Before I begin, I would like to give credit to the authors of this article: Thanks go to David Schultheis, WB6KHP; Barry Thaysen, WB6UGG; Chuck Hogate, N6LAW; Joni Corley and finally to Dick Rawson, N6CMJ who actually wrote this article for SVECS in June 1987. And of course, thanks to SVECS for allowing me to use this article for the training net. Some minor editorial changes have been made to make it more readable over the air.

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Step 1

When you need to make a call, first listen to the repeater to make sure there isn’t any traffic in progress, then ID briefly and proceed to dial.

For example, you could say "This is N6XYZ, autopatch."

If the repeater is in use, break in with a brief announcement that makes it clear that you are not merely joining the round table.

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For example, you could say "Priority traffic, this is N6XYZ."

Next, listen to make sure you have the repeater, and then proceed to dial.

You are not expected to ask cautiously whether the repeater is in use, or if you can interrupt with an autopatch call. Emergency autopatch calls are among the most important uses for most repeaters, and time is of the essence.

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Feel free to ask someone else to dial the autopatch for you whenever you can't do it yourself. You might be too busy driving, have too weak a signal, not have the codes for an unfamiliar repeater, or not even have a touch tone pad. But explicitly ask for help on the air.

For example, you could say "Can someone bring up the San Jose Police for me? This is N6XYZ." That should bring a response from someone who can help, and that same person might not respond if you just sound mildly interested in a QSO, as when asking "Is anybody on the repeater?"

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Try to learn your repeater's coverage area. If it has an automatic S-meter announcement, that may help you. In an emergency, it is probably best simply to attempt the call; if your dialing fails, then ask for someone else to dial for you. If others cannot understand your request, try another repeater, location, battery, radio, etc.

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Step 2

Describe the problem, then listen.

Once you’ve made contact with an emergency operator, briefly state the essence of the problem, then let the dispatcher proceed. You should also say that you are calling by radio, so that the dispatcher will understand that it is necessary to take turns talking. Sometimes the agency gives you a strong hint [regarding what to say], such as "Emergency operator 26. What are you reporting?" The right way is to describe the problem very briefly, then listen. Here are some examples:

• "Amateur radio, I'd like to report a traffic signal on flash."

• "Amateur Radio, reporting a car on fire."

• "Ham Radio reporting debris in the roadway."

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If the roadway is blocked, be sure to say so right away. To begin with, the person who answers the phone may decide to transfer your call to someone else to handle. If you begin with a two minute dissertation describing the accident, number and location of cars, resulting traffic jam, etc., etc., you are not helping make the system work.

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For another thing, you don't necessarily know what the agency wants to hear. If, for example, they had already received a good report on the accident, they may ask you just enough to confirm you are reporting the same thing. Again in this case, it is not helpful to give a two minute speech.

Also, the agency may be so busy that they cannot immediately handle every phone call. If this happens, they have to decide quickly which ones to handle first, and put others on hold. No one likes being on hold, but it may be necessary.

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General Comments

Keep transmission brief.

Again, let the dispatcher direct the sequence of details. He/She is usually filling in a form. If you let them ask the questions, they can pick an order that is convenient for them, and will ask the more important questions first. This matters even more if the form is on a computer screen. And if you misunderstand, or they cannot understand you, minimal time is lost.

Keep your answers simple.

It saves time. You may feel a temptation to tell them everything that you noticed about the incident, but that really is not the way to be helpful.

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Let go of the push-to-talk button while you think.

PTT does not mean push-to-think. Letting go comes hard for some of us, but try. We have a habit of saying "aaahh", or holding down the mic button, while we fish for the name of some cross street, but fight the temptation and release the button.

Hang up last

Make sure that the dispatcher has all the information that they need before you hang up. Let them hang up first.

If all else fails

Call 911. If you’re not certain who the best agency is to call, dial 911. The 911 operator will direct your call to the appropriate agency. In fact, this is true whichever agency you contact.

OK, that’s it for "Autopatch Procedures". Are there any questions or comments?

This page was last updated 04/21/02