Let's focus on the dispatchers personal readiness and some tricks of the trade
that may help you operate more efficiently. There are many factors that contribute to
your personal efficiency. The most important is the one you will have the least control
over. Your environment or workspace during an emergency could be anywhere - a car, a
basement of a hospital, the mobile command post. All of these places will have qualities
that can 'cramp your style'.

It is important to have rosters, message forms, traffic logs and a note pad within reach.
Message forms are most often "fill-in-the blank" forms used to record and pass messages
between the dispatcher and the recipient. The traffic log is a form where all radio traffic is
recorded, along with status changes and dispositions of the events. This becomes your
chronological record of the incident, and also allows you to quickly go back and fetch
data. Take note of addresses, phone numbers, amounts etc. even if you process them
right away.

During a long incident, numbers can start to run together, and if someone asks you to
quickly recall old data, you may do so incorrectly without proper notes. Use the note pad
to record your actions that are not related to a field unit. Keep any notes you take; they
will help you reconstruct the event later if needed. Try to keep the traffic form neat and
concise, in case someone else needs to locate an entry you made.

On Air procedures: As a Net Control operator, you are the commanding officer of the air.
Your attitude will set the attitude of others on the air with you. In addition to the Radio
codes, Phonetics and proper ways to transmit numerals and descriptions  there are ways
articulate common phrases that increase the understanding and maintain the professional, business-like on air environment. Here are a few of the more common ones.

Yes              Affirmative
No               Negative
Want            Desire
Can't            Unable
Buy              Purchase
Get              Obtain
Send             Forward
Wait             Standby
Do you want   Advise if
Find Out       Ascertain
 

Rate Of Speech: The rate of your speech is a personal trait that is very hard to change.
However, rate of speech is an important component of radio communications, and can
make or break the delivery of a message. The average individual speaks at 90-100 WPM.
The average individual can correctly copy speech at only 30 to 50 WPM - using
abbreviations. Because of the need to copy information in the field,

Your rate of speech should be no more than 40 WPM.

Some other points to consider:

     Know the incident. If you are relieving another dispatcher, get a report on the
     current status of the field. If you are the first dispatcher on duty - try to get a
     report from the incident commander before you start.      Know your role and
     what is expected of you as the Net Control Operator. In emergency situations,
     Net Control Operators are often given more decision-making  ability.

     Speak clearly, in a monotone voice, but avoid over-enunciation, as it can be seen as
     bad attitude on the air. Be Brief. There maybe someone with an emergency
     waiting for you to stop transmitting.

     Never Guess - If you receive a message to broadcast, make sure you understand
     every detail. When you receive a message over the air, never say "copy" unless you
     know you received it.

     Arrange all information in a logical sequence prior to transmission. Longer messages
     should be written out in order to eliminate hesitation and omission of pertinent facts.
     To eliminate hesitation - think before you speak. Reading messages to yourself
     before transmitting them can eliminate the "Umss" and "uhhss" on the air.

     If you use any arrl typeUse codes only when you are sure the receiving party knows them.
     If there is any  doubt - use Plain English.

     Echo back important parts of received messages to ensure that the message was
     received as it was meant. Echo procedures are used for 3 reasons: to confirm or
     clarify important information from mobile units, give field units a second chance to
     hear the message, and to give you time to write down additional information.
     Be flexible and able to adapt to the operating styles of others. Some radio operators
     are not as skilled as others, but we are all working for the same goal. Keep a cool
     head even if the situations get frustrating!

     Do not chastise operators on the air. There may be circumstances at the scene that
     you aren't aware of that have bearing on the situation.

A good Net Control Operator will always respond promptly. Acknowledge the calling unit
and ask them to standby if needed. Write down the units that you have standing by, and
call them back promptly. If an particular situation requires heavy radio interaction between
a Net Control Operator and a field unit, such as a life saving effort, or serious criminal
activity in progress, units not involved in that incident should not transmit. This leaves the
channel open for the dispatcher and the involved unit(s) only. Additional Priority traffic is
the only exception.

As the ARES-RACES Net Control Operators, there will be times when you are asked to pass sensitive information over the radio. It is important that messages of this nature be handled
tactfully, and without any unnatural inflections In general, names of injured parties are not
given over the air. This varies on a case by case basis, however during major incidents,
there are several people listening to scanners including the families of public safety
personnel. It is not uncommon for them to tune in a ham frequency. It is for this reason
that damage reports, body counts property values etc. should be prefaced by "This is
unofficial, reported by a passerby" or a similar disclaimer if needed.

                                                                         Net.Mgr. John Dollar N4NNX.