Standard Operating Procedures

These pages include the preparation and operational procedures to be followed when an emergency occurs. These actions include alert and actual activation, net operation, traffic handling, and some of the tools and equipment needed to support emergencies. The other pages under this procedure are intended to be a quick reference for any of the possible assignments you might come up against while working with ARES®. Printing of those pages is suggested and made part of your emergency kit.
Volunteer Attitude

Your attitude is more important than your radio skills. By maintaining a professional and helpful attitude, served agencies will point with pride to ham’s efforts and accomplishments. Our name says that we are “Amateurs,” its real reference is to the fact that we are not paid for our efforts. It need not imply that our efforts or demeanor will be anything less than professional. “Professionalism” means getting the job done efficiently — with a minimum of fuss. No matter which agency you serve — emergency management, the Red Cross, or others, it is helpful to remember that emergency communications volunteers are like unpaid employees. If you maintain the attitude that you are an employee of the agency you are serving, with all that employee status implies, there is little chance for you to go astray. You are there to help solve their communication problems. Do whatever you can, within reason, to accomplish that goal, and avoid becoming part of a problem between them and us.

ARES® Alert Procedure

During an emergency, contacting the members of ARES® is a critical first step. Power outages, telephone interruptions and repeater problems can all interfere with our ability to communicate with our members. Therefore, when any ARES® members are aware of or have reason to believe that an emergency may be in progress, they should listen to the local repeaters listed in Section 4.1 of the Emergency Communications Plan to see if a net is in progress. The repeaters should be the first attempt to get the personnel needed to start covering the emergency.

The next step is to attempt to contact the ARES® members via telephone. ARES EC and AEC’s have access to the county One Call Now and they can send out bulk calls to the ARES members :A telephone call up list is no longer included in this website due to privacy concerns. It is not likely that all telephone lines will be out at the same time. Those Amateurs who have received the call-up should attempt to contact other members in person or by any other means available. HOWEVER, NEVER enter any zone that maybe dangerous to you.

The radio and television stations are another route to being able to alert ARES® members that they are needed. When using other sources, be sure to have the media include a reporting location and a frequency that they can report in on. Be sure there is someone to meet them at the chosen location, or frequency. Normally the EC or an AEC will be the first notified. However, other ARES® members who are normally available most of the time will be listed with the various emergency services.

There is one other important rule of thumb in this area; never report on an emergency scene without instructions to do so. If our ARES® services are needed, we will be called out , so spend that extra time making sure you are ready just in case. ARES® members are encouraged to have a hand-held or mobile radio with them (or in an available jump kit) at all times. An important distinction applies to CERT support operations. CERT / ARES members are authorized to self activate under certain conditions. Consult applicable CERT Guidelines for this type of operation.

ARES nets are not intended to give out status to curious listening stations. Please limit repeater conversations to that necessary for net conduct and service to our agencies and refer all requests for information to appropriate media outlets.

Net Procedures

Net Preamble

Severe Weather Net Preamble

Severe Weather (Winter) Net Preamble

Licking County EMCOM Frequencies

128 CH DUAL UHF ONLY RX FREQ TX OFFSET TX FREQ P/L TX UNLESS NOTED 6 CH TAG COUNTY CITY CALL COMMENTS / USAGE
0 146.88 -0.6 146.28 141.3 RX/TX NARAL Licking Horns Hill W8WRP ARES/CERT
1 146.88 -0.6 146.28 141.3 RX/ TX NARAH Licking Horns Hill W8WRP ARES/CERT
2 1 444.5 5 449.5 141.3 TX NARAU Licking County Horns Hill W8WRP CERT/ARES
3 145.7 0 145.7 DXSPOT Licking DX Spotting Net
4 144.39 0 144.39 Packet APRS Nationwide Requires ext equipment
5 146.46 0 146.46 94.8 ARSNET Licking ALL Licking ARES Primary Simplex Net
6 146.49 0 146.49 SMPL49 Licking ALL ARES TAC 1
7 146.52 0 146.52 NATCL1 All National Calling Freq
8 146.55 0 146.55 SMPL55 All Newark rag chew
9 2 446 0 446 NATCL2 All National Calling Freq
10 146.88 0 146.88 SMPL88 Licking Licking ARES Backup
11 146.835 -0.6 146.235 91.5 AMSTR1 Licking Amsterdam KB8ZMI Emergency Power
12 3 443.925 5 448.925 91.5 AMSTR2 Licking Amsterdam WD8AHV Emergency Power
13 147.33 0.6 147.93 123 PATASK Licking Pataskala W8NBA
14 444.65 5 449.65 HEBRON Licking Hebron KB8TRL
16 145.23 -0.6 144.63 COSH01 Coshocton Coshocton KE8XM Emergency Power
17 147.045 0.6 147.645 COSH02 Coshocton Keene W8CCA
18 145.17 -0.6 144.57 74.4 DELAW1 Delaware Delaware W8SMK Emergency Power
19 145.29 -0.6 144.69 123 DELAW2 Delaware Delaware KA8IWB Emergency Power
20 145.21 -0.6 144.61 71.9 LITHO1 Fairfield Lithopolis KB8WQ
21 145.39 -0.6 144.79 LITHO2 Fairfield Lithopolis KB8VN
22 443.9 5 448.9 LITHO3 Fairfield Lithopolis KB8VN
23 146.7 -0.6 146.1 94.8 LANCA1 Fairfield Lancaster K8QIK Emergency Power
24 147.03 0.6 147.63 71.9 LANCA2 Fairfield Lancaster K8QIK Emergency Power
25 4 443.875 5 448.875 LANCA3 Fairfield Lancaster K8QIK
26 5 444.225 5 449.225 PICKER Fairfield Pickerington K8VKA
27 145.11 -0.6 144.51 COLS01 Franklin Columbus WC8OH Emergency Power
28 145.19 -0.6 144.59 DELAW3 Delaware Delaware N8DCA Emergency Power
29 145.23 -0.6 144.63 COLS02 Franklin Columbus WB8MMR Emergency Power
30 145.27 -0.6 144.67 82.5 Dublin Franklin Dublin WA8PYR Emergency Power
31 145.43 -0.6 144.83 123 COLWX2 Franklin Columbus N8PVC Weather Net Backup
32 145.49 -0.6 144.89 179.9 COLS03 Franklin Columbus W8CMH
33 146.655 -0.6 146.055 GAHANA Franklin Gahanna KB8SXJ Emergency Power
34 146.67 -0.6 146.07 131.8 CRES T Franklin Columbus W8ZPF Emergency Power
35 146.76 -0.6 146.16 123 COLWX1 Franklin Columbus W8RXX Columbus WX Net Wide Area
36 146.805 -0.6 146.205 COLS05 Franklin Columbus WB8LAP
38 146.97 -0.6 146.37 123 NEWALB Franklin New Albany W8RRJ
39 147.06 0.6 147.66 94.8 COARE1 Franklin Columbus K8DDG
40 147.09 0.6 147.69 94.8 COARE2 Franklin Columbus AA8EY
41 147.15 0.6 147.75 COLS06 Franklin Columbus W8CQK
42 147.21 0.6 147.81 COLS07 Franklin Columbus N8OIF
43 147.24 0.6 147.84 179.9 COLS08 Franklin Columbus K8DRE Emergency Power
44 442.55 5 447.55 GROVPT Franklin Groveport WA8DNI
45 442.8 5 447.8 179.9 COLS 9 Franklin Columbus W8CMH Emergency Power
46 443.525 5 448.525 COLS 10 Franklin Columbus WB8YOJ
47 443.575 5 448.575 COLS 11 Franklin Columbus WB8YOJ
48 443.65 5 448.65 COLS 12 Franklin Columbus AA8XA
49 443.95 5 448.95 COLS 13 Franklin Columbus W8LAD
50 444.1 5 449.1 COLS 14 Franklin Columbus WB8MMR Emergency Power
51 444.175 5 449.175 82.5 DUBLN1 Franklin Dublin WA8PYR Emergency Power
52 444.2 5 449.2 151.4 CORC Franklin Columbus W8RXX
53 444.275 5 449.275 94.8 COARE3 Franklin Columbus WB8INY Emergency Power
54 444.3 5 449.3 COLS15 Franklin Columbus WB8YOJ
55 444.4 5 449.4 COLS16 Franklin Columbus W8RW
56 444.525 5 449.525 179.9 COLS17 Franklin Columbus K8DRE Emergency Power
57 444.55 5 449.55 123 COLS18 Franklin Columbus N8PVC Emergency Power
58 444.8 5 449.8 COARE4 Franklin Columbus K8DDG Emergency Power
59 444.9 5 449.9 COLS19 Franklin Columbus N8ADL
60 147.345 0.6 147.945 LOGAN Hocking Logan K8LGN Emergency Power
61 146.79 -0.6 146.19 71.9 MTVERN Knox Mt Vernon K8EEN
62 442.325 5 447.325 FREDER Knox Fredericktown N8NMQ
63 145.25 -0.6 144.65 ROSVIL Muskingum Roseville N8ROA
64 146.61 -0.6 146.01 74.4 ZANSV1 Muskingum Philo K8CYN
65 147.075 0.6 147.675 91.5 ZANSV2 Muskingum Zanesville WD8AHV Emergency Power
66 6 442.25 5 447.25 91.5 ZANSV3 Muskingum Zanesville
67 146.82 -0.6 146.22 100 NEWLEX Perry New Lexington WD8AHV
68 146.94 -0.6 146.34 71.9 MANFLD Richland Mansfield
69 146.85 -0.6 146.25 91.5 CAMBRG Guernsey Cambridge
70 146.925 -0.6 146.325 71.9 TUSCAR Tuscarawas New Philadelphia
71 7 446.1 0 446.1 TAC01 Licking CERT CERT OPS
72 8 446.2 0 446.2 TAC02 Licking CERT CERT OPS
73 9 446.3 0 446.3 JOPS Licking CERT INTER AGCY COORD

What Severe Weather to Report.

Severe Weather

  • Tornadoes, funnel clouds, wall clouds, and persistent cloud rotation.
  • Structural damage from tornadoes or severe wind gusts.
  • Any trees uprooted or downed.
  • Multiple large healthy limbs downed (at least 3″ in diameter).
  • Hail of 1/2″ diameter or larger.
  • Hail covering the ground.
  • Do not report lightning or garden variety thunderstorms below severe level.

Flooding and Rainfall

  • 1″ or more of rainfall in one hour or less (measured).
  • Flooding that results in evacuations or rescues.
  • Cars or trailers carried away by flood waters.
  • Water entering the main level of homes or businesses.
  • Roads closed or impassable due to high water.
  • Rapidly rushing water across roadways.
  • More than one foot of water across roads.
  • Small streams overflowing their banks.

Winter Weather

  • 1″ or more of snow per hour.
  • 1″ or more of snow in the past 24 hours.
  • When first measuring 2″, 4″, or 6″ of snow.
  • Storm total snowfall and snow depth.
  • Any freezing rain or freezing drizzle.
  • Any thunder or lightning associated with winter precipitation.