1. How to Complete the Modified ICS-213 RACES Message Form Rev 0 By
Mike Maronta
KC6YNQ
Chief Radio Officer Seal Beach RACES
5/28/ :50 AM

2. What is the ICS-213 Form?
The ICS-213 Form is a General Message Form, usually handwritten, by EOC Personnel operating under the Incident Command System.
It is written in the EOC and was intended to be used between personnel operating within the EOC. It has been expanded for use between EOC’s.
We, as Radio Operators, are merely the facilitators in this system and have no input as to who the message is From, who it is sent To, the Time and Date it was written or what the Message Content is.
4. If we cannot read any portion of the Form as received in the Radio Room, or are unclear as to its meaning, we should ask for clarification prior to sending.
5. This Form constitutes “Formal Message Traffic”.

3. What the ICS-213 Form is Not!
1. The Form is not an ARRL “Ham Radio Message Form” or “Radiogram”!
2. It is not to be generated by the Radio Operator, except where specific additional information for transmission is required!
3. It is not to be copied to another Form, typed, or any other modification made by the Radio Operator except as directed by EOC Personnel.

4. Why do we need to modify the standard ICS-213 Form?
As stated previously, this Form was intended to be used within the EOC to
send messages between the various units of the EOC, for example between the Incident Commander and the Operations Unit. It was never designed as a “Radiogram” to be transmitted “over the air”.
2. For our purposes, we need as a minimum; a Message Number, a Precedence, who were talking to, From/To Station (i.e. a Callsign), and a place where the message originated, Place of Origin.
3. If a Reply is requested, we need to tell the station we are talking to, what frequency to reply on.
4. For tracking purposes we have also added the Date and Time the Message was Sent or Received. This is different from the Date and Time in body of the message when it was written by the EOC personnel.

5. Added for Radio Traffic
Same as Std 213 Form
Added Lines for five (5) word Blocks for ease of Transmission and Reception.
Added for Radio Traffic
Added Lines for five (5) word Blocks for ease of Transmission and Reception.
Same as Std 213 Form

6. Let’s discuss filling out the added Header
Number: Very Important, we need a number for tracking purposes. Ideally
the EOC personnel should assign a number, if they do not, put one on! Keep track of the numbers you assign!
2. Precedence: To be assigned by the EOC Personnel, not the Radio Operator! If they don’t give you one, ask! Messages should be transmitted in order of Precedence; Emergency first, followed by Priority and then Routine.
3. From/To Station: Put the Callsign of the station you are talking with here. If it’s an Outgoing Message circle “To” . If it’s an incoming Message Circle From.

7. Continue filling out the added Header
4. Place of Origin: The place where the Message originated. For an Outgoing Message usually your EOC, for example “SB EOC”. For an Incoming Message usually somebody else’s EOC, for example “Fullerton EOC”.
5. Time Sent/Recv’d: This is the time you completed sending or receiving the Message, not the time somebody handed you the Message! If it’s an Outgoing Message circle Sent, if it’s an Incoming Message circle Recv’d. This is different from the Time in the body of the Message assigned by the EOC personnel. This way Management can tell how long it took from the time the Message was written until it was sent or received in the Radio Room. Stick with whatever convention is used in the body of the Message,
12 hour or 24 hour format.

8. Continue filling out the added Header
6. Date Sent/Recv’d: Similar to Time Sent/Recv’d. Put down the Date you completed sending or receiving the Message, not the date somebody handed you the Message. If it’s an Outgoing Message circle Sent, if it’s an Incoming Message circle Recv’d.
7. Reply on (Freq): Fill in the Reply Frequency, if it’s a Repeater (+ or -), or (s) for Simplex, and the pl, if one is required. If it’s some special offset, just write it in the margin.

9. What does a properly filled out Outgoing Header look Like?
What does a properly filled out Incoming Header look Like?

10. Let’s discuss filling out the Reply Header
Reply to Message Number: This should be self-explanatory. What you need to know is that if you sent message number SB-100, for example, and it needed a Reply, is that you should retain the Original Message in the radio room until a Reply to that Message number is transmitted. The sending station should say “This is a Reply to Message Number SB-100”. You should ask them to standby while you locate the Original Message and then tell them to proceed once you have the original in hand and write the Reply down on the Original Message Form before sending it to the EOC. Do not use separate forms for the Reply!

11. Filling out the Reply Header Continued
Continued : If you received an Incoming Message that needed a Reply, you would have sent that message to the EOC to have the Reply generated. The EOC would then write a Reply and send the Incoming Message back to you to transmit the Reply. At this point you would contact the “Place of Origin”, on the Reply Frequency listed and transmit the Reply. You would say to the Receiving Station “This is a Reply to Message Number xxxxxxx”
2. From/To Station: If this is a Reply to an Outgoing Message, circle From and write down the Callsign of the Station you are talking to. If this is a Reply to an Incoming Message, circle To and write down the Callsign of the Station you are talking to.

12. Filling out the Reply Header Continued
3. Place of Origin: If this is a Reply from your EOC, write down your EOC
location. If this is a Reply from another EOC, write that EOC location.
4. Time Recv’d/Sent: If this is a Reply to your Outgoing Message, circle Recv’d, and indicate the time you completed receiving the Message. If this is a Reply to an Incoming Message, circle Sent, and indicate the Time you completed sending the Message. Again, stick with whatever format the original is using,12 or 24 hour format.
5. Date Recv’d/Sent: If this is a Reply to your Outgoing Message, circle Recv’d, and indicate the Date you completed receiving the Message. If this is a Reply to an Incoming Message, circle Sent, and indicate the Date you completed sending the Message.

13. What does a properly filled out Outgoing Message Reply Header look Like?
What does a properly filled out Incoming Message Reply Header look Like?

14. What about the Five Word Message Blocks
The Five Word Message Blocks were added to simplify message transmission and to prevent errors. This is the ARRL Standard. Each line is transmitted once and then the transmitting station says “Break”. The receiving station says “Continue” or “Repeat”. If the receiving station says “Continue” the next line is transmitted, ending in “Break”. If the Receiving Station says “Repeat” the line is transmitted again ending in “Break”. This continues until the message is sent. Once the entire Message is Sent, it is a good idea for the receiving station to read back the entire message to confirm everything.
Because of the nature of the Form, we normally don’t limit the top part of the Form to five words, that is the TO, From, Position, Subject, and the Date and Time Fields. Just speak slowly. You can pick up any errors on the overall message read back.

15. A Review 1. Don’t make something out of the this Form it is not.
2. It is not an ARRL “Radiogram”.
3. Don’t try and retype it before transmission.
4. If you don’t understand the Message, ask questions before transmitting.
5. If it doesn’t have a number, assign one.
6. Don’t decide on the precedence. Ask the EOC to assign one.
7. Be sure and ask the sender what frequency to reply on.
8. Make sure you put down the Time and Date Sent or Received, not the Time and Date someone gives you the Message.
9. Speak slowly and send the “Message Body” in five word Blocks
10. Use the Break, Repeat, or Continue System
11. Read back the entire Message to verify content and accuracy.

16. Appendix Index 1. A properly filled out Outgoing Message with Reply
2. A properly filled out Incoming Message with Reply
3. Recommended ICS-213 Form Fill out from FEMA (Information Only)
4. The Modified RACES ICS-213 Form
5. The “Paper Trail” and Multi-Part Forms 6. Electronic Versions of the Modified RACES ICS-213 Form (Later)

17. A Properly Filled Out Modified Outgoing ICS-213 Form
Filled out by EOC Personnel/Radio Operator
A Properly Filled Out Modified Outgoing ICS-213 Form
Filled out by EOC Personnel
Filled out by Radio Operator
Filled out by EOC Personnel
Appendix 1

18. A Properly Filled Out Modified Incoming ICS-213 Form
Filled out by EOC Personnel/Radio Operator
A Properly Filled Out Modified Incoming ICS-213 Form
Filled out by EOC Personnel
Filled out by Radio Operator
Filled out by EOC Personnel
Appendix 2

19. Appendix 3
Page 1

20. Appendix 3
Page 2

21. Appendix 3
Page 3

22. Appendix 3
Page 4

23. Appendix 3
Page 5

24. Appendix 3
Page 6

25. The Modified ICS-213 Form RACES Version
Appendix 4

26. The Multi-Part Modified ICS-213 Form
We in Seal Beach, use a three part, carbonless, Modified ICS-213 Form so we need separate Incoming and Outgoing Forms to keep the colored pages straight. You may, or may not, want to do the same. Various schemes are available, but your EOC Personnel should determine what system they want to use, if any. Our Team thought a “Paper Trail” was important. Here is how it works:
2. Our Outgoing Form is sequenced white (Original), pink (Radio Room Copy) and yellow (EOC Copy). It works like this: The Originator in the EOC writes the message on the white copy, with the pink and yellow attached. He then tears off the bottom copy, which is yellow, keeps that in the EOC for his record and sends the White original with the pink copy attached to the Radio room for transmission.
Appendix 5
Page 1

27. 2. Continued: We transmit the message adding the Time and Date sent
2. Continued: We transmit the message adding the Time and Date sent. If a
Reply is requested, we hold the original and pink copies in the radio room,
and when the Reply comes in, we write it down on the bottom of the white
copy, add the Time and Date received, tear off the bottom pink copy and keep
in the Radio room for our records and send the original white copy, with the
Reply on the bottom, back to the EOC. If no Reply is requested we simply
add the Time and Date sent, tear off the bottom pink copy and keep in the
Radio room for our records and send the original white copy back to the
EOC. Paper trail, paper trail!
Our Incoming Form is sequenced white (Original), yellow (EOC Copy) and
pink (Radio Room Copy). It works like this: For an incoming message the radio operator fills out the white original form with the yellow and pink attached. He adds the Time and Date Received, then tears off the bottom pink copy, and saves it for the Radio room, and sends the white and yellow copy to the EOC.
Appendix 5 Page 2

28. 3. Continued: If a Reply is needed the EOC writes the Reply on the bottom of the
white form, tear's off the yellow copy and keeps in the EOC, and sends the white
copy back to the Radio Room to be transmitted. We then add the Time and Date
sent and save in the Radio Room. If no Reply is requested, we just add the Time
and Date received, tear off the bottom pink copy and send the white and yellow
copy to the EOC. Again paper trail, paper trail.
Since you have to spend a little money here to have special Forms made up, you need to discuss this in detail with your EOC folks to be sure they are on Board.
We use a “Runner/Message Traffic handler” between the EOC and Radio Room to keep everything straight. This does not need to be a RACES Member.
6. Our Incoming and Outgoing Multi-Part Modified ICS-213 Forms are shown on the next two Slides. They represent our original printing. After using these successfully for the past three (3) years, the current single page Form reflects a few minor changes, which we’ll make with the next printing, for example we deleted the “Check” box and expanded the “Reply on Frequency” area to include the Offset (+ or -) and the pl.
Appendix 5 Page 3

29. Multi-Part “Carbonless” Modified Outgoing ICS-213 Form
Seal Beach Version
Appendix 5 Page 4

30. Multi-Part “Carbonless” Modified Incoming ICS-213 Form
Seal Beach Version
Appendix 5 Page 5