MARION COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS EmComm

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MARION COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS (EmComm)

• Mike Palmer, N9FEB, EC
• N9FEB_at_comcast.net [phone]

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EmComm Ham Radio involvement

• Ham Radio
• Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)
• Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) or
  other EMA Radio Groups
• IN Dept. of Homeland Security (IDHS) and local
  Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Offices
• Salvation Army Team Emergency Network (SATERN)
• Military Affiliate Radio Service (MARS)
• Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team
  (REACT)
• General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
• Family Radio Service (FRS)
• Local ham radio clubs

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EmComm serves

• IN Dept. of Homeland Security (IDHS)
• Local EMA Offices
• Local Police / Fire / Medical
• National Disaster Medical Service (NDMS)
• American Red Cross (ARC)
• Salvation Army
• Disasters of all proportions

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Tactical Interoperability Communications Plan
(TICP)

• Joint multi-agency plan that involves Marion
  Hamilton Counties (at this time)
• Using grant funding, plan was put together in
  early 2006 and DOES include amateur radio
• Plan provides for a unified and collaborative
  response to major catastrophic events
• Plan was tested in Aug 2006 during the Brickyard
  400

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National Incident Management System (NIMS)

• FEMA published the requirement for NIMS
  completion for all Federal, State, territorial,
  tribal, and local governments, the private
  sector, and nongovernmental organizations, so
  that a strengthened national capacity to prevent,
  prepare for, respond to and recover from any type
  of incident will be more coordinated.

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NIMS (continued)

• IS-100 (Intro to Incident Command System)
• All levels of management entry level volunteer
  to general staff
• IS-200 (ICS for Single Resources and Initial
  Action Incidents)
• For first line supervisors and up
• IS-300 (Intermediate ICS)
• For middle management and up
• IS-400 (Advanced ICS)
• For command and general staff
• IS-700 (National Incident Management System, an
  Introduction)
• All levels of management from entry level
  volunteer to general staff
• IS-800 (National Response Plan (NRP), an
  Introduction
• For middle management and up

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NIMS Marion County

• There is no ARRL order to complete any IS courses
  in order to become or stay a member of ARES
• EMA Radio Group MUST complete IS-100 IS-700
• Most hospitals have made IS-100 IS-700
  mandatory
• American Red Cross volunteers are completing
  these two
• I am requesting ALL ham radio volunteers complete
  the 100 and 700 levels so you can be a more
  versatile volunteer

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Criminal Background Checks

• Mandatory for EMA Radio Group members
• NOT mandatory for ARES members who assist the Red
  Cross as ARES volunteers

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Responsibilities

• Comm Doc on www.Indyhams.org
• 20 page document on how EmComm is applied in
  Marion County
• Radio Groups Served Agencies
• EMA Radio Group
• Emergency Management Agency
• ARES
• EMA
• Red Cross
• National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)
• National Weather Service (NWS)

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EMA RADIO GROUP

• Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
• Incident Command Posts (ICP)
• Various Critical Locations in County
• Hospitals
• Animal Shelter
• City/County Building
• Police / Fire Departments

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EMA Radio Group (cont.)

• EOC Ham
• Liaison between EOC outside hams
• Relaying additional information to EOC players
• EOC Players
• EMA Emergency Management Agency
• DPW Department of Public Works
• IPL Indpls. Power Light
• Citizens Gas
• Indianapolis Water Company
• Red Cross
• IFD Indpls. Fire Department
• IMPD Indianapolis Metro Police Department

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EMA Radio Group (cont.)

• Incident Command Post (ICP) Ham
• Liaison for EOC Ham
• Liaison for Red Cross
• Alternative means to contact Red Cross people
• Liaison for Shelters
• Has contact with Incident Commander for
  information on Shelter issues
• Pets
• Medicines
• When is area clear to go back to their homes

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EMA Radio Group (cont.)

• Other Critical Locations in County
• Animal Shelter
• Police Stations
• Fire Stations
• City/County Building
• Health Department
• Hospitals

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ARES

• Area Hospitals during disasters
• Gives EOC a direct link to obtain status
• Area Hospitals during County Events
• Mini Marathon
• 500 Festival Parade

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ARES (cont.)

• Red Cross
• Disaster Assessment Team (DAT)
• Ham acts as comm link between DAT and Red Cross
  HQs on long range missions
• Shelters
• Hams acts as first communications link from
  shelter to EOC and Red Cross
• Once commercial link is established, ham may be
  released

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ARES (cont.)

• National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)
• NDMS Director needs a direct link to EOC and Red
  Cross in event of large scale disaster
• National Weather Service (NWS)
• Skywarn weather spotters as needed
• Perpetuating event Marion County 146.760

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ARES (cont.)

• 11 Marion County Community Events
• (Feb) Mini Marathon Training Run 5K
• (Mar) Mini Marathon Training Run 10K
• (Apr) Mini Marathon Training Run 15K
• (May) Mini Marathon (13.1m 35K runners)
• (May) 500 Festival Parade (in top 5 U.S.
  according to size and number of participants)
• (Jun) Sprint Triathlon
• (Jul) American Diabetes Tour-de-Cure 50m Bike
  Ride
• (Jul) Sprint Triathlon
• (Aug) Sprint Triathlon
• (Aug) Mideast Triathlon
• (Oct) Lawrence Marathon (26.2m)

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How this will be accomplished

• Liaison to EMA
• N1HQH, Ken Sullivan, Asst. EMA Radio Group Leader
• ARES Liaison to Red Cross
• TBD
• ARES Liaison to NDMS
• TBD
• ARES Liaison to Area Hospitals
• TBD
• ARES Events Coordinator
• TBD

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LIAISONS DUTIES

• Maintain good report with hosts
• Make no-less-than monthly contacts
• Inform ARES EC of any changes
• Due to construction
• Contact information
• Ensure ham volunteers know who is in charge
• Know Charge Nurse duty locations
• Make hospital strip map
• Annotate contact information

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LIAISONS DUTIES (cont.)

• Advise EC of any changes to normal operating
  methods

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Simulated Emergency Test (SET)

• ARRL suggests first weekend in October
• 6 October 2007 Saturday
• Duration 2 hrs (1pm 3pm)
• Location To Be Determined
• Tabletop format
• Tables
• For each Net Control Station (4 each)
• For each Served Agency
• County EMA / EOC
• State EMA / EOC
• Incident Command Post (2 each)
• Red Cross

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(SET) continued

• Tabletop format (cont)
• Tables to have
• Disaster Assessment Teams
• Shelters
• Hospitals
• Miscellaneous (SATERN, REACT, MARS, etc.)
• Everyone to bring HTs FRS Radio
• All will have list of operating frequencies
• Use HTs to communicate between tables
• Bring cell phones (to act as Land Line phones)

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(SET) continued

• Tabletop format (cont)
• Disaster scenario handed out
• All tables will react simultaneously to scenario
• EC to facilitate / alter event
• After Action session

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Skywarn

• 146.760 repeater located near I-70 Post Rd. is
  the County Emergency Repeater
• Annual Severe WX Spotter Talks
• Saturday, 10 March at 9am
• Training Center, 2820 N. Meridian St.
• www.Indyhams.org has documents all should be
  familiar with
• Preparedness
• Outdoor Warning System (siren locations with
  maps)
• How Skywarn works in Marion County
• NWS WX Spotters Guide

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Miscellaneous

• Many Ham Radio operators
• Check the operations of the outdoor (tornado)
  sirens weekly
• Are involved with threatening severe weather
  activities
• Attend severe weather spotters training annually
• Can operate on emergency (battery) power
• Have go kits containing all essential items to
  operate remotely in emergencies
• Exchange operating ideas constantly

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Wrap-Up

• Future EmComm Meetings
• Guest speaker each month
• Dual purpose to hand out county Event documents
• Let me know what you think
• N9FEB_at_comcast.net [phone]
• Visit Indyhams.org for information on Marion
  County Events and various other amateur related
  items
• Questions?