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We are
about to begin organization, implementation and training of the Coweta County
Auxiliary Communications Service. This is a part of the FEMA Program called
C.E.R.T. (Citizens Emergency Response Team. The attached plan has been reviewed
and approved by the Coweta County Board of Commissioners, the Coweta ARES
EC and Assistant EC and the President of the BGMRC. We will be scheduling
an organizational meeting probably in early May.
Issue Paper
From: Eddie Ball
To: Coweta County Board of Commissioners
Issue: Citizens Emergency Response Team- Auxiliary
Communications Service
Facts: All local governments have been asked
to participate in the Federal/State Citizens Emergency Response Teams (C.E.R.T.)
Program. I have attended the Instructors School for these programs conducted
by the Federal Emergency Management Institute. We have publicized this program
for over five months, soliciting citizen participation. To date we have received
only three inquiries concerning participation.
Discussion: In the past, we have augmented
our communications personnel with a group of volunteers comprised mainly of
Amateur Radio Operators who belong to the Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(A.R.E.S.). They have done a wonderful job and I commend them for their efforts.
The C.E.R.T. program, however; seeks to expand the opportunity for citizens
to volunteer. One of the programs is the Auxiliary Communications Service
(A.C.S.) This concept seeks not to exclude any one or any group, but rather
to include a broader range of citizens with communications expertise. Not
everyone is an Amateur Radio Operator, but many have expertise in communications.
I have developed the attached ACS Plan for Coweta County. I have had the ARES
Emergency Coordinator for Coweta County and the Assistant ARES Emergency Coordinator
for Coweta County as well as the President of the local Amateur Radio Club
review and comment on the plan. All of their comments were very favorable
and all indicated they would like to participate.
Recommendation(s): That the Board of Commissioners
approve the attached plan and authorize me to move forward with recruitment
and training of participants. Any funding for materials, etc. required for
this year can be paid for out of currently budgeted funds or, if necessary,
from funds in the 911 communications fund.
Note* The above was approved by the Board of Commissioners
on 04-10-03
The plan follows:
Coweta County Emergency Management
AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PLAN
INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW:
The Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) is
an emergency communications unit for support of emergency tactical, administrative
and logistical communications. It is on-going and is intended to be involved
with this jurisdiction on a day-to-day basis for familiarization and training
for eventual use in any situation that may benefit from its support.
The ACS program is multi-functional:
(a) It provides personnel skilled in a variety of communications
modalities for support of the EMA in general, the EMA EOC and supporting agencies.
(b) Resources of this service are an essential staff resource
intended to augment agency and Public Safety communications.
(c) Participants may be used at any time, from one person to
any number as appropriate.
(d) No declaration of an emergency is required.
(e) The ACS program provides education and leadership to cities
and agencies in this Operational Area (OA) as to the benefits of the ACS program.
(f) Pursuant to direction of the EMA Director and his staff,
the ACS executive staff coordinates ACS-type communications mutual aid in
the cities and county.
ACS personnel are unpaid volunteers registered as Disaster Service Workers
(DSW).
They shall not be used to replace available paid-staff, nor to save paid-staff
overtime, nor to eliminate or avoid a paid-staff position.
This plan complies with the Coweta County Emergency Operations Plan. Like
the State Emergency Plan, this ACS plan is an overview and not a detailed
operations document.
AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PLAN
CONTENTS
Subject:
Page #
Front Page 1
Introductory Overview ----------------------------------------- 2
Table of Contents 3
Distribution ------------------------------------------------------ 4
Purpose of Plan 5
Section - Subject
1. Hazards and Threats ----------------------------------------- 5
2. Jurisdictions and Area Covered 6
3. Authority ------------------------------------------------------ 6
4. Organization 7
5. Participants --------------------------------------------------- 8
6. Resources 8
7. Identifiers - Tactical Calls ---------------------------------- 8
8. Repeater Identification 8
9. Equipment Resources --------------------------------------- 8
10. Frequency Coordination, Amateur Radio Service 9
11. Networks and Network Service Levels ------------------ 9
12. Structured Response Systems 10
12.1 SEMS ----------------------------------------------------- 10
12.2 RIMS 10
12.3 ICS -------------------------------------------------------- 11
12.4 MACS 11
13. Communications Mutual Aid ----------------------------12
14. Mobilization - Usage 12
15. FCC RACES Operations -------------------------------- 13
16. Review 13
Separate documents that supplement this plan are referenced herein and include
Resource Directories, Repeater location and frequencies, Standard Operations
Procedure Manual, laws, regulations and codes.
AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PLAN
DISTRIBUTION
1 Coweta County Board of Commissioners
1 Georgia Emergency Management Agency
1 GA Forestry local Ranger Unit
3 COWETA COUNTY EMA/911
1 County Sheriff
3 Municipal Police Chiefs
1 County Fire Chief
1 Fire Chief, City of Newnan
1 Coweta County Board of Education
1 County Bus Transportation Department
1 County DFACS
1 County ACS Officer
1 Mobile Command Post
1 ARRL Emergency Coordinator (EC)
1 ARRL Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC)
1 Coweta County Chapter, American Red Cross
1 Coweta County Chapter Salvation Army
1 Each communications unit member
AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PLAN
PURPOSE
An Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) is
authorized and established by this jurisdiction. This plan provides for volunteer
professional communications specialists, administrators and Amateur Radio
operators for essential communications during events or periods of national,
state or local emergency, declared or undeclared, and for all training and
familiarization thereto requisite.
1.0 HAZARDS or THREATS
There are various hazards or threats, natural and technological,
that government jurisdictions may encounter. While each jurisdiction may not
experience all threats, its ACS unit needs to be trained for any hazard or
threat, as the unit could be needed for mutual aid assistance to other jurisdictions
that may experience the results of such threats as:
• A major disaster in other areas, such as a hurricane or tropical
storm, can cause property damage and loss of life extending far beyond the
directly-affected area and induce major or sudden population shifts that
could present this or other operational areas with an emergency situation.
• Severe storms,
tornadoes, flash floods and landslides; slower rising but devastating
floods along major river basins and valleys,, clogged transportation routes
• Chemical and
hazardous material spills and releases posing immediate or long-term health
hazards.
• Dam failure -
whether in this or a neighboring area, or upstream ˆ can cause damage and
loss of life by sudden surges of water and debris.
• Large scale transportation
accidents: automobiles, buses, aircraft, trains and other means.
• Earthquakes damage
and interruption in facilities, along with death and destruction.
• Fires threats
to wooded areas and adjacent communities; resulting loss of ground cover of
steeply sloped areas. Hot dry winds and low humidity conditions can push wildland
blazes into urban areas.
• Nuclear accidents,
within or without the state, from fixed nuclear power plant sites, military
installations, transportation systems or military aircraft crashes or terrorist
activity.
• Unusual incidents
that can arise out of terrorism, urban unrest or mass actions.
• War, armed aggression
are possible threats. Key economic and industrial centers, along with military
bases in Georgia/Alabama could be targets that can affect other areas as well.
AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PLAN
2.0 JURISDICTION and AREA COVERED:
The jurisdiction covered by this plan is the County
of Coweta, herein after referred to as the Coweta County Operational Area.
An operational area (OA) is defined as an intermediate level of the state
emergency management organization, consisting of a county and all political
subdivisions within the county area. Each operational area is a special purpose
organization, created to prepare for and coordinate the response to emergencies
within a county area.
3.0 AUTHORITY
O.C.G.A. 38-3-1, et. seq. The Georgia Emergency Manaagement Act COUNTY OF
COWETA AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PLAN
4.0 ORGANIZATION
4.1 Operational Area emergency services organization applicable
to the ACS is:
COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR
COUNTY ACS OFFICER
4.2 The volunteer (unpaid) staff position responsible for the
implementation and administration of this service is the ACS Officer appointed
by the Emergency Management Director. The ACS Officer is directly responsible
to the County Emergency Management Director, and serves at the pleasure of
the holder of that position. While an FCC Amateur radio license is beneficial
it is not mandatory as the program includes broad aspects beyond Amateur radio.
Rather than operational experience and skills this position requires managerial
experience and ability, preferably with volunteers.
4.3 Names, addresses of the ACS Officer and other key contacts
are in a separate ACS Resource Directory.
4.4 ACS response structure is in accord with the five functions
of the Incident Command System (ICS), namely: command, planning/intelligence,
operations, logistics and finance/administration.
AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PLAN
5.0 PARTICIPANTS
The ACS program promotes effective use of persons skilled
in various communications modalities, such as computers, computer networks,
microwave, radio, satellite, videoconference and others. It also requires
effective use of those skilled in administration, logistics and management.
All applicants must complete an application and other documents required by
the OA, including Disaster Service Worker (DSW) registration which requires
a Loyalty Oath/Affirmation in accordance with Acceptance in the program is
at the discretion of the EMA Director and the ACS Officer. There are two levels
of participants:
5.1 Level I The regular volunteer staff of the unit. They have
accepted a job responsibility and have agreed that the ACS is their primary
emergency response activity. Due to the potentially sensitive nature of activities
at this level, a records check with fingerprints is required. Any convictions
or record of conduct considered adverse by management are grounds for rejection.
On record check clearance and approval for participation, they are issued
an identification card. They are expected to report to assignments as quickly
as possible following assignment. There will be established by the ACS Officer
minimum equipment and training for these positions.
5.2 Level II Volunteers who choose not to serve as regular
volunteer staff but may be available to work in some emergency; or those
brought in and trained during an extended emergency. Records checks may not
be required for this level, and non government ID will be issued other than
a Disaster Service Worker card - as evidence of registration NOT identification.
6.0 RESOURCES
These resources are available to all government services/agencies
as required, and are not assigned exclusively to any one service. Requests
for emergency communications support by this service are coordinated by the
agency position specified in section 14.
7.0 IDENTIFIERS ˆ TACTICAL CALLS
Tactical Calls are an essential part of Incident Command
System (ICS) communications as they do not change once assigned to a location
during an event. Communications response and training, whether on the Public
Service or Amateur frequencies, will use tactical station identifiers as well
as the appropriate authorized call sign. See Appendix 7 for examples.
8.0 REPEATER IDENTIFICATION
Repeater location(s) for Amateur Radio frequencies,
and of other stations operated under
this plan (and their tactical identifiers) is provided in a separate operations
plan.
9.0 EQUIPMENT RESOURCES
Equipment (computers, radios, antennas) provided by the OA is listed in
the separate
Equipment Resource Directory. Other equipment may be participant owned and
brought in for temporary use.
10.0 FREQUENCY COORDINATION.
Day-to-day activities in this service will use Public
Service frequencies and call signs, not those of the Amateur Radio Service.
Amateur frequencies may be used for any emergency; and for training and familiarization
for emergency operations. If duly licensed operators are available for that
use, an Amateur frequency may be used in mutual cooperation with other Amateur
Radio Service Licensees. Amateur frequency interference problems in the OA
are to be resolved by the ACS Officer in coordination with proper authorities.
11.0 NETWORKS
This service operates the following four network levels within this Operational
Area.
Level 1 nets provide direction & control communications between the
State EOC and County Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Level 2 nets provide direction & control communications between the
County
EOC and the jurisdictions within the Operational Area; and between the County
EOC and the Emergency Alert System stations in the Operational Area (OA).
Level 3 nets provide communications between the County EOC and deployed
mobile units and other authorized units within the Operational Area.
Level 4 nets provide communications between jurisdictional (i.e.,City) Emergency
Operations Centers and deployed mobiles and other authorized units within
the City.
AUXILIARY COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PLAN
12.1 INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM (ICS)The ICS provides a unified
command structure, common terminology, consolidated action plans, modular
organization, integrated communications, manageable span of control, pre-designed
incident facilities and comprehensive resource management.
The ICS organizes any emergency response effort into five basic functions:
1. command; 2. planning and intelligence; 3. operations; 4. logistics, and
5. finance/administration. Logistics includes Communications and Information
Systems.
13.0 COMMUNICATIONS MUTUAL AID (Resource Requests)
Mutual aid is a voluntary provision of services and
facilities by agencies, jurisdictions or organizations to assist each other
when existing resources prove to be inadequate. Emergency mutual aid response
and recovery activities are generally conducted at the request and under
the direction of the affected local government. Requests flow from field
to the County EOC.
14.0 MOBILIZATION - USAGE.
The ACS is a staff resource intended to augment County Public Safety communications.
Participants (from one to all) may be used in support
of County Public Safety emergency communications needs at any time. No
declaration of an emergency is required.
14.1 Authority to use this service and its personnel is derived
from the County Emergency Management Director.
14.2 Requests to use this service and its personnel shall be
directed to the EMA Director.
14.3 A current Resource Directory shall be maintained by the
ACS Officer .
15.0 FCC RACES OPERATIONS (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency
Service)
Operations on FCC Amateur Radio frequencies is provided
for in the FCC regulations in a condition or service known as RACES. The purpose
is for the Amateur licensees to continue to operate on specific frequencies
after declaration of a national emergency (when other Amateur operations can
be ordered to cease.) The RACES can be a condition of operations, or an on-going
communications program similar to but usually not as inclusive as an ACS
program.
15.1 RACES is an authorized use of the ACS when so authorized
by the program coordinator. This section of the plan (along with other appropriate
sections) shall serve as the RACES Plan. When authorized, the ACS officer
will declare a RACES condition and assign duly licensed operators to that
activity for an appropriate portion of the ACS. When the RACES condition ends,
the ACS Officer will terminate RACES operations by announcement, informing
all those assigned RACES duties. Use of Amateur Radio frequencies is limited
to training and emergency communications in cooperation with other Amateur
licensees.
15.2 The ACS Program Coordinator may authorize unit Amateur
Radio Service licensees to operate as the RACES on FCC Amateur frequencies.
Other than the use of Amateur frequencies, the ACS can operate jurisdiction
Public Safety communications systems at any time authorized locally.
15.3 In the event of an emergency invoking the President's
war emergency powers, RACES operations will be governed by paragraph 97.407(b)
of the FCC Rules and Regulations, 47 CFR. Operations will be restricted to
frequencies assigned and coordinated by the Governor's Office of Emergency
Management.
16.0 REVIEW
This plan shall be reviewed for completeness and accuracy
not later than four (4) years after the latest approval date. Revisions and
corrections shall be issued to those listed on the distribution page
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