PUBLIC SERVICE EVENT

NET CONTROL STATION PROCEDURES

(Revised June 19, 2004)

  There are three net states: 

            1.  Routine Net

            2.  Priority Net

            3.  Emergency Net 

Each net state dictates what types of traffic are accepted. 

            ROUTINE NET (accepts routine, priority and emergency traffic)

            PRIORITY NET (accepts priority and emergency traffic only)

            EMERGENCY NET (accepts emergency traffic only) 

A public service net is normally in a routine state, unless a priority situation or emergency occurs. 

Routine traffic includes event administrative traffic, logistics traffic, reports of tired runners, etc.

Priority traffic includes reports of injured runners (whose injuries are not life threatening), critical event information that needs immediate transmission, or other types of important traffic (such as safety issues that need immediate resolution).  For example, dispatching an ambulance to a participant who sprained their ankle would probably be priority traffic.  

Emergency traffic is traffic that is of immediate threat to life, property or safety.  An example might include a seriously ill or injured participant needing an ambulance.  If an ambulance is dispatched for an injured/ill participant whose condition is not yet known, it should be considered an emergency until further information is known. 

If a radio conversation is in progress, and an operator needs to interrupt with traffic, that operator will say one of the following: 

            TACTICAL CALL SIGN-Routine Traffic

            BREAK-Priority Traffic

            BREAK BREAK-Emergency Traffic 

            For routine traffic NCS will either instruct the station to say their traffic or         

           to stand by. 

For priority traffic NCS will answer the station by saying “station identify and say your priority traffic”. 

For emergency traffic, NCS will answer the station by saying “station identify and say your emergency traffic”.  

Once the priority or emergency traffic has been acknowledged, NCS will notify all stations “All stations, minimize traffic to (priority) (emergency) traffic.  Net Control W5FC”.  

NCS will then handle the traffic as indicated.

 Once the net is in either priority or emergency net state, then NCS will need to regularly announce to all stations of the current net state by saying “(Priority) (Emergency) traffic only, Net Control, W5FC”. 

 It is important to regularly announce a priority or emergency net state because some operators may not have heard the initial announcement (often operators are in noisy areas, are working their assigned duties, or radio reception may be intermittent). 

Once the priority situation or emergency is over, NCS announces that the net is resuming normal (or routine) traffic. 

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION: 

It is very important that NCS be clear and concise during priorities or 

emergencies.                       

Make clear and concise announcements that the net is changing to priority or emergency state and what types of traffic you will accept (i.e. accepting priority or emergency traffic at this time).  

                        Keep transmissions short and simple.  

If you received the priority/emergency information clearly and accurately, it is not necessary to repeat it back to the originating operator. 

If the priority/emergency is lengthy, consider moving routine traffic to the alternate frequency. 

STATION CONTACTS/IDENTIFICATION:  

                                    Conclude all routine transmissions by saying 

                                    “Net Control W5FC”   

When calling stations, it is not necessary to say 

“this is net control” after identifying the station 

that you are calling. 

When a station is calling net control, that station 

only needs to give their tactical call sign. 

            FREQUENCY/REPEATER USE: 

A public service net does not “own” a simplex frequency, and cannot make anyone not use the frequency.  If you find someone using the frequency that is not part of the net, ask politely that they stand by, and inform him or her that a public service net is in progress.  Almost always, you will get cooperation from your fellow amateur radio operators. 

Use of a repeater during an event is a slightly different situation.  Although we do not have any control over frequency use, we do have control over the repeater use.  We can ask politely for someone to stand by when we are using a repeater on a public service event.  As with simplex frequencies, most of the time your fellow amateur radio operator was not aware that a net was in progress, and they usually will apologize and yield use of the frequency/repeater.  If you do have problems with someone on a repeater, obtain their call sign, and we will report it to the repeater owner.     

Thanks for volunteering to be a Net Control Operator.  I hope you find this information useful. 

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me (Richard Bartlett, KE6LOU) by e-mail ke6lou@ont.com.