Contra Costa County CERT Program Unit 9 FRS Radio Released: 1 April 2016 Community Emergency Response Team Personal safety is ALWAYS the number one priority Work as a team Wear personal protective equipment gloves, helmet, goggles, N95 mask and boots The CERT goal is to do the Greatest Good for the Greatest Number Hope for the best but plan for the worst Visual 9.1 Disaster Communications Communications for CERTS Face-To-Face: vocal Within Sight: signs and signals Beyond Sight: runners and two-way radio Visual 9.2 Rev. 1 April 2016 1
Basic CERT Disaster Communications CERT Team CERT Team CERT Incident Command EOC Visual 9.3 Sample DISASTER Communications Plan Neighborhood Homes Neighborhood Homes Neighborhood FRS channel Citizens Captains/ CERT Teams GMRS repeater FRS Ch. 9 Hams GMRS repeater Captains/ CERT Teams Professionals EOC County Dispatch Law Enforcement Fire & Rescue Medical & Relief Visual 9.4 ABOUT FRS (Family Radio Service) RADIOS (No License Required) Very low power, 1/2 watt ERP Very low cost No license required Personal and business use OK Channels 8-14 are FRS only; 14 total for FRS Channels 15-22 are GMRS only (ok to listen) No external antennas allowed Typical 0.5-1 mile communication range Visual 9.5 Rev. 1 April 2016 2
Visual 9.6 FRS/GMRS Radios FRS Family Radio Service A useful service for neighborhoods and short distances GMRS General Mobile Radio Service A radio service available on the small handietalkies; family or operator should be licensed to transmit. Increased capabilities in this service, including repeaters. [Household Licenses at wireless.fcc.gov/uls, $65 for 5 years] GMRS repeaters are in Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda. SELECTING RADIOS: FRS/GMRS with 22 channels Recommended Models MFG Motorola MODEL MR355R or MS350R APPROX. PRICE $79.00 Pair (Amazon, 12/11/2015) Motorola FRS/GMRS MR355R / MS350R Has capability of contact with GMRS repeaters Supplied with rechargeable batteries; may also use AA alkaline cells. Ignore mileage claims. Battery life is more important than transmit power. Visual 9.7 FRS/GMRS Radio Features & Functions Antenna Off-On/Volume Control Channel Push To Talk Switch Ring Tone Function Down Key Ear Phone Jack Subchannel Monitor/Scan Key Function Up Key Menu Key Speaker/Microphone Motorola Model MR355 R Visual 9.8 Rev. 1 April 2016 3
Front Panel Closeup On- off/ volume Battery status PTT: Push to talk Antenna Channel Sub-channel All-call button Down Channel scan Up Menu Visual 9.9 Batteries AA alkaline cells Rechargeable Rear cover Visual 9.10 Visual 9.11 Channel Frequency (MHz) Notes FRS Channels 1 462.5625 FRS/GMRS Shared 2 462.5875 FRS/GMRS Shared 3 462.612 FRS/GMRS Shared 4 462.6375 FRS/GMRS Shared 5 462.6625 FRS/GMRS Shared 6 462.6875 FRS/GMRS Shared 7 462.7125 FRS/GMRS Shared 8 467.5625 FRS Only 9 467.5875 FRS Only 10 467.6125 FRS Only 11 467.6375 FRS Only 12 467.6625 FRS Only 13 467.6875 FRS Only 14 467.7125 FRS Only (All channels are simplex. Radios transmit and receive on the same frequency.) 1-7 FRS shared with GMRS, no license if low power 8-14 MAXIMUM ½ Watt Low Power - NO LICENSE REQUIRED Rev. 1 April 2016 4
GMRS Channels Channel Frequency (MHz) Notes 15 462.550 16 462.575 17 462.600 18 462.625 simplex 19 462.650 20 462.675 21 462.700 22 462.725 15R 462.550 input 467.550 16R 462.575 input 467.575 17R 462.600 repeater input 467.600 18R 462.625 input 467.625 19R 462.650 input 467.650 20R 462.675 (Moraga) input 467.675; tone = 77Hz 21R 462.700 (Orinda) input 467.700; tone = 77Hz 22R 462.725 (Lafayette) input 467.725; tone = 77Hz Visual 9.12 Selecting a channel - 1 To select a channel: Turn on radio Note channel number in window Press Menu once BRIEFLY Use + and keys to move up or down from channel shown in window. Stop on selected channel and wait for blinking to stop. Visual 9.13 Selecting a channel - 2 Look at small number under channel number; it should be 0 (zero) If it is not, then press Menu twice, quickly. The small number will blink. Use + and keys to move down to 0. Wait for the blinking to stop. Your radio is now ready for communication. Visual 9.14 Rev. 1 April 2016 5
FRS/GMRS Range limits GRMS repeater FRS/GMRS Range line of sight Visual 9.15 Using the radio Select a channel your team leader will tell which to use Test the radio before you venture out Make sure you can communicate with your team It is not a cell-phone To talk; hold radio 2-3 from mouth, press PTT button To listen; let go of PTT button Visual 9.16 Communicating Listen! Think what you are going to say before you press the PTT button. Speak clearly, calmly, carefully. Get the message across without a lot of words. Visual 9.17 Rev. 1 April 2016 6
Radio Protocols - I Talking Calling another: Use agreed-upon identifiers Team 3 this is Team Leader. Over Wait for response, which should be: Team leader this is Team 3. Over Or just Team 3. Over Speak in a normal tone of voice, and speak clearly! Visual 9.18 Radio Protocols - II You have made contact: exchange questions and answers in brief, clear language understandable to all who may listen NO 10 codes or 11 codes! NO CB jargon! NO slang or ethnic / gender slurs You are conveying important information to people you may neither know nor have worked with in the past Visual 9.19 Radio Protocols - III Sample exchange Team A this is Team Leader -over Team A over What is your location? over Corner of Moraga Way and Moraga Road over Check Safeway for damage and injuries over Will check Safeway for damage and injuries. Team A out Visual 9.20 Rev. 1 April 2016 7
Examples of FRS Channel Allocations Ch. 8, 10-14 Neighborhood channels Ch. 9 Emergency messages for relay Message passing between CERT and EOC/hams (Is it a life-threatening emergency?) (Is it a major calamity emergency?) Visual 9.21 CERT FRS Communications Non-Disaster FRS Communications Channel allocations: Channels 8 14 Sub-channel (PL Tone, Privacy code) as directed by the team leader Remember, all team radios need to be set to the same channel and subchannel Visual 9.22 CERT Radio Communications GMRS Repeater Communications Moraga GMRS repeater: Ch. 20R Sub 4 Orinda GMRS repeater: Ch. 21R Sub 4 Lafayette GMRS repeater: Ch. 22R Sub 4 Use these repeaters for out-of-neighborhood communications. Use FRS for in-neighborhood communications. [When you get your new MR355R or MS350R, we ll help with programming.] Visual 9.23 Rev. 1 April 2016 8
Unit Summary Standard forms of communication not available, Radio is always available FRS requires no license FRS has short range GMRS requires license, has longer range potential Listen first, then speak clearly, calmly, carefully without using a lot of words Use plain English, no codes All team members must use the same channel Visual 9.24 Questions? Visual 9.25 Rev. 1 April 2016 9