Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
(
RACES
)—and other amateur public service
groups are also a part of ARRL-recognized
Amateur Radio public service efforts. Founded
in 1952, the RACES is a public service
provided by a reserve (volunteer) commu-
nications group within government agen-
cies in times of extraordinary need. During
periods of RACES activation, certified unpaid
personnel are called upon to perform many
tasks for the government agencies they serve.
Although the exact nature of each activa-
tion will be different, the common thread is
communications [3].
The Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) provides planning guidance
and technical assistance for establishing a
RACES organization at the state and local
government level. A comprehensive RACES
manual,
Guidance for Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service
, is available on the FEMA
Web site [4].
called upon by a government agency when there
is a formal emergency declaration.
17.2 What Motivates “hams” to
Volunteer their Time, Skills, and
Equipment?
It is significant that Part 97 of the Federal
Communications Commission's (FCC) Rules and
Regulations states, as the first principle under
“Basis and Purpose,” the following:
“Recog-
nition and enhancement of the value of the
amateur service to the public as a voluntary non-
commercial communication service, particularly
with respect to providing emergency communica-
tions.”
[5]. Amateur radio operators are encour-
aged to provide community and public service
response to various agencies and organizations, as
a return for the use of the radio spectrum they
utilize.
There are only about 15-20% of the licensed
amateur radio operators who take this to heart and
really volunteer their time—and they have a ball
doing it! Parades, marathons, rallies, races, etc.
all enjoy the support of amateur radio providing
communications. Of a more serious nature are
those who belong to and participate in the activ-
ities of the ARES and RACES teams in their
communities. Those who do, usually spend a
lot of time training and preparing for that big
event when their services are REALLY needed.
The recent hurricanes in the Gulf Coast are a
perfect example of this. Amateur Radio opera-
tors came from all over the country, at their own
personal expense, to provide communications for
the beleaguered government and non-government
organizations.
•
Emergency service is one of the basics of the
Amateur Radio Service and there is some-
times confusion about ARES, the ARRL arm of
emergency services and RACES, the govern-
ment arm of amateur emergency services.
ARES is activated before, during, and after
an emergency. Generally, ARES handles all
emergency messages, including those between
government emergency management officials.
As an example, the ARRL recruited ARES team
members from all over the country to provide
communications in response to the Katrina and
Rita Hurricanes. They supported field kitchens,
mobile meal delivery, shelters, and wherever
else they were needed, around the clock, for
about six weeks. RACES, on the other hand,
almost never starts before an emergency and is
active only during the emergency and during
the immediate aftermath, if government emer-
gency management offices need communica-
tions support. RACES is normally shut down
shortly after the emergency has cleared. Radio
operations are limited to one hour of training
per month, and team members can only be
17.3 External Hospital
Communications
Hospitals need to be able to communicate with a
variety of organizations and agencies “7
×
365.” (Seven days per week, 24 hours per day,
and 365 days per year). When these communi-
cation systems fail or are overloaded, it places a
×
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