mode in the event of a statewide activation that does not require operation on RACES frequencies listed in FCC Rule ß97.407 (b). Mode Primary Secondary Single Sideband 3923 kHz 7232 kHz CW 3573 kHz 3695 kHz Digital (Pactor) 3624 kHz 7104 kHz Table 1. Frequencies for RACES when not restricted by ß97.407 (b). C. The frequencies shown in Table 2 will be used for initial communications in each mode in the event of a statewide activation requiring operation on RACES frequencies listed in FCC Rule ß97.407 (b). Mode Primary Secondary Tertiary Single Sideband 3935 kHz 7250 kHz 14340 kHz CW 3535 kHz 7120 kHz 10120 kHz Digital (Pactor) 3545 kHz 7104 kHz 10130 kHz Table 2. Frequencies for RACES when restricted by ß97.407 (b). D. County Activations. The County RACES Officer should designate frequencies to be used for initial communications in each mode in the event of a countywide activation requiring operation on RACES frequencies. FCC Rule ß97.407 (b) lists the frequencies available for this purpose. X. Miscellaneous Provisions A. This document shall be reviewed annually by the State RACES Officer, or sooner if dictated by changes in rules or civil defense agency requirements. B. Additional information on RACES can be found in "Guidance for Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service," Civil Preparedness Guide, published by the Federal Emergency Management agency; http://www.fema.gov/library/civilpg.shtm XI. FCC RULES, Part 97 Subpart E-Providing Emergency Communications ß97.401 Operation during a disaster. (a) When normal communication systems are overloaded, damaged or disrupted because a disaster has occurred, or is likely to occur, in an area where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC, an amateur station may make transmissions necessary to meet essential communication needs and facilitate relief actions. (b) (deleted March 3, 2003) (c) When a disaster disrupts normal communication systems in a particular area, the FCC may declare a temporary state of communication emergency. The declaration will set forth any special conditions and special rules to be observed by stations during the communication emergency. A request for a declaration of a temporary state of emergency should be directed to the EIC in the area concerned. (d) A station in, or within 92.6 km of, Alaska may transmit emissions J3E and R3E on the channel at 5.1675 MHz for emergency communications. The channel must be shared with stations licensed in the Alaska-private fixed service. The transmitter power must not exceed 150 W. ß97.403 Safety of life and protection of property. No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of any means of radiocommunication at its disposal to provide essential communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are not available. ß97.405 Station in distress. (a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station in distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention, make known its condition and location, and obtain assistance. (b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a station, in the exceptional circumstances described in paragraph (a), of any means of radio communications at its disposal to assist a station in distress. ß97.407 Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). (a) No station may transmit in RACES unless it is an FCC-licensed primary, club, or military recreation station and it is certified by a civil defense organization as registered with that organization, or it is an FCC-licensed RACES station. No person may be the control operator of a RACES station, or may be the control operator of an amateur station transmitting in RACES unless that person holds a FCC-issued amateur operator license and is certified by a civil defense organization as enrolled in that organization. (b) The frequency bands and segments and emissions authorized to the control operator are available to stations transmitting communications in RACES on a shared basis with the amateur service. In the event of an emergency which necessitates the invoking of the President's War Emergency Powers under the provisions of Section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. ß606, RACES stations and amateur stations participating in RACES may only transmit on the following frequency segments: (1) The 1800-1825 kHz, 1975-2000 kHz, 3.50-3.55 MHz, 3.93-3.98 MHz, 3.984-4.000 MHz, 7.079-7.125 MHz, 7.245-7.255 MHz, 10.10-10.15 MHz, 14.047-14.053 MHz, 14.22-14.23 MHz, 14.331-14.350 MHz, 21.047-21.053 MHz, 21.228-21.267 MHz, 28.55-28.75 MHz, 29.237-29.273 MHz, 29.45-29.65 MHz, 50.35-50.75 MHz, 52-54 MHz, 144.50-145.71 MHz, 146-148 MHz, 2390-2450 MHz segments; (2) The 1.25 m, 70 cm and 23 cm bands; and (3) The channels at 3.997 MHz and 53.30 MHz may be used in emergency areas when required to make initial contact with a military unit and for communications with military stations on matters requiring coordination. (c) A RACES station may only communicate with: (1) Another RACES station; (2) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization; (3) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency to communicate with RACES stations; (4) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is authorized by the FCC. (d) An amateur station registered with a civil defense organization may only communicate with: (1) A RACES station licensed to the civil defense organization with which the amateur station is registered; (2) The following stations upon authorization of the responsible civil defense official for the organization with which the amateur station is registered: (i) A RACES station licensed to another civil defense organization; (ii) An amateur station registered with the same or another civil defense organization; (iii) A United States Government station authorized by the responsible agency to communicate with RACES stations; and (iv) A station in a service regulated by the FCC whenever such communication is authorized by the FCC. (e) All communications transmitted in RACES must be specifically authorized by the civil defense organization for the area served. Only civil defense communications of the following types may be transmitted: (1) Messages concerning impending or actual conditions jeopardizing the public safety, or affecting the national defense or security during periods of local, regional, or national civil emergencies; (2) Messages directly concerning the immediate safety of life of individuals, the immediate protection of property, maintenance of law and order, alleviation of human suffering and need, and the combating of armed attack or sabotage; (3) Messages directly concerning the accumulation and dissemination of public information or instructions to the civilian population essential to the activities of the civil defense organization or other authorized governmental or relief agencies; and (4) Communications for RACES training drills and tests necessary to ensure the establishment and maintenance of orderly and efficient operation of the RACES as ordered by the responsible civil defense organizations served. Such drills and tests may not exceed a total time of 1 hour per week. With the approval of the chief officer for emergency planning in the applicable State, Commonwealth, District or territory, however, such tests and drills may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours no more than twice in any calendar year. |