Once again it has been proven that Amateur Radio is the most reliable form of communication in disaster situations.  Amateur Radio Operations were a vital component to the response efforts in Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Many stories from the event have led the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service to re-evaluate the existing response protocols and their ability to support the existing response plan for the neighborhood program.

The biggest lesson learned has to do with the number of amateur radio operators it takes to staff a major disaster operation.  The mission of the Seattle Auxiliary Community Service (ACS) is to provide auxiliary communications and other support services to City government and the community as is necessary to support disaster response and recovery.  Since our biggest threat is earthquake, an event that happens regionally and without warning, the priority must first be to support public safety and emergency response.

The first priority of the group will be to assist and support City response efforts.  Members of the ACS will be deployed to the places with the most demand, as directed from the City’s Emergency Operations Center. 

According to the SDART program, ACS members respond to Parks Community Centers through out the City.  Neighborhoods create a communications report and take it to their nearest community center for an ACS member to relay their information to the EOC.  Unfortunately, there’s simply not enough people in the group to staff all the community centers in the City with ACS members for any length of time.  As a result, ACS has coordinated with Seattle Office of Emergency Management to design new protocols that reflect basic changes in the response protocols, which should allow the group to have a more dynamic and flexible response and better serve the needs of the City, as well as meet the mission of the organization.

It’s now time to make changes in the neighborhood program as well.  Starting now and with the next printing of the neighborhood preparedness book,  a change will be made to the neighborhood plan to reflect the new direction of the ACS group.  Not all community centers will have an amateur radio operator respond immediately as stated in the current neighborhood plan.   Based on the priority set in the Emergency Operations Center, ACS members will be deployed to the places in most need first.  This may be community centers, or it may be facilities in the vicinity of the areas in most need.

Citizens will learn where the amateur radio operators are located via available public communications channels which may include AM/FM radio, television and the internet.  In keeping with the philosophy of the neighborhood program, neighbors should work together to help each other until help arrives. 

If you would like to help both ACS and your neighborhood, we are encouraging you to recruit any neighbors who are amateur radio operators into your neighborhood plan.  If you don’t have an amateur radio operator, see if there’s someone who’s interested in becoming an amateur radio operator for your neighborhood.  There will be classes offered in the Fall to learn about ACS, Amateur Radio and how to have effective emergency communications for your neighborhood.  For more information about the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Services, go to their web site at:

Written by:Mark SheppardACS Manager   (N7LYE)

JoAnn JordanEmergency Preparedness Education Coordinator