Statement of Purpose: Establish and reinforce standard practices for Tiers 4-6 (NCSs, Backbone
operators, and SIGCENs) to develop an Initial Event Summary to disseminate to others at the
onset of an activation, or major grid down event.
Intent: This is new, but it’s important and should be implemented as early as T-REX 2019 by NCS,
Backbone, and SIGCEN (Tiers 4-6) operators. An IES is a prepared statement essentially stating
“This is what we know…” when the hordes take to the airwaves to find out what just happened.
At the onset of a major grid-down event, radio operators will be taking to the airwaves in search
of information and answers.
While you, as a seasoned operator, may not have any more information than anyone else, people will
still be looking to you as an “AmRRON Leader,” not only with answers, but with guidance to tell
them what to do next.
The network will benefit greatly if you have an organized ready response from the very onset. It sets
the tone for you and those reaching out to you for the following critical days and hours. An Initial
Event Summary (IES) will help maintain calm and give reassurance that you are there and aware,
and efforts to gather and disseminate information are already under way. You will be an assuring
presence that will instill confidence in others that the network is alive and well and there for them.
General Guidance:
- Create a text document that you can use to paste your IES from into a macro, or into the transmit
field of your fldigi, read over voice nets, or past into flmsg forms, etc. It also gives you a file you could
send over flamp or gARIM.
2. Create a Macro titled ‘IES’ and have it pre-formatted so all you have to do is add your updated IES.
An IES should be created by all NCSs, SIGCEN radio operators, and Backbone operators. As soon as
you begin beaconing, AmRRON operators will likely begin contacting you for information and
guidance.
Avoid rumors or opinions. Use information that is seemingly related from prior grid-up news reports,
what you have collected over the air, and other SIGINT efforts, and what you know by your own
observations.
Until official reports start flowing that you can pass on, keep your IES updated with timely, accurate
information, making corrections, etc.
General Content:
- Short narrative of what you know to be true (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How,
How many/much/long).
2. Inform them of your intent and capabilities (what frequencies and modes you’ll be operating
on the air, and what times)
Refer them to the S.O.I and the next upcoming scheduled nets, and remind them to monitor
CH3 traffic.
3. Tell them if you are in contact with others in AmRRON, or that you will be attempting contact
with others and will be developing a SITREP and passing along any information you receive.
4. Ask those around you to prepare an initial Status Report. Many operators don’t train, so don’t
be surprised to hear “What’s a Status Report?” Be prepared to walk them through a STATREP,
soliciting line items one at a time.
5. Request Situation Reports (SITREPs) from anyone with information about significant security,
humanitarian, disaster, or damage developments in their area which would fall beyond the scope
of a simple Status Report.
6. Pass along any public service announcements that you heard from grid-up media sources or
over the air (ie. Boil drinking water in a certain town, etc.)
7. Tell them when to be on the air next, and until then…
give them something to do, such as:
- Get all their valuables and papers ready in case of evacuation
- Check all their batteries and replace them in key items
3. Store up all the water they can gather
4. Check on their elderly neighbors and/or to inventory your neighborhood communications
capabilities and develop a local neighborhood communications plan.
DOWNLOAD THE PDF VERSION HERE
General comment:
I’m a Ham Extra. Your processes are still too complex for me to participate. You need to simplify the process.
The procedures are complex but learning all this is fun and I’ve been able to figure out most of what I need to learn from the amrron website alone. And I’m just a general 🙂 Locate, download, install the FLDGI software (google or locate links on this website) and start working with it. Lots of info on youtube on how to set up a digital station. You may not get everything set up to transmit by tomorrow but you may be able to patch your radio into your computer and start seeing the FLDGI software to receive. And they do have voice nets too..
Thanks for the observation. It is a nationwide network, so yes, it’s complex. That is precisely why we continue to develop guidance for our operators. This is also not something one can expect to learn and become proficient with in a week. Many of our operators who can move traffic from point A to point B started at the beginning and years later have accumulated a lot of experience.
Our cell phone and internet communications are vastly more complex as well. The difference is that those are mostly automated. Amateur Radio is (mostly) not. It’s just more work.
Besides, that white paper is directed at Tier 4, 5, and 6 operators (Experienced AmRRON operators).
If one is not a Tier 4 or higher operator, the process is SIMPLE. Open your S.O.I., tune to the frequency and the mode per the time schedule, and watch/listen for news and information. Report it if you have it. Simple.
This precisely why we train. Training removes the complexity.