Standard Operating Procedures

1. Scope

This document provides specific procedures for Amateur Radio Operators within Johnson County to establish a Severe Weather Spotter Net. The goals of this Net are to:

1. Provide weather observations and damage reports from Johnson and adjacent counties to Johnson County Emergency Management Agency (JCEMA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Davenport, Iowa.
2. Provide backup communications between JCEMA and adjacent counties.

2. Definitions

JCEMA	Johnson County Emergency Management Agency
NWS	National Weather Service Office, Quad Cities Office
HamRad	Emergency Communications Arm of the Iowa City Amateur Radio Club

3. HamRad Phone Contacts

Name	Callsign	Home Phone	Work Phone
Rich Bingham	WWØQ
Jeff Dodd	KIØJP
Craig Fastenow	KØCF	351-8258	n/a
Jim Meade	NOØB	545-2866	n/a

4. Activation of the Severe Weather Nets

4.1 Who may Request Activation of the Severe Weather Nets?

1. Any member of HamRad
2. NWS
3. JCEMA

4.2 Procedure for Net Activation by NWS or JCEMA

1. Telephone any of the contact persons listed above, providing details of the nature of the forecasted severe weather event and requesting Net activation.
2. If none of these contact persons are available, request any area ARES or HamRad operator to make an announcement on the WØJV repeater (146.85 machine) providing details of the nature of the forecasted severe weather event and requesting Net activation.

5. Operational Procedures

5.1. Net Control

The initial Net Control is the person activating the net. Net Control may operate from the HamRad station console at JCEMA when requested. Ordinarily though, Net Control will operate from any other convenient location. It is Net Control's responsibility to manage the traffic level on the WØJV/R repeater by establishing the minimum reporting criteria.

5.2. Net Operations

HamRad volunteers should distinguish between two types of severe weather Nets:

1. JOHNSON COUNTY WEATHER WATCH NET (STANDBY Net Operations following a severe storm or tornado Watch; for script, see Appendix 1)

This net may be operated in STANDBY mode if severe weather is not an immediate threat to Johnson County. This mode is used if weather related traffic is necessary but does not warrant full-time occupation of the repeater. Net Control should periodically broadcast that the net is in STANDBY mode, and also indicate that stations may call other stations without permission from Net Control. However, extra time (approximately two seconds) is requested between each transmission and long exchanges (more than a minute, for example) should be moved to a different frequency. Suggested repeaters are the SEITS Wide-Area (145.47 MHz -600 KHz; PL100.0) or Coralville (147.150 MHz +600 KHz; PL192.8) repeaters.

2. JOHNSON COUNTY SEVERE WEATHER NET (ACTIVE Net Operations following a severe storm or tornado Warning; for script, see Appendix 2)

The Severe Weather Net shall be operated in ACTIVE mode when severe weather is in progress or imminent. During an ACTIVE net, Net Control shall limit traffic to weather and safety related traffic only. This is a formal net and all traffic flows through the designated Net Control station. Net Control shall broadcast the minimum reporting criteria for each category of severe weather (lightning, wind, hail, blizzard, damage) as necessary to control redundant reports and limit traffic to manageable levels.

5.3. Spotter Reports

Severe Weather Spotter participants should report:

1. Severe Weather observations that exceed the minimum reporting criteria established by Net Control.
2. Threats to life and/or property.
3. Storm Damage (if severe weather is not in progress).

Observations should include "TLC" (Time, Location, and Condition):

1. Time that the condition was observed, if other than current.
2. Location of reporting station (using common references) or the relative location of the severe weather condition if different from this location.
3. Description of the Condition. If at all possible, this should include the estimated direction and speed of the severe weather condition. Observations should not include reports of non-hazardous conditions such as "rain stopped here" or "clear in the west".
4. Source of the report, if not personal observation.

5.4. Adjacent County Liaisons

The Net Control should appoint stations that have the necessary capability (i.e. antennas, power, etc.) to serve as liaisons to adjacent counties and the SEITS Linked Repeater System as dictated by areas affected by the severe weather event. The operating frequencies of liaisons are listed in Appendix 4.

Tactical Callsigns to be used on the frequency of the adjacent county:

• "Johnson County Weather"

 

Tactical Callsigns to be used when reporting to Johnson County:

• If operating on the WØJV/R repeater - The Amateur's callsign. (This avoids confusion with other stations from adjacent counties that may check in.)

 

Reports to/from adjacent counties should include:

• Periodic radar summaries (where available) including storm positions, movement, and characteristics.

• Damage Reports from Johnson and adjacent counties.

5.5. NWS Liaison

The Net Control should establish a method to pass spotter reports to the NWS office. To avoid duplicate reports, a single contact point shall be designated, with the mode of communication being (in order of preference):

1. Via the Amateur station at the JCEMA (if the EOC is opened and the station manned). EMA personnel will relay via NAWAS.
2. Via telephone to the NWS.

5.6. JCEMA Liaison

When or if it is required, there should be a person (other than the Net Control operator) located at the Johnson County Emergency Management Center (EOC) to pass reports to Emergency Management personnel. Due to the high level of activity during an event at the EOC, the liaison should monitor the net and present only relevant traffic to Emergency Management. If the EOC has not been activated, severe weather reports may be relayed directly to the NWS via their weather-spotter numbers (this number to be obtained by attending training classes) or via SEITS.

5.7. Public Service Liaisons

This station's responsibility is to telephone reports of hazardous situations directly to the appropriate public service agency. This station should normally monitor the Johnson County Severe Weather Net on the WØJV/R repeater. At the direction of Net Control, he/she should be capable of moving to an alternate frequency with a station reporting a hazard to relay the information to the appropriate public service agency (such as accidents, downed power lines, or roads blocked by downed trees). After completing the report, he/she should ask for any additional incidents that need to be reported (in case additional stations have been sent to the alternate frequency to report a hazard). If no response is heard, he/she should return to monitoring the WØJV/R repeater.

6. Termination of Net

The Net will be terminated when watches/warnings have expired or been cancelled by the NWS or when the Net is no longer required by the JCEMA. Stations wishing to terminate operations prior to the closure of the net should notify Net Control, if traffic levels permit.

7. Storm History

Both the NWS and the JCEMA are interested in damage reports, even after the threat of additional damage has passed. Reports can be collected by net control when in STANDBY mode or submitted by individual Amateurs. These reports may be submitted by E-mail to the NWS at office@sac.dvn.noaa.gov and to JCEMA at 319-356-6020.

8. Safety Considerations

Neither HamRad nor the JCEMA specifically requests Amateurs to respond to designated locations to watch for severe weather at this time. Amateurs wishing to spot from their vehicles operate at their own risk. Only locations with nearby shelter from severe weather should be chosen, such as a highway underpass* or accessible permanent structure. Your vehicle is not sufficient protection.

* Highway underpasses are not recommended as shelter from tornados or other violent wind. Prefer substantial structures, or if no such shelter is available, a ditch.

9. Preparedness

HamRad members should prepare themselves for Severe Weather Net operation as follows:

1. Make sure the radio to be used is not in danger of a lightning strike.
2. By providing a source of emergency power for radio equipment, in case of commercial power failure.
3. Extra charged HT batteries, if an HT will be used.
4. keep appraised of the developing weather situation by monitoring local media, including the "Weather Channel" (in Iowa City/Coralville, Channel 34) and NOAA Weather Radio (162.475 MHz, Cedar Rapids), for forecasts of severe weather.

Last updated June 15, 2006 by KØCF