EMC319 Operations Techniques 4 To: Emergency Communications Units - Information Bulletin To: Emergency Management Agencies via Internet and Radio By: Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services EMC319 Operations Techniques 4 For release 12/10/01 (Radio Procedures During Emergencies - continued) "18. If a proper name needs to be transmitted, always spell it out using the ICAO phonetic alphabet. Do not use cute or self- invented phonetics. There is no place for them in official and emergency communications. Avoid using the phrase "common spelling" to reduce confusion. 19. ONLY TRANSMIT FACTS. If your message is a question, deduction, educated guess, or hearsay, identify it as such. Do not clutter up the air with non-essential information. Be careful what you say on the air. There are many ears listening. Many facts will be taken out of context even when carefully identified. 20. If you do not understand the whole message given to you or if you missed a word out of the transmission, reply with "Say again." Do not say "please repeat" because it sounds too much like the word "received" when conditions are poor. 21. Chewing gum, eating, and other activities with items in the mouth tend to clutter up the clarity of your speech. Don't. 22. Avoid angry comments on the air at all costs. Obscene statements are not necessary and are out of place in all communi- cations. 23. Sound alert. Nothing destroys confidence as much as a bored or weary sounding radio operator. If you are tired, get a relief operator. 24. During an incident, communications suffers enough confusion without wisecracks and jokes. Amateur Radio may be a hobby to enjoy, but when providing emergency communications you must remember that it is serious business and should be treated as such at all times. 25. Stay off the air unless you are sure you can be of assistance. It does no good to offer advice, assistance, comments or other input to a net unless you can truly provide clarification. It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt! 26. Always know your location. If you are mobile or port- able and moving around, always keep a sharp lookout for land- marks. You must be able, if called upon, the accurately describe your location at any time. This is particularly important if you with a search team or other mobile units." Concludes next week. --------- Send any bulletin topics/articles to cary_mangum@oes.ca.gov To get the bulletin each week send a blank e-mail message to to subscribe, or to to unsubscribe. You'll get a confirmation message to which you must reply in order for the command to "take." Bulletins archives: ACS Web page: http://acs.oes.ca.gov/ ftp.ucsd.edu/emcomm or ftp.oes.ca.gov/ACS/EMCOMM and a telephone BBS 916-262-0856 (graphical & standard interface). EOM