RAYNET Amateur Radio Emergency Communications in t - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Amateur Radio Emergency Communications in the United Kingdom

Paul Gaskell, G4MWO, RCVS National Coordinator Radio Society of Great Britain

David Smith, G8IDL, Emergency Planning Team, The Radio Amateurs’ Emergency Network

RAYNET is the UK’s National Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Organisation

Its name is made up from

The RA(Y)dio Amateurs’ Emergency NETwork

Amateur Radio in the UK is now regulated by

OFCOMThe Office of Communications

(this includes the previous RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS AGENCY)

The UK Licence permits us to pass third-party traffic for the following organisations –

these are called ‘THE USER SERVICES’

Any United Kingdom POLICE force, FIRE, AMBULANCE service or HEALTH Authority

CHIEF EMERGENCY PLANNING OFFICERS(Local & Regional Levels)

HM COASTGUARD, ANY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT

BRITISH RED CROSSSOCIETY, ST JOHN AMBULANCE, ST ANDREW’SAMBULANCE(Voluntary Ambulance Services)

WOMEN’S ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE, the SALVATION ARMY

UTILITY SERVICES(Gas, Water, Electricity etc)

The Radio Amateurs’ Emergency Network

David Smith G8IDL, CEng FIEE

Emergency Planning Team

RAYNET was formed following the East Coast Floods in 1953, when radio amateurs first provided emergency communications.

RAYNET ORGANISATION

The United Kingdom is split into a number of areas – called ZONES – and each has its own Zonal Co-ordinator.

RAYNET Organisation

RAYNET Organisation

What have we done?

RAYNET has provided additional communications at major incidents, including:

Lockerbie

© GM4SRL

We have assisted with

Flooding incidents

Major telecommunications disruption

Pollution disasters

We also provide safety communications forlarge-scale community events, such as:

• London Marathon
• Mildenhall Air Fete
• Great North Run / Great South Run
• Many charity cycle rides
• Long-distance walks and orienteering
• Endurance horse rides

Flora London Marathon 2005

Womens 10km run , Glasgow

© GM4SRL

Mildenhall Air Fete

RAYNET personnel provide additional safety communications for local fun runs, marathons, car rallies and a wide variety of events, whereby message passing, engineering skills and operational procedures can be tried and tested.

Aerial rigging for RAYNET Control

RAYNET Training weekend, EP College, Easingwold

Message handling on an event

In times of major civil emergency, existing communications can become rapidly overloaded.

RAYNET can offer:

• Additional flexible communications links to complement established systems

• Members who come from a variety of backgrounds and can bring a wide range of skills, knowledge and expertise

• Established local contacts

• A national 24hr emergency contact telephone number

• Increased liaison between RAYNET and the Radio Society of Great Britain
• Increased discussion with Central Government

To deliver the country’s needs now and in the future

The Radio Society of Great Britain

LIAISON WITH

THE USER SERVICES

&

UK GOVERNMENT

CIVIL CONTINGENCIES

SECRETARIAT

LIAISON WITH

THE UK’s

RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS

REGULATOR

OFCOM

& IARU

RAYNET – The Radio Amateurs Emergency Network

Weblinks

The RSGB’s Emergency Communications Webpages

http://www.rsgb.org/emergency/