This is taken from the Idaho ERC webpage. Once you get your call-sign in amateur radio (ham), you can be added to the website with your own credentials as the website is a tool for Emergency Communications Specialists or Operators within the church for those who work through any of the storehouses in Idaho. This is posted for informational purposes only. The Ontario Stake Emergency Communications Rep is not responsible for the IDAHO Erc Webpage content, neither does this supersede any authority that is held by those responsible for ward and stake operations.
Emergency Response Communications
Program Overview for Priesthood Leaders
The Emergency Response Communications program (ERC) is part of the Welfare Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All Church welfare activities are directed by the General Welfare Committee. ERC is a backup communications system serving Church leaders during emergencies when local telephone and cellular phone service is not available.
When an emergency strikes, communication services are often the first to go down. Communication within wards and stakes and between Church units and the bishops storehouse can be extremely important in a serious event. Experience has taught us that traditional communication methods including the public switched telephone system and cellular telephones will likely not be available in a serious emergency or disaster. Most local cellular telephone towers have only a few hours at best of backup power and should not be relied upon.
The ERC program has been established to provide a means for priesthood leaders to report on the status of members and property in a disaster-affected area, and to request relief supplies and assistance as needed. Emergency communication services are provided using various methods, including satellite telephones and amateur (ham) radio.
First-Level Bishops' Storehouses in the United States and Canada act as hub communication facilities which serve second-level bishops' storehouses in their areas. Idaho Falls is the First-Level Storehouse which serves the following Second-Level Storehouses: Blackfoot, Boise, Burley, Missoula and Pocatello.
Each of the second level storehouses is responsible for communicating with the stakes that it serves. The store house specialist trains the stake specialists and organizes a communications network so that each stake can communicate with the nearest bishops' storehouse. The second level storehouses do not typically have Church-owned equipment but rely on the personal equipment of the storehouse emergency communication specialist.
Emergency preparation and response guidance is presented on the http://www.lds.org/ and http://www.providentliving.org/ websites. All preparation and response should be carried out through the existing Church organization. The stake and ward welfare committees and the stake bishops' welfare council should be used fully in these efforts.
Stakes have been directed to call a stake emergency communication specialist to provide emergency communication services to the stake in an emergency. Stakes should exercise this capability weekly by checking into the weekly bishops storehouse radio network (net). Each Bishops' storehouse conducts a radio net that meets weekly on the air. This on-the-air meeting includes a roll call where each stake is called and given the opportunity to check in with their respective bishops storehouse. Following the roll call, a brief training lesson may also be presented. The weekly storehouse nets typically last about 30 minutes.
Tier-two bishops' storehouses (Blackfoot, Boise, Burly, Missoula, and Pocatello) are also asked to check in with the Idaho Falls storehouse weekly to exercise radio and satellite equipment and test readiness. The Idaho Falls bishops' storehouse checks in to the Church headquarters radio nets using amateur radio on a weekly basis, and also tests storehouse satellite communications equipment.
Storehouse Agent Stake Presidents provide leadership in times of multi-stake emergencies. They call and set apart storehouse emergency communications specialists to provide radio communications during emergencies and to train the stake emergency communications specialists served by their storehouse.
Stake Presidents provide leadership in times of emergencies. They call and set apart stake emergency communications specialists to provide communications during emergencies and to coordinate with storehouse emergency communications specialists in storehouse radio nets. They may ask bishops to call ward emergency communications specialists. It is appropriate where needed to share communications specialists between stakes, especially when stake leaders needing amateur radio do not have a licensed amateur operator within the stake boundaries. It is also appropriate to utilize non-member amateur radio operators to represent a stake. Stakes should not purchase their own radio equipment, but should utilize the personal equipment of the called stake emergency communication specialist.
Amateur radio, commonly called ham radio, is the most common method of emergency communication used in the ERC program. The ERC program is a communications system and is not limited strictly to the use of amateur radio. Although other forms of communication may be used, including the Family Radio Service (FRS), amateur radio often provides the best communications link, especially when long distance communication is required. If a stake chooses amateur radio as one of its means of communication, a stake ERC specialist should have or be capable of obtaining an amateur radio license issued by the FCC. This requires one or more written examinations depending on license class. ERC specialists should utilize their personal radio equipment, and stakes should not purchase radio equipment for the ERC program. Basic equipment to serve a stake can be purchased for $100 to $200. A stake in an outlying area may require High Frequency (HF) radio equipment which is more expensive. ($500 - $1000). An HF wire antenna can be purchased for under $100 or one can be constructed from easily obtainable materials for considerably less.
ERC Callings and Duties
Storehouse Emergency Communication Specialist:
- Called by the storehouse agent stake president
- Provides emergency communications support to the storehouse agent stake president
- Trains and assists stake emergency communications specialists
- Conducts the weekly amateur radio storehouse-to-stake nets and satellite telephone network exercises.
- Provides rosters of stake operators and other documentation critical to emergency operations to the first-level storehouse emergency communications specialist
- Uses personal radio equipment in his assignment
Stake Emergency Communication Specialist:
- Called by stake president
- Assists stake president in maintaining means of emergency communication that will enable local Church leaders to communicate with members and other leaders during an emergency.
- As directed by the stake president, assists in the preparation of the stake emergency communications plan which is to be included in the stake emergency plan.
- As directed by the stake president, assists bishops in preparing ward emergency communication plans.
- Maintains a list of needed telephone numbers and emergency contact information including local Church members and leaders who have access to amateur radio or satellite telephone equipment.
- Participates regularly in the weekly storehouse-to-stake nets
- Uses personal radio equipment in his assignment
District, Ward and Branch Emergency Communication Specialist:
- Where directed by the stake president, district, ward and branch specialists may be called as needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment