ARES PROCEDURES FOR HURRICANES
I. Introduction
The peak of the hurricane season in Duval County is in September. The
following topics should be planned for preceding ARES meetings
A. June: Emergency power for your house and station
Is your “Shelter Go-bag ready?”
B. July:
Preparing your house and family for a hurricane (See below)
Red Cross shelter list handout and review
C. Aug:
Local hurricane bulletins, nets schedules and frequencies,
Shelter volunteer signups
II. Times, Nets and Frequencies
A. Unless otherwise announced, the following frequencies and schedules will
be used:
EC’s Admin repeater:
after page
District Net:
146.700
:00 on the hour
EC’s Daily Bulletins
146.700
1930 hours
Shelter Net:
146.760
:45 after hour
Mobilization Net
146.760
0800, 1200, 1600, 2000, 2300
Hospital Net
146.880
:30 after hour
B. Hams should monitor projected progress of storm with NHC Tropical
Cyclone Marine Advisory (TCMAT) and mapping software. A very good map of
the projected position and wind windfields may be found at
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/tc_pages/tc_home.html
III. Duval County’s ARES response to a hurricane threat may be divided into 3
distinct phases:
1. Preparation Phase
2. Warning Phase
3. Shelter Phase
IV. During the Preparation Phase, the EC will establish a daily Bulletin schedule:
A. Unless otherwise announced, Daily Bulletins will be transmitted at 1930
hrs on District repeater, starting 3 days before eye is first forecast to reach
Duval County.
NOTE: Due to the models used in forecasting, the actual arrival time of the eye will nearly always be
later than first forecast – Typically 1 to 2 days later than the first 5-day out forecast
B. If a Wednesday Night Net falls in the Preparation Phase, the EC will
discuss the following:
1. Critical need for operators and assistants
Hams should line up new-ham or non-ham assistant
2. Review recommended personal preparation steps (See handout)
3. Daily Bulletin schedule (Normally held daily at 1930 hrs.)
4. Mobilization Net schedule during Tropical-Storm Warning period (normally 08,
12, 16, & 2300 hrs)
5. Frequencies to be used during mobilization (see above for list)
6. Operators should monitor Mobilization repeater frequency if they loose
telephone service.
Note: Request for operators should not be open-ended. Specify a fixed
shift duration (like 12 hours), and guarantee a relief at the end of shift (if
operator desires).
Note: Encourage each operator to line up one non-ham or new-ham
assistant for his shift.
C. The EC’s Daily Bulletins on District repeater should:
1. Be brief, (5 min?)
2. Include latest NHC Hurricane Advisory and earliest forecast eye arrival time at
closest point of approach to Duval County
3. Summarize latest mayor’s press conference (school closings, evacuations,
etc.)
4. Encourage hams to complete personal preparations at home early. Ask for
time off from work if necessary.
5. Include the EC’s comments
6. Invite check-ins only for those willing to work in a shelter or hospital, and only if
they have not signed up previously.
V. The Warning Phase is triggered by a Tropical Storm Watch. These are
issued by the NWS 24 hours before winds are forecast to exceed 38 mph.
Watches will be announced on the Wx Radio and the Wx Channel, as well as
most broadcast news outlets.
A. When this is announced, the EC will:
1. Activate pagers for an AEC conference on the Admin repeater.
2. Have AEC’s divide telephone list of those already signed up ( < 25
operators)
3. Have the AEC’s call operators and announce the first Mobilization
Net at XX:00 hrs.
4. Scheduled Mobilization Nets on Mobilization Repeater will be held at
each of following designated times starting after Tropical-Storm Warning
for Duval County is announced and continuing until the first shift of shelter
operators reports for duty.
a. 0800 hrs b. 1200 hrs c. 1600 hrs d. 2000 hrs e.
2300 hrs
B. Mobilization Nets on Mobilization Repeater are conducted by the AEC for
Operations and will include:
1. The EC’s prediction of Mobilization time for shelter operators (4 hours
before gale-force winds in Duval County)
2. Support assignments (EOC staff, troubleshooters, etc.)
3. Shelter assignments for operators and relief operator list (w/o shelter
assignments) (if available).
4. EC’s comments
5. Roll-call for those already assigned (the NCO calls each station)
6. Alphabetic check-ins only for those available for shelter
assignments.
VI. Shelter Phase
A. The Red Cross will designate shelters from the approved shelter list in
conjunction with the EOC, and announce opening times. ARES operators will
not normally report to shelters until the risk of land-line failure becomes
significant.
B. The EC will Mobilize shelter operators 4 hours before winds are first
expected to exceed Gale-force (38 mph) in Duval County (Use NHC Marine
advisory and map to fix time.)
C. The AEC for Operations will…
1. Conduct mobilization net at last designated net time before
mobilization time.
2. Announce time due at shelters
3. Announce net frequencies & backup frequencies (Shelter, Hospital
and District)
4. Announce first shelter roll-call time
5. Announce hourly Shelter Census Report roll-call time
6. Invite the EC’s comments
7. Call roll-call of assigned operators
8. Close the net.
9. Shelter operators who don’t check-in get a phone call
D. The NCO for the Shelter Net normally operates from the Red Cross
Headquarters. These nets are held hourly at :45 after the hour unless otherwise
announced. The NCO will:
1. Conduct initial Shelter Net roll-call on Shelter Net repeater and
hourly as scheduled
2. Read the Preamble (Net condition, etc.)
3. Request a status report from EOC, including:
a. Hurricane forecast
b. Evacuation orders
c. Additional shelter openings, etc.
4. Conduct the Shelter Roll call and take Shelter Census Reports:
a. # Shelterees
b. # Shelter staff
c. # Hams
d. AC power status at shelter
e. Ham relief expected at what time
E. The EC establishes time for hospital operator mobilization as requested by the
EOC.
1. Hospital operators (5) are mobilized by telephone and announcement on
mobilization repeater.
2. The NCO for the Hospital Net normally operates from the EOC. These
nets are normally held at :30 after the hour unless otherwise announced. The
Hospital NCO will
1. Read Preamble (Net condition, etc.)
2. Announce the Status report from EOC
3. Announce the latest Hurricane forecast
4. Announce any new Evacuation orders
5. Announce additional shelter openings, etc.
6. Announce any known injures
7. Conduct the Hospital Roll call + collect reports
8. Record the number of ER Beds available
9. Record the number of Hams
10. Record the time relief is expected for Hams on duty.
11. Record the AC power status at hospital
12. Record the telephone system status at hospital
VII. EC fields request for mutual aid from DEC.
a) They agree on a departure time for mutual aid convoy (Not less than 3
hours hence) when winds are expected to be below Gale force (38
mph)
b) EC establishes a meeting place for convoy (Red Cross Parking lot?)
c) DEC requests tracking number from state EOC
d) Pager activation and AEC conference on Admin repeater
e) EC appoints a Lead-Responder (AEC) to direct convoy and response.
f) EC appoints a Mutual-Aid-Team Liaison (AEC) who will remain in
Duval County to monitor progress and status of Mutual-Aid Team
throughout their assignment.
g) Calling Post announcement calls for special net on Mobilization
Repeater starting in 15 minutes.
h) Request for Mutual-aid Team volunteers is announced on mobilization
repeater.
i) Team volunteers meet at mobilization point and report to Lead
Responder
j) Team Liaison obtains following:
1)Points of contact in destination county
2) Frequencies to be used
3) Destination addresses and directions
4) Routing info from Map Quest or equivalent.
5) Lead Responder and Team Liaison maintain constant radio contact while
enroot.
6) Lead Responder reports to local EC for assignments.
7) Lead Responder maintains communications with all team members throughout
assignment.
8) Lead Responder maintains communications with Liaison in Duval County
throughout assignment.
VIII. If Duval County has been adversely impacted, EC will...
a) Request volunteers for damage assessment
b) Dispatch teams to restore repeater service
c) Forward request to DEC for mutual-aid teams from outlying counties
d) Seek accommodations for visiting mutual-aid teams
e) Direct AEC for Operations to establish shift rotation for ongoing shelter
operations
IX. EC Determines best time to release hospital operators based on following:
a) Telephone availability in hospitals
b) Wind speed
c) Desires of the EOC
X. EC Determines best time to release shelter operators based on following:
d) Telephone availability in shelters
e) Wind speed
f) Desires of EOC/ARC
+ Hospital net is secured when last hospital operator is released
+ Shelter net is secured when last shelter operator is released
+ EC sets time for debrief meeting.