SANTA CLARA COUNTY ARES/RACES PREPARATION LEVELS

Prepared by L.W. Carr, Chief Radio Officer, Santa Clara County OES

January 29, 2008

 

The following notification levels will be used in order to make Santa Clara County ARES/RACES responders aware of changing conditions that may need ham response.

 

ADVISORY NOTICE: 

What are the conditions? A storm, city event, or other condition that may develop into a situation requiring RACES response.

What will be the notification? An ADVISORY Notification message will be placed on the Santa Clara County ARES/RACES web site (http://www.scc-ares-races.org) giving information about the situation as it develops. An e-mail containing this notification will also be sent to the scc-ec e-mail group, and to the Santa Clara County MAC notification group.

What response is expected? ARES/RACES hams should review their equipment - no other action is required. Hams may consider monitoring the 146.115 repeater, although no announcements on the repeater are planned at this level of notice.

 

ALERT NOTICE

What are the conditions? A city has activated their RACES group, even at a precautionary level, in anticipation of a possible storm, city event, or other condition that may develop into a situation requiring RACES response.

What will be the notification? An ALERT Notification message will be placed on the Santa Clara County ARES/RACES web site (http://www.scc-ares-races.org) giving information about the situation as it develops. An e-mail containing this notification will be sent to the scc-ec e-mail group, and to the Santa Clara County MAC notification group. If ARES/RACES hams have given their cell phone and/or pager e-mail addresses to Santa Clara County ARES/RACES, they will also receive an email notice to their cell phone or pager. This ALERT notification will be announced hourly on the 146.115 repeater.

What response is expected? Hams are to be aware that they may be called in response to changing conditions. They should be sure their equipment is packed and ready for dispatch, and should monitor the 146.115 repeater, and the Santa Clara County ARES/RACES web site for updates.

 

STAGING NOTICE

What are the conditions? A city dispatches city hams as RACES responders, or a city or agency notifies Santa Clara County OES that there may be a need for RACES mutual aid.

What will be the notification? A STAGING Notification message will be placed on the Santa Clara County ARES/RACES web site (http://www.scc-ares-races.org) giving information about the situation as it develops. An e-mail containing this notification will be sent to the scc-ec e-mail group, and to the Santa Clara County MAC notification group. If ARES/RACES hams have given their cell phone and/or pager e-mail addresses to Santa Clara County ARES/RACES, they will also receive an email notice to their cell phone or pager. This STAGING notification will be announced every half-hour on the 146.115 repeater.

What response is expected? Santa Clara County ARES/RACES Mutual Aid Communicators (MACs) are to prepare to be able to respond within fifteen minutes of notification of RACES activation. MACs should contact their city ECs to announce their availability, obtain approval for their response, and have their equipment and vehicle ready and their radios programmed. Announcements will be made on the 146.115 repeater at 15-minute intervals updating information as it becomes available. NOTE: No MAC responder is to do ANY traveling in response to this notification until an actual Santa Clara County RACES activation announcement is made and the MAC is given a specific assignment by the Resource Net Control.

 

RACES ACTIVATION NOTICE

What are the conditions? A city or other agency requests RACES mutual aid from Santa Clara County OES, prompting an activation of Santa Clara County RACES.

What will be the notification? A RACES ACTIVATION Notification message will be placed on the Santa Clara County ARES/RACES web site (http://www.scc-ares-races.org) giving information about the situation as it develops. An e-mail containing this notification will be sent to the scc-ec e-mail group, and to the Santa Clara County MAC notification group. If ARES/RACES hams have given their cell phone and/or pager e-mail addresses to Santa Clara County ARES/RACES, they will also receive an email notice to their cell phone or pager. This RACES ACTIVATION notification will be announced every FIFTEEN MINUTES on the 146.115 repeater.

What response is expected?  The Santa Clara County ARES/RACES Resource Net will be activated, and MACs are to obtain assignments from the Resource Net control as soon as possible. Remember, in order to respond, you must be registered as a Santa Clara County OES Disaster Service Worker, be given an assignment, and be given the RACES activation number. In addition, you must have contacted your city EC and received approval to respond to the call for RACES mutual aid.