Gwinnett County Georgia

[Name of Area]

AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE

Joint Operations Plan 100-1

ARES Support Plan

for the

[Name of] Health District

(Public Health)

[County name] County

[Date of Plan]

ARES Support Plan

for the

[Name of] Health District

(Public Health)

[Date of Plan]

I. Overview:

Disaster situations affecting one or more of the counties located within the [Name of]Health District (Health District), consisting of [County name], [County name] and [County name] Counties, could impact public health and may require coordination of activities among primary health facilities located within one or more of the served counties. To provide back-up communications for this purpose, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service’s (ARES) Emergency Coordinators (EC) of the counties within the District have instituted this Joint Response Plan (Plan) 100-1, short titled Public Health.

II. Related Documents/Information:

[County name]ARES SOG: NET 1-1 Net Management

[County name]ARES SOG: NET 1-2 Net Operation

III. Definitions and Terminology:

ARES – Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES and Amateur Radio Emergency Service are registered service marks of the American Radio Relay League.)

EC – Emergency Coordinator

EMA – Emergency Management Agency

NCS – Net Control Station.

SNS – Strategic National Stockpile

SOG – Standard Operating Guideline.

IV. Activation:

Activation may be requested by an authorized representative of the [Name of]Health District in coordination with one or more of the served Emergency Management Agencies (EMA).

The designated contacts for each Response Team will be contacted by whatever means available by the originating ARES group. A current contact list will be maintained by the Emergency Coordinators and forwarded to their designated secondary contact(s) responsible for activation of this Plan.

V. Deployment Locations and Required Assets:

For purposes of this plan, the deployment locations could include each operating hospital in each jurisdiction, temporary field hospital(s), and the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) storage site, if deployed into the Health District.

Response Teams should be equipped to provide packet radio operation at 1200 bps in the 2 m band and voice FM operation on the 70 cm band. Suitable outdoor antennas should be provided, if not in place, at the facility to which the Response Team is assigned to provide reliable communications using the systems indicated in Section IX.

VI. Hours of Operation:

Once activated, the nets will remain in operation as required by the Health District. Response Teams should be prepared to supply 24-hour, 7-day support with a minimum of two operators for each shift.

VII. Resources Required:

Each county ARES group will be responsible for providing both personnel and equipment within their respective jurisdictions based on their Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG) and this Plan.

Primary service will be supplied using digital packet communications employing the Emergency Service Packet Client. Each deploying Response Team should be equipped to provide this capability. If the facility provides equipment, it should be exercised on a regular basis to insure its operation.

In addition, 70 cm equipment should be deployed for voice coordination as needed.

Hospitals should be pre-configured with suitable antennas and feedlines. The equipment should be operated from hospital-provided emergency power sources.

VIII. Tactical Call Signs:

Tactical call signs are assigned as follows:

Location / Voice Tactical Callsign / Packet Alias
Net Control Station (NCS) / NET
Designated Relay Station (if used) / RELAY
[List of Facilities] / [Tactical Callsign] / [Alias]
Strategic National Stockpile / STOCKPILE / STCKPL

IX. Frequencies:

Logistics: [Frequencies] Voice. Local logistics frequencies should also be available for local coordination needs.

Agency Support: [Frequency] packet.

Health and Welfare: None.

X. Liaison Requirements:

None.

XI. Logistics:

Logistics for involved station(s) will be the responsibility of the local ARES group for the county(s) involved, with logistical support from the supported facility as agreed between the serving ARES group and the served function.

XII. Operation:

Due to the nature of communications associated with public health, communications will contain sensitive information as well as significant amounts of unfamiliar terminology and numeric information. To enhance amateur radio communications in handling this information, digital modes with error correction will be employed. Packet radio will be used for all such communications, to include the detailed logging of messages associated with an automated messaging function.

All record traffic will be delivered, as addressed, in the most expedient means possible.

The voice repeaters will be used to coordinate logistical needs in establishing packet links, for any needed tactical information, and as backup. Since the number of stations involved in this operation is small, Net Control Station (NCS) responsibilities will rotate among the participants unless the situation indicates the need for an external NCS. If such a need should occur, an AEC for Net Management from one of the served jurisdictions will coordinate supplying of an NCS and alternate.

XIII. Deactivation:

Operations will be deactivated at the direction of an authorized representative of the [Name of]Health District.

XIV. Approvals:

[County name] County: ______

SignatureCallDate

[County name] County: ______

SignatureCallDate

[County name] County: ______

SignatureCallDate

Note: ARES and Amateur Radio Emergency Service are registered American Radio Relay League service marks. The ARES logo is used by permission.

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