After Action Report Summary
[ Lessons Learned |
Training Suggestions |
Raw Data
]
These are the comments and suggestions submitted by Colorado ECs
in their After Action reports over the last five years. Most comments
are exactly what was in the AA reports but a few had to be summarized
or slight detail, in the form of [information in brackets], added
for clarity/brevity.
Please note that there is a comment in an After Action report for
every entry in this list (if there are five entries for subject1 then
subject1 was in five AA reports).
The amazing part is that NONE of the comments are
invalid
- - > TWELVE YEARS < - - after they were written.
Each and every one of them
are being repeated, exercise after exercise.
NO ONE has learned from
the information.
THAT says a whole lot about how POOR the training
really is.
The conclusion I reach from the AA report information is:
- We don't follow our own procedures!
- We know that it takes two or more people at NCS for a major
event but we always try to get by with fewer.
- A lot of our NCS' need more training.
- We need to better utilize tactical calls.
- We keep forgetting to bring our headsets and other equipment.
- What are maps? Why would anyone want them?
- We don't know how to "slow down" and thus pass traffic more
efficiently.
- We know we need better utilization of Packet but we usually
forget to get it going soon enough to be useful.
- Not enough people know how to use Packet
(Perhaps that's
why we don't get it going soon enough).
- We are not well enough trained in ICS.
- We don't know how to summarize our thoughts.
- We forget how to operate in a net, except in rag-chew mode.
(Because we don't know how to summarize our thoughts?)
- We fumble through shift turn-overs.
- Some of us have cross band repeaters but most of us do not
know how to operate on them
(an extension of SLOW DOWN!).
- We forget to bring/display our ID badges a lot.
- We consistently fail to learn from our own
mistakes!
All of this is summarized by one past D-11 EC's comment (Not me,
but I wish I had said it -pl).
All future planned BCARES exercises should incorporate the use of
ALL modes and ALL equipment we have available. We should always plan
to stretch our communication capabilities in our practice exercises
in order to make the difficult become routine. Easy, predictable
exercises are just that -- easy and predictable. Our experiences
have taught us that in fact, the actual event is anything but
predictable and is seldom easy. In any exercise, plan to have
"Murphy" strike some typically taken for granted function such as
the primary repeater going down, etc.. Practice what steps might
have to be taken if a sudden thunderstorm should appear on site.
How would you protect the equipment as well as yourself? - - WM0G
Incident Command
- ARES members should be trained in ICS
- More ICS training for all personnel.
- Use of the Incident Command System would have helped
eliminate some of these problems. When multiple districts are
involved, use Unified Command.
- Use of ICS forms would help with tracking personnel, logging
traffic and messages.
Served Agency
- Know your resources; they include agencies such as the public
works dept. and school district transportation dept.
- Know and be trained in the County emergency operations plan.
- Be prepared to take on additional roles
- Consider the recovery efforts; these may be prolonged (a year
or more)
- Make sure your plan follows the County plan
- Train with your served agencies
- Insure the Hospital staff are briefed on what we are there to do.
- Security is high at some hospitals. Members are reminded
NOT TO BRING ANY KIND OF KNIFE, SCISSORS, OR OTHER SHARP INSTRUMENTS
- Insure appropriate county personnel are informed prior
to the event and that it is relayed to the dispatchers.
ID Badges
- Wear some sort of ARES/DISTRICT # ID that served agency(ies) will
accept.
- All members need current identification cards with their
pictures on them.
- ID cards need to be worn at all times during the incident.
- Members were not asked to provide or show identification, either
Red Cross, ARES or even a driver's license. One member used a spare Red
Cross vest they found at a shelter.
- Identifying members of other Districts
NCS
- NCS training is very important.
- NCS Training must be applied to ongoing exercises to remain
effective and the attitude is as important as the skills available.
- Have NCS run 5 watts (or more if necessary) into a good antenna.
- NCS NEEDS A HEAD SET
- NCS must keep a log
- NCS also must relay the info to race control nearly
instantaneously, so messages must be a short as possible. [PPIHC]
- Have NCS advise the prime backup repeater/frequency every shift
change.
- Locate NCS away from served agency command
post(s)
- Having 2 or 3 net controllers is a benefit.
- There should be more than one person at NCS
- Net control at headquarters was overloaded.
[Need more than one person at NCS]
- Two persons are needed at Net Control. This is for
relief as well as running messages and errands.
- Have multiple people at NCS
- Two operators are needed with Net control.
- ALL members need to practice being NCS on the weekly Net.
- Ensure NCS and alternates maintain matching schedule matrices.
Share that via data link
- When net control has been established a back up NC at another
location should be established if possible.
Nets
- Start a net before call-out begins
- Start a mob/demob list as you open the net
- On any large wildfire, plan to have a MOB/DEMOB center to
sign people in and out with personnel assigned to this function
solely.
- Use tactical calls
- Keep tactical calls short
- Tactical call signs should be assigned formally and as early as
possible.
- Tactical calls signs must not change during the event.
- Traffic should be brief and to the point.
- Operating skills (brevity, clarity, calmness, subordination - good
order,,better use of loggers and "runners")
- Net brevity:
reports come in only seconds apart. Transmissions
that last longer than 5 seconds ARE TOO LONG. [PPIHC]
- What is needed is some reinforcement throughout the year. Most
other events are more laid back, and brevity is not enforced during
many of those events. When the PPIHC comes back in July, people are
out of shape with respect to tight net operations and a little
retraining is in order.
- Think before you speak.
- Leave breaks between transmissions.
- Determine locations to be handled before calling the net.
- Don't leave the net without checking out
- Additional training needed in Proper operation of a Resource Net.
This includes the use of "Alternate Net Control" and logging of all
traffic.
- When assigning locations we should name the facility and
give major cross streets to avoid possible confusion.
- Have/use the plan for outages [NCS or other]
- Have/use the plan for turn-overs
- The district needs to standardize on proper techniques for
calling Net Control. The technique should be,
"Control this is Porter"
- One person cannot effectively operate more than one mode at a
time.
- Automatically deploy at least one ARES member (and preferably
2) to the EOC to support the logistical efforts of the incident.
- Listen to the instructions that Net Control gives you.
- Keep the radio operators in a separate room out
of the noise and disturbance of the ICP.
Individual operator training/placement
- Have more than one operator at critical locations!
- Have procedures for shift turn over - and use them.
- If you call for mutual aid, USE the people that come in.
- Oncoming ARES members need to know what equipment is at the
site to be manned.
- Operator Placement:
This topic has come up in the past,
In future years, we will not be placing hams at
locations where race officials are already located (unless there are other
concerns, such as inadequate comm from those locations. [PPIHC]
- Microphone Control:
- All operators must learn to put their microphone in a mic
hanger on the dash, or on some other kind of clip. In most open mic
problems, the operator is sitting on his/her mic.
- VOX should not be used on this kind of net.
- Place fewer hams at the same locations as race officials to
minimize duplication of communication capability. [PPIHC]
- Delegation of ATV and packet communications mode coordination
assignments to team leaders early on worked well.
- A Wildfire training course should be made available to
members who would care to have such training to better
understand fire line situations.
- For this event, additional 4 to 5 members were needed. This could
have given members practice at Net Control procedures as well as
giving members much needed breaks.
- Multiple communicators had problems listening. Several times an
operator would answer a call that was not for him or interrupt as if
they had their volume turned down.
- Multiple operators "walked on" [did not contact any of the
coordinators prior to the event] and then seemed upset when they were
not needed.
- Once again we see that the attitude of individual operators is
just as important as their operating skills. 99% of the problems
we had went to operator attitude.
Maps!
- Have maps
- Have maps of the area
- Need operators to have maps.
- A map of the area would be helpful.
- Have a map showing assisted facilities (PD, fire, hosp).
- Members need to have a basic knowledge of the county (major
roads, hospitals, PD, Fire Stations, etc).
Equipment
- Communication with an HT and rubber duck didn't work.
- Do not place operators that do not have mandatory equipment
[headset]
- Insure operators have headsets.
- Headphones are very helpful when operating in a busy police
and fire dispatch environment, so we don't interfere with them.
- Earphones are becoming more of a necessity at events.
Each member should find a functional and comfortable set of
earphones and test before the event.
- Insure equipment is available.
- It may be necessary to carry second battery or some sort
of gel cell for long events.
- Test your battery and clean any contacts before event starts.
- Comfortable shoes - several members were on their feet all day.
- Members need to be prepared for any situation. Several
members brought more than they thought were needed. Turns out that
the extra equipment was needed later.
- Each member needs to be prepared without necessarily relying
on other members for equipment. This includes power cords, batteries.
- Use the "go-kit" list
- Make sure that your "Go Bag" is ready for deployment.
- Test your equipment frequently.
- Check your equipment before leaving home!
- Have spare adaptors and cables
- Bring enough spare power connection capability to be able to
adapt to the situation.
- We need guying materials to be added to cached equipment in
order to guy antenna masts in windy conditions to include rope,
stakes, stake pullers, duct tape, etc.
- Some adaptor connectors such as F to BNC, BNC to BNC and BNC
to SO-239 need to be added to TV equipment accessories both in
CommVan and accessory bags.
- Take the ATV repeater and amplifier plus yagis, masts and
tripods and extra gel-cell batteries when dispatched to ANY
mountain location.
- Have a personal response plan (go kit) so that you know what
equipment to bring for a given situation.
- Reduce duplication of equipment between ARES and Red Cross, etc.
- An extra notebook computer would be handy to bring as we had
a computer malfunction in the Comm Van early on, and only due to
having an additional personal notebook computer loaded with
BCARES/KD\D8RC Packet software, were we able to keep that location
operational throughout the exercise.
- Additional spare N to BNC connectors need to be added to the
ATV kits for the beams.
- Bring an additional camera (the Canon L2) with the portable
ATV repeater as it can be used from that site for additional "eyes"
as the repeater has an input for it.
- Training on the new ATV SONY 8mm Camcorders to be familiar with
the controls.
- More members need to be trained on the use and setup of
portable ATV repeaters and ATV amplifiers.
- Have reflective safety vests
- Need to "re-coordinate" repeater usage when prime agencies
[change]
- We all should supplement our mobile setups with a portable
antenna that can be lashed up on a piece of conduit, etc. for
temporary operation with some height.
- Operators should keep a copy of their operator's manual with
their radio.
- Keep your gas tank at least half filled so that you don't have
to stop during the deployment to fill up.
- Train members on the use of district equipment
Cross band repeater
- Train people on cross band repeater use.
- Training to be able to easily setup a simplex crossband
operation at a moments notice by all members with dual band
equipment capable of that function as well as the addition of a
high-powered 2M/70cm crossband capable radio and antenna to be
used at a remote repeater site should be obtained and cached.
- Crossband repeater operation: Placement can be critical
By programming a VHF/UHF mobile to utilize the UHF input and the VHF
simplex frequencies, we can cover those areas with poor line-of-sight
to the repeater.
- Crossband repeater frequency selection: Take care in selection
of frequencies you use for cross banding.
- A simplex crossband repeater at the ATV repeater site will work
well from the back hills and valleys if we need to hit the W\D8IA
repeater or if we need to establish between site communications.
- Training to be able to easily setup a simplex crossband
operation at a moments notice by all members with dual band
equipment capable of that function as well as the addition of a
high-powered 2M/70cm crossband capable radio and antenna to be
used at a remote repeater site should be obtained and cached.
Frequency coordination / repeaters
- Prior frequency coordination: Insure repeater frequencies are
coordinated prior to the scheduled event to minimize interference.
- Repeater antenna selection [may be critical]: In past years the
caretaker/installer has uses a multi-element Yagi aimed at Pikes Peak.
This directional antenna covers the highway with excellent coverage, and most
locations can be manned with HT's. Therefore a Yagi VHF antenna should always
be used to cover the race from the portable repeater. [PPIHC]
- Prior cell phone coordination: Get the cell phone number of the
repeater caretaker or establish a separate orderwire or coordination
frequency to work out problems at the repeater site.
Packet
- Portable Packet Digipeaters should be built and added to
equipment cache for mountainous terrain use.
- More practice on Packet for some of the members who are not
familiar with the mode or do not use it frequently enough.
- We need to improve the time it takes to set up a packet radio
network, and get data entered into the database.
- Reduce the time it takes to provide reliable packet communications.
- Packet would have also worked well in this situation.
- Need more portable packet
- Packet procedures need to be written.
- Utilize the packet cluster
- Use a cluster rather than BBS
- Additional training needed on packet
- Use Packet in an emergency
- Packet operators need to keep up their operating skills.
- We need to continue practicing with packet.
- Make better use of packet / pactor to relay resource and
schedule files.
Food and Water
- Food and Water: During many events or emergencies, there may be
times that lunches are delayed or not at all. Each person should
carry water and some sort of snack.
Process and Procedures
- Have a good plan, study it, and revise it frequently
- Importance of after action reports-be honest, and study and learn
from them[!!!]
- Critical Stress Management is important
- Mutual Aid Agreements are important
- Plan on mass confusion in the EOC for the first couple hours
- During bicycle events:
- Have safety riders be equipped and able to do the job
- Wear a numbered or lettered vest so hams at the various check
points will be able to adequately track them.
- We need review and practice net operating procedures during an
incident, providing an smooth flow of communications between stations.
- Operations manual needs to have information about served agencies
- Personnel were poorly utilized. It seemed that only one person did
all of the scheduling of shift assignments. Net control must know who is
scheduled for shifts to answer questions.
- Insure operators monitor the net
- Resource/Logistics net would help alleviate traffic on
Operations frequency.
- A computer or at least a whiteboard would have helped track
the assignments.
- A listing of gas stations open at night at Net Control would
have helped when the transportation vans were operating at night.
- Communications Room at headquarters did not have a clock.
- Traffic was not logged either at headquarters or shelters.
- One person cannot run the incident for the entire length of the
incident.
- Need to improve participation rate: As with most exercises,
participation is relatively low.
- Mission Coordinator should not act as a POC to the hospital.
- Members should carry Operations Manual and other info at
all times.
- Must distinguish between "portable" and "mobile" assignments
- Improve phone call-out
- Define the call out process and then use it
- Having two people at the EOC was good but the interface and
assignment of their responsibilities was lacking.
- When two or more people are assigned a task, it should be standard
practice to clearly and verbally state the duties and responsibilities
of each. One person should be assigned as overall leader for the
assignment.
- Members should not choose their own frequency to operate during
an incident without permission from EC or Operations.
- Participate in exercises
- Learn how to use the fewest and best words.
- Learn how to accurately describe a situation or a scene using
the fewest words possible
- All members need to be familiar with all strategic locations
in the district.
- Follow procedures!
- Have everyone check in and check out for safety.
- Improve staffing for large events
- Improve Management of the ARES Resource Net.
- Management of the ARES Resource Net still needs improvement.
- Work order ID's are for assignments, not particular operators.
- Establish clear criteria for assigning members to the incident.
- Minimize the number of frequencies use to only those necessary
- Limit the scope of exercises to what can be accomplished
- Pre-assign operators to save time in exercises (reduce travel time)
- The relay procedures for simplex on VHF are the same as HF.
Operators unfamiliar with these procedures need to learn them.
- We should have preset communications plans for staging and
operations areas already sited.
- Staging Managers must know the Communications Plan so they can
tell the operators what frequencies the group is currently using.
- Districts should always monitor their COPLAN frequencies.
These are the frequencies on which other districts will try to
reach them.
- As was anticipated, we did a good job of funneling information
from mobile field operators into the EOC
but the compiling of information into a concise and meaningful
format was lacking. The EOC Incident commander
had asked for a status report with multiple copies. We were
never able to provide this.
- We need to practice standard radiogram procedures.
- HazMat awareness training is essential.
- Do not transmit from dispatch without an external antenna
- Some reports did not meet reporting criteria (blue sky reports)
- A small incident can turn big, so do assign enough resources
to support the needs of the served agency
- Minimize the tendency to overstaff the first operation period.
- Follow the "work/rest" rules - 1 hour rest for every 2 worked,
before resuming work.
- Know the access requirements for your EOC (mutual aid).
- Avoid shifts over 8 hours if possible.
- Be flexible and adapt the exercise as needed.
- Simplex Nets work well in town using stations on ridge tops
- Things don't always go as planned.
NCS and Nets
- Net Control Procedures.
- Net Procedures
- How to talk on the air using the fewest possible words.
- How to leave breaks between transmissions
- An exercise in condensing information:
Create several paragraphs of material with information that we would
likely need to handle mixed in with "rag-chew" fill and extraneous
information. During an in-person meeting have everyone write up a
message from the same paragraph. Use subsequent paragraphs for
subsequent meetings.
- Have the leader write on a "chalk board" one possible solution
- As a group condense the "board copy" until it is very concise
- Let each person compare their own interpretation to the group solution.
- Discuss differences
-
It was suggested that for future missions, assign a new ham, or
a ham new to net control operations, to operate as an assistant net
control station. This will give valuable training without fear of being
unable to manage a net.
-
A training session for net protocol is suggested.
Rather than have
an on-the-air session, instead tape record a real-life net, and use
it as an example of either "how to operate during a net", or
"how NOT to operate during a net."
There are so many nets where people have a tendency to give more
details than necessary. Part of this classroom training should
include a tape recording of fire or police net operations. The police
tape recording would be an example of how brevity should be used.
Compare with amateur nets. Tape-record some other amateur radio nets
where brevity is not the norm for use as an example.
- Have training staff member do a talk on the Tuesday night PPARES
net on how to operate in a dircted net and a large crowd would help.
Work assignments / hand-overs
-
Training needs to be developed and presented for practices to
employ when multiple operators are at a site. This should include
the necessity for clearly defined and verbally stated
responsibilities and duties. Training should also be provided on
gathering and preparation of real time status reporting and
documenting.
Packet
- Setup and deployment of Packet, both portable and mobile
- Use of the ARES22 Packet Cluster
- How to use Packet in an exercise
ICS
- ICS Training and review
- All future BCARES exercises should include more practice in ICS.
Go-Bags
- Go Kits
- Contents and use of a "Go" kit.
Planning and mutual aid
- Call out procedure (once revised)
- Planning for extended assignments
- I would suggest that BCARES take part in this exercise [Fire
Mitigation Conference] again next year, along with our
neighboring D-23 ARES group in Jeffco, as it will continue to build
the skills and disciplines necessary of the personnel within these
two ARES groups in case the need to jointly respond to such a large
scale event ever occurred in either county.
- Learning how to improve mission plan would be helpful.
Call operators ahead of time to remind them of the event, so you
aren't caught short.
- Mutual Aid response for other districts
Specialized Training
- CERT Training
- HazMat Awareness
- How to use a map (or how to find a location when only given an address).
- Map reading and finding locations
- Severe weather reporting criteria training.
The district was put on standby by the EC minutes before being activated by ACSO.
This was the first callout by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office.
It would have been helpful to have an ARES member in Dispatch to pass the traffic directly.
Because of the speed at which the storm was moving, there was no time to use the call out procedure for notifying members.
If we had used the callout procedure, the storm may have been passed by the time the callout was completed.
One report was called in from I-25 near Longmont.
- ARES Colorado should arrange for a flash flood exercise in the
South Platte drainage. (if it does not happen before the exercise)
General comments and suggections
-
Picnic provides an excellent venue for a debriefing and critique:
As a result of the picnic/debrief, there were many good comments made,
not just by the staff members in the mission, but also by the general
members that participated in the mission. Most of these "lessons learned"
and "what went well" comments were provided at the debriefing session.
-
All future planned BCARES exercises should incorporate the use of
ALL modes and ALL equipment we have available.We should always plan
to stretch our communication capabilities in our practice exercises
in order to make the difficult become routine. Easy, predictable
exercises are just that -- easy and predictable. Our experiences
have taught us that in fact, the actual event is anything but
predictable and is seldom easy. In any exercise, plan to have
"Murphy" strike some typically taken for granted function such as
the primary repeater going down, etc.. Practice what steps might
have to be taken if a sudden thunderstorm should appear on site.
How would you protect the equipment as well as yourself?
Raw comments - NOT summarized
- ARES members should be trained in ICS
- Know your resources; they include agencies such as the public
works dept. and school district transportation dept.
- Have a good plan, study it, and revise it frequently
- Importance of after action reports-be honest, and study and learn
from them
- Know and be trained in the County emergency operations plan.
- Make sure your plan follows the County plan
- Train with your served agencies
- Critical Stress Management is important
- Mutual Aid Agreements are important
- Plan on mass confusion in the EOC for the first couple hours
- Be prepared to take on additional roles
- Consider the recovery efforts; these may be prolonged (a year
or more)
- NCS training is very important.
- NCS Training must be applied to ongoing exercises to remain
effective and the attitude is as important as the skills available.
- Do not place operators that do not have mandatory equipment
[headset]
- During bicycle events:
- Have safety riders be equipped and able to do the job
- Wear a numbered or lettered vest so hams at the various check
points will be able to adequately track them.
- Net brevity: reports come in only seconds apart. Transmissions
that last longer than 5 seconds ARE TOO LONG. [PPIHC]
- NCS also must relay the info to race control nearly
instantaneously, so messages must be a short as possible. [PPIHC]
- What is needed is some reinforcement throughout the year. Most
other events are more laid back, and brevity is not enforced during
many of those events. When the PPIHC comes back in July, people are
out of shape with respect to tight net operations and a little
retraining is in order.
- Operator Placement: This topic has come up in the past,
In future years, we will not be placing hams at
locations where race officials are already located (unless there are other
concerns, such as inadequate comm from those locations.) [PPIHC]
- Microphone Control:
- All operators must learn to put their microphone in a mic
hanger on the dash, or on some other kind of clip. In most open mic
problems, the operator is sitting on his/her mic.
- VOX should not be used on this kind of net.
- Repeater antenna selection [may be critical]: In past years the
caretaker/installer has uses a multi-element Yagi aimed at Pikes Peak.
This directional antenna covers the highway with excellent coverage, and most
locations can be manned with HT's. Therefore a Yagi VHF antenna should always
be used to cover the race from the portable repeater. [PPIHC]
- Crossband repeater operation: Placement can be critical
By programming a VHF/UHF mobile to utilize the UHF input and the VHF
simplex frequencies, we can cover those areas with poor line-of-sight
to the repeater.
- Crossband repeater frequency selection: Take care in selection
of frequencies you use for cross banding.
- Prior frequency coordination: Insure repeater frequencies are
coordinated prior to the scheduled event to minimize interference.
- Prior cell phone coordination: Get the cell phone number of the
repeater caretaker or establish a separate orderwire or coordination
frequency to work out problems at the repeater site.
- Place fewer hams at the same locations as race officials to
minimize duplication of communication capability.
- Bring enough spare power connection capability to be able to
adapt to the situation.
- Have NCS run 5 watts (or more if necessary) into a good antenna.
- Locate NCS away from served agency command post(s)
- Insure operators have headsets (preferably noise canceling).
- Identifying members of other Districts
- Operating skills (brevity, clarity, calmness, subordination - good
order,,better use of loggers and "runners")
- Wear some sort of ARES/DISTRICT # ID that served agency(ies) will
accept.
- Having 2 or 3 net controllers is a benefit.
- Delegation of ATV and packet communications mode coordination
assignments to team leaders early on worked well.
- We need guying materials to be added to cached equipment in
order to guy antenna masts in windy conditions to include rope,
stakes, stake pullers, duct tape, etc.
- Some adaptor connectors such as F to BNC, BNC to BNC and BNC
to SO-239 need to be added to TV equipment accessories both in
CommVan and accessory bags.
- Take the ATV repeater and amplifier plus yagis, masts and
tripods and extra gel-cell batteries when dispatched to ANY
mountain location.
- On any large wildfire, plan to have a MOB/DEMOB center to
sign people in and out with personnel assigned to this function
solely.
- Portable Packet Digipeaters should be built and added to
equipment cache for mountainous terrain use.
- A simplex crossband repeater at the ATV repeater site will work
well from the back hills and valleys if we need to hit the W\D8IA
repeater or if we need to establish between site communications.
- Train people on cross band repeater use.
- An extra notebook computer would be handy to bring as we had
a computer malfunction in the Comm Van early on, and only due to
having an additional personal notebook computer loaded with
BCARES/KD\D8RC Packet software, were we able to keep that location
operational throughout the exercise.
- Additional spare N to BNC connectors need to be added to the
ATV kits for the beams.
- Bring an additional camera (the Canon L2) with the portable
ATV repeater as it can be used from that site for additional "eyes"
as the repeater has an input for it.
- More practice on Packet for some of the members who are not
familiar with the mode or do not use it frequently enough.
- Training on the new ATV SONY 8mm Camcorders to be familiar with
the controls.
- More members need to be trained on the use and setup of
portable ATV repeaters and ATV amplifiers.
- Training to be able to easily setup a simplex crossband
operation at a moments notice by all members with dual band
equipment capable of that function as well as the addition of a
high-powered 2M/70cm crossband capable radio and antenna to be
used at a remote repeater site should be obtained and cached.
- A Wildfire training course should be made available to
members who would care to have such training to better
understand fire line situations.
- More ICS training for allpersonnel.
- ALL members need to practice being NCS on the weekly Net.
- Each member needs to be prepared without necessarily relying
on other members for equipment. This includes power cords, batteries.
- It may be necessary to carry second battery or some sort
of gel cell for long events.
- Test your battery and clean any contacts before event starts.
- Earphones are becoming more of a necessity at events.
Each member should find a functional and comfortable set of
earphones and test before the event.
- Comfortable shoes - several members were on their feet all day.
- Food and Water: During many events or emergencies, there may be
times that lunches are delayed or not at all. Each person should
carry water and some sort of snack.
- For this event, additional 4 to 5 members were needed. This could
have given members practice at Net Control procedures as well as
giving members much needed breaks.
- We need to improve the time it takes to set up a packet radio
network, and get data entered into the database.
- We need review and practice net operating procedures during an
incident, providing an smooth flow of communications between stations.
- Multiple communicators had problems listening. Several times an
operator would answer a call that was not for him or interrupt as if
they had their volume turned down.
- Multiple operators "walked on" (did not contact any of the
coordinators prior to the event) and then seemed upset when they were
not needed.
- Once again we see that the attitude of individual operators is
just as important as their operating skills. 99% of the problems
we had went to operator attitude.
- Have more than one operator at critical locations!
- Have procedures for shift turn over - and use them.
- If you call for mutual aid, USE the people that come in.
- Oncoming ARES members need to know what equipment is at the
site to be manned.
- Net control at headquarters was overloaded.
[Need more than one person at NCS]
- Personnel were poorly utilized. It seemed that only one person did
all of the scheduling of shift assignments. Net control must know who is
scheduled for shifts to answer questions.
- Insure operators monitor the net
- Resource/Logistics net would help alleviate traffic on
Operations frequency.
- A computer or at least a whiteboard would have helped track
the assignments.
- A listing of gas stations open at night at Net Control would
have helped when the transportation vans were operating at night.
- Members were not asked to provide or show identification, either
Red Cross, ARES or even a driver's license. One member used a spare Red
Cross vest they found at a shelter.
- Members need to be prepared for any situation. Several
members brought more than they thought were needed. Turns out that
the extra equipment was needed later.
- Communications Room at headquarters did not have a clock.
- Traffic was not logged either at headquarters or shelters.
- Use of the Incident Command System would have helped
eliminate some of these problems. When multiple districts are
involved, use Unified Command.
- Use of ICS forms would help with tracking personnel, logging
traffic and messages.
- Two persons are needed at Net Control. This is for
relief as well as running messages and errands.
- One person cannot run the incident for the entire length of the
incident.
- All members need current identification cards with their
pictures on them.
- ID cards need to be worn at all times during the incident.
- Packet would have also worked well in this situation.
- Need operators to have maps.
- Operations manual needs to have information about served agencies
- Need to improve participation rate: As with most exercises,
participation is relatively low.
- Insure the Hospital staff are briefed on what we are there to do.
- Have spare adaptors and cables
- Mission Coordinator should not act as a POC to the hospital.
- Members should carry Operations Manual and other info at
all times.
- Security is high at some hospitals. Members are reminded
NOT TO BRING ANY KIND OF KNIFE, SCISSORS, OR OTHER SHARP INSTRUMENTS
- Start a net before call-out begins
- Insure appropriate county personnel are informed prior
to the event and that it is relayed to the dispatchers.
- Have maps
- When assigning locations we should name the facility and
give major cross streets to avoid possible confusion.
- When net control has been established a back up NC at another
location should be established if possible.
- Headphones are very helpful when operating in a busy police
and fire dispatch environment, so we don't interfere with them.
- Insure equipment is available.
- Have a map showing assisted facilities (PD, fire, hosp).
- Use tactical calls
- Don't leave the net without checkin out
- Members need to have a basic knowledge of the county (major
roads, hospitals, PD, Fire Stations, etc).
- A map of the area would be helpful.
- HazMat awareness training is essential.
- Check your equipment before leaving home!
- Utilize the packet cluster
- Must distinguish between "portable" and "mobile" assignments
- Need more portable packet
- Improve phone call-out
- Determine locations to be handled before calling the net.
- Have/use the plan for outtages [NCS or other]
- Have/use the plan for turn-overs
- Define the call out process and then use it
- There should be more than one person at NCS
- The district needs to standardize on proper techniques for
calling Net Control. The technique should be,
"Control this is Porter"
- One person cannot effectively operate more than one mode at a
time.
- Do not transmit from dispatch without an external antenna
- Make sure that your "Go Bag" is ready for deployment.
- Keep your gas tank at least half filled so that you don't have
to stop during the deployment to fill up.
- Keep tactical calls short
- Train members on the use of district equipment
- Two operators are needed with Net control.
-
- Traffic should be brief and to the point.
- Think before you speak.
- Leave breaks between transmissions.
- Listen to the instructions that Net Control gives you.
- Test your equipment frequently.
- Participate in exercises
- Tactical calls signs must not change during the event.
- Members should not choose their own frequency to operate during
an incident without permission from EC or Operations.
- Packet procedures need to be written.
- Use a cluster rather than BBS
- Additional training needed on packet
- Use Packet in an emergency
- Learn how to use the fewest and best words.
- Learn how to accurately describe a situation or a scene using
the fewest words possible
- All members need to be familiar with all strategic locations
in the district.
- Have maps of the area
- Some reports did not meet reporting criteria (blue sky reports)
- Have multiple people at NCS
- Follow procedures!
- A small incident can turn big, so do assign enough resources
to support the needs of the served agency
- Keep the radio operators in a separate room out of the noise and
disturbance of the ICP.
- Have a personal response plan (go kit) so that you know what
equipment to bring for a given situation.
- Reduce duplication of equipment between ARES and Red Cross, etc.
- Additional training needed Proper operation of a Resource Net.
This includes the use of "Alternate Net Control" and logging of all
traffic.
- Ensure NCS and alternates maintain matching schedule matrices.
Share that via data link
- Make better use of packet / pactor to relay resource and
schedule files.
- Have reflective safety vests
- Need to "re-coordinate" repeater usage when prime agencies
- We all should supplement our mobile setups with a portable
antenna that can be lashed up on a piece of conduit, etc. for
temporary operation with some height.
- Have NCS advise the prime backup repeater/frequency every shift
change.
- Have everyone check in and check out for safety.
- Improve staffing for large events
- Use the "go-kit" list
- Improve Management of the ARES Resource Net.
- Establish clear criteria for assigning members to the incident.
- Minimize the tendency to overstaff the first operation period.
- Follow the "work/rest" rules - 1 hour rest for every 2 worked,
before resuming work.
- Know the access requirements for your EOC (mutual aid).
- Avoid shifts over 8 hours if possible.
- Communication with an HT and rubber duck didn't work.
- Be flexible and adapt the exercise as needed.
- Simplex Nets work well in town using stations on ridge tops
- Things don't always go as planned.
- Management of the ARES Resource Net still needs improvement.
- Automatically deploy at least one ARES member (and preferably
2) to the EOC to support the logistical efforts of the incident.
- Reduce the time it takes to provide reliable packet communications.
- We need to practice standard radiogram procedures.
- We need to continue practicing with packet.
- Minimize the number of frequencies use to only those necessary
- Limit the scope of exercises to what can be accomplished
- Per-assign operators to save time in exercises (reduce travel time)
- Start a mob/demob list as you open the net
- The relay procedures for simplex on VHF are the same as HF.
Operators unfamiliar with these procedures need to learn them.
- Tactical call signs should be assigned formally and as early as
possible.
- Work order ID's are for assignments, not particular operators.
- We should have preset communications plans for staging and
operations areas already sited.
- Operators should keep a copy of their operator's manual with
their radio.
- Staging Managers must know the Communications Plan so they can
tell the operators what frequencies the group is currently using.
- Packet operators need to keep up their operating skills.
- Districts should always monitor their COPLAN frequencies.
These are the frequencies on which other districts will try to
reach them.
- As was anticipated, we did a good job of funneling information
from mobile field operators into the EOC
but the compiling of information into a concise and meaningful
format was lacking. The EOC Incident commander
had asked for a status report with multiple copies. We were
never able to provide this.
- Having two people at the EOC was good but the interface and
assignment of their responsibilities was lacking.
- When two or more people are assigned a task, it should be standard
practice to clearly and verbally state the duties and responsibilities
of each. One person should be assigned as overall leader for the
assignment.
- NCS NEEDS A HEAD SET
- NCS must keep a log