Brown County ARES®/RACES
Glossary
List of terms and acronyms you are likely to encounter when working in emergency communications.
State of California OES prescribes the Anderson Power Pole as the standard DC power connector for use by State ACS/RACES personnel, and recommends its use by County and City RACES personnel as well. Using this standard, highly reliable connector allows quick and easy installation and substitution of radios, power supplies, batteries, and other equipment.
Also known as Automatic Packet Reporting System, APRS is a communications protocol that allows stations to send location, weather, and other data real-time.
A series of three courses (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) offered by the ARRL. The courses teach basic information about emergency communications, ARES®, and the relationship between amateur operators and the emergency agencies they assist.
A FEMA program to train citizens in basic emergency response skills. In Milpitas the CERT program is called SAFE.
The ICS title for individuals responsible for command of functional sections: Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration.
An appointed ARRL official who directs the emergency efforts within a district. (The DEC for Santa Clara County is Larry Carr KE6AGJ).
To work under a RACES activation you need to be registered as a DSW by the governmental agency you are working for. This provided insurance coverage while working for that agency.
Identification card issued by the government agency you have registered with.
An emergency broadcast system using public communications (TV and radio) to alert the general public to an emergency situation.
An appointed ARRL official who directs the emergency efforts within a city. Within Santa Clara Couty the EC is also the RACES Radio Officer (RO). (The EC/RO for Milpitas is Bob Armstrong K6TBN).
A location from which emergency operations are directed. The EOC for Santa Clara County is at the Sheriff's Office at 55 Younger St. in San Jose. The Milpitas EOC is at the Police Station--an alternate EOC is at Fire Station 1.
A general term referring to the act of or the person
providing communications services during an emergency.
The government agency concerned with disaster preparation and disaster recovery.
The first person or agency
to be sent to the scene of an emergency. This is normally fire,
law enforcement, or emergency medical personnel.
An unlicensed personal radio service in the UHF band. All radios in this service must be hand-held units transmitting no more than 1/2 watt.
A licensed personal radio service in the UHF band. For the price of the license fee (there is no exam) you may set up base, mobile, and repeater systems running up to 50 watts.
A bag or pack that has your "call-out" gear (emergency activation gear). Suggested Go-Kit contents.
A management tool to bring multiple agencies together under one command structure during an emergency.
A military-run radio system that uses frequencies
close to the amateur radio bands. MARS sometimes interacts
directly with amateur radio, especially for message handling.
A written agreement between two organizations describing their cooperative efforts. For our purposes, a written agreement between ARES®/RACES groups and their Served Agency(ies). This agreement details what services will be provided by the ARES®/RACES group and what commitment the Served Agency makes in return.
A station, or more likely, an operator who is running a radio network. He or she is in charge with maintaining the orderly flow of traffic on that net.
NIMS is a comprehensive, national approach to incident management that is applicable at all jurisdictional levels and across functional disciplines.
An ARRL-run network of operators who pass telegram-like
messages throughout the United States.
An antenna system designed to send HF transmissions almost straight up, where they bounce off of the ionosphere and return to earth to cover a wide area around the sending station.
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information direct from nearby National Weather Service offices.
The organization at the state, county, or local government level charge with responsibility for planning, preparation, and disaster operations.
A digital communications system using computer terminals connected via Amateur Radio stations. Provides a reliable method for transmitting large amounts of data quickly and accurately.
A person assigned to make public statements and handle queries from the press and public.
Amateur radio groups organized by civil authorities to perform emergency communications.
A station which receives transmissions from a mobile, portable, or fixed station and re-broadcasts them for extended range usually with higher output power. Generally located at a relatively high elevation.
A radio net organized for coordination of the movement and tracking of personnel and equipment. See also Tactical Net.
See EC - Emergency Coordinator.
This is Milpitas' name for the CERT program.
The Salvation Army's internally managed amateur radio effort.
An appointed ARRL official who directs the emergency efforts within a section.
As an "emergency communicator" you will always be working for someone. You will never be managing an emergency yourself. You will be assisting some civil agency (police, fire, etcetera) or other emergency relief organization (hospital, Red Cross, etcetera). The agency or organization to which you provide communications services is the "served agency".
Refers to radio communications where both transmitter and receiver operate on a common frequency without the use of a repeater.
The protocol established by an agency for its operation.
SKYWARN is a program managed by the National Weather Service that utilizes trained volunteer "spotters" to send in real-time on-the-ground reports of severe weather.
An elected ARRL official who directs the League's efforts within a subsection of a region. Milpitas is in the Santa Clara Valley Section (SCVS). (The SCVS Section Manager is Bill Dale, N2RHV)
An area where equipment and personal are checked-in and staged prior to being deployed in response to an event.
A radio net organized for the purpose of handling the operational communications associated with an activity. See also Resource Net.
Used for Packet communications. This device acts like a modem between a personal computer and a radio tranceiver.
Messages sent over the air. Usually this means formal written messages.
A microphone/radio system that uses the operator's voice to activate the transmitter instead of a manual push-to-talk (PTT) button. Not recommended for emergency communications.