PURPOSE - SCOPE - TYPES OF SERVICE - RESPONSIBILITIES - CONTACTS
The Salvation Army has by inclination and tradition
strove to provide service at a point of greatest need in time of disaster.
Numerous services are available to alleviate suffering, meet physical needs
and provide spiritual counseling and support. The purpose of
the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN)
is to train and aquire personnel skilled in emergency communications and
message handling, who will support Salvation Army operations in local,
regional and international disaster situations. Our fervent
hope and prayer is that our congregate service may indeed help mitigate
the trauma and impede the potential of widespread tragedy that is implicit
in disaster.
The Salvation Army is an international religious and charitable organization committed to the ministry of disaster relief amd mitigation of suffering caused by tragedy. It is the largest private welfare organization in the world and has a structure that effectively copes with the challenges initiated by disaster. The root resilience of the system is completely determined by a network of skilled, trained and committed volunteers. The network is geared to be available at a moments notice in emergency situations, and whenever they are needed.
Affirmative Action:
All SATERN endeavors
shall be without discrimination in any form, specifically in regard to
race, religion, creed or sex.
TYPES OF SERVICES -- SATERN Provides Communications for
General Emergency Services:
Other Emergency Services:
SATERN EMERGENCY
RESPONSIBILITIES
Local Communications - Regional Communications - International Communications
On the local level SATERN provides primary communication from the disaster site to command personnel and to Salvation Army Headquarters. SATERN also effects communications between Salvation Army mobile stations. Relay stations are operated where necessary. And normally a team of relief personnel are standing by for placement in later shifts.
On a regional disaster SATERN establishes a field station to effect communications from the disaster site to a Divisional Headquarters or Corps center that has been named the disaster control point. This stations' promary function is to apprise Salvation Army personnel of details regarding the disaster and to receive instructions from command for field response. The initial station may be mobile, but every attempt is made to erect a semi-fixed (wide coverage) type of antenna at the site. Local communications are also established among ancillary cells to connect the field command to shelter, clothing, feeding, medical, government and worksites, etc... (probably via VHF or UHF)
A Health and Welfare system may be set up, giving the need, on a secondary priority basis. In an emergency where extensive data transfer is required, efforts are made to establish a station dedicated to digital communications (AMTOR, Packet, RTTY, etc...), via ground based pathways and/or satellite if available. SATERN stations throughout the region assist in relay and traffic handling to support the effort.
The commission of SATERN in international disaster follows a similar pattern of responsibility. Its' job is to provide communications from the disaster site to Salvation Army Command, to effect a system of local communications that will enhance the opportunity for efficient relief operations, and to provide and assist in relaying of emergency traffic. This is an area where virtually every SATERN member can help, just by being available to monitor, relay, and pass traffic. Some may go to a remote part of the world to set up a disaster communications station, but most will be back here providing the backbone of the support system, by passing the traffic and doing what they can.
If you feel led to serve in
any of these capacities or manners, please follow one of the links below
for more information on becoming a SATERN
member.
If you live in the:
Lake County area of California - contact KB6LWN (Bruce) at [email protected]
Northern California or Northern Nevada - contact KE6OEH (Cal) at [email protected]