Basic Certification: Student Workbook

Terms and Definitions (pdf)

• Unit 1: Introduction to Emergency Communications
• Unit 2: Emergency Communications Groups and Served Agencies
• Unit 3: Basic Communications Skills
  
• Unit 4: Basic Equipment Selection for Emergency Communications
• Unit 5: Programming and Operating VHF/UHF Equipment
  
• Unit 6: Troubleshooting Field Operations
  
• Unit 7: Incident Command System
  
• Unit 8: Emergency Nets
  
• Unit 9: Building a Response Kit
  
• Unit 10: Safety, Activation and Response
  
• Unit 11: Basic Message Handling
  
• Unit 12: Message Handling Classroom Exercise
  
• Unit 13: Public Safety and Other Communications Systems
  
• Unit 14: Mapping and GPS Receivers
• Unit 15: Weather and Situational Awareness
  
• Unit 16: Communications Integrity

Unit 1: Introduction to Emergency Communications

Links

• Kentucky ARES EmComm Training Program
• ICS 100
  
• ICS 200
  
• ICS 700
  
• Oregon Good Samaritan Law
  

Unit 2: Emergency Communication Groups and Served Agencies

Links

• FEMA
• Department of Homeland Security
• Red Cross
• SATERN
• CAP
  
• REACT
  
• CERT
  
• ARRL
• ARES
  
• RACES per FCC 97.407 (pdf)
• California ACS
• Cowlitz County ACS
• Seattle ACS
  
• Standard Operating Procedure Template Suite & Reference Library
  
• National Interoperability Information Exchange

Unit 3: Basic Communications Skills

Links

• Station Identification per FCC 97.119 (pdf)

Materials

• ITU Phonetic Alphabet (pdf)
• Public Safety Phonetic Alphabet (pdf)

Unit 4: Basic Equipment Selection for Emergency Communications

Links

• ICOM
  
• Yaesu
  
• Kenwood
  
• Alinco
  
• Universal Radio
  
• Ham Radio Outlet
  
• Battery University
• Wire Gauges
• J-Pole Handbook (pdf)
• DC Power
  

Materials

• Radio Type Comparison Chart (pdf)
• ARRL Radio Bands - color (pdf)
• ARRL Radio Bands - b/w (pdf)
• DC Power Requirements (pdf)

Unit 5: Programming and Operating VHF/UHF Equipment

Links

• Nifty Radio Programming Guides
• Radio manuals and modification instructions
  
• ARRL Detailed Band Plans
  
• ORRC Oregon Band Plans and Coordinated Repeater Systems
  
• N7QQU's archive of equipment manuals and software
  
• K7TAY's collection of radio cheat sheets
  

Materials

• Radio Cheat Sheet Examples:
  • ICOM 2820 (pdf)
  • ICOM 91AD (pdf)
  • Sample Template (doc)
• ARRL Radio Bands - color (pdf)
• ARRL Radio Bands - b/w (pdf)
• ICS 205, Incident Radio Communications Plan (pdf) (doc)

Unit 6: Troubleshooting Field Operations

Links

• Ham Radio Troubleshooting (pdf)
• ARRL Handbook
  
• ARRL Antenna Book
  

Unit 7: Incident Command System

Links

• FEMA ICS Resource Center
  
• FEMA NIMS Independent Study Program
  
• WRRL Resource Typing
  

Materials

• ICS 213, General Message form (pdf)
• ICS 205, Incident Radio Communications Plan (pdf) (doc)

Unit 8: Emergency Nets

Links

• National Traffic System
  
• Sample Net Preambles:
  • Oregon Emergency Net
    
  • Washington County
    
  • Benton County
    

Unit 9: Building a Response Kit

Links

• WB6FZH Go-Kit Info
  
• KE7HLR Personal Go-Kit for Emergency Communications (pdf)
• Family Emergency Planning
  
• Family Emergency Plan Tool
  

Materials

• Suggested Go-Kit items (pdf)
• Suggested 72-hour kit items (pdf)

Unit 10: Safety, Activation and Response

Links

• OSHA Personal Protective Equipment
  
• OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Online Training Course
  
• Disaster Psychology
  

Unit 11: Basic Message Handling

Links

• ARRL Public Service Communications Manual
  
• Proposed radio protocol for passing ICS-213
  
• WRRL Radiotelephone Procedures
  
• K7BFL Tools for Message Handling
  
• NYC-ARECS ICS-213 Tutorial
  

Materials

• Pro-words (pdf)
• ICS 213, General Message form (pdf)
• ARRL Radiogram (pdf)
• ARRL Radiogram (Fillable pdf)
  
• Radiogram handling instructions (pdf)
• ARRL Numbered Radiograms (pdf)

Unit 12: Message Handling Classroom Exercise

Links

Materials

Unit 13: Public Safety and Other Communications Systems

Links

• APCO P25
  
• SHARES
  
• National Public Safety Telecommunications Council
• National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (Multiple versions available)

Unit 14: Mapping and GPS Receivers

Links

• Geographic Coordinate System
  
• UTM Coordinate System
  
• Maidenhead Locator System
  
• Public Land Survey System
  
• GPS Coordinate Converter
  
• GridSquare Converter

Unit 15: Weather and Situational Awareness

Links

• National Weather Service
  
• Basic Spotter's Field Guide by NOAA (pdf)
• Beaufort Wind Scale
  
• Estimating Wind Speed (pdf)
• SKYWARN
  

Unit 16: Communications Integrity

Links

• Health Information Privacy
  
• HIPAA Summary (pdf)
• HIPAA and Emergency Dispatch (pdf)
• HIPAA and Emergency Planning/Response