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Emergency Communications

A defining characteristic of emergencies is their unpredictability. Systems can fail, communication channels may become overloaded, and confusion often prevails among individuals. Plans and resources, no matter how carefully prepared or procured, may prove inadequate or unsuitable when the crisis unfolds. I have witnessed first responders and government agencies encounter scenarios that they were unable to resolve because these situations fell outside the scope of their standard procedures and experience.

Planning

There are steps that we can take to minimize the impact of the things that might occur:

  1. Planning: Planning involves assessing coverage requirements, ensuring the availability of necessary equipment, and proactively addressing potential challenges.
  2. Training: Ensure that all team members are thoroughly familiar with established procedures and fully trained in the proper use of equipment.
  3. Drills: Conducting a drill scenario at least once a month is essential to ensure that both equipment and personnel are prepared to respond effectively. It is important to note that while many organizations are satisfied simply checking a box when a drill runs smoothly, this approach limits growth and preparedness. When a drill is successful, it should serve as an opportunity to introduce greater challenges in future exercises to continuously improve response capabilities. Conversely, if issues arise during a drill, use them as learning opportunities to identify and implement effective solutions.

Places

A critical component of an emergency communications network is effective net control. During major incidents, net control is often managed from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), while in smaller situations, it may be coordinated from the Command Post. Ideally, this function should be established in a location away from the immediate incident area—somewhere relatively quiet to minimize confusion—and where communication access to all key locations is maximized.

One of the primary responsibilities of net control is to structure communication on the channel, prioritize message traffic, record essential information, and monitor the status of personnel in the field. In smaller operations, an informal net—where participants transmit as necessary—may suffice. However, as traffic increases, the risk of overlapping transmissions grows, leading to confusion and potentially preventing critical messages from getting through. By establishing a controlled net, it becomes possible to manage higher volumes of communication on a single channel, ensuring efficient call handling and that someone is always available to respond to and route messages appropriately.


Positioning net control at an elevated site or utilizing a tower can significantly enhance radio coverage, enabling communication with as many units as possible and helping to mitigate unexpected technical failures. Key communication points extend beyond the EOC and Command Post; they may also include staging areas, planning and logistics teams, municipal or county agencies, evacuation centers, public information officers, the incident commander, fire and law enforcement personnel, and any other critical stakeholders involved in managing the incident.

FEMA protocols recommend that representatives from essential agencies be colocated, facilitating efficient message exchange and coordination. For additional guidance, refer to FEMA’s training resources:
https://training.fema.gov/nims/

System Design

In system design, it is essential to prioritize redundancy and robust construction. Implementing multiple communication pathways ensures continued availability even in the event of failures. These pathways can include phones, internet connections, and radios. It is important to assess the strengths and vulnerabilities of each option.

Using backup systems that operate on different technologies is highly recommended—for example, maintaining both wireless and landline services, or utilizing both radio and cellular communication. Even satellite connections, while valuable, cannot guarantee constant availability, as satellites may be out of range at times. Similarly, cell networks are susceptible to overload and may have limited backup power, while radios can experience interference from other users on the same frequency. No system is infallible, so designing with multiple, diverse redundancies is key to maintaining reliable communication.

An “All Call” is a crucial feature in trunking systems. It allows authorized users to broadcast messages to all radios, or designated groups of radios, regardless of their current channel. However, it’s important to note that radios operating in simplex mode or on a different system will not receive All Call messages and must be contacted separately. The ability to transmit and all call is usually limited to certain radios, but it is useful to have it received by all the radios in it’s it’s chain, or the sender’s span of control.

Communication Flow

When an incident initially occurs, chaos tends to be at its peak. Effective management begins with restoring order: communications are streamlined, the appropriate personnel and resources are mobilized, and a clear organizational structure is established. As these measures take effect, the chaos steadily subsides and, ultimately, order is reestablished by the conclusion of the incident.

Certainly! Here’s an enhanced version of your text: Messages can be directed in various ways. Some may be intended for the entire system, while others are meant for specific groups. Therefore, it is beneficial to have both system-wide communication capabilities and dedicated channels for individual groups. For example, a team working on a particular task may need to communicate privately among themselves without involving others.

When implementing compartmentalization, careful attention must be given to the routing points. At the intersection between the wide area channel and the local channel, it is advisable to have a dedicated base radio for each channel involved. This ensures continuity of communication if equipment fails or if someone is operating on the wrong channel, thereby reducing the risk of lost calls. It’s important to consider that any individual might need to step away or could unintentionally be tuned to an incorrect channel. Additionally, portable radios rely on batteries and have a more limited range compared to base radios. In the event of a failure, a base radio equipped with a rooftop antenna can cover a larger area and maintain communication, effectively compensating for the limitations of portable units.

Channel change procedure

Channel changes are more problematic than most people realize. Switching channels in the midst of an operation often results in losing up to 50% of operators—some will successfully switch to the new channel, others will remain on the old one, and some may end up on an entirely different channel. To minimize the issues caused by a channel change:

  1. Do a role call of the stations on the old frequency to make sure they are in contact and listening.
  2. Once everyone is there, announce the new channel.
  3. Do a roll call on the new frequency. If any stations are missing, check for them on the old frequency
  4. This should be practiced to make sure that the operators are familiar with the procedure, and how to change channels on their radio.

The “All Call feature can be useful in locating users that ended up on an unknown channel.

Message handling

Numerous factors can disrupt communication and lead to confusion. Interruptions in the communication channel are one such issue; however, problems can also arise from multipath transmission, which may result in the arrival of outdated, conflicting, or corrupted messages. Although there are established procedures to mitigate these risks—and they may seem like common sense—it is remarkable how frequently individuals struggle to follow them, especially when under pressure.

  1. Do not transmit blindly. Establish contact with the other person first to ensure they are attentive and ready to receive your message.
  2. Acknowledge Receipt of Messages
    There may be situations where radio communication is disrupted, or the recipient does not hear the message clearly. Never assume that your message has been received—always confirm receipt to ensure effective communication.
  3. Tactical message: This is a concise communication, intended to be easily understood by operators on both ends. While using brief messages can increase speed, it is crucial to ensure clarity and minimize the risk of errors. The standard format typically covers three essential questions: “Who are you?”, “Where are you?”, and “What do you need?”
  4. Formal messages. This is an essential skill for message relays and complicated. There is an old children’s game most people are familiar with, “Telephone”. People sit in a circle and pass a message around the circle. Very seldom does even the meaning of the message make it. This procedure helps when the operators don’t understand the message and prevents changing the message as it is passed along the chain.
    • a. The message is on a written message form including time, date, sender, destination and the body of the message. It should be designated whether if is information only or a response is needed.
    • b. All lines on the form are sent
    • c. Words are sent in 2 to 4 word groups with a break for the receiver to acknowledge receipt or ask for repeat. They need to be sent at the speed necessary for the person to write it down. The best speed is accomplished by sending with segments being copied the first time with as little repeat as possible. Part of the purpose of the small word groups is so that if there is a repeat it is a small segment rather than the whole message.
    • d. Numbers are sent as single digits, 0-9. 0 is zero, not O. Slashes or dashes are said.
    • e. Some words or names may need to be spelled in which case a phonetic alphabet is helpful because there are many letters that sound similar. B,C,D,E,G,T,P can be confused in noisy conditions. My own callsign (KE6TNM) can be a problem because the N and the M sound similar. Phonetically it would be King Edward Six Tom Nora Mary. A group should stick to a common phonetic alphabet to avoid confusion. Someone making up words can be misunderstood. The phonetics also should not have “as in” sent for every letter, it is a waste of air time. Just let the receive know you are sending phonetics, then get it done.
    • Sending Beginning Of Message, and End Of message with separate it from other messages.
    • f. All messages should be logged so that send time and status can be looked up if necessary.
  5. Prioritize. Critical messages first, donut orders last. Some communications may require keeping the channel clear until that message is passed.
  6. Plain Language. This is recommended by FEMA. Different agencies may have jargon that is not understood by others. The same for radio lingo, 10 codes, etc. If the receiver does not understand it then communication has not occurred.
  7. Tactical Calls. This will usually be something indicating a particular location or agency. In a long incident individual people may be relieved or unavailable. The message needs to go to their replacement. Destinations could be something like EOC, Red Cross, Public Works, and so on.