LDS ERC - How To Get Started
By Kevin Reeve N7RXE
N7RXE@ARRL.NET
Condensed from a presentations given at the 2016 Great Salt Lake Hamfest in July 2016, titled “LDS ERC, Going from Zero to Hero”
I am often asked how do I get emergency communications organized in my stake/ward. Or how do I get my stake, ward, bishop, stake president on board with ham radio. Many have been called as Stake or Ward ERC specialists, but just do not know how to start. Some are frustrated because their local leaders do not have any direction, and there is nothing in the handbook regarding this calling.
I have often pondered the appropriate answer to this question, and have given several over the years based on my own experience as a Stake Emergency Communications Specialist, and a member of a Stake Emergency
Preparedness Committee.
Yes our Stake President was on board from day 1, however he knew nothing about ham radio on day 1, or it’s capability. He had no idea about ERC, or the Bishops storehouse net. What he did know was that he wanted the members of his Stake to be prepared. He called a Stake Emergency Preparedness Specialist. We did not start with Ham Radio, we started with something much more broad. It was a stake emergency preparedness plan.
Looking back 8 years now to when our stake started, this is the key. Once you have a stake/ward emergency preparedness plan, you will know how amateur radio will fit in. Better yet if you can be a part of the committee putting the plan together, or updating the plan, you can give insights into what you and amateur radio can provide. You can then recruit others and move forward knowing what the plan is, and outline how amateur radio will be part of the execution of the plan.
Provident Living Website
In 2016, the church updated the provident living website and shared some great resources on Stake and Ward emergency preparedness plans, which includes a section on Emergency Communications.
If you visit the churches provident living website, you will find a link to emergency preparedness.
https://providentliving.lds.org/emergency-preparedness-and-response/stake-ward-emergency-planning-guide?lang=eng
On that page there is a Stake and Ward Emergency Preparedness Guide broken down into 4 steps.
1. Identify Likely Disasters
2. Gather Critical Information
3. Outline Assignments and Procedures
4. Identify Emergency Communications Methods
5. Encourage Member Preparation
I encourage you to go to this website and read through the entire emergency preparedness section. There are worksheets on the site as well that can assist your ward/stake in putting together an emergency preparedness plan that includes emergency communications, and specifically amateur radio. Just remember to think about alltypes of communication methods that might be used in an emergency.
Some excerpts from emergency communications section of the website.
Refer to your Disaster Review and Planning for Disruptions worksheets to plan for communication disruptions.
In addition, use the Critical Information—Equipment, Skills, and Communication Resources worksheet to determine how you will communicate in a disaster and what communication methods you will use.
An emergency communications plan should ensure that Church leaders and members can:
• Contact missionaries and members following a disaster.
• Determine the condition of and potential impact on missionaries, members and their homes, Church property, and the community, and be able to report that information to appropriate leaders.
• Coordinate relief efforts.
A key part of disaster response is for Church leaders to have open lines of communication with Church headquarters, Church members, and community leaders. Identify and plan for alternative communication methods that can be used in case the phone system, cellular phone service, power grid, or vehicle transportation routes are disrupted during a disaster.
From the Worksheet – My favorite Part
“As needed, priesthood leaders may call members of their units to be communication specialists. Qualified specialists often own communications equipment and possess valuable experience. “
My favorite part of this statement is the word “qualified,” and the last three words, “possess valuable experience.” That is where you and I come in.
We Can Do Something
While there is the optimal situation, I am a firm believer that when we do not have the optimal situation or organizational readiness in our units, we can and should do something. Even when we are the only amateur radio operator, we can and should do something to magnify our calling. Our goal is to become more qualified, more experience, which leads to becoming an asset for our church, neighborhood, and community.
What Next – This is where the “hero” part comes in.
The magic of amateur radio to be an asset in a disaster is not because of the equipment. It is because of the trained radio operator who also has the right equipment and accessories.
• Enhance your equipment. A handheld is a great communications tool for an emergency situation. There are a few low cost things you can add to it that will enhance your ability and reliability to transmit and receive communications.
• External antenna – mag mount, or portable vertical. Having an antenna on the outside of the building with coax running in to your handheld will enhance your ability to communicate.
• External battery, AA battery back, or extra batteries. Batteries only last so long. Most disasters will outlast your handhelds battery. Make a plan to be able to stay on the air for 72 hours without AC electricity.
• Speaker Mic and earphones. Earphones will allow you to listen to radio communications in noisy environments without holding the radio up to your ear or asking for repeats.
• Training. Owning a radio and checking into the ERC or other nets is a great start. Now work on becoming that qualified operator who possesses valuable experience/skill by looking for training and radio communication exercise opportunities in your area.
• Sign up to provide communications for one of the many running/cycling events in Cache Valley. You can request to be teamed up with another radio op to get experience and learn.
• Attend local training events like ARES/RACES, club meetings, ERC show and tell events, and hamfests. Participate with the Amateur Radio Field Day. These will allow you to exercise your equipment, learn proper protocols and frequencies, as well as meet great mentors.
• Recruit others and encourage others to advance their skills.
• Organize or participate in local unit communication exercises. Deploy to the church houses and test your communications.
• Be prepared to get communication from point A to point B regardless of the locations of those points, and if they are outside your unit. Know how to get messages where they need to go.
In Summary
We can do something. Encourage the creation of, and follow your priesthood leader direction to create an emergency preparedness plan using the resources and guide on the provident living website. Help leaders with a vision on how amateur radio can help them execute the plan with emergency communications and make it part of the written plan. Enhance your own equipment with needed accessories so you can keep it on the air for 72 hours and communicate from inside a church building. Enhance your operator skills by seeking out training and communication exercise opportunities. Recruit and encourage others to be prepared, get their license, and enhance their equipment and radio skills.