Wood County
Emergency Communications

  I. INTRODUCTION

1. The Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. (WCEC) is composed of volunteer members which may or may not hold an FCC Amateur license.
2. Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. is under the directions of the WCEC Director, Assistant Director, or any senior officer, and IS NOT under the direction of any Public Safety agency.
3. The Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. functions under this emergency operations plan and the Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. Bylaws.
4. ood County Emergency Communications Inc. was established to provide Back-up and Overload communications on both Amateur and Public Safety facilities when needed in Wood County or other county within reasonable distance.
5. Members of Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. should be registered with the local Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and/or Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES), but not a requirement.

II. PURPOSE

1. This plan is intended to provide guidelines for Wood County Emergency Communications Inc., that would be needed in an emergency or disaster. Each emergency is different and flexibility to provide an adequate response to each is a necessity.
2. The primary responsibility of Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. is to furnish emergency communications in the event of a natural or man-made disasters, or emergencies, when regular communications fail, or are nonexistent.
3. The secondary purpose of Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. is to provide non-emergency communications for qualified organizations, in non-business functions, at the discretion of the Director, Assistant Director, or senior officer.
4. All drills, training, and instructions shall be carried out to insure readiness to respond quickly in providing effective emergency communications whenever a need may arise.
5. The following agencies could be served during an emergency:
   all American Red Cross chapters , Salvations Army, Camden
   Clark Hospital, St. Josephs Hospital, Marietta Memorial Hospital, Selby General Hospital, Wood County Office of Emergency Management, City and County Administrations, area Fire Departments, and other agencies requesting assistance, as required.
   1. It is understood, in most cases, where public service agencies are involved, Wood County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) will be activated to serve those agencies. However, Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. can be requested by the officials of any served agency in the event additional manpower or communications flexibility are needed.

III. LIMITATIONS

1. The information contained in this plan is to be used as a guide. It is NOT the intent of this plan to limit the actions of an operator who is on site and best able to assess the prevailing conditions.
2. Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. is primarily organized to provide communications, but can be used for other purposes, "IF" the members have had proper training.
3. The authenticity of all messages is the sole responsibility of the originating authority. The validity of such messages shall be determined by the Agencies involved.
4. Members of Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. may report conditions as he/she observes them, but such observations are to be considered those of a layman and evaluated in that context.
5. This communications operations plan is subject to alterations and/or revisions as required to keep it up to date. It should also be examined by members of Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. on a periodic basis and after each drill or actual disaster.

IV. ACTIVATION

1. Any member of the Wood County Wood County Emergency Communications Inc., who for any reason, suspects that a communications emergency exists, should monitor the assigned frequencies for information.
2. If local telephone service is available, the Director, Assistant Director, or other members of the organization should be notified by telephone.
3. In an emergency in which emergency communications may be required to serve the community, members of Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. may be alerted by the Director, Assistant Director, senior officer, or by any Public Safety agency as needed.

V. MOBILIZATION PROCEDURE

1. If telephone service is available, members will be activated via the Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. Membership List and/or CallOut Procedure.
2. Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. should coordinate all emergency communications efforts with the Wood County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) or Wood County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and their Emergency Plans, if they exist.
3. All Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. members, upon notification, or becoming aware of, an emergency condition, should contact the Director, Assistant Director, senior officer, and/or other members by what ever means is available.
4. Operating frequencies should be, but not limited to the following:

   ARES, Shelter and Red Cross Net	146.970 - MHz Repeater
   Emergency Net (WCEC)	147.255 + MHz Repeater W/PL Tone 131.8
   Hospital Net	146.520 MHz Simplex
   Emergency Packet Net (DAREN)	145.690 MHz Simplex
   HF 10 Meters	28.405 MHz USB
   State/National HF	7.235 MHz LSB Plus or Minus QRM
   State Wide HF	3.811 or 3.865 MHz LSB Plus or Minus QRM

5. This Emergency Operations Plan shall not limit the members of Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. to the above said frequencies. In the event that one or more of the above frequencies are unavailable, it will be in the best interest of the emergency to find alternate communication facilities.
6. When notified of an incident involving mass casualties, WCEC personnel should proceed to the following locations as instructed:

Camden Clark Memorial Hospital EOC (Three Operators if possible),St. Joseph's Hospital (Two Operators if possible) Marietta Memorial Hospital (Two Operators if possible) . Selby General Hospital (Two Operators if possible). Parkersburg Office of American Red Cross (Two Operators if possible).
Disaster Scene (with MOBILECOM-1 One) (Four Operators if possible).
Red Cross Shelters, if operational (One Operator if possible).

VII. OPERATIONS

1. Packet Radio stations should be put into operation using the DAREN (Digital Amateur Radio Emergency Network) system, establishing a communications link into, and through the Central Data Information Computer "FINDER", operating on 145.69 MHz.
2. Voice communications should be established using the WCEC Amateur repeater operating on 147.255 MHz as a primary, or the Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub repeater operating on 146.97 MHz as a secondary.
3. All sensitive and victim/patient information should be handled on the Semi-Secure digital Packet Radio link, DAREN. Information such as equipment requests and availability should be handled on the DAREN system as well. Voice communications should be used to confirm the printed receipt of messages and traffic
   passed over the DAREN system, and other non-sensitive
   information.
4. Types of traffic to be handled:
   1. Condition of victims being transported to a hospital or patient care center by ambulance.
   2. Requests for hospital equipment & supplies, patient needs, and Red Cross needs from other hospitals or other locations.
   3. Search of the Database, FINDER, for locations and status of victims and workers.
   4. Voice communications covering a very small area or range, and passing sensitive information and traffic, should be coded and handled on frequencies normally not used by Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. personnel.
   5. The use of codes and aliases should be used to help keep sensitive traffic and victim/patient information as secure as possible.

 

VIII. DRILLS, TESTS, AND ALERTS

1. Annual tests should be conducted, around June of each year, in conjunction with the Wood County Disaster Drill and around October of each year as response to the ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET). During the year, many other drills are established by Federal Authorities or Local Government and may require ARES participation if at all possible.
2. Wood County ARES Nets will meet:
   1st Sunday of the month on Wood County Emergency Communications (WCEC) 147.255 simplex.
   Following Sunday evenings at 8:30PM on WCEC's 147.255 repeater. Tuesday evenings in conjunction with Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub on 146.970 mhz repeater.
   (additional nets may be added at the discretion of the WCEC Director.)
3. At the discretion of the Wood County Emergency Communications Director an unannounced communications only availability drill should be activated periodically.

IX. COMMITTED RESPONSE

1. If Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. is activated by a Public Safety agency, the members should proceed as directed by the requesting agency. Those responding should follow the directions of the requesting agency, but also follow the guidelines of this Communications Operation Plan.
2. Members responding to any location, not under the direct control of, Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. should display their WCEC Identification Card and wear an orange vest with the word "COMMUNICATIONS" on it.

X. PREFERRED ALERTING PROCEDURES

1. Call by telephone, the Director of Wood County Emergency Communications Inc., presently, Ken Harris at: (Home (304) 679-3470, (Cellular) (304)481-3840, (Cell) (304)481-0611; Assistant Director, presently, Terry Mills: at (Home) (304)861-1215, (Cell) (304) 210-7000; Secretary/Treasurer, presently, Judy Peterson at: (Work) (304) 428-8394, (Home) (304) 679-3663, (Cell)
   (304) 834-6853; Trustees, presently Gary Bosworth at: (Work) (740) 376­4359, (cell) (740)516-2824, or Anna Hendershot at: (Home) (304)679-5732.
2. Public Safety agencies can announce the need for Wood County Emergency Communications over their Public Safety radio, giving a brief description of the need and a callback telephone number.
3. If unable to contact any of the above; contact with the Engineering Department of Camden Clark Memorial Hospital should be made and ask for Wood County Emergency Communications activation.

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This plan was Revised and Adopted on June 3, 2008.

The Wood County Emergency Communications Inc. Operations Plan is available in Adobe pdf format for download here