1 MGTAOVU2 Version 1. 3 3/1/92 RACES MANAGEMENT AN OVERVIEW , PART 2 IS RACES JUST FOR ONE DEPARTMENT? It may seem that way in some governments because a high visibility department may run the RACES program. This does not mean, however, that RACES serves only one department. The RACES must serve emergency communications requirements anywhere in that government plus outside liaison requirements. Surplus operators and resources may be assigned to support other organizations essential to that government's mission. RB 85-15 DO FEDERAL AGENCIES HAVE RACES? Answer: No. The RACES is administered by local and state civil defense organizations. This does not mean that the RACES cannot support Federal agencies, however. We encourage county RACES to contact, support and maintain liaison with those agencies you might assist. This may include the National Weather Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Corps of Engineers, and others in your county. Counties should encourage such support as training necessary to maintain proficiency and interest among RACES members. State OES will assist wherever we can. Call 916-427-4281. RB 85-16 DOES RACES PROVIDE EQUIPMENT FOR RADIO AMATEURS? No, the RACES is not like the MARS in that respect. The RACES is comprised largely of Amateurs providing their own equipment in a structured and efficient organization. In those governments where the RACES support has proven itself, equipment may be provided if funds allow. This usually takes the form of Amateur radio equipment in the EOC and/or mountaintop repeaters. ATV, digipeaters and packet terminal node controllers have joined the list lately. Once you have proven your value you are more likely to get permanent funding support. One Radio Officer said recently, "You are as good as you want to be." RB85-17 GOVERNMENT-OWNED HAM EQUIPMENT Question: Can a state or local government own and provide a repeater for hams? If so, how is it licensed? Answer: Countless state, county, and city governments provide voice repeaters, packet nodes, base stations, portables and other Amateur Radio equipment for their Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service people. Nothing says a ham has to own the equipment he or she operates. Thank goodness! Those governments have literally put their money where their mouth is. They value the high level of professional communications services provided by their hams and prove it by providing quality equipment. It is fully operational alongside their police, fire, local government, and other radios. Governments are often willing to pay more for commercial grade public safety type radios so that they may be maintained by their own technicians in their government radio vaults and elsewhere. It does not require a ham to maintain a ham radio. A government-owned radio is licensed to any agreeable ham. At one time local governments could license their RACES radios under a block of special callsigns reserved for RACES stations. They are no longer available but several callsigns are still active by virtue of timely license renewal actions. RB 200 VOLUNTEERS MUST BE REGISTERED One of the main reasons radio Amateurs who serve any OES must be enrolled in RACES is that no services of any volunteer can be accepted by any government unless they are recorded as a volunteer Disaster Service Worker. Without such registration, as accomplished in the RACES, there is no Worker's Compensation and other protective benefits provided by law. By the same token, governments should not categorize all Amateur Radio operators as RACES. In short, every ham must be preregistered as a volunteer Disaster Service Worker before the emergency or exercise. This is done by Radio Officers in OES organizations. Please direct questions to this office. RB 85-2 RACES? WHO NEEDS IT? WHAT IS IT? By Bill Musladin, N6BTJ, Asst State RACES Officer, State of California Many years ago the predecessor to FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency was instrumental in the creation of the RACES, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service. Today FEMA's connection with the RACES is much reduced, limited to the award of monetary grants to government agencies which have RACES units for purchase of communications equipment. Note that these grants go to the sponsoring governmental agency, and not to the RACES unit itself. This is because RACES units must be sponsored and controlled by the governmental agency responsible for disaster control and recovery. These agencies are at the state, county, and/or city level. FEMA itself does not sponsor or control the RACES program at any level, nor is there a federal RACES. The RACES is authorized by the Federal Communications Commission in Part 97 of its Regulations, under the Amateur Radio Service. Other Radio Services authorized and controlled by FCC regulations include Local Government, Police, Fire and many others. They are all, in effect, enabling rules to provide radio communications for eligible users. Within the limits of these enabling provisions the FCC does not control how the communications service is staffed, administered, or provided. Sometimes Amateur Radio operators think that Part 97 is the begin-all and end-all of RACES. However, that is not the case. The FCC does not tell its licensees (whether Fire, Police, Amateur, or others) how to administer and run those operations. RACES units function to augment, at time of need, disaster related communications capabilities of their sponsoring agencies. Thus RACES traffic will normally consist of disaster related communications between governmental agencies. This is the key difference between the RACES, and the ARES, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, developed by the American Radio Relay League. ARES may handle disaster related traffic, such as Health and Welfare messages, support of the Red Cross, and the Blood Bank System. Such agencies and services are usually equally as vital in dealing with an emergency, but the communications requirements they generate are not between government units, and therefore are NOT a function of the RACES. Disasters, by their nature, may blur the distinctions between the RACES and ARES in practice, but the distinction remains important. This clear distinction, of RACES traffic typically between government locations, means the home based Amateur gear can have little utility, except possibly as relay facilities or as a monitor. RACES volunteers, when called up by their governmental sponsor, must expect to work away from home, either at a permanent or temporary government establishment. Also, RACES volunteers may be called upon to operate non-ham government radio gear, and on non-Amateur frequencies. There is yet another, and more vital, distinguishing difference between RACES and ARES volunteer radio Amateurs, possibly the most important one to the RACES volunteer. RACES volunteers, when called up by their sponsoring government agency, are legally (if unpaid) employees of that agency. As such, that agency has a legal responsibility for each individual's health and welfare from the time he or she leaves home until return. In California the government's responsibility to its volunteers is met through the "Registered Disaster Service Workers" program. By recognizing in advance of callup that RACES volunteers are an integral part of their disaster response team, each volunteer is covered just as are the paid personnel. The sponsoring governmental agency's responsibility to its volunteers has been recognized throughout the state. A survey of state, county, and city governments sponsoring RACES units overwhelmingly favored participation in the "Registered Disaster Service Worker" program, for their own protection as well as that of their volunteers. While registration as Disaster Service Workers is not a requirement in the FCC regulations covering RACES, in California the requirement is considered a prudent response to an obvious need. In many areas the RACES has developed into a respected and dependable adjunct to regular staff, to be called upon with confidence. Just as there are volunteer firemen and reserve law enforcement elements in many governments, RACES volunteers have become equally important and respected as their "deputy communications" personnel. SB12-91 titled RACES WhoWhat. RESPONSE INSTITUTE SUMMARY ATTENTION: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATORS via Amateur Radio Close to two hundred people attended the 1st Emergency Response Institute seminar in San Jose on March 28-29. It was attended by ARES, RACES and other interested hams plus representatives and speakers from Federal, State, and local public safety and emergency management agencies. There were many "how to" sessions to better equip the participants to work together and support public agencies. Some came from as far away as San Luis Obispo, Siskiyou and Kern counties. Congratulations to Dave Larton, N6JQJ, and his staff for putting on a most worthwhile seminar. A detailed report is available to agencies requesting one. RACES RADIO OFFICERS NOTE: Demonstrate your communications capability by providing a copy of this message to your local city and/or county emergency management agency. Commencing next week will be series of messages specifically for all such agencies via Amateur Radio. The messages will address problem areas that exist between Amateur Radio and some local governments in California that were brought out at the ERI in San Jose. The delivery of these bulletins depends entirely on you in most cases. This often is the means by which you stay in touch with your local emergency management agencies. Sgd/Stan Harter, KH6GBX Amateur Radio Service Coordinator. RB87-11 GETTING BULLETINS to the EMERGENCY SERVICE MANAGER ATTN: All RACES operators (i.e., any Amateur enrolled in an Emergency Services agency). An increasing number of emergency services agency managers at the city and county levels are learning of the RACES bulletins and indicate they are not getting all of them; and some not at all. Interestingly enough, some say they have a RACES unit but have never received any of the bulletins. This can only mean that there is a breakdown in the delivery chain. Perhaps it's a misunderstanding among some operators. Check the "TO" line in the message headers. The local OES agencies do not receive these bulletins by any means other than you -- the Radio Amateurs assigned to that OES agency. This affords both the Amateurs and the OES agencies to maintain regular contact with each other. If this will be your first message to be so delivered, please include as many previous messages as possible. Any OES agency requiring a complete set of the messages from May 1985 forward, please contact your OES Region Communications Coordinator. The Bulletin series answers questions, provides interpretations, clarifies misunderstandings, and provides specific Amateur Radio program guidance requested of State OES by the State Senate. RB 87-21 2-METER SIMPLEX PLAN ANNOUNCED Local communications should be conducted on simplex wherever possible during a widespread emergency. A disaster may cripple repeaters. Commercial power may fail. Emergency power may fail or not be available. Emergency power fuel may be used up and refueling may be difficult or impossible. Repeater site access roads may be impassable. LPG systems may have only a large tank with no provision for using more readily available LPG bottles in an emergency. Repeater racks may be toppled, cables snapped or antennas downed by an earthquake. Where some repeaters fail and others survive, there will be even greater contention among operators to use the surviving repeater(s). This can be compounded by undisciplined operators and unnecessary communications. Sheer volume of essential communications alone may overload a repeater. To assist in the use of simplex with the least interference a STATEWIDE 2-METER RACES SIMPLEX FREQUENCY PLAN has been prepared. The plan divides California's 58 counties into seven groups--Group A through Group G. The counties in any group are separated by many miles and intervening terrain. There are 13 simplex frequencies in each group for every county. Six channels are common statewide. The counties in Group A, for example, are Del Norte, Tehama, Sonoma, Sacramento, San Mateo, and Inyo. The frequencies were carefully selected so as to minimize interference with existing operations and systems. The simplex plan may be implemented immediately by all counties north of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. In all counties south of San Luis Obispo, Kern and Inyo counties a special rule applies: Each frequency in each applicable group must be approved in writing prior to plans or use by the State OES Southern Area RACES Coordinator, 2151 East D St. - Suite 203A, Ontario, CA 91764; telephone 714-391-4485. The reason for this is that repeaters in Southern California developed at a greater rate before present day band plans and there can be conflicts between existing systems and the simplex plan in certain areas. We wish to express our appreciation to Dave Tyler, N6DRT, of the Pacific Division American Radio Relay League for his major contributions in both the concept and preparation of this plan. Action: (1) Obtain a copy of the plan from your State OES Region office. (2) Amend your county RACES plan to include these new frequencies. (3) Include your simplex frequencies in your county RACES plans yet to be written. (KH6GBX) RB012 OBTAINING SURPLUS PROPERTY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT QUESTION: "How can local RACES units obtain State and Federal surplus two-way radios?" ANSWER: The State Department of General Services suggests that the local government write to: Surplus Property General Services Department State of California, 140 Commerce Circle Sacramento, CA 95815 (916-924-2970) The local government's letter should request the person screening the request "to be on the lookout for ...." [That is, specify here what it is you want; such as "mobile, portable and fixed two-way FM radio communications equipment."] The person handling the request may not have any specific knowledge of two-way radios and may simply send to the requesting agency the manufacturer's name, make and model. The requesting agency must have the expertise to determine whether or not it is desired. The requesting agency pays the State a handling fee that ranges from less than 10% to 33% of the acquisition cost. Many government agencies get their desks and supplies this way. State surplus property screeners also tour Federal surplus warehouses for you. That is why it is important to file a letter with the State DGS. Surplus property is not available to private individuals. Any questions should be directed to the DGS address or telephone number shown above. Some State agencies do not turn in surplus radio equipment to DGS but dispose of it themselves. We cannot speak on their behalf but some of the big users include Caltrans and the CHP. In State OES we occasionally offer surplus communications equipment, when available, to people or organizations in the following priority: (1) State RACES personnel; (2) County and city RACES units; (3) any Amateur and the CAP; or (4) destroy it. If we do, we issue a bulletin statewide on packet. RB042 FOOTNOTE TO BULLETINS-BY-TOPIC This material is the result of the interest of people from many areas around the country. Their ideas, questions and suggestions were then put into these bulletin formats by Stanly Harter, KH6GBX, State Races Coordinator, Office of Emergency Services, 2800 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, California 95832 between l985 and l992. Input and comments are welcomed by mail or packet radio to W6HIR @ WA6NWE.#NOCAL.CA [Telephone 916-427-4281.]