EMC385 OES ACS FIELD UNITS Pt4 
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

EMC385 OES ACS FIELD UNITS Pt4       Release  3/17/03 

Bulletin 384 described some emergency support resources that
the ACS program personnel deploy and support under designated
circumstances with the supervision of the Telecommunications
Coordinators. 

Bulletin 383 covered some personnel and historical aspects.

Bulletin 382 briefly touched on the State OES earth-station
program (OASIS or Operational Area Satellite Information System)
and its 4 trailer-mounted earth stations.

These mobile earth stations each provide for 12 telephone lines
and a digital data drop on a Wide Area Network which allows for
Internet access and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

Each of these telephone lines offers five-digit dialing to any
other OASIS telephone drop which includes every county in the
state as well as other locations. It also provides access to the
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through redundant access
points. An interface from OASIS to a state microwave phone network
is also possible.

These mobile units have self-contained power or can use 2 110-volt
20-amp circuits when available for 'shore' power. Because they
communicate on microwave frequencies with a satellite, an
unobstructed view in a designated path and elevation is needed.

Two other aspects of OES communications resources include these:
A mobile trailer mounted alternate earth-station hub capable of
48 voice lines, 2 data lines. It was recently deployed and
supported by ACS field personnel at the Marks-Nielsen fire in
Central California.

There are almost 800 handheld radio on VHF Hi, UHF (both 450-470
and 470-490 MHz) and 800 MHz NPSPAC. These are available as non
encrypted radios in caches for fire, law and emergency services
located statewide, for those agencies if requested under the 
mutual aid system of government helping government. (See more
on mutual aid on the California State OES Web Site.)

So, from these frequencies and equipment, we see that these
Public Safety communications units are quite different than
Communications Vans intended to primarily provide Amateur Radio
frequency coverage.  Abbreviations used: CHP: CA Highway Patrol;
CDF: CA Department of Forestry; ICP: Incident Command Post; 
CMARS: California Mutual Aid Radio Systems; CESRS: California
Emergency Services Radio System.

Series continues next bulletin which describes eight additional
rolling-stock units on truck or motor home chassis for Fire
agency response and Law Enforcement situations based on mutual
aid requests.
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EOM