Emergency Communications Plan

  1. INTRODUCTION
    1. 1.1   The Hillsborough County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) (Callsign: K1HIL) is composed of FCC licensed Amateur radio operators who have voluntarily registered their capabilities and equipment for public service Communications.
    2. 1.2   Under federal regulations, amateur radio public service communications are furnished without compensation of any kind.
    3. 1.3   Hillsborough County ARES functions under this Emergency Plan by direction of the Hillsborough County Emergency Coordinator (EC) who is appointed by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), New Hampshire Section Manager (SM) in consultation with the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC).
    4. 1.4   The EC may appoint Assistant Emergency Coordinators (AEC) as needed for the ARES Emergency Plan to function efficiently.
  2. PURPOSE
    1. 2.1   The purpose of this plan is to provide a written guide containing the minimum information that may be needed in an emergency. Each emergency is different and flexibility to provide an adequate response to each situation is a necessity.
    2. 2.2   The primary responsibility of the Hillsborough County ARES group is to furnish communications in the event of a natural or manmade disaster, or at times when regular communications fail or are inadequate.
    3. 2.3   All drills, training and instruction shall be carried out to insure readiness to respond quickly in providing effective amateur emergency communications whenever such an occasion may arise.
    4. 2.4   The following agencies could be served during a communications emergency:
      • Emergency Management Agencies in the following communications: City of Nashua and the towns of Merrimack, Hudson, Pelham, Litchfield, Amherst, Milford, Hollis, Mont Vernon, Wilton, Bennington, New Boston, Francestown, Mason, Brookline, New Ipswich, Greenville, Greenfield, Temple, Hillsborough, Lyndeborough, Hancock, Peterborough, and Sharon.
      • New Hampshire Gateway Chapter, American Red Cross (Nashua)
      • Southern New Hampshire Regional Medical Center
      • St. Joseph Hospital and Trauma Center
      • Monadnock Community Hospital
      • Salvation Army
      • Also state, county and municipal departments and any other agencies requiring the assistance of ARES.
    5. 2.5  HCARES may be requested to assist other ARES Groups in providing emergency communications outside of Hillsborough County.
  3. ACTIVATING THE PLAN
    1. 3.1   Any member of Hillsborough County ARES who for any reason believes a communications emergency exists, should monitor the assigned net frequencies for activity and notify the EC and/or an AEC. Any member may bring up a net if none exists.
    2. 3.2   If local telephone service is available, the EC and/or AECs should be notified by that means.
    3. 3.3   In an emergency in which amateur radio may serve the area, HCARES may be alerted by any municipal, Red Cross or other agency official by notifying the EC and/or any AEC who will activate this plan as appropriate.
  4. ARES MOBILIZATION PROCEDURE
    1. 4.1   If telephone service is available a telephone call up may be initiated.
    2. 4.2   Upon becoming aware of or notified that a communications emergency exists, members of Hillsborough County ARES should check into their respective regional nets for assignment.
    3. 4.3   Mobile units will be activated and dispatched as needed.
    4. 4.4   Primary nets for emergency communications are the Hillsborough County Emergency Net (HCEN) and the Nashua Red Cross Net (NRCN). The EC or his designee will activate these nets as appropriate and will designate initial net control stations (NCS) and develop plans for NCS relief and continuous coverage for duration of communications emergency.
    5. 4.5   “Key stations” are defined as locations with full emergency power capabilities that can be utilized during an emergency. Nashua Red Cross Station (K1NRC) located at the NH Gateway Chapter office is designated as a key station. The “key station” for the HCEN during an emergency is the location of the NCS at the time.
    6. 4.6   Additional nets may be established in the local communities served by Hillsborough County ARES to provide local communications. When HCEN is in session a liaison from these other additional nets must be maintained with HCEN at all times.
  5. DUTIES OF THE NCS
    1. 5.1   HCEN, NARC( Red Cross) nets will be called to order by their respective NCS. HCEN meets on 146.730- (pl 88.5) and 449.375- (pl 88.5). HCEN will meet as needed on 147.045+ (pl 100.0). HCEN may convene on any of the three repeaters depending on the coverage area required. The simplex frequency for Hillsborough County is 147.405. The statewide simplex frequency is 147.510.
    2. 5.2   Members of Hillsborough County ARES will be checked into their respective regional nets from their mobile or home stations and will be given assignments and further instructions.
    3. 5.3   Liaison stations will be assigned to the following National Traffic System and/or NHARES nets:
      • NHARES HF NET (3.945/ 7.273+/-) AS NEEDED
      • OTHER FREQUENCIES TBD
    4. 5.4   Mobile units may be dispatched as needed to Red Cross designated shelters or hospitals, nursing homes, ambulance services and any other agency requiring communications assistance.
    5. 5.5   Operators of home stations not equipped with emergency power will be utilized in providing relief operators
      At the “key stations” and as net control stations.
  6. OPERATIONS
    1. 6.1   When possible, agency officials will be allowed to communicate directly with each other, however, there must be a control operator at each of the stations involved.
    2. 6.2   Except for messages of a tactical nature, when direct communications are not possible all messages should be written using ICS form IS-213OS
    3. 6.3   All written messages must be signed by the official initiating them, including his/her title. The official takes Responsibility for the message content.
    4. 6.4   Message precedence of Emergency, Priority, Welfare, and Routine as identified in ARRL Form CD-3 shall be used in written messages. Message precedence is determined by originator.
    5. 6.5   Stations on net with traffic will contact NCS and provide precedence and destination of messages. No other transmissions will be made without the permission of the NCS. Periodically, the NCS will ask for check ins or identification of stations with business for the net.
    6. 6.6   HCARES members at supported agencies are under the operational control of agency officials. Any conflict in providing emergency communications will immediately be brought to the attention of the EC for resolution.
  7. REMOTE ANTENNA LOCATIONS
    1. 7.1   Hillsborough County ARES currently maintains remote antenna locations at several key sites in the City of Nashua as well as towns within the district.
    2. 7.2   Operators assigned to any of the sites should keep in mind the need to bring batteries and/or power supplies as well as SO239 to BNC cable adapters if using portable equipment and a short PL259 to PL259 (w/ double female connector) cable.
    3. 7.3   Operators at “key stations” should, where possible, utilize headphones or a headset assembly.
    4. 7.5   The remote antenna/cable sites include: (update required)
      • Nashua EOC 2m/70cm antenna installed January 2011
      • Amherst EOC 2m/70cm antenna installed December 2009
    5. 7.6   Facilities with installed and tested radio equipment in HCARES district:
      • American Red Cross, 28 Concord St., Nashua, second floor office
        Dual band antenna and coax installed September 2007. HF antenna installed October 2009.
        Have HF and 2m and 70cm radio tested on regular basis.
        Also have Public safety radio on 47.42 plus other ARC frequencies.
        Station callsign: K1NRC
      • St. Joseph Hospital, in the entrance to communications (switchboard) area. (2m/70cm)
      • Southern NH Regional Medical Center in board room (2m/70cm) tested 12/6/2007.
      • Monadnock Community Hospital (2m/70cm) in EOC
      • Milford EOC (2m/70cm/6m)
      • Brookline EOC (2m/70cm)
      • New Ipswich EOC (2m/70cm) test weekly
      • Hollis EOC (2m/70cm) w/digital
      • Greater Nashua Dept. of Public Health (2m/70cm) w/digital
      • Pelham EOC (2m/70cm) w/digital
      • Merrimack EOC (2m/70cm) w/digital
      • Nashua EOC (2m/70cm) w/digital pending
  8. DRILLS, TESTS AND ALERTS
    1. 8.1   An annual test will be conducted in the fall in conjunction with the nationwide ARRL Simulated Emergency Test.
    2. 8.2   Hillsborough County ARES will regularly provide public safety communications in conjunction with local events to test the effectiveness of its operation.
    3. 8.3   The Hillsborough County ARES Net will meet Monday evenings at 1900L (7:00PM) on 146.730 Hollis repeater and the N1IMO repeater system and on the Nashua Repeater 147.045 on the 3rd Monday of the month. The Nashua Area Emergency Net is suspended indefinitely. HCAN will operate a simplex net on the 4th Monday on a quarterly basis on 147.405 at 7pm.
    4. 8.4   At the discretion of the EC, Hillsborough County ARES may be activated unannounced at least once per year.
  9. KEY PERSONNEL
    1. 9.1   When a communications emergency arises the following key personnel should be contacted to activate Hillsborough County ARES:

      Fletcher Seagroves, N1MEO, EC
      163 Mont Vernon Road
      Milford, NH
      Home: 603-673-3036
      Cell: 603-365-0315
      email: fseagroves at myfairpoint.net

      Bill Lana, N4COY, AEC-Administration
      29 Pemberton Rd.
      Nashua, NH 03063
      Home: 603-881-7308
      Cell: 603-557-9783
      Email: N4COY at ARRL.NET

      John Yurcak - K9AEN
      AEC LOGISTICS
      12 Jill Drive
      Nashua, NH 03062
      Home: 888-6343
      Cell: 494-6856
      eMail: jmyurcaksr(at)myfairpoint.net

      Scott Reynolds, KC2JCB, ASEC-Skywarn Coordinator
      Nashua, NH 03064
      Home: 603-880-3020
      Email: kc2jcb(at)comcast.net

      Alan K. Shuman, K1AKS
      Section Manager
      Post Office Box 681
      New Boston, NH 03070-0681
      Home: 603-413-6605
      Cell: 603-487-3333
      Email:k1aks at arrl.org

      Lance dePlante K2HZB
      AEC-Red Cross Liaison
      300 River Road
      New Ipswich, NH 03071
      Home: 603-878-3795
      Cell: 603-491-0117
      OS: 603-731-6712
      Email: blackjak6(at)msn.com

      Steve Davidson, K1SMD
      AEC Liaison- Hollis / AEC - Digital
      P.O. Box 13
      Hollis, NH 03049
      Email: k1smd (at) arrl.net

updated July 21, 2011