Safe City Programs

HAM Radio Communications

Final Report
Volusia/Seminole Counties Amateur Radio Check Tests
(Concurrent with Volusia County MCI Exercise)
April 28, 2006.

Several Amateur (“Ham”) Radio sites participated in a voice “Radio Check” exercise concurrently with the Volusia County Department of Emergency Management MCI exercise which included simulated train accidents in the county.  The Radio Check was not part of the MCI exercise, per se, but fully demonstrated point-to-point Ham Radio communications capability throughout both counties using several Amateur Radio assets including six vhf voice repeaters, a digital network for e-mail messaging, ham radio installations in two county EOCs, four city EOCs, two hospitals, several mobile units, and the most valuable asset, volunteer licensed Ham Radio operators.

The following fixed sites participated:

• DELAND HOSPITAL

• DEBARY EOC

• DELAND EOC

• DELTONA EOC

• EDGEWATER[1]

• VOLUSIA COUNTY EOC

• CENTRAL FLORIDA HOSPITAL (SANFORD)

• ALTAMONTE SPRINGS EOC

• SEMINOLE COUNTY EOC

 The included SITE MAP – COUNTY AND CITY EOCS illustrates the relative locations of these sites in East Central Florida.

Sixteen volunteer Ham Radio operators were directly involved at these sites.  Eight of the nine sites could find one or more repeaters that would support noise-free voice communications with each of the other eight sites.¹  On simplex (direct without the aid of a repeater) many sites could communicate with others; relative antenna heights being the major governing factor.

Generally in Florida organized Amateur Radio emergency communications (EMCOMMS) employs the Incident Command System (ICS) which is centered about a county EOC using a vhf repeater for administrative control of participating stations which might include, city EOCs, tactical sites, shelters, mobiles, individuals, etc. within the county. When it is necessary for two participating sites to communicate with each other they may be directed to use another repeater/frequency for that purpose.  When it is necessary for communications to be established between sites across county lines, Mutual Aid Communications (MAC) is involved that may also include other repeaters.

This Radio Check exercise resulted in learning which repeaters could best be used for these purposes among the participating sites. 

Coincidently, the incident site at the power plant in DeBary (nearly on the Volusia/Seminole County line) would illustrate the need for MAC as the site is much closer to the Seminole County EOC than the Volusia County EOC.  The hospital for victims from this site is in Seminole County.

As a result of this Radio Check exercise, each fixed site will receive a site-specific table which may be printed and included in the Site Operations Manual.  The table illustrates which repeaters may be used to contact other similar sites in the two counties.  This is typified by the table for the DeBary EOC which is included in this report.

Several of the participating sites that have e-mail over Ham Radio capability also sent Test E-mail Messages after the voice exercise.  Any fixed or tactical site that has this capability and is within the VHF digital network footprint on the SITE MAP can exchange e-mail with any e-mail address in the world without an internet connection at the local site.  The included AREA MAP – E-MAIL NODES shows the current e-mail entry sites avaialble across Central Florida.

SITE MAP – COUNTY AND CITY EOCS

(The four shaded circles encompass the VHF digital network footprint for E-mail over Ham Radio.)

 Sites with greater 2M antenna height:

• Central FL Hospital (Seminole Hospital)

• Altamonte Springs EOC

• Volusia County EOC

• Orange County EOC²

• The Lake County EOC (Eustis)²

AREA MAP – E-MAIL NODES ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA

Any e-mail – equipped station may use any node for e-mail exchange utilizing the digital network.

CONTACTING OTHER SIMILAR FACILITIES FROM THIS ONE

THIS SITE: DEBARY EOC