Mission Radio Operator Skills and Requirements This course is meant to advance the knowledge of personnel to support the emergency services mission communications. The Mission Radio Operator needs to know more than the general operator because there is greater responsibility and requirements for these communicators. That does not mean that these personnel need to know everything there is to know about communications. There is some flexibility and options to this specialty qualification that could make operations smoother for all involved. Personnel attending this class should have already completed both basic and advanced communications user training as provided by the communications staff. Developed as part of the National Emergency Services Curriculum Project

What’s the role of the Mission Radio Operator Mission Base Communications Communications support in the Field Relay sites Staging Areas Equipment installation support The role of the mission radio operator has changed in recent years to not only be the person operating the radio at the mission base, but at other sites as well. And in some cases, the MRO may only need to help establish a communications site, not operate it. Just because there is a radio, does not mean their has to be a Mission Radio Operator. To avoid the confusion of having too many middle-men, it is often smarter to have operators like the ground team leader do the job of actually talking on the radio, but sometimes those people need help because they do not have the experience with certain equipment to set it up. That is where the MRO comes in. But we also can’t forget about the traditional mission radio operator. Sometimes it is necessary to have round the clock communications support in a centralized location(s), and a qualified MRO dedicated to this job can definitely make life easier if properly trained.

Basic Procedures Mission Radio Operators need to be familiar with the CAP‘s basic communications policies and practices Basic Radio Operations PTT RTL Prowords and Callsigns The basics of the Radiotelephone Procedures Guide Mission Radio Operators obviously have to be familiar with radio procedures. The MRO is a link in the communications chain, but not the entire chain. The must remember that the microphone has a push to talk (PTT) and release to listen (RTL) switch. If there is nothing to communicate, then things will be quiet. If there is a need, it will probably be busy. It is important that users follow basic radio procedures to avoid mistakes that could put lives at risk.

Advanced Procedures Mission Related Skills that allow our personnel to send new instructions, report mission information and track personnel adding a higher level of safety Updating a Status Board Knowledge of the local equipment available Handling urgency signals and emergency traffic And other procedures to support the mission The communications staff at large incident base is often very busy. They do not normally have a lot of time to brief every person coming in and out of the area on everything going on, even though they might have a need to know. To try to make this easier, the communications staff often posts common information for general knowledge on status boards. Entries nee to be made clearly so that all who need the information have access to it, and that it is updated in a timely manner. Mission Radio Operators have to be familiar with the equipment that they are using. The Communications Unit Leader can often give guidance in this area, but may not always be available. The unit leader may be at a planning meeting or fixing other problems, and does not have time to teach every operator the basic functions of every radio during the mission. Much of that needs to be known beforehand. Take the time to know your equipment. Mission Radio Operators are often put into the position of knowing about everything going on, but unless that critical information is passed to the people who need it to make decisions, it is wasted. And remember, that it is not your job as the MRO to make the decision, just to pass the message, even if you think you know the answer. Just because you have access to a lot of information does not mean that you have access to all mission information. Let the people assigned the job do the job. At the same time though, don’t be afraid to speak up if you think there is a problem. For example, if you have not heard from an aircraft that was due to report in several minutes ago, it may be necessary to alert the Operations Section Chief or the Air Operations Branch Director, even if the Communications Unit Leader is unavailable to decide who to notify. Ideally there is a procedure in place, but that may not always be possible especially at the start of a large mission. Use your best judgment and try to err on the side of safety.

What frequencies to use? Simplex Operations Duplex Operations HF Operations Other agencies frequencies Check your local operating procedures and emergency plans before the incident Personnel in the field always want to be heard, but they often forget that others may not want to listen to them. That is not to say that your messages are unimportant, but they could be interfering with operations that are equally important or more critical. Do not use more power or tools that you don’t have to. If you can clearly reach the team in the field on simplex, don’t tie up the repeater. Others may have to use it. It may be more conducive to the smooth running of your mission to standardize if or what personnel will utilize the repeater and at what power level they will operate primarily as well. You may need to operate on the repeater solely because one unit has to use the repeater and in switching switching back and forth between the two you might miss message. Try to do what is most effective for all involved. It may also be necessary to talk to personnel far away, probably using HF. Some missions cover great areas, like the search for the missing aircraft with an intended route of flight hundred of miles long, or the disaster relief mission like the Great Lakes floods that required over 75% of all CAP wings to support it in one way or another. CAP does not normally work alone on missions. There is almost always other groups or agencies involved, and that means that we will need to communicate with them to accomplish the mission. Be prepared to adjust the local plan to incorporate new partners – simply not communicating is not acceptable. Last, but not least, don’t wait to check out your plans. Its better to find out you have a problem communicating during training than on the real mission. Check out your plans and procedures before hand to make sure they will work, and be honest.

Message Handling Formal vs. Informal Traffic Message Precedences Message Forms & Distribution Communications Unit Log It is crucial that mission radio operators know how to pass traffic, both formal and informal. Most traffic will be informal, but there are times that formal traffic may have to be passed. For example, there may be several sub-bases or staging areas that need to get the message the same way at the same time, and that may require a formal message. The Mission Radio Operator needs to know how to properly prepare, send and receive formal message traffic. Mission Radio Operators must also understand the priority of the messages that they will send and receive. Though they will not normally decide the precedence, they must know it. And just because you may not decide the precedence, does not mean that you will not need to give guidance to someone preparing the message. The MRO must know how to properly fill our the message forms, normally an ICS Form 213, and be sure that the message on it gets to its intended destination. Students should be provided an ICS Form 213. The MRO is also responsible for keeping a unit log in the communications unit (if there is one). The unit log is normally accomplished on an ICS Form 214, which should be provided to the students. Be sure to fill out the form accurately and clearly so that the operations of the unit can be tracked. The logs are often used to help fix problems in the future, and the better they are the better our operations will be.

Choosing a Good Communications Site High Ground Line of Sight Accessibility Sources of Radio Interference

Regaining Communications Check the Radio Move to Higher Ground Have you tried Duplex? Have you tried Relays? If necessary or mobile - Move? Don’t forget about the telephone

Scheduled Radio Checks When? As briefed When completing sortie actions Departure and returning to Incident Base Entering and Leaving Assigned Search or Disaster Areas Any extended stop - like meal or fuel breaks As prudent Judgement Suggests

Scheduled Radio Checks Continued Before Calling In at the time required, determine at minimum: Your location Your Status Anything you will need from the station you are calling

Scheduled Radio Checks Continued When making your radio check give: The time of the radio check if being relayed or it was delayed The team’s location The team’s status Don’t be afraid to ask for a confirmation and read-back of critical messages

Send a Position Report When assigned to support a team in the field, aircrew or ground team, it will probably be necessary for you to report your location. Know where you are, not only coordinates but also land marks Transmit your location clearly and calmly Confirm the location received your transmission properly by requesting a read back

Reporting a Clue or a Find When supporting a team in the field it may be necessary for you to transmit the location or descriptions of a clue or find Know the location of the clue or find Know the conditions of survivors or victims Be sure to have a clear picture of what is happening on scene Establish good communications - move if necessary

Reporting a Clue or Find Continued Follow the report format found in the task guide Avoid speculation - no guessing Avoid inflammatory or unclear descriptions Don’t be afraid to use other forms of communications like cell phones - radio isn’t the only way

Safety Procedures Do your best to provide a safe environment for you and the personnel around you Lightning protection Routing, Securing and Marking Cables and Wires as necessary Placing antennas so as to avoid RF exposure and EMI Ground your communications systems 7 Rules for Avoiding Lightning Injury If you can hear thunder, lightning can hit you – take action! Properly ground all equipment when installed. Disconnect antennas from unprotected radios. Disconnect unprotected radios/power supplies from AC outlets. Do not remain in a high or exposed location, even in a vehicle. If you are on foot, seek shelter. Move to a sturdy building or vehicle. If you are on foot and no shelter is available, find a low spot away from isolated trees, fences, poles and watercourses. Ensure your location will not flood!

ICS Form 213 General Message

ICS Form 214 Unit Log

Mission Radio Operator Tasks L-0001: Basic Communications Procedures for ES Operations L-0002: Perform Radio Operating Procedures L-0003: Employ Appropriate Radio Frequencies and Repeaters L-0004: Message Handling Procedures L-0005: Choose a Good Communications Site

Mission Radio Operator Tasks Continued L-0006: Take Steps to Regain Communications L-0007: Conduct Scheduled Radio Checks L-0008: Send a Position Report L-0009: Report a Clue or Find L-0010: Communications Safety Procedures

QUESTIONS? THINK SAFETY