ALERT STATUS
Condition 4 –Normal.
Normal and routine conditions currently exist. EmComm leaders should maintain contact on the state ARES HF net at 7:30 PM each Monday evening; establish relationships with potential clients; organize, recruit and train members. Don’t forget the Thursday night two meter net on 146.70 MHz linked system, “the Rio Grande Valley EmComm Net” each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. local time.
SPARCS members should improve their knowledge and skills through ARECC training, participating in public service events, meetings, traffic and HF ARES training nets; program radios with SPARCS and ARES frequencies; verify the readiness of their equipment on a monthly basis; and enjoy Amateur Radio.
National Homeland Security Knowledgebase
ALERT OR READINESS CONDTIONS IN SOUTH TEXAS FOR THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. ISSUED BY SPARCS OFFICERS AND KEY PERSONNEL:
Readiness conditions. Most emergencies follow some recognizable build-up period during which actions can be taken to achieve a state of maximum readiness. These readiness conditions are used as a method of increasing the alert posture of ARES members.
6.1. Condition 4 –Normal. Denotes normal and routine conditions are present EmComm leaders should maintain contact on the state ARES HF net at 7:30 PM each Monday evening; establish relationships with potential clients; organize, recruit and train members.
SPARCS members should improve their knowledge and skills through ARECC training, participating in public service events, meetings, traffic and HF ARES training nets; program radios with SPARCS and ARES frequencies; verify the readiness of their equipment on a monthly basis; and enjoy Amateur Radio.
6.2. Condition 3 – Increased Readiness. Condition 3 refers to a situation which presents an increased potential threat, but poses no immediate threat to life or property. This condition includes situations which could become hazardous. This includes severe weather such as hurricane watch, high wind (above 58 MPH) expected, tornado watch, flash flood watch, or winter storm watch.
6.2.1. If activated, SPARCS leaders should maintain contact on the state ARES HF net at 7 PM each evening; review emergency communications plan; contact potential SPARCS clients; notify SPARCS members that activation is possible but not expected.
6.2.2. SPARCS members should review their family emergency plan; refresh food, water and clothes in go-kits; check or charge HT and storage batteries weekly; carry HT at all times; keep their vehicle fuel tank more than half full; and participate in weekly nets.
6.3. Condition 2 – Escalated Response Condition. Condition 2 could be triggered by severe weather warnings, such as inland hurricane; high wind, high water, tornado, flash flood, or winter storm warnings.
6.3.1. If activated, SPARCS leaders, or their representative, should maintain contact on the state ARES HF net at 7 PM each evening; prepare operator schedules for key clients, operations and resource nets; activate a resource net; conduct a daily meeting or conference call; notify SPARCS members that activation is expected or imminent.
6.3.2. SPARCS members should monitor their repeaters; secure their home, family and emergency supplies; top off their vehicle fuel tank; place go-kits and batteries in car.
6.4. Condition 1 – Emergency Condition. Condition 1 could be triggered by severe weather warnings or actual conditions, such as, high winds, tornado sighted close to or moving towards a populated area, or flooding.
6.4.1. SPARCS leaders, or their representative, should maintain continuing contact on the state ARES HF net; activate local operations nets.
6.4.2. SPARCS members should follow the direction of their chosen leaders or delegated representatives, such as net control stations.
RADIO FREQUENCIES FOR LOCAL AND STATE OPERATION:
STARS (VOICE)
146.70 Valley-wide EMERGENCY Repeater (emergency power backup)
146.76 McAllen-Edinburg
147.04 Brownsville TX
147.12 South Padre - Port Isabel
147.14 Harlingen Medical Center
145.01 WinLink RMS Gateway (Harlingen Police Department)
3873 KHz LSB State ARES Net - Nite VOICE
7285 KHz LSB State ARES Net - Day VOICE
