Q – What is a public service event? A – Ham radio operators provide volunteer communications support for various activities, including foot races, hikes, bicycle rides, fairs, parades, and other public gatherings, to supplement the communications available for an event, in the interest of the safety of the participants and persons staffing the event, or in the interest of the safety of the general public; and to practice our communications skills.
Q – Do all events qualify for MARS support? A – The Marin Amateur Radio Society chooses to provide support for events run by, or benefiting, local community-based non-profit organizations, and where our communications skills and equipment will be put to good use. The guidelines we use in choosing an event to support, are based on existing commitments, the dates and times requested, our ability to recruit sufficient volunteers to serve the event, a review of the sponsoring organization, our assessment of the need for communications to promote the safety of the participants, the public, and the event staff, and with regard for FCC Part 97 Rules. (Generally, hams should avoid using Amateur Radio in support of events, where the organizer has a monetary interest. This includes “Good Causes”. See the FCC Part 97 Rules. [97.113(a)(5)] editor.)
Some deserving events are not served, either due to conflicting dates with other established commitments or other amateur radio events, a lack of available volunteer operators, because our small club does not have enough time to recruit volunteers, because our schedule is already full, because an event or the sponsoring organization does not fall within our established guidelines or FCC Rules for radio support; or because the event falls outside our coverage area. Marin ARS reserves the right to reject any request for communications support for any reason.
Q – I’ve never done this before, do I need any special training? A – We hold an orientation session at the beginning of the public service season, for new people, and returning volunteers. Normally, new people are partnered with an experienced ham. We plan to hold an on-the-air briefing before events. Review the communications protocols below. Familiarity with controlled net operations and the Incident Command System are plusses. We encourage volunteers to serve at Net Control to learn.
Q – What equipment do I need? A – That depends on the event, and your assignment. It can be as simple as a handheld and a spare battery. Some locations require a high power mobile and a gain antenna. We have created location pages for most of the commonly staffed areas on an event, with recommended equipment to staff the station. You should let the organizer of the event know what your communications capabilities are.
Q – May I accept payment? A – With limited exceptions, FCC Part 97 Rules prohibit amateurs from being compensated for using amateur radio, or for using amateur radio for anyone’s business use. If an event organizer offers payment, it should be politely refused. However, if an event organizer provides food for all volunteers, you may accept; or provides a uniform for volunteer staff (t-shirt or hat), you may wear that to identify you as part of the event staff (they usually don’t want them back after the event). Hams who volunteer to perform other functions for an event, such as driving a sag or patrol vehicle, may be reimbursed for expenses related to the non-radio volunteer duties, if offered.
Q – What about donations to clubs? A – Most clubs can accept donations, as long as there is an understanding that the donation is made to the club in general, and not as a payment for providing services at an event. The Marin ARS has built relationships with many of the community organizations who run the events we serve. Some make a donation, some do not. But we have chosen events that we serve, based on the need for communications to promote the safety of the participants and staff, and to serve our community. ( Of course, it costs us to keep up the equipment, so donations to the club are welcomed. editor.)
Q – What should I expect? A – Events differ in character as much as people do. However, you are acting as a volunteer communicator. And your assignment from us will be to communicate. Most event communications are operated as directed nets. Review the communications protocols below. Please arrive at your assigned location, and be set up, by your assigned time. Check in with Net Control. Check out with Net Control at the end of your assignment. See more specifics below:
Fixed Locations: (Aid Stations or Check Points) Please arrive at your assigned location by your assigned time, and set up your equipment. Check in with the person in charge of your location and identify yourself as the radio person. Check in with Net Control on your assigned frequency. Pass messages to Net Control as needed. Monitor for traffic from Net Control. Typical messages might include arrival of the first event participants, supply requests, participants who drop out, transportation requests, arrival of the last participants, etc. At the end of your shift, or when your assigned location closes, check out with Net Control. In events with sweeps, the radio volunteer normally waits for the final sweep to be sure that no participant is left unattended. (Sometimes volunteers assigned by the organizer, happen to also be hams. If so, please let us know, so we can include you in the roster and inform you of the frequencies used to support the event.)
Course Monitor: Sometimes we are assigned to locations, where we monitor the progress of participants, without any additional event volunteer support. Please arrive at your assigned location by your assigned time, and set up your equipment. Check in with Net Control on your assigned frequency. Pass messages to Net Control as needed. Monitor for traffic from Net Control. Typical messages might include arrival of the first event participants, supply requests, participants who drop out, transportation requests, arrival of the last participants, etc. At the end of your shift, or when your assigned location closes, check out with Net Control. In events with sweeps, the radio volunteer normally waits for the sweep to be sure that no participant is left unattended. (Sometimes Course Monitor volunteers assigned by the organizer, happen to also be hams. If so, please let us know, so we can include you in the roster and inform you of the frequencies used to support the event.)
Event Radio Trail Sweep Communicator : Some trail events and some bike events have one or more willing hams hike or ride with the event sweep. These special volunteers provide communications for the sweep safety team, the event sweeps make sure that the last participants in an event are safe and accounted for. Please arrive at your assigned location by your assigned time. Check in with Net Control periodically, and as necessary. Check in with the ham radio volunteer at all fixed location and course monitor locations. Carry an extra battery. Check out with Net Control at the end of your assignment.
Event Radio Trail Hiker/Bike: Some trail events and some bike events have one or more willing hams hike or ride independently to patrol the course. These special volunteers independently patrol the course to assure participants in an event are safe or accounted for. They report any issues that they come upon. Please arrive at your assigned location by your assigned time. Check in with Net Control periodically, and as necessary. Check in with the ham radio volunteer at all fixed location and course monitor locations. Carry an extra battery. Check out with Net Control at the end of your assignment.
Radio Sag Communicator: These volunteers ride with a sag vehicle to provide on-the- course communications for bicycle events. Please arrive at your assigned location by your assigned time, set up your radio equipment in your assigned vehicle, and check in with Net Control. Check in with the ham radio volunteer at all fixed location and course monitor locations. Some sags or patrols carry APRS tracking units. Check out with Net Control at the end of your assignment.
Radio Equipped SAG or Patrol: These hams also volunteer to drive as support vehicles for bicycle rides, provide assistance to participants, provide on-the-course communications for bicycle events, and monitor the progress and safety of riders. Some sag vehicles act as event course sweeps, escorting in the final riders. Some sags or patrols carry APRS tracking units. Please arrive at your assigned location by your assigned time, and check in with Net Control. Check in with the ham radio volunteer at all fixed location and course monitor locations. Check out with Net Control at the end of your assignment. SAGs (support and gear) have the capability to transport riders and bicycles. Patrols ( including motorcycles) lack the capacity to carry bicycles and/or passengers. Hams who volunteer to perform sag or patrol functions for an event, may be reimbursed for expenses (gas) related to their non-radio volunteer duties, if offered.
Net Control: Net Control volunteers coordinate the radio traffic, interface with the event organizers, and generally provide information and direction to radio volunteers in the field. Net Control stations may have more than one frequency in operation at the same time. On some events, where APRS units are in use, one Net Control operator may be assigned to monitor APRS equipped units.
General: Dress for the expected weather. Bring snacks and water / beverages. Remember sunscreen, a hat, paper and pencil, your radio, a spare battery, etc.
Communications Protocols:
EMERGENCY TRAFFIC ALWAYS HAS PRIORITY! All stations not involved with the emergency need to stand by, until the emergency traffic has been handled. ( Unless there is another emergency.) When breaking in with an emergency, say “Emergency”.
Most event communications are done in a controlled net format. Stations direct their communications to Net Control, and get traffic from Net Control. Please refer to the event radio frequency plan for your assigned frequency for your location or assignment. Please check in with Net Control at the beginning of your assignment, and check out of the net at the end of your assignment. If you need to be away from your radio to attend to something, please notify Net Control when you leave, and when you return. (Please remember that Net Control may need to monitor several frequency channels and/or interface with the organizers or participants. Net Control may need to prioritize traffic. [See examples below.] Please be patient.)
We use tactical identifiers when passing traffic. (” Net Control this is Muir Beach.”) Please listen for, and respond to, traffic directed to your tactical identifier. Please use your tactical identifier when directing traffic to Net Control, or other stations on the event net. We use our tactical identifier, plus our FCC callsigns at the end of an exchange to indicate that we have no further traffic to pass (or our callsigns every 10 minutes for a long conversation). (“Muir Beach, KA6BQF) Follow FCC Part 97 Rules.
Use plain language. Other than our tactical identification, please speak you message in normal language. Please keep your voice calm, even when you may not be. Refer to participants by participant number, please respect their privacy. (Remember, some one may be listening.)
Listen before transmitting. Think, then push to talk, then talk. Compose your message (in your head, or on paper), before keying the microphone. Pause a second or two after keying the microphone to allow the repeater system components to activate. Wait for the squelch tail(s) to drop before beginning a reply transmission (and a second or more to allow for breaking stations with urgent traffic). (Sometimes when we have remote bases or cross band links in use, there are several squelch tails that need to drop.)
Typical messages that you would send might include arrival of the first event participants, supply requests, participants who drop out, transportation requests, arrival of the last participants, etc.
Follow FCC Part 97 rules, and direction from Net Control.
Traffic priority (examples):
EMERGENCY – Accident with injuries, injury to participant, injury to volunteer, immediate threat (drunk or threating driver)
PRIORITY – Accident without injuries, lost participant, mechanical breakdown on course, safety hazard, potential threat, ill participant
HIGH – Running out of water, supplies did not arrive before check point opened, minor injury (can be handled by first aid), participant requesting transportation from course, first participants arrival
MEDIUM – Supplies running low, participant requesting transportation from check point, course marking mistake (that cannot be field corrected), request for more volunteers, weather changes that affect participants, last participant location
LOW – Requests late in the event that are logistically impractical, participant progress requests.
Tips for good communication practice (By Michael Fischer, K6MLF)
Marin Amateur Radio Society
Public Service Events
September 2016
Operating tips:
1. Listen, listen, listen and learn from the tempo, protocol, and style of other operators. If possible, monitor another event prior to the event for which you are volunteering.
2. Think of what you are going to say before pressing PTT. Then keep it short; no rambling.
3. If it doesn’t need saying, don’t.
4. Keep your voice calm–even if you are not.
5. Press PTT, wait a second before saying anything. (to allow radio system links to activate)
6. Say the station you are calling first, then give your tactical call.
7. Use tactical calls, not your FCC callsign, until the closing.
8. No need to repeat the calls each time during a multi-exchange conversation.
9. Wait two counts before pressing PTT on each exchange (avoid tailgating in order to allow breakers.)
10. If you have urgent traffic, take advantage of those spaces to call “priority;” then wait for net control to say, “Go ahead, priority traffic”
11. When finished with traffic in a conversation, then use your callsign in place of, or in addition to, “clear” or “out.”
12. When you hear that final signoff, and you have been waiting to contact net control–that’s your time to make a call. Do not interrupt a conversation in progress unless you have more urgent traffic.
13. Keep a paper log of your contacts with net control; s/he may later ask something like, “What time did the first sweep transit your rest stop?”
14. When reporting an injury, never use the name of an injured party in order to protect their privacy; use bib numbers or other descriptors.
15. In a controlled net, all traffic should go to (or through) net control; you may “go direct” to another rest stop only after receiving permission from net control to do so.
16. Use common English; avoid the use of “Q” codes.
17. Common “pro-words” are fine: “I say again,” “I spell,” “all after,” “figures,” “number-letter group,” “roger,” “correction,” “go ahead,” etc.
18. If using an HT: face the repeater input, hold the antenna vertical, don’t move your head while transmitting. During initial checkin at the beginning of the event, check your copy with net control to find your best “hot spot.”
19. Never turn your radio off, or volume down, to deal with a situation w/o telling net control that you will be away from the net and receiving permission to do so; check back in when you return to the net.
Make yourself known and available:
20. Always introduce yourself to the rest stop captain (and medical crew if present) at the beginning of your shift; make a note of his/her/their name(s) for your after-action report.
21. Set up your position at the rest stop so that you can stay informed while staying out of the way. In many cases, this will be close to the rest stop captain or the medical crew. If that is not possible, or if the captain is a roamer, take a set of GMRS radios so that you and s/he are able to contact each other quickly.
22. At the same time, your operating position should be in a relatively quiet location, away from cheering crowds, rock bands, announcement speakers.
23. Make sure the captain knows to require the organization’s sweepers to check in with you when they enter the rest stop, and to again check in with you when they depart the rest stop. You would report both times to net control.
24. If you are stationed at net control, there is to be total silence while the net control operator is passing traffic. Any chatting that might happen during a lull is to immediately cease.
25. Arrive at your duty assignment prepared to be self-supporting: food, water, sunscreen, a chair, warm clothing, extra batteries, etc.
26. An after-action report, together with photos, is part of your assignment; make notes to yourself during the event in preparation for your report.
Examples of different priority messages
27. EMERGENCY – Accident with injuries, injury to participant, injury to volunteer, immediate threat (drunk or threatening driver).
28. PRIORITY – Accident without injuries, lost participant, mechanical breakdown on course, safety hazard, potential threat, ill participant.
29. HIGH – Running out of water, supplies did not arrive before check point opened, minor injury (can be handled by first aid), participant requesting transportation from course, first participants arrival.
30. MEDIUM – Supplies running low, participant requesting transportation from check point, course marking mistake (that cannot be field corrected), request for more volunteers, weather changes that affect participants, last participant location.
31. LOW – Requests late in the event that are logistically impractical, participant progress requests.
2016_MOA_RACES_Field Operations Guide (1)
Updated: 02/26/2017
