Mini-Tips – Part 4 July 19, 2006

Bob Kenyon – K8LJ

Can you connect?

We have recommended keeping a variety of power adaptors on hand, but to maximize your chances of being able to make a smooth and quick connection you should put Anderson Powerpole connectors on the power cables of all of your 12 volt devices. These have become the de facto standard power connectors for most ARES groups.

Can you continue to operate if the power goes out?

Recent storms have caused power disruptions all over the area. If your home were affected, would you be able to stay on the air? Would you have sufficient lighting to be able to write down important messages?

Consider getting a GMRS license

The General Mobile Radio Service, or GMRS band is often used by REACT teams. It might be useful to have a GMRS license to expand your interoperability options. There is a fee to obtain a license, but there is no exam. From ARECC Level I course book

Write it down

Keeping a proper log is an important part of ANY station operation, but it is absolutely essential for an emergency station. You cannot rely on your memory alone, especially in the stressful environment of a disaster scene. Things may be happening fast, but you should still make the effort to log your messages and significant events. From ARECC Level I course book

Take the AREC Course

The ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course Level I contains almost all of the basic information you'll need to become an effective emergency communicator. If you are unable to take the course itself you should still get the book and study it. Obtaining the knowledge is much more important than obtaining the certificate. From KB0H

Half of communicating is listening

Don't be so focused on what you want to say that you don't listen to what the other fellow is saying. Listening for and hearing a message, then understanding it and properly responding to it are vital to effective emergency communications. From ARECC Level I course book

Volunteer to work at public events

Working at events such as bike tours and other public events gives you valuable field experience. You’ll learn how to work within a team structure and what it's like to serve another organization and probably also get a taste of the unexpected. If you do work at such an event, be sure to inform your Emergency Coordinator. Your volunteer hours get reported to the ARRL Section. From ARECC Level I course book

Learn to handle formal traffic

It's not as difficult as you might think, and there's a very good chance that you'll need to know how to do it during a deployment. Information about message handling can be found in the Training section of our Web site. From ARECC Level I course book

Debrief after every activity

Schedule a timely debriefing after the emergency is over. You will want to know what the group did well and what areas could use improvement. You will also want to confirm that there are no issues still waiting resolution. It is also a good idea to perform debriefings after training exercises. From ARECC Level I course book

Stay up to date

Policies and information change. Knowledge gets stale. What you learned about emergency communications may become obsolete. We recommend that every few years you obtain the latest version of the ARECC manual and go through it carefully. A little refresher study couldn't hurt even if not much has changed. From ARECC Level I course book