This page has links to texts of topics suitable for hams to present on the air as-is, to help train each other in various aspects of ham radio usage, best practices, emergency communication, and preparation

Hover over a word in brown to display additional information

General ham radio education is a sub-topic of another page
Study and Licensing education is the topic of another page
The ham radio glossary is on another page

Quick Links

Training topics for nets radio , personal , protocol , emergency Incident and CERT training radio , personal , protocol , emergency Other radio , personal , protocol , emergency

Expand all sections

Training topics for nets

Radio-related training topics

Which radio should you get? [link]
Let's cut to the chase, and then we'll start talking about options and possibililties. You should purchase a Baofeng UV-5R radio, a Signal Stick antenna, and an alkaline sled (battery case), then program it with the frequencies you'll use most.

A handheld transceiver (HT)
When selecting a portable radio that you can quickly take with you when you need it, here are some things to consider:
• It must be able to receive and transmit on 2 meters, which is where most local communication takes place on repeaters and nets. Ideally, it should also be a dual-band radio, supporting 70 cm, the second-most used frequency band.
• It should be one for which you can purchase an alkaline sled for it, since many models do not have that option. That is, an empty battery case that you can fill with your own non-rechargeable batteries.
• It should be one that many of your friends have. It's very convenient to have a radio, for which you can ask for help from a friend, or compare notes, or bring to club meetings and discuss.
• It should be supported by CHIRP, the free, online radio programming software, to get it programmed quickly, should you need to add a new repeater or net frequency. (You'll need the programming cable that goes to your particular radio model too.)
• It should be able to receive FM broadcast radio, to allow you to hear news and information from commercial radio stations during an incident.
• It should be not only a dual-band radio, but also a dual-watch radio, which can allow you to hear incoming communications on two different frequencies at the same time.
• It should be light-weight and small enough to slip onto your pocket or re-sealable sandwich bag.
• It should be inexpensive, to allow you to feel free enough to experiment with it and wear it out, without the worry of replacement or repair cost. Some folks will purchase an HT that's loaded with cool features, as their first radio, only to be too fearful to take it hiking with them or do field experiments with it or involve it in events.
Will your choice of radio still be a good one if all the above criteria aren't met? Probably, but there are some minor inconveniences you might have to live with.

A mobile radio
For those looking to get something a little heftier, whether you install it in your vehicle, set it on your desk, or (yikes!) pack it around on your back, a mobile unit might be what you're looking for. Some of the above suggested criteria still apply, such as dual-band, dual-watch, same model used by friends, CHIRP-supported, and low-cost. Obviously, there are other things to consider when you get a mobile unit, such as:
• It needs a separate 13.8-volt power supply, such as a Powerwerx SS-30DV.
• It needs a good, portable antenna, such as a Tram 1185 mag-mount, or a Pockrus J-pole mast-mount antenna.
• It needs 50-ohm coaxial cable that's long enough to reach from your radio to the antenna, but of a model that minimizes the signal loss, such as RG-8X.
• It should deliver (transmit) 25 watts on FM to make it worth your investment
There are other types of radios, such as portable and base units, but the focus here is on training, and recommendations for reasonable deployment.
What frequencies should be programmed in my radio [link]
Most of today's radios are able to hold many frequencies in their memories, but should you fill them, just because they're there? I recommend you only program into your radio what you need, so that you won't get overwhelmed or confused if you find you need to communicate right away. Ok, so which frequencies should you program? That'll depend on where you'll be at the moment you need them.

Where you're likely to be
If you spend most of your awake time at home or at work, it'll be wise to take that proximity into account, especially if you plan to communicate between home and work. But you might also need to go downtown shopping, to the doctor's office, or visit a friend, and if those take you far away from home, those locations might require some additional frequencies to think about.

Know what channel to change to, if necessary
If you have already programmed your radio with a number of useful frequencies, you're probably prepared to talk on whichever one you need at the moment. But if you have them programmed by name, are you familiar with what the names mean, as in which frequencies, or at least which areas they cover? And when it comes time to switching frequencies, are you able to do that on the spot?

Know how to manually change frequencies at a moment's notice
Be familiar enough with your radio that you can manually enter a new frequency at any time. You might be required to manually enter a frequency you've not already programmed in, because you need to get off a repeater or move off a simplex frequency that's already in use. This'll require you to know how to enter the frequency (Frequency Mode), the offset (OFFSET), the shift direction (SFT-D, plus or minus, or off for simplex), and tone (T-CTCS).

Programming your radio on-the-fly while you're traveling is very useful, but often quite cumbersome. So, taking your laptop and an appropriate programming cable along for the ride can prove indispensable. Do you know how to use the cable and the software to do the programming? You can download charts of programming frequencies, listed by radio model and general location from Noji's programming page.
Get a signal report before starting [link]
It doesn't help a whole lot if we attempt to get on the air, and nobody hears us. Even if I have the very best equipment that money can buy, including a great antenna, and even though I'm certain everybody this side of the Wasatch Front can hear me, is it still possible that they can't? If I'm talking on simplex, my antenna could be oriented incorrectly, I have a loose connection, I have a corroded connection, I'm not speaking close enough to the microphone, or my battery is on its last breath. If I'm trying to talk through a repeater, maybe my tone or offset isn't set, maybe I'm too far from the repeater to hold it open for proper communication, maybe I've bumped my button and I'm a little off-frequency, or maybe I just need to get out of the basement.

When you need to get on the air, especially in a hurry, it seems there are a number of obstacles that could hinder your otherwise perfect transmission. For that reason, one of the first things you should do before a net or a drill is to request a signal report. Maybe say, "WS7RJT. Could I please get a radio check?" and you'll find one or more listening hams who'll be happy to help you out by telling you how you sound.

You're typically looking for three things as feedback to your transmission: the quality of your sound, your loudness, and whether your audio is accompanied by any static or other noise. A ham radio operator who can report these three sound properties is the most helpful. By the same token, you can offer the most help by reporting these same three qualities to people who are asking for a report. On the other hand, those who say, "You sound fine" are just a bit too brief, and don't give you a lot to go on, although it's still kind of them to try and give you some sort of feedback. The brief exception is when a ham operator simply reports, "Perfect!" which means crystal clear audio, loud audio, and no perceptible background noise, in a nutshell.

Once you do this, you're relatively confident that the rest of your transmissions could easily be heard by those who need to hear them. Even after that, you could still deviate from that once great report by moving around, changing your antenna direction, or your battery failing. But, at least you've taken that initial step to ensure a smoothly running net or drill.
Communicating on reverse [link]
In our ever-charitable desire to be helpful to other hams, we sometimes encounter those who have a difficult time getting into or even reaching the repeater. When we hear somebody struggling like this, it might be worth our while to help out by communicating with the person directly rather than through the repeater. But if he's tuned to the repeater, and you don't know his cell number, how can you alert him, so that you can help him?

One way is to switch to what we call reverse mode, which most radios support. The reverse function merely switches the repeater input and output frequencies on your radio. Normally, when communicating through a repeater, you use your radio to talk into the repeater input frequency and listen on the repeater output frequency. On reverse, you talk into the repeater output frequency, so that your friend can hear you, and listen on the repeater input frequency, so that you can hear him.

But communicating on reverse like this only works if the other person can reach you better than he can reach the repeater, because the repeater is out of his range on one side (to the north of him, for example), but you're within his range on the other side (to the south of him, for example). Or this might work when your friend is being obstructed from the repeater because of a mountain or tall building, but you have a clear shot of both him and the repeater.

So, how do you use this reverse function? Many mobile units and some HTs have a button labeled REV. Just press that button once, and your radio switches its repeater input and output frequencies, then press it again to get out of reverse, and back to normal repeater communication. If you're on a Baofeng or Wouxun, simply press the _* (star) button for reverse. If you have a Yaesu FT-60R or VX-7R, simply press C. Then press the same key to exit reverse mode. There's no need for your friend to go into reverse mode.

Once you're in communication with the other ham by reverse, kindly let him know that his signal is not making it into the repeater. Offer helpful, non-critical suggestions on what he could do to improve his transmission, like move to a different location, point his antenna straight up, speak closer or louder into his microphone, increase his radio power output, and so forth. It's possible that his battery is running low or that his antenna has come loose. I always believe my signal sounds wonderful, but one time people were telling me I was sounding terrible, even when I was staring right at the repeater antenna. Turns out I had forgotten to put my antenna back on after cleaning it off. So obviously, installing an antenna might help some of us!

The last thing to keep in mind when communicating in reverse is that you might want to let others know you're in reverse mode, since even though you're not technically using the repeater, you're tying up the repeater, because you're preventing others from using the repeater output. You might get a lot of you're not in the repeater reports from others. Another thing is that switching to reverse is no guarantee that you can reach him better; in fact, it might be worse, but it's something you can try, in your quest to be a helpful ham.
Help others improve their signal [link]
There are times when you're running a net, or you're trying to communicate with somebody by radio, and he's difficult to hear, for whatever reason. On one hand, you don't want to sound too critical of the person; after all, he's a new ham, and at least he's trying to get his signal out there. But, assuming he's open to ideas and help (most new hams are), what kinds of helpful suggestions can you offer? Depends on what the issues are and other factors. Here's a list of things you can pick-and-choose from, that might be helpful.

Things that can make his audio difficult-to-hear:
• His little radio might not be set on high power
• He might have a rubber duck or some other poor antenna
• His batteries might be running low

Things you can help his with now:
• He's in a poor location — ask him to try moving a couple of feet to one side or the other, or go outside or at least get out of the basement
• He might be blocked by his house walls — ask him to move near a window
• He might sound as though his signal is repeatedly strong and then scratchy — ask him to not move around quite so much, if possible
• His antenna orientation might be wrong — ask him to point it upward
• He might sound garbled or distorted — ask him to back his mouth away from his microphone an inch or two
• He might sound too quiet — ask him to get as close to the microphone as possible, then speak louder, clearer, and to not allow his voice volume to trail off at the end of the sentence
• He might be transmitting a loud alternator whine — if the whine is loud enough to compete with his audio, ask him to turn off the engine, if possible
• Does he know where his microphone hole is?
• He might be puffing or blowing into his microphone — ask him to speak at the side of the radio or microphone
• He might sound as though he's got a loose connection — ask him to make sure his antenna is securely connected

Things he can do later:
• Get a better antenna
• Get a better microphone
• Install a tiger tail
• Get a longer-lasting battery

If you believe another ham can hear him better than you can, you might want to ask for a relay of his message. As they say in amateur radio, if you can't hear 'em, you can't work 'em, meaning you need to be heard by others, so that they can communicate with you. By the way, asking people to modify their microphone gain will actually have little effect on making them sound louder or better for several reasons, especially if they're on an HT.
Baofeng radios are legal to use [link]
There's been quite a lot of discussion and concern lately about certain announcements made by the FCC regarding some models of Chinese radios. Bottom line is that they are all legit, and can be used legally by licensed amateurs, as long as you're using them on amateur frequencies.

The controversy arose because many Chinese radios have the ability to transmit on frequencies outside amateur bands. Ok, that's not so bad, because we amateurs know the rules, so that notice doesn't really bother us, because we follow the rules. Then along came some marketers who not only advertised that these radios can transmit on those non-amateur frequencies, but encouraged people to transmit on them without a license. That's what got them into trouble, and prompted the FCC to make the announcements.

Because of the confusing wordage of the announcements, coupled with mis-interpretations by an FCC attorney, many hams felt that they could no longer use their cheap, little handhelds legally. But after a series of clarifications, prompted in part by objections from the ARRL, we have been re-assured that our Baofengs and other Chinese radios are perfectly legal to use. And can you sell them? Yes, you can, personally. That means to one ham from another.

So, I repeat: it's completely legal for you to use any Chinese, Japanese, Indian, or even Martian radios, as long as you use them on ham frequencies.

More details are spelled out in the club newsletter, the November 2018 issue of the UVARC Shack p. 22, about the legality of using Chinese radios.

Personal training topics

You might want to use an ear piece or head phones [link]
Admit it...your spouse doesn't like it when she has to listen to your friends call out to you on your little HT with that irritating government-sounding audio. So you take it into the next room, where the signal might be sketchy, or outside where it's freezing cold. But to communicate, you need to hear the other person talk to you. And if that other person has a soft voice, is talking too far from his microphone, or has a staticky signal, you find yourself turning up the volume and running your family out of your house.

What you need is something that will let you hear the other person, but that silences your radio so that your family can't hear the people on the other end. There are several things you can purchase, that will fit the bill, like headphones, earphones, a head-piece, and earbuds. Problem is, unlike regular stereo equipment, you can't always go to Walmart and purchase what you need. More often than not, you need to get an ear piece that has a plug, maybe even a double-plug, that fits only your radio model.

Ok, so if others don't want to hear you, simply take it outside, right? Well, if you're able to brave the shivering cold, the better signal will help the other person hear you, but you might have a more difficult time hearing him, because of all the outdoor noise, from cars on the street, from people, and from the breeze. An ear piece can focus all the audio you want to hear from your radio into your head, often in spite of surrounding noise, while still taking advantage of a good location.

But just as importantly, you really should get an ear piece for your radio, to help free up your hands if you're serving during an incident. With an ear piece, you can usually hear the other person on the radio pretty well, without forcing you to get the unit close enough to your ear to hear it, possibly dropping it on the sidewalk. Just attach your radio by a belt clip to your pants, your vest, or backpack, and then you can move the weight of your unit from your hand to your body.

Some ear piece options to consider include those with a speaker and microphone combination, those with a handy PTT switch, maybe near your head, or those that support VOX, or voice-activated transmit. One I like is a speaker-microphone that also has an antenna connection, placing my antenna above my shoulders, and the speaker-microphone on my lapel. Of course, the drawback to speaker-microphones is that people around you can still hear the other person, and you might still be plagued by street noise if you take it outside.

Purchase an ear piece that has a plug or connector made for your particular radio. Clip your radio to your clothing or vest. Route the ear piece wiring under your vest and over to your radio, such that your head is able to move freely, and your hands can move around without getting tangled in the wiring. Test it, then test it again. With this kind of setup, you'll feel a little more free to help injured victims, while being able to communicate.

Protocol training topics

What to say at the end of your QSO [link]
If there's one thing that new hams find awkward, is what to say at the end of the QSO, or conversation. The answer is, your call sign is all you need.

But most people find that rather impersonal or incomplete, and feel compelled to say things like clear or over or something else that sounds official or police-like. For example, the following is what some hams run into:
Ham 1 : Well, I've got to go now, so I'll see you later.
Ham 2 : Ok, I'll catch you later. KI7ABC.
Ham 1 : 7-3 KI7ABC from KI7DEF. I'll be clear on your final.
Ham 2 : Ok, 7-3 KI7DEX, I mean KI7DES. No, wait KI7DEF from KI7ABC, clear.
Ham 1 : Ok, KI7DEF, over and out.

These two hams are doing their best to follow the rules, but feel awkward simplifying their closing, believing the other ham will feel snubbed by his directness. Furthermore, Ham 2 is struggling to remember Ham 1's call sign. To help this, I recommend two things at the end of your QSO:
• Don't worry about giving the other person's call sign
• Give your own call sign when it's the only thing left to say, except maybe 7-3

These are not rules, but suggestions. Here's an example, using the same two hams above:
Ham 1 : Well, I've got to go now, so I'll see you later. 7-3.
Ham 2 : Ok, I'll catch you later. 7-3.
Ham 1 : KI7DEF.
Ham 2 : KI7ABC.
And they're done. Neither said any call signs until it was time to hang up the mic (pronounced mike) and neither felt that the other ham was being offensive, because both experienced hams understood the guidelines. You never need to remember or say another person's call sign during your QSO. It's often customary to say the other person's call sign when calling for him, but still not necessary. So, you can say either,
Hey, Jim, are you there? This is Tony
or
KI7ABC, KI7DEF

And if you say only call signs, it's understood whose call sign is which, because of the gentlemen's agreement of putting yourself last, which means the person talking in this case is most likely KI7DEF.

And no need to say clear or over or out or any similar military-sounding word.

Is it alright to say these extra words? Sure. Nobody's going to chastise you for saying them, but these tips just might make it a bit easier to conclude your radio conversation.

Emergency training topics

Incident and CERT training

Radio-related training topics

Tactical call signs [link]
One thing hams, as well as police, fire, military, government, and EMS personnel find useful while communicating during an incident is the use of tactical call signs. Tactical call signs represent group names, functions, or geographical locations, such as Medical 3, or Lookout Point, or Grid 27. They're not the same as your FCC-issued call signs, and do not replace them, but can be used as shortcuts during an exercise or emergency.

During an actual call-out it can get really tedious, if not confusing and frustrating, for all parties involved, if you had to remember or read back a series of call signs, fumbling with dyslexic numerals and letters as you try and get some important information to a far-away team. It's easy to say, Team 2, this is Incident Command, and then have the other party repeat, Incident Command, go ahead. That's a little easier easier than, KG7ZSC, I mean KC7ZSZ, this is KB7BVP, only to have the other party say, Was that KC7ZSZ or KC7ZFZ? and then you say, Kilo-charlie-seven-zulu-sierra-zulu, this is kilo-bravo-seven-bravo-victor-papa. By the time you've figured out the call sign, the patient has died.

Another advantage to tactical call signs is that there is no need to keep track of which call sign is where. Imagine Incident Command needing to get an update on a forest fire line advance. KC7ZSZ, this is KB7BVP, with a reply of, This is N7YHU, KC7ZSZ had to leave. Incident Command then asks, Ok, how about KG7UFU? with a reply of, No, KG7UFU had to go too. Incident Command then says, Well, who's still there, who can give me an update? What a time-wasting mess! Instead, try this: Hilltop Overlook, this is Incident Command, with a reply of, Hilltop Overlook, go ahead, and then, Could you please give me a fire-line status? In this case, Incident Command doesn't know, but more importantly doesn't care, who's at Hilltop Overlook; he just wants an update from somebody there who's qualified to deliver the update.

So, whose job is it to assign tactical call signs? It's the responsibility of Incident Command. If IC doesn't care, or has delegated it, it's Net Control's responsibility, but Net Control must then communicate them to IC, so that IC can keep an overall picture of the incident by location or group name. If IC starts calling a group Hospital Deck, that might be a good clue that you should also call it by that name, because that's familiar to him. And if you're the person making up these tactical call signs, please make them as short as you meaningfully can. Instead of giving one team a name of Harvey Gene Wallbanger Memorial Site 3 maybe simply Site 3 is good enough.

Now, all that being said, every ham is still required to transmit the FCC-issued call sign every ten minutes and at the end of the communication, regardless of tactical call signs. One way to do this during a drill, exercise, or incident, is by adding to the chatter and stating your actual call sign every time you speak, which is not recommended, because you need to say less, not more. The recommended approach is for Net Control to ask everybody to say their call signs every ten minutes, all at the same time. Yes, you'll be doubling with thirty other people, but you've satisfied the rule, to state your call sign; there is no requirement that anybody actually hear your call sign.
Setting up a relay station [link]
During an actual incident, what's often needed is a relay station to transfer messages between two stations who couldn't reach each other by repeater (because it's down or unavailable) or by simplex (too many obstructions). You can accomplish this several ways, but probably the two most common ways is by local control and automatic control.

Local control means you're the relay station, and you need to travel to a location between the two most critical communication stations that are having trouble hearing each other. All three of your stations are using the same simplex frequency. You hear messages from one station, then repeat the same message on the same frequency, so that both stations can hear you. You then hear responses from the other station, and once again repeat the responses on the same frequency, so that both stations can hear you.

Automatic control means you're responsible for setting up a repeater station, possibly a cross-band repeater (XBR), between the two most critical communication stations that are having trouble hearing each other. You set your XBR to a 2-meter simplex and a 70-cm frequency, then ask one of the two distant stations to set their frequency to the 2-meter frequency and the other distant station to the 70-cm frequency.

Things to take into account with either method include location, power needs, and access. The location of your relay station could be in your home, a school, or out in a field if the weather is cooperating, as long as your surroundings don't obstruct your signal, making your relays worthless. If you're away from home, you're going to need to plug into an outlet if the power is on and reachable.

If AC power is not available, you might need a trusty battery, whose size will depend on your radio and usage. If you're going to be out for long, setting up a solar panel might be a good idea, if you have one. Finally, make sure you have immediate access to your station if at all possible, especially if you're running an XBR, in case the battery dies or if the station frequencies needs to readjusted, to avoid interference, for example.
Consider getting an ear piece [link]
Admit it...your spouse doesn't like it when she has to listen to your friends call out to you on your little HT in that irritating government-sounding audio. So, you take it into the next room, where the signal is sketchy, or outside, where it's freezing cold. But to communicate, you need to hear the other person talk to you. And if that other person has a soft voice, is talking too far from his microphone, or has a staticky signal, you'll find yourself turning up the volume and running your family out of your house.

What you need is something that will let you hear the other person, but that silences your radio so that your family can't hear the other person. And there are several things you can purchase, that will fit the bill, like headphones, earphones, a head-piece, and earbuds. Problem is, unlike regular stereo equipment, you can't always go to Walmart and purchase what you need. More often than not, you need to get an ear piece that has a plug, maybe even a double-plug, that fits only your radio model.

Ok, so if others don't want to hear you, simply take it outside, right? Well, if you're able to brave the shivering cold, the better signal will help the other person hear you, but you might have a more difficult time hearing him, because of all the outdoor noise, from cars on the street, from people, and from the breeze. An ear piece can focus all the audio you want to hear from your radio into your head, often in spite of surrounding noise, while still taking advantage of a good location.

But just as important, you really should get an ear piece for your radio, to help free up your hands if you're serving during an incident. With an ear piece, you can usually hear the other person on the radio pretty well, without forcing you to get the unit close enough to your ear to hear it, possibly dropping it on the sidewalk. Just attach your radio by a belt clip to your pants, your vest, or backpack, and then you can move the weight of your unit from your hand to your body.

Some ear piece options to consider are those with a speaker and microphone combination (speaker-mic), those with a handy PTT switch, maybe near your head, and those that support VOX, or voice-activated transmit. One I like is a speaker-mic that also has an antenna connection, placing my antenna above my shoulders, and the speaker-mic on my lapel. Any way you approach an ear piece, you'll be able to free up your hands a little to concentrate on more important tasks.
Know how to manually operate your radio [link]
One day, before the time of GPS technology, a man was driving all over an upscale section of New York City, until he decided to ask for directions. He flagged down a pedestrian and rolled down his window. "Excuse me, sir, could you please tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" The pedestrian answered, "Practice, practice, practice."

You've got your ham radio license, you took a CERT course, and now you have a nice little radio that you've grown to like. In fact, to take your readiness a step farther, you had your little unit programmed with 200 channels of something or other. Furthermore, you use your radio by participating in the New Ham Net, the 76ers Net, and even your stake net. Terrific! But if worse comes to worse, have you done what it takes to be radio-ready for an actual incident?

During an emergency, do you know what frequencies to use? Because of the nets you participate in, maybe so. But what if your programmed frequencies are busy, and you need to move to a frequency that's not programmed in your radio. Will you know how to manually set that? At a moment's notice, you might need to find a simplex frequency, or change to one that your net control has dictated. Will you know how to do that manually, in seconds? How about if he or she asks you to change to a repeater that you don't have set in your radio? Will you know how to set the offset and tone?

Assuming you have all of that, depending on the emergency, will your hands be free enough to help people, or will they be occupied by a handheld radio? Wouldn't it be better to put a belt clip on the back of your radio, then attach it to your pants or pants pocket? And then, wouldn't it be convenient to attach a speaker-microphone from your radio to your lapel? Then your hands will be free, except when one hand is pressing the button on your lapel.

And after doing all of that, suddenly your battery dies. Wouldn't it be convenient to have a freshly charged battery, or a sled of alkalines that you can slide onto your radio? And what if people complain that they couldn't hear you very well? Do you have an extra antenna, either a flexible Signal Stick or a telescopic one, or at least a whip, that you can replace your rubber duck with?

Finally, use your net as your personal "emergency" by practicing these things during the net. While your net is going, 1) switch to VFO Mode ("Frequency Mode") and punch in your net frequency manually, 2) clip your radio to your pants pocket and attach your speaker-mic to the radio, 3) turn off your radio and replace the battery, and 4) replace your antenna with a better one. Now, repeat that during the net again next week.

Getting your license was a great first step, but now it's time to do more than just stash your radio away until there's an emergency. Because when an incident arises, and you aren't used to using your radio effectively, you'll suddenly create your own emergency, rendering your license useless. For real estate agents, the motto is "Location, location, location." For those of us trying to prepare for the unthinkable and yet be helpful, it's "Practice, practice, practice."

Personal training topics

Helping somebody in distress [link]
We've talked previously about how to aid somebody who's calling for help. That is, how to discern their needs, whom you shoud call, and how you can personally assist in the way of equipment or relaying emergency messages. But there's another side to helping a person who is calling for anybody out there to come to their aid, and that's the personal side. In other words, is there something helpful you can actually say to them on the radio?

During an actual crisis, not only will your caller be frantic, but believe it or not, you're going to start freaking out too. The caller will be in great danger, or will be calling for a loved one who's screaming out in pain, and that person will most likely not have his or her mind together during the communication. And in spite of all your training, your bloodstream will be flowing with a half-gallon of adrenaline, causing you to speak very quickly, in a high-pitched voice, and begin to hyperventilate.

So, what can you say to somebody who desperately needs your help, when your own heart is racing? First, let's mention a few things you should NOT say:
• Do not lie to them by telling them that you understand how they feel, or that help is on the way, or that they're going to be alright. Yes, you've called 911, and police dispatch has assured you they'll get there soon, but you really have no idea if or when. And you have no clue as to how they feel or whether they'll be alright.
• Don't tell them to stay calm or to not worry. It's alright to worry. We're human and are born to worry, as a defense mechanism.
• Don't tell them not to cry or that they shouldn't feel bad. They have every right to feel bad, and that bad feeling, especially crying, can actually be their own mind's way of dealing with the situation.
• Do not tell them it's God's will that these things happened the way they did. You have no idea that's true, and it's often insulting to arbitrarily assign some sort of religious meaning to the situation, and can anger them.
• Don't tell them that they're strong and that they'll get through this. You don't know they're strong, and many will seriously question whether they'll actually survive the event.
Ok, so you know of a few things you should not say. So, what could you say to this person who is under such stress? First, take a deep breath before speaking. Second, slow down and lower your pitch. Here are a few things you can say:
• Ask them their name. As much as you can, refer to them by their name. That's their most favorite word and sound in the world. It's calming and reassuring, and tells them that you're listening and interested.
• Don't overwhelm them with a hundred questions, but ask questions as you would in a regular conversation. Find out what happened, who is injured, and how severe the injuries are. Often, people are looking more for a listening ear than an ambulance.
• Assure them that you're doing whatever you can to help. Tell them you're not a doctor or a policeman, but that you know how to work a radio, and will try and get them the help they need.
• Keep them talking. Again, not to overwhelm them, but ask them about their family, where they live, what their father does for a living. They want to talk about themselves, and it helps distract them from the problem at hand for a little while.

The best way to keep them calm is by you setting the tone and the example, hard as it might be. It's ok to be surprised, but keep your cool, even when the other person says something shocking or unexpected. Don't get angry or upset, don't raise your voice unless you're in a noisy environment, and don't use profanity. Use a calm and deliberate voice, and before long, they'll subconsciously start imitating your tone.

Protocol training topics

Always serve with a companion [link]
Many years ago I served an LDS mission in Japan. While there, I learned that one of the rules was that my companion and I went everywhere and pretty much did everything together. Except for showering and personal hygeine moments, we were together in the same room 24/7. And that taught me the value of companionship, not just because of an arbitrary rule, but because of a number of good reasons, which now seem common sense.

I recommend that, when we serve in any emergency communication capacity, such as a drill or an event, or an actual incident, that we work as companions, and for many reasons. When you're working with another, reporting becomes a little more accurate, you feel the need to share your time and resources, time seems to pass a little easier, and you might even feel a bit safer.

A couple of years ago I was serving at the Squaw Peak 50 ultra-marathon up Provo Canyon. When I arrived, I noticed a young lady setting up the radio and refreshments at the aid station. I saw a few others there that I knew, but out of nowhere a man walked up and wanted to know what we were doing. He was obviously inebriated, and started to sit close to the young lady, then helping himself to people's water bottles, and speaking loudly. It was apparent that the people at our aid station were a bit nervous about the situation, so I kept placing myself between the wanderer and the young lady. But the thought occurred to me, What if this woman was all by herself? Would she have felt safe? I mean, there's no cell service up there.

My suggestion is that, when you see another radio operator sitting alone, plant yourself right alongside the person, and make yourself a new friend. Let the operator know that you're going to assist and work right alongside him or her. This way, if one of you does get asked about some details or actions, you can now vouch for each other.

And let me conclude by saying this IS my suggestion, and not a rule or a law, or even a demand; I believe it's just common sense. For safety, for protection, for accountability, and for companionship during a possibly intense moment.

Emergency training topics

What kind of grab-N-go bag [link]
When you need to leave your home in a hurry, you'll also need to take with you as much as you can reasonably carry in a grab-N-go backpack, to free up your arms to do other tasks. But the kind of backpack you get might not help you as much as you'd like if you select one that doesn't have the features to accommodate your needs. The two biggest backpack concerns are typically size and utility.

You'll want your backpack to be large enough to hold everything you need in a grab-N-go bag, such as clothing, food, water, first-aid, toiletries, flashlight, batteries, and hundreds of other things that are important to you. But if you get one that's too large, you might be tempted to over-fill it, and the pack can become awkward and difficult to carry. One thing to think about is whether your backpack is large enough to expand outward from your body, rather than just upward (taller.)

The word utility refers to your pack's usefulness. If possible, your backpack should contain multiple full-sized storage spaces and plenty of large and small pockets. It should also have plenty of hooks, straps, or other means of attaching items to the exterior of your pack, such as those on a MOLLE or tactical style backpack.

Other useful features you might want to consider in a grab-N-go backpack are hydration bladder and hose, plastic (rather than metal) zippers, carrying handle, adjustable straps, strap hooks, chest straps, rubber or plastic feet (to set it down without wearing it out), in-pack frame, back padding, bottom hooks or straps (to attach underneath, like a tent or sleeping bag / pad), water resistance, cover or hood, outer webbing or mesh pockets, side pockets (for your water bottle or other), hidden pockets, locking waistband, double-stitching, and zippered expansion.

Finally, you'll need to decide where to store your grab-N-go backpack, which might actually help you decide what kind to get. Place your pack in a coat closet near your front door or other exit, where you believe you'll most likely leave from your home if you need to. This allows you the convenience of checking and re-stocking your bag regularly right in your home. Some place it in their garages for the same reason, because they plan to escape by vehicle. Still others keep their backpacks inside their vehicles at all times. Just some food for thought.
What should go in your grab-N-go bag [link]
Every person should have two things they have stashed near an exit-way in the event of a true disaster during which they might need to evacuate: a 72-hour kit and a grab-n-go bag. Some folks are resourceful enough to figure out how to combine these, but most of us are not. The 72-hour kit should contain everything we need to sustain life away from home for 72 hours, including water, water purifier, food, medicine, toiletries, TP, blankets, first-aid kit, flashlight, headlamp, batteries, candles, lighter, raincoat, and dry change of clothing.

The grab-n-go bag should contain your CERT vest, CERT helmet, radio, antenna, radio, batteries, tools, paper forms, pens, markers, non-latex gloves, work gloves, emergency tent, emergency sleeping bag, and wipes. One thing that can make all of this easier to haul is a collapsible wagon, assuming your disaster terrain is flat enough for one. And if you do have a wagon, I would add a portable toilet.

With all of this, you're minimally prepared to serve your community in a CERT capacity. But let's take a look at the radio you've packed in your grab-n-go bag. First, is your radio already programmed with useful frequencies? These should include the following:
• your area simplex frequency (mine is 147.480 MHz)
• your city simplex frequency (mine is 145.770 MHz)
• several local ragchew repeater frequencies (ours are 146.760- MHz, 146.780- MHz)
• your local ARES repeater frequencies (ours is 147.340+ MHz)
• your ERC repeater frequency (mine is 147.020+ MHz)
• 146.520 MHz, the National 2-meter Simplex frequency
• a local weather frequency (ours is 162.550 MHz)
• KSL-FM 102.7 (the designated state emergency broadcast frequency)
• many like to program local police frequencies, but no real need for that, especially since most radios can't be programmed to them.
Finally, your radio batteries needs to be alkaline, not rechargeable. Store your pre-programmed radio with a disconnected sled of alkaline batteries and a disconnected Signal Stick or telescopic antenna.
How to answer a call for help [link]
As a CERT member, you know that your community service is very needed when there's an incident or emergency. You've been trained on really valuable skills, like Triage, Minor Medical, Light Search and Rescue, and the Incident Command System, all of which can help save lives when your help is needed. One thing we don't always get much training on, however, is how to answer a call for help.

First, when you hear a request for assistance, you might not recognize it as a call for help. That's because you're listening for a smooth, trained voice who's used to talking on ham radio. The person on the other end might sound frantic, high-pitched, and hyperventilated. It'll take everything you've got to remain calm, even if the other person isn't.

Second, the other person might not have ever heard of a call sign, let alone have a license. It'll be up to you to ask the other person a lot of questions, to help keep him focused, to keep him talking to you as long as you could, until help arrives, if it does. Ask what his or her name is, call him by his name every chance you get. People feel more calm and at home when you repeat their names often.

Third, find out about his environment, whether he's in a safe place. How about others nearby, or is he alone? Are they alright? How old is he or she? If it's a child, where are the parents? Are there power lines down near him? Does he smell gas? Is there broken glass on the floor near him? Is there water on the floor or spraying in the air? Are the lights on?

Finding out as much information as you can will help in three ways: it'll provide the caretakers (like police or fire or parents) enough info to assess, it'll help calm the other person, and surprisingly, it'll help calm you as well. There's often a lot of talk about protecting privacy, but I'll tell you right now that when a child's life is in danger, her privacy is probably not the first priority.

Other

Radio-related training topics

Setting up a net at work [link]
With all the nets that people have, it might be nice to set up a net at work. This way, our work place could become better prepared for an incident, it might make a good daytime distraction, and it could be a vehicle to invite others to get licensed. But, like with any other amateur endeavor, there are rules.

You can indeed hold a weekly net at work, and even invite licensed co-workers to check in, and even non-licensed folks to look on. But during a drill or an incident, you won't be able to use ham radio to communicate, because you're getting paid to do so. Not even if you're a policeman, a fireman, a medic, or even the governor. After hours, there's not a problem, because you're not getting paid to do ham.

The one exception is if you're teaching ham radio. The rules permit teachers to teach ham radio and get on the air with their students, and still get paid to do all of this. This falls under incident to classroom instruction and can apply to other professions if they are also teaching ham radio in a classroom setting during working hours.

So, setting up a regular net at work is good practice, as long as you and your co-participants understand that the object is not so you can do ham radio during working hours, unless life or property is at risk.

Personal training topics

Protocol training topics

Emergency training topics

What frequency to listen to, when you're the victim [link]
You want to be as helpful as you can be when the need arises, to render some assistance to others. But what if you were the person who needs the help? No doubt you've learned about and prepared many things to be self-sufficient during a critical moment, including with communication. So, what frequencies should you tune to during an incident, especially if cell towers become damaged or otherwise unavailable? Here are some suggested ones, roughly in order:


• Your Area frequency if you're near your home neighborhood. Your Area is the geographical location defined by local religious leaders. And you know your Area frequency because it's the one that's held weekly by the predominant faith, and you don't have to be a member of the faith to participate. You should be able to locate yours on noji.com/nets.
• Your City frequency if you're within your home city, and is one of those used by your city during a city-wide drill
• Your ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) repeater frequency. For Utah County, that's 147.340+ MHz (100.0 Hz tone).
• The National Simplex Frequency, which is 146.520 MHz, and part of the Wilderness Protocol (for the 70 cm band, it's 446.000 MHz)
• The designatd statewide FM broadcast emergency channel, which for Utah is KSL, 102.7 MHz and 1160 kHz
• Any or all of several police, sheriff, fire, and EMS (emergency medical services) frequencies, which include, but are not limited to, the following:
  
  
  • 154.860 MHz : North Utah County Sheriff
  • 156.135 MHz : South Utah County Sheriff
  • 153.950 MHz : Utah Public Safety
  • 155.235 MHz : Utah County Search and Rescue
  • 861.0375 MHz : Utah County Sheriff and Salt Lake County Sheriff

Finally, and possibly counter-intuitive, be sure to program your radios with a few ragchew repeater frequencies. That is, frequencies of the nearest repeaters that are the most often used. For Utah County those would likely be 146.760- MHz, 146.780- MHz (100.0 Hz tone), and 146.620- MHz. If you're in need of help, and call out on one of these repeaters, chances are fairly good that somebody will be monitoring and will answer your call for help.