Scripps Ranch CERT held a full team drill in Scripps Ranch on 5.07.06. Drill was scheduled for 1430. The Drill involved a major earthquake hitting the Crowne Point area of Scripps Ranch. The Drill involved over 30 bloody and injured victims covering a relatively large physical area of Crowne Point Scripps Ranch. The Drill was terminated at 1630.
As I regularly conduct the CERO/ARES Emergency Communications Course ( www.ky6la.com/presentations/ ) for CERT teams around San Diego County, I was invited to observe the drill and comment on Emergency Radio Communications. The intent of this email is to be a constructive critique of the Emergency Communications component only. I will not be making any comments about CERT resource allocations by the Incident Commander or the actual CERT operation of the drill except where it involved EMCOMM.
I understand that volunteers can very sensitive to critiques of their performance and some may think to take my comments personally.
Please do not take any of my comments as a personal attack on anyone!
… Think of me as your college professor marking your assignments.
This report is not about you, it is about the process…
A. NO Communications Plan
Observations:
1. There was NO Communications Plan in place before the Drill began.
2. Because of terrain and the availability of operators, ham radio was chosen as the primary communications mechanism
3. FRS was relegated to secondary communications and ultimately never used.
4. In spite of terrain, Simplex was chosen for communications.
5. Because there was no Emergency Coordinator (EC) responsible for Communications and no Net Control operational immediately as the drill began, field teams left headquarters without radio checks of their equipment
6. It was 22 minutes after the drill began before a Net Control was appointed and radio traffic could begin.
7. Net control was inexperienced and did not know whether the net should be an open or directed net
8. The net became a directed net about 26 minutes after the drill began
9. Radio channel allocation was made on an ad-hoc basis onto 147.450 simplex which is a Non Standard Frequency without checking for a clear channel.
10. There was a carrier frequency clearly audible on 147.450 which definitely desensitized receivers at net control.
11. Receiver desensitization ultimately contributed to later communications difficulties
12. Without a Communications Plan in place and having dispatched the field teams there was no way to safely change channels to a clear channel
13. Because of poor reception in the Recreation Center, IC and Net Control moved to a new location
14. Only tactical communications nets were attempted.
15. No EOC net was attempted.
16. Ham Call Signs were initially used by net control which caused great confusion.
17. Net Control changed to Tactical Call Signs but continued to forget who he was.
Recommendations:
1. Scripps Ranch CERT needs a Permanent Communications Plan as a Standard Operating Procedure.
2. The plan should include Primary and Secondary Repeaters with backup Simplex Channels
3. One of those laminated cards with the Plan Printed would help and CERT members could preprogram their radios to the plan.
4. The IC should appoint an Emergency Coordinator (EC) for Communication as soon as the even begins
5. Far too much time was wasted setting up the net and trying to get the radios working without really testing the frequencies.
6. Radio Checks have to be performed by Net Control on each team as it is dispatched
7. Based on the difficulties using 5W Simplex Ham Radio, 1/2W FRS Simplex Radios would be totally useless in that terrain. FRS radios and likely 2W MURS radios would have been impossible to use in that area.
8. Simplex was stretched to the limits… but a better choice of operating frequencies without interfering carriers to desensitize the radios. Also better physical antenna placements by Search 2 would have improved matters
9. The area was well served by repeaters. The permanent communications plan should contemplate the primary use of repeaters and the use of simplex only as a tertiary backup. Suggest that 145.18+ 107.3 PL be used.
B. Incident Commander
Observations:
1. This drill differed from many more typical CERT drills in that the Incident Commander was a Ham and did not need to have the communications capabilities of ham radio operators explained to him by the Ham Emergency Coordinator (EC) for Communications.
2. The IC also acted in a dual role as the Ham EC by making the decisions as to allocations of radio resources.
3. The IC was observed to be overwhelmed by the dual role of allocating CERT Resources (IC) simultaneous with allocation of Ham Resources (EC).
4. The Logger and the IC were not on the same side of the table so the IC had to disrupt the logger in order to read message traffic
5. IC had a Scribe across from the Logger
6. There were multiple casualty sites with multiple injuries at each site
7. A large area was searched on foot without support vehicles
8. Scribe tried to collect information about Casualties from the multiple sites by transcribing information collected by the Logger
9. The Scribe was duplicating the efforts of the Logger without access to all the information that was available to the Logger
10. The Scribe never was able to produce or even more important maintain a record of locations of casualties and their status
11. IC was never confident that all sites had been searched, all victims found and all victims cleared.
12. Victims outnumbered rescuers
13. There were approximately 30 victims … but neither IC nor Net Control ever had an exact figure
14. The Drill was terminated at 1630
Recommendations:
1. Do not expect all IC’s to be capable of performing both IC and EC tasks.
2. Carry a Ham Radio Capabilities Card – a simple document that will quickly and simply explain to the IC what Ham Radio can do for them as far as communications capabilities.
3. I really liked the size and format of your Availability Cards. A Ham Radio Capabilities Card in that laminated plastic format would be very useful. In fact, if you produce one, I am sure it would be adopted by CERT teams around the County.
4. The IC would have been much more effective if he had appointed an HAM EC immediately and let the EC set up Net communications immediately rather than trying to do both jobs simultaneously
5. IC needs to be educated that the Communications Net is the most important tool he has and it is the first thing to be established.
6. A logistics organizational chart needs to be developed clearly showing the physical placement of the IC, Logger and Net Control relative to eachother
C. Net Control and Logger
Observations:
1. A totally inexperienced – non ham – was put in charge of documenting and logging Emergency Communications Traffic - Logger
2. While the young lady in question was very competent for a first timer, the inexperience caused many messages to be logged incorrectly and much traffic was lost or missing.
3. Net Control did not sit down beside the logger but chose to move around the area physically with his radio trying to find a place for better reception.
4. Net Control never realized the fact that desensitization of the radio was caused by the poor choice of initial operating frequency with a carrier frequency inside the recreation center … (signals were slightly better at the new IC location outside)
5. A radio was given to the logger so that she could copy traffic independent of Net Control
6. Net Control was physically moving all over the IC area making it difficult and sometimes impossible for the logger to log his operations and for the IC to communicate with him
7. Net Control lost control of the net several times during his pacing back and forth around the IC area
8. I finally had to get a chair and grab Net Control to force him to sit down beside the logger and the IC as Net Control had become totally ineffective when he was away from the logger and the IC.
9. While the logger maintained message numbers, Net Control never referred to any message number or announced them to the field teams. This resulted in several duplications of messages from the same field teams.
10. Net Control did not relay traffic EXACTLY as told to him by the IC but usually interpreted what he thought that the IC meant to say.
11. Many of Net Control’s interpretations of IC’s words were clearly in error – causing much confusion in the field.
12. Net Control did not fully understand the importance of the Communications Log
13. Net Control did not indicate message numbers to the field
14. Net Control did not clear all messages received by the end of the drill
15. Net Control did not review the message log to determine any uncleared traffic
16. At times Net Control let field operators take control of the net
17. Net Control used the word “Standby” for the first time at 1:15 after the start of the drill to take back control of the net.
18. Because of poor communications conditions, Net Control finally began to request the use of phonetics to spell the names of streets
19. Net Control used a HT with a rubber duck antenna.
20. Net Control did not use a Mag Mount Whip Antenna
21. Net Control did not use a higher power portable base station
22. Net Control used a speaker mike rather than a head set.
23. Logger logged more than 52 messages which is a signal rate of about 35 messages per hour.
24. The message rate would have been very high for FRS but is low for an experienced EMCOMM, DXer or Contester.
25. IC and Net Control were stretched to the limit and at times lost control at that message rate.
Recommendations:
1. Net Control should be the most experienced Ham… I understand very much that it is important that many people get practice at Net Control because that is the best way that they can get experience. Net control experience can be obtained during weekly practice nets wherein a different person is net control each week.
2. The Logger should be the SECOND MOST EXPERIENCED HAM. The logger serves many functions including backup net control. I understand you were short of hams, but the Logger controls the information command and control of the exercise. A good logger would likely enable you to eliminate the duplication of the Scribe. A good logger would be able to maintain an incident site list and casualty tally sheet as it flows directly from the communications log.
3. Logger should be able to maintain a Site Report for the IC sparing the Scribe duplications
4. Net control must sit down and use a head set.
5. Net Control should use a mag mount whip antenna to achieve longer range
6. Net Control should learn how to use the word “Standby” to take control of the net
7. Logger should be near the IC so IC can read the log
8. Logger needs to have a headset to be able to hear traffic clearly
9. Message Numbers need to be used. Net Control should confirm to the field that he had received the message and it was logged as message # X. So that when Net Control tries to clear the message, he can refer Msg# to the field to make sure that they are talking about the same incident,
10. Net control needs to be in control of the Net. He cannot let the field teams take it over. He should put people on Standby and deal with traffic one message at a time. At 35 messages an hour, he has about 2 minutes per message. It may seem that everyone is talking at the same time, but in fact the traffic was very light and he has more than enough time to get each message right the first time.
11. IC and Net Control should not be afraid to call field teams for clarification. Many times the inexperienced logger did not copy information 100% correctly. The IC and Net control had several lengthy debates trying to interpret the log rather than just calling the field team for clarification
12. Net Control MUST REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE IC EXACTLY WORD FOR WORD. Net Control caused many problems by attempting to interpret the words of the IC to the NET.
13. It was useful to have a second radio at net control so that IC could overhear traffic. If the Logger was a Ham, then they automatically would have been listening on their own radio
D. Field Operations
Observations:
1. Field hams did not know the phonetic alphabet and tried to improvise with varying effectiveness
2. Search #2 did not use a head set and often was out of communications
3. Search #2 had his HT clipped to his belt and lost a minimum of 3db gain because the antenna and radio were not mounted high on his body which also contributed to his frequent communications losses.
4. Net Control did not attempt to have Search #2 assigned to a closer search area that would not have been in such poor communications
5. Search 1 was very effective in her communications
6. Search 3 was effective in most communications
7. Medical was very effective in all communications
Recommendations:
1. Field teams need to use headsets
2. Hams needed practice with phonetic alphabets, figures, and prowords
3. Everyone needs to use a headset all the time.
4. When using HT’s attached to clothing, they must be in the maximum elevated position. Belt loop HT’s may look cool but have poor coverage.
5. Your group is clearly inexperienced and visibly needs a lot of practice. Unfortunately San Diego City CERT lacks experienced EMCOMM leadership infrastructure. While most SD CERT groups outside of the City of San Diego have chosen to actively and enthusiastically cooperate with ARES for training and sharing of resources such is currently not the case with the City. To help you get the experience you need to become effective EMCOMM operators, I would recommend that you attend ARES for training and also participate in ARES field exercises such as the Miramar Air Show and Hospital EMS Drills, DX, contests, and just getting on the radio every day driving home from work.
6. Everyone needs to attend my May 20th class at ARES where I will be dealing specifically with the Logging functions of ARES/CERT
E. After Action Meeting
Observations:
1. Non-Communicator… “You need to be using more channels?”
2. Non-Communicator ….”We seem to have been waiting a long time in the field without instructions”
Recommendations:
1. The communications load was about 35 messages per hour so there was definitely little channel congestion
2. The perceived slow response from the IC was due to several factors.
i. Net Control did not control the Net effectively which lead to some peak congestion channel breakdown
ii. Net Control did not repeat IC instructions EXACTLY as dictated but rather chose to interpret instructions himself which caused confusion and errors
ii. The Scribe was unable to transcribe the Loggers Information into a usable Incident Site Status.. A more experienced Logger should be able to handle both tasks.
iv. Field teams were mainly beginners who occasionally needed repeats and phonetics.
v. Field teams need to know how to use Prowords, Standard Phonetic Alphabets and Figures.
vi. There were not enough hams for the field teams
vii. The IC was overwhelmed trying to discover Incident Site Status leading to slow IC decision making which translated into the field as slow response
viii. In other words it was not the channel capacity but the people behind the channel that were at capacity.
3. A second communications channel would have made things much worse.
Finally:
Overall the drill went very well especially when considering this is an inexperienced group of new hams.
SR-CERT covered a huge area, with a lot of bloody victims and very limited resources. You definitely did not have enough hams and the terrain was such that the FRS radios would have been useless. For the most part, you were able to pass messages effectively, with few repeats and most of the traffic was close to being 100% correct. The communications difficulties can easily be solved having a permanent Communications Plan in place. While I was very harsh on Net Control initially, by the end of the Drill he was definitely in control of the Net and he had started to become very effective. A couple of more high stress practice sessions such as this one, and he should be easily able to control a much larger net with a much higher traffic volume. Remember practice make perfect.
Your CERT team seems to be one of the better organized CERT groups I have seen.
Some of your organizational improvements such as the SOP and Accountability Cards are exceptionally well done and you should consider sharing these with the other SD County and City CERT teams whom I am sure would benefit from your innovations.
I would definitely give your group a passing grade on this drill
And in a real emergency you would have saved a lot of lives … which is ultimately the reason we all are there….
Again… thanks for inviting me to participate with you…
As I also learned about a few things that I need to add and/or change in my training course.
Howard White KY6LA
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