ARES DISTRICT I-4 EMERGENCY PLAN

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Dist. I-4 is composed of FCC licensed Amateur Radio operators who have voluntarily registered their capabilities and equipment for public service communication duties.

1.2 Under Federal regulations, Amateur Radio Public Service Communications are furnished without compensation of any kind.

1.3 Dist. I-4 ARES functions under the direction of an Emergency Coordinator (EC) who is appointed by the ARRL Kansas Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) in consultation with the other ARRL officials. (ARRL is the AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE)

1.4 The EC may appoint Assistant EC’s as needed.

PURPOSE

2.1 The primary responsibility of ARES in Dist. I-4 is to furnish communications, to any/all agencies in need, when normal channels of communications fail for any reason. Assisted agencies include, but not restricted to: all city, county, federal relief agencies, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, hospitals, rest homes etc.

2.2 To train Amateur Radio operators in the practice of communication readiness, to accept that each emergency is unique and that flexibility is the key to successful support. This is accomplished through drills and participation in organized exercises at the local, state and national level.

SYSTEM ACTIVATION

3.1 In the event of an emergency, members will be called up in a telephone chain. If commercial telephone service is not available or overloaded, trained ARES members will know to begin monitoring the Emporia VHF repeater on 146.985Mhz., UHF repeater on 443.000 Mhz. and on HF, 3920Khz.,the recognized Kansas calling frequency.

3.2 Activation notice to the EC or any ARES member can be initiated by any source including any of the served agencies or members of those agencies.

3.3 A Network will be set up immediately upon notification of need. The EC or person designated by the EC will serve as Net Control Station (NCS). This network will provide a link to any Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that may be set up. Deployment of emergency units will be done on an “as needed” basis to fulfill the particular needs of the moment.

AVAILABILITY and CAPABILITY

4.1 Currently there are approximately 20 licensed Amateur Operators in the immediate Emporia area and at least ten more in the surrounding area. Depending on jobs and other obligations we can generally count on half that number for availability in any given emergency.

4.2 All of the licensed amateurs will have portable VHF units capable of operating several hours on batteries and approximately 6 will be capable of High Frequency operations on emergency power to link with entities outside the Emporia area. This would be in the event of loss or overload of long distance telephone lines.

4.3 Some past services provided, include: Liaison with locations outside Emporia when telephone lines were overloaded. Operators were deployed with Red Cross damage assessors touring the city. Provided communications at ESU between emergency stations during Wolf Creek drill. Constructed an antenna for the Salvation Army to communicate with their canteen in Elmdale.  Provided Greenwood Disaster Assistance.  Provided communications for the "John Blaufuss Memorial Run-Walk" in Emporia.  Provided communications for the Red Cross "Ride for the Red".  Provided communications for the "Dirty Kanza 200 Pablove charity" riders.  Provided communications for the American Diabetes Association Kansas TOURdeCURE bike race.