DISTRICT SEARCH AND RESCUE COMPETITION

KIMBERLING CITY, MISSOURI

9 AND 10 MAY 2008

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

1. “DSAR Radio”, will be up and running by 1600 Thursday, 8 May 2008

2. There will be a staff of three Auxiliarists assigned to DSAR Radio.

A. Robert Fennessey (417-399-4669

B. Harry Weissenberger (417-483-4072)

C. Joseph Beran (417-300-6056)

3. Primary communications channel for DSAR will be channel 83.

4. Backup communications channel will be channel 81.

5. All participating vessels will be equipped with VHF radios and must utilize dual frequency monitoring if available for channels 16 and 83.

6. Division 5 has six hand held radios to be assigned to Unified Command Personnel.

All participants who own handheld radios are asked to bring them.

7. “DSAR Radio” will have the radio guard for all participating surface vessels. DSAR Radio will notify Memphis Communications Center when the exercises get under way and when they are secured for the day.

8. The Air Branch Chief, LTJG Christopher Aument, will be responsible for the radio guard for air assets.

9. The helicopter will be using channel 83 as a primary working frequency for Air Ops and 81 as a Secondary frequency. The helo will use 122.95 as the air-to-air frequency during DSAR (CDR Campbell will monitor this frequency with a handheld from the ground).

Additionally, DSAR Radio will keep the radio guard for the helicopter while they are airborne. The helo should provide an operations normal call and position report in Lat/Long to DSAR Radio every 15 minutes unless they are visible over the lake from the DSAR staging area, then they can simply state "Ops normal in DSAR OpArea." DSAR Radio will keep a log of the aircraft check-in and position. Since the helo (using the VTAC frequencies below) will have the ability to contact the local Fire Department, then DSAR radio does not need to provide a comms link between the helo and the Fire Department.

CDR Campbell will bring a VHF-AM Aviation Band Radio in order to monitor the helicopter on 122.95 over the DSAR Ops area.

Brian McNeving with the Southern Stone County FD said they have the Federal VTAC Frequencies on their radios. The Southern Stone County FD prefers to communicate on the VCALL channel: These are the channels and frequencies:

VHF National Mutual Aid Channels

Channel (MHz) Label Description

155.7525 base/mobile VCALL National Calling (PL Tone 156.7HZ - S.C. recommended)

151.1375 base/mobile VTAC 1 National Tactical (PL Tone 156.7HZ - S.C. recommended)

154.4525 base/mobile VTAC 2 National Tactical (PL Tone 156.7HZ - S.C. recommended)

158.7375 base/mobile VTAC 3 National Tactical (PL Tone 156.7HZ - S.C. recommended)

159.4725 base/mobile VTAC 4 National Tactical (PL Tone 156.7HZ - S.C. recommended)

Note: Direct radio to radio operations only. Since a National standard has not been set for the use of PL with the VTAC's, radios should be programmed with the ability to disable the receive PL if needed.

Our programmable TAIT radio in the DSAR Radio Room will be programmed to the VTAC VCALL frequency.

10. DSAR Radio will watch weather radar and weather service announcements and advise boats, crew and air ops of any pending bad weather.

11. All participating vessels, when on the water will send operations and position checks to DSAR Radio every thirty minutes.

12. Data on all surface vessels will be maintained in the radio station.

13. Cell phone number of participants coordinating and directing the event are as follows:

COMO Jackson Gumb (785-221-7268) jack.gumb@srs.ks.gov, jgumb@cox.net

CDR Campbell todd.j.campbell@uscg.mil

CDR Maguire Patrick.j.maquire@uscg.mil

CWO Leavell douglas.d.leavell@uscg.mil

CWO Gordon

LTJG Christopher Aument, Air Station NOLA, 504-393-6082(w), Christopher.A.Aument@uscg.mil

Ron Allen (314-315-6862) dixiedawn@juno.com