Presented by Southeast Region Communications Released January 2018 ALERT LEVELS Presented by Southeast Region Communications Released January 2018

ALERT LEVELS Our communications system is to provide continuous operations whether the commercial communications infrastructure is working or not. Phone and cell phone systems can be overburdened during periods of high volume calls, usually when there is something happening.

The fire that brought down a section of Interstate 85 in Atlanta caused a backlog and backup of cell phone calls. Consider that this was a local incident with an area of 5 to 10 square miles being involved in the actual incident, but traffic was backed up and so were the cell sites.

If a tornado came through and took out the Interstate along with a large portion of the commercial and civil infrastructure, there could have been a possibility that the Mayor or Governor would have asked CAP to step in, and that may have brought the Wing Alert Level to a 1 and SER would probably have followed up with a Level 2 for all the other Wings.

Now you may ask why should the other Wings go to Level 2 Now you may ask why should the other Wings go to Level 2? This could be done to make sure that the Georgia Wing has every available station in the region on an elevated ops tempo to assist in monitoring the frequencies being used and relay whenever needed. That is how the step process of the Alert System is suppose to work.

C 2 Command and Control Within CAP missions, our communications program has two primary functions TACTICAL and STRATEGIC

In CAP we have three specific levels that are scalable so that communications can accommodate the level of requirements for any mission or activity. ALERT LEVEL 3 NORMAL STATUS

What needs to be accomplished? Confidence checks are to be done on a weekly basis. That is, every radio, including those in vehicles, aircraft, trailers, mission kits, private residences, mission bases, unit meeting locations, need to be turned on and contact should be accomplished with another station.

“I am on the net but where is the NCS?

At the National level, there will be at least one Net 9 (NTN) station on duty and responding to ALE self ID – 000NTNCAP. The radio operator is also monitoring NRC at night and NRD in the daytime hours on a second radio.

At the Region level, at least one station is on duty and responding to the ALE self ID – 000SERCAP on NET 14. This station is our primary MCS and has the capabilities of relaying traffic to the Wing MCS and to the NTN/NOC.

At the Wing level there should be at least one ALE station with a self ID of 0000XXCAP. Where XX is the Wing designator. (AL, FL, GA, MS, PR, TN) on NET 14. In addition, there should be at least one additional MCS preferably on opposite sides of the Wing to handle traffic to and from the on- duty station.

All regularly scheduled voice nets should be in operation during their assigned time and be able to transfer traffic between HF and VHF throughout the Wing and Region. The MCS and the NCS should be active on all Wing nets and pass any traffic to and from those nets as required. This includes WHISKEY TANGO, INTERCOM and ROMEO TANGO messages.

At least one MCS from each wing should check into the NTN on a daily basis to pick up traffic. The NTN operates three nets a day Monday through Friday under Alert LEVEL 3.

ALERT LEVEL 2 INTERMEDIATE STATUS We now move to an elevated status or Operational Tempo.

Has something happened? Was a declaration issued by a Federal or State agency, or a CAP authorized member? There is now a reason for activating additional communications resources than what we had in Level 3. There may be a need for deployment or relocation of assets that will require either communications equipment, personnel or their manning of equipment to enhance a mission.

What needs to be accomplished? Confidence checks of all equipment is to be conducted at least once a day. This means every radio must be turned on and used to contact another station. It is also suggested that multiple HF frequencies are used if possible.

Incident Command Post uses CAP Communications to advise the NOC of status. Commercial communications infrastructure should be avoided if possible.

HF contingency voice nets are established as required. Additional radio operators are assigned ANCS duty to assist in taking over if needed and/or to move to other channels for relaying of traffic as needed. VHF repeaters should have a NCS available that has or is capable of getting HF traffic for local distribution.

The ICP / IC or CUL may request additional radio resources to become operational at their location, or in other areas as required to provide the best area coverage for the mission or activity.

ALERT LEVEL 1 Major Mission Status

What needs to be accomplished? All of the CAP communications systems must be operational at their maximum Operational Tempo.

This may be funny – but HF and VHF may be the only way to communicate.

Level 1 is when we, all of us as communicators, must be engaged in, or anticipating a major mission which will require our maximum support to provide communications wherever and whenever needed on a 24/7 basis.

All communicators and resources are activated as required to support the mission. The number of staff and equipment depends on the size or scale of the mission.

Cadets from the Blue Knights Comm Team (SER-PR-161) keep track of ground and air resources during a SAR Exercise. From left to right: C/SrA Hector Rodriguez updates Check-In times and plots positions. C/ SSgt Angel Falcon updates the Comm Log, C/Capt Luis G. Sierra communicates with ground/air resources.

Deployment and relocation of equipment is likely. In the next slide, a senior and cadets get ready to mount a ground plane antenna on a mast during an exercise as if they were deployed to an area where no antennas are available.

All communicators should have their radio(s) turned on and be monitoring the proper frequencies for notification and to relay activation and operational type traffic to other radio operators.

Confidence checks of all communications systems will be conducted at least once every six hours. This means that you need to keep the radio on and respond when called. The NOC is fully activated and they are on HF voice as well as ALE, operating in the National Net or individual Region Nets as required.

The NTN voice nets goes into extended operational status and additional duty stations are activated on Net 9 by the NTN Net Manager as required. The Region Net 4 goes into extended operational status and additional SER stations are activated to assist the NTN and Wing stations in the relaying of traffic by the SER Net Manager.

Every Wing must have at least one MCS on duty 24/7 Every Wing must have at least one MCS on duty 24/7. This station must be able to accept and relay traffic when needed. It is not required for the radio operator be in the same room, but may be in other areas as long as they can hear and identify their call sign on being called.

The Region DCS / ADCS Communications or the Net Manager with the Wing(s) DC(s) will establish a duty schedule of the message centers to ensure that there is 24/7 coverage with multiple stations on the air to facilitate region wide coverage in the event of propagation issues.

ANY QUESTIONS?