Amateur Radio During Emergencies

Updated 09 June 2020, 1400 UTC

Emergency Net Activation and Procedures - Kingston Repeater VE3KBR
Amateur Radio Emergency Service - Ontario Section
Kingston Amateur Radio Emergency Services (A.R.E.S.)
Lanark North Leeds A.R.E.S. (LNLARES)
Hastings County Amateur Radio Emergency Service

AMATEUR RADIO DURING EMERGENCIES:
All Amateurs should maintain their radio equipment and have some portable antennae for use during emergencies. During Ice Storm 98, many Amateurs participated either helping out their communities or by providing communications for their communities through ARES.

EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES:
For the Kingston area, check in on the KARC repeater VE3KBR (146.94 (-)),T 151.4 Hz and if it is down due to power failure, equipment failure etc, try 146.94 simplex and 146.52 simplex. Once emergency communications are started, there will be a Net controller through which you should direct your inquiries, etc.

EMERGENCY NETS:
On the Kingston Club repeater VE3KBR, there is a possibility of more than one organization using the repeater at the same time for emergency nets.

1. Any member of the Kingston Amateur Radio Club can put the repeater into Emergency Net mode if required.  Once activated, this net will be called the Kingston Emergency Net. and the operator becomes the Senior Net Controller until repeater is turned back to normal service, or he/she hands control over to another operator.

2. Frontenac County Emergency Communications Group, Kingston ARES, or any other Amateur Emergency (Canada/United States) organizations may activate their emergency net on the repeater, coordinating communications through the Senior Net Controller. The First organization activating an emergency net will be the Senior Net Controller

3. The repeater will remain in Emergency Mode until all emergency nets are closed down. The position of Senior Net Controller will be transferred as necessary.

4. A Log will be kept by each Kingston Emergency Net Senior Controller, which will be copied for the Kingston Amateur Radio Club archives. Copies of logs from other Emergency Nets activated on our repeater would be appreciated.

5. The Kingston Emergency Net if activated will handle traffic in the following methods: a. If possible the two parties will talk directly to each other and be logged as time, who they were and which stations they were using;

b. Pass traffic with who message is for, who message is from, text of the message, log as time, stations used, brief comment of message,  and if message was and/or to be relayed via another method of transmission.

c. Use phonetic spelling as necessary for clarity, ask for phonetic spelling if necessary, there is no need for word counts etc on the Kingston Emergency Net. - Other Nets to use their own procedures when passing traffic amongst themselves.

d. If hard copies of message given to you for transmission, mark transmission time and station Tx/Rx on hardcopy and keep for log archive.

e. Most of all use common sense.

To top of this page


Amateur Radio Emergency Service - Ontario Section
Click here to go to the ARES Ontario Web Page.

Kingston Amateur Radio Emergency Services
MEETINGS: ARES meets on the third Monday of the month, at 7:00 pm at the Kingston West Fire Hall, formerly known as the Kingston Township Fire Hall. Meetings normally include a guest speaker.
The Kingston ARES Net is held at 7:00 pm on Tuesday evenings on the Kingston ARC repeater VE3KBR, 146.94(-), Tone 151.4.
Click here to go to the Kingston ARES Web Page.

Lanark North Leeds Amateur Radio Emergency Service (LNLARES)
Is made up of about 40 hams who live in and around Westport, Perth, Smiths Falls, Carleton Place and Almonte.
The weekly net is held on Wednesday's at 2000 hrs. on the Lavant repeater VE3KJG (146.64 MHz.-). We plan events, pass traffic and promote emergency preparedness. It is an open net.
Click here to go to the LNLARES Web Page.

Hastings County Amateur Radio Emergency Service
The Hastings County ARES group holds a weekly net Monday at 2000 Eastern time on VE3KFR 145.330 MHz located in Campbellford. VE3QAR 146.985 located in Belleville will be connected via IRLP It is an open net.
Click here to go to the Hastings County ARES Web Page.



To top of this page